The famous Medmenham monks, or "Hell Fire Club," as they were commonly called (знаменитые медменхэмские монахи, или «Клуб Адское Пламя», как их обычно называли), and of whom the notorious Wilkes was a member, were a fraternity whose motto was "Do as you please (и членом которого являлся печально известный Уилкс, были братством = образовали братство, девизом которого было «Поступайте, как вам /будет/ угодно»)," and that invitation still stands over the ruined doorway of the abbey (и это приглашение до сих пор висит на разрушенных воротах аббатства). Many years before this bogus abbey, with its congregation of irreverent jesters, was founded (за много лет до того, как это фальшивое аббатство, с братством из непочтительных шутов, было основано; congregation — скопление, собрание; братство, паства), there stood upon this same spot a monastery of a sterner kind (на этом самом месте стоял монастырь более сурового характера/нравов), whose monks were of a somewhat different type to the revellers (монахи которого были несколько иным типом, чем кутилы = несколько отличались от кутил) that were to follow them, five hundred years afterwards (что сменили их через пять сотен лет; to follow — следовать; сменить кого-либо, быть преемником).

The Cistercian monks, whose abbey stood there in the thirteenth century (монахи-цистерцианцы, чье аббатство стояло здесь в тринадцатом веке), wore no clothes but rough tunics and cowls (носили не одежду, а грубые длинные одеяния с капюшонами; to wear; tunic — туника; верхняя накидка; оболочка; cowl — монашеское одеяние /сутана с капюшоном/; капюшон), and ate no flesh, nor fish, nor eggs (и не ели ни мяса, ни рыбы, ни яиц). They lay upon straw, and they rose at midnight to mass (они спали на соломе и вставали в полночь, чтобы служить обедню; to rise; mass — месса, литургия, обедня). They spent the day in labour, reading, and prayer (проводили день в трудах, чтении и молитве; to spend); and over all their lives there fell a silence as of death, for no one spoke (и всю их жизнь окружало мертвое безмолвие, ибо никто /никогда/ не говорил).

fraternity [fr't:nt] motto ['mtu] monastery ['mnstr] cowl [kaul]

The famous Medmenham monks, or "Hell Fire Club," as they were commonly called, and of whom the notorious Wilkes was a member, were a fraternity whose motto was "Do as you please," and that invitation still stands over the ruined doorway of the abbey. Many years before this bogus abbey, with its congregation of irreverent jesters, was founded, there stood upon this same spot a monastery of a sterner kind, whose monks were of a somewhat different type to the revellers that were to follow them, five hundred years afterwards.

The Cistercian monks, whose abbey stood there in the thirteenth century, wore no clothes but rough tunics and cowls, and ate no flesh, nor fish, nor eggs. They lay upon straw, and they rose at midnight to mass. They spent the day in labour, reading, and prayer; and over all their lives there fell a silence as of death, for no one spoke.