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DCF III-1, Doc. 3
Doc. 3
1917-07-23, Lisbon
Doc. 3
1917-07-23, Lisboa
Publ.: "O Século", Lisbon, 23 Jul. 1917 (morning edition), p. 2, col. 3
Publ.: “O Século”, Lisboa, 23 Jul. 1917 (edição da manhã), p. 2, col. 3
A HEAVENLY EMBASSY... FINANCIAL SPECULATION?
UMA EMBAIXADA CELESTIAL... ESPECULAÇÃO FINANCEIRA?
"Meia Vila, (Torres Novas), 21. — C. — For a long time a rumour had been insistently going round in this locality that at a certain spot in the Serra d'Aire* the mother of Jesus Christ would appear on the 13th of this month to two little children, to whom she had already appeared several times, and in the same place.
“Meia Vila, (Torres Novas), 21. — C. — Ha muito tempo que n’esta localidade corria com insistencia o boato de que n’um determinado ponto da serra d’Aire apareceria no dia 13 do corrente a mãe de Jesus Cristo a duas criancinhas, a quem já por diversas vezes tinha aparecido, e no mesmo local.
This rumour, as may be supposed, aroused general curiosity in the town of Torres Novas and its outskirts, among which this locality is counted, drawing thousands of people to the said spot, some, the unbelievers, to witness something interesting; others, the religious, out of credulity and devotion.
Este boato, como é de supôr, despertou a curiosidade geral na vila de Torres Novas e suburbios, entre os quaes se conta esta localidade, arrastando ao referido ponto milhares de creaturas, umas, as descrentes, para assistirem a qualquer coisa interessante; outras, as religiosas, por credulismo e devoção.
The fact is that the event was so thrilling that in Torres Novas, a town, as everyone knows, abounding in livery stables, on the said day not a single carriage could be found for hire, and quite a number of shops even closed.
O caso é que o acontecimento foi tão empolgante que, em Torres Novas, vila, como todos sabem, abundante em alquilarias, no referido dia não se encontrava sequer um carro para alugar, chegando mesmo a fechar bastantes estabelecimentos.
It was about 2 o'clock when the numerous people, most of them religious, who had gone from here to witness the announced miracle, appeared back in this locality, singing hymns and canticles to the Virgin and raising a few cheers as they dispersed to their homes.
Seriam 2 horas quando n’esta localidade appareceram, de regresso, as numerosas pessoas, na maioria religiosas, que d’aqui foram presenciar o anunciado milagre, entoando canticos e hinos á Virgem e soltando alguns vivas quando destroçaram para suas casas.
In an impulse of irresistible curiosity (for the affair is such as to arouse it), we approached on the following day a woman who, I believe, also took part in the pilgrimage, judging by the full information she was able to give me, and we put to her some questions about
N’um impulso de irresistivel curiosidade (pois o caso é de molde a despertal-a), acercámo-nos no dia seguinte d’uma creatura, que, creio tambem, fez parte da romagem pelas completas informações que soube dar-me, e dirigimos-lhe algumas perguntas ácerca
the matter, to which, with an inflection of voice that clearly revealed the emotion she felt, she replied as follows:
do assunto, ás quaes, com uma inflexão de voz, que bem deixava transparecer a emoção que sentia, respondeu da fórma seguinte:
— On the 13th, which was the day appointed for the apparition of Our Lady, we went to the place indicated. Thousands of people were already swarming there who, driven by the desire to see her, had dragged themselves there, some of them coming from distant villages.
— No dia 13, que estava designado para a aparição de Nossa Senhora, dirigimo-nos ao local indicado. Já ali fervilhavam milhares de pessoas, que, impulsionadas pelo desejo de a verem, ali se tinham arrastado, vindo de longinquas povoações algumas d’elas.
Curiosity was general, and at one moment everyone remained silent, open-mouthed, searching, as if trying to hear some voice coming from the bowels of the earth. At this, a noise like the rumbling of thunder was heard, and immediately afterwards the two children, who were beside a holm-oak shrub surrounded by many little flowers, paradisal ones I believe, burst into distressed weeping, making epileptic gestures and then falling into ecstasy. Various people put many questions to one of them, the one who had the privilege of hearing and seeing the saint, and she answered that she saw a kind of very pretty doll, which spoke to her. It had, she said, a radiance around its head and called her to its side in a very thin and melodious voice. Among the many things it told her, the main one was that it would appear again in the same place on the 13th of next month, and would appear once more after that to declare the reason why it had come into the world.
A curiosidade era geral e n’um momento todos se conservaram silenciosos, boquiabertos, perscrutadores, como que procurando ouvir qualquer voz que vinha das entranhas da terra. N’isto, ouve-se um ruido semelhante ao ribombar do trovão e logo a seguir as duas crianças, que estavam junto duma carrasqueira circumdada por muitas florinhas, creio que paradisiacas irromperam n’um choro aflitivo, fazendo gestos epileticos e caindo depois em extasis. A uma d’elas, a que tinha o privilegio de ouvir e vêr a santa, fizeram varias pessoas muitas perguntas, ás quaes respondia dizendo que via uma especie de boneca muito bonita, que lhe falava. Tinha, dizia, um resplendor em torno da cabeça e chamava-a para junto de si, n’uma voz muito fininha e melodiosa. Entre muitas coisas que lhe disse, a principal foi anunciar-lhe a sua reaparição do dia 13 a um mez e no mesmo sitio, aparecendo ainda mais outra, para declarar o motivo por que tinha vindo ao mundo.
Having thanked the little woman for the information she gave, I withdrew, forming an opinion about what I had just heard. The affair seems extremely laughable and, seriously, I would not have believed it if that woman did not deserve the utmost confidence for being sincere and truthful, and if it were not corroborated by others who told it using the same words and citing the same facts. Nevertheless, it is my opinion that this is a premeditated financial speculation, whose source of income lies in the bowels of the hills, in some spring of mineral waters recently discovered by some cunning individual who, under cover of religion, wants to turn the Serra d'Aire into a miraculous resort like old Lourdes.
Agradecidas as informações que a mulhersinha prestou, retirei-me, formulando uma opinião ácerca do que acabava de ouvir. O caso parece extremamente irrisorio e, seriamente, não o teria acreditado se aquela creatura não merecesse a maxima confiança por ser sincera e verdadeira e não fosse corroborado por outras que o contaram, empregando as mesmas palavras e citando os mesmos factos. Entretanto, é minha opinião que se trata d’uma premeditada especulação financeira, cuja fonte de receita existe nas entranhas da serra, em qualquer manancial de aguas mineraes que recentemente tenha descoberto algum individuo astucioso que, á sombra da religião, quer transformar a serra d’Aire numa estancia miraculosa como a velha Lourdes.
The authorities have already taken up the matter, and, if they are still unaware of it, this comment will serve them as a warning.
As autoridades já tomaram conta do caso, e, se ainda o ignoram, servir-lhe-ha o comentario de aviso.
Editors' notes
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