百年孤独(英文版)-第38部分

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ump　into　it；　and　there　they　put　it；　very　carefully；　and　there　it’s　been　ever　since　because　they　never　came　back　for　it。？Later　on；　？rsula　had　put　candles　on　it　and　had　prostrated　herself　before　it；　not　suspecting　that　instead　of　a　saint　she　was　adoring　almost　four　bundled　pounds　of　gold。　The　tardy　evidence　of　her　involuntary　paganism　made　her　even　more　upset。　She　spat　on　the　spectacular　pile　of　coins；　put　them　in　three　canvas　sacks；　and　buried　them　in　a　secret　place；　hoping　that　sooner　or　later　the　three　unknown　men　would　e　to　reclaim　them。　Much　later；　during　the　difficult　years　of　her　decrepitude；　？rsula　would　intervene　in　the　conversations　of　the　many　travelers　who　came　by　the　house　at　that　time　and　ask　them　if　they　had　left　a　plaster　Saint　Joseph　there　during　the　war　to　be　taken　care　of　until　the　rains　passed。
　　　Things　like　that　which　gave　？rsula　such　consternation；　were　monplace　in　those　days。　Macondo　was　swamped　in　a　miraculous　prosperity。　The　adobe　houses　of　the　founders　had　been　replaced　by　brick　buildings　with　wooden　blinds　and　cement　floors　which　made　the　suffocating　heat　of　two　o’clock　in　the　afternoon　more　bearable。　All　that　remained　at　that　time　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía’s　ancient　village　were　the　dusty　almond　trees；　destined　to　resist　the　most　arduous　of　circumstances；　and　the　river　of　clear　water　whose　prehistoric　stones　had　been　pulverized　by　the　frantic　hammers　of　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　when　he　set　about　opening　the　channel　in　order　to　establish　a　boat　line。　It　was　a　mad　dream；　parable　to　those　of　his　great…grandfather；　for　the　rocky　riverbed　and　the　numerous　rapids　prevented　navigation　from　Macondo　to　the　sea。　But　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　in　an　unforeseen　burst　of　temerity；　stubbornly　kept　on　with　the　project。　Until　then　he　had　shown　no　sign　of　imagination。　Except　for　his　precarious　adventure　with　Petra　Cotes；　he　had　never　known　a　woman。　？rsula　had　considered　him　the　quietest　example　the　family　had　ever　produced　in　all　its　history；　incapable　of　standing　out　even　as　a　handler　of　fighting　cocks；　when　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　told　him　the　story　of　the　Spanish　galleon　aground　eight　miles　from　the　sea；　the　carbonized　frame　of　which　he　had　seen　himself　during　the　war。　The　story；　which　for　so　many　years　had　seemed　fantastic　to　so　many　people；　was　a　revelation　for　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo。　He　auctioned　off　his　roosters　to　the　highest　bidder；　recruited　men；　bought　tools；　and　set　about　the　awesome　task　of　breaking　stones；　digging　canals；　clearing　away　rapids；　and　even　harnessing　waterfalls。　“I　know　all　of　this　by　heart；？？rsula　would　shout。　“It’s　as　if　time　had　turned　around　and　we　were　back　at　the　beginning。？When　he　thought　that　the　river　was　navigable；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　gave　his　brother　a　detailed　account　of　his　plans　and　the　latter　gave　him　the　money　he　needed　for　the　enterprise。　He　disappeared　for　a　long　time。　It　had　been　said　that　his　plan　to　buy　a　boat　was　nothing　but　a　trick　to　make　off　with　his　brother’s　money　when　the　news　spread　that　a　strange　craft　was　approaching　the　town。　The　inhabitants　of　Macondo；　who　no　longer　remembered　the　colossal　undertakings　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　ran　to　the　riverbank　and　saw　with　eyes　popping　in　disbelief　the　arrival　of　the　first　and　last　boat　ever　to　dock　in　the　town。　It　was　nothing　but　a　log　raft　drawn　by　thick　ropes　pulled　by　twenty　men　who　walked　along　the　bank。　In　the　prow；　with　a　glow　of　satisfaction　in　his　eyes；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　directing　the　arduous　maneuver。　There　arrived　with　him　a　rich　group　of　splendid　matrons　who　were　protecting　themselves　from　the　burning　sun　with　gaudy　parasols；　and　wore　on　their　shoulders　fine　silk　kerchiefs；　with　colored　creams　on　their　faces　and　natural　flowers　in　their　hair　and　golden　serpents　on　their　arms　and　diamonds　in　their　teeth。　The　log　raft　was　the　only　vessel　that　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　able　to　bring　to　Macondo；　and　only　once；　but　he　never　recognized　the　failure　of　his　enterprise；　but　proclaimed　his　deed　as　a　victory　of　will　power。　He　gave　a　scrupulous　accounting　to　his　brother　and　very　soon　plunged　back　into　the　routine　of　cockfights。　The　only　thing　that　remained　of　that　unfortunate　venture　was　the　breath　of　renovation　that　the　matrons　from　France　brought；　as　their　magnificent　arts　transformed　traditional　methods　of　love　and　their　sense　of　social　well…being　abolished　Catarino’s　antiquated　place　and　turned　the　street　into　a　bazaar　of　Japanese　lanterns　and　nostalgic　hand　organs。　They　were　the　promoters　of　the　bloody　carnival　that　plunged　Macondo　into　delirium　for　three　days　and　whose　only　lasting　consequence　was　having　given　Aureliano　Segundo　the　opportunity　to　meet　Fernanda　del　Carpio。
　　　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　proclaimed　queen。　？rsula；　who　shuddered　at　the　disquieted　beauty　of　her　great…granddaughter；　could　not　prevent　the　choice。　Until　then　she　had　succeeded　in　keeping　her　off　the　streets　unless　it　was　to　go　to　mass　with　Amaranta；　but　she　made　her　cover　her　face　with　a　black　shawl。　The　most　impious　men；　those　who　would　disguise　themselves　as　priests　to　say　sacrilegious　masses　in　Catarino’s　store；　would　go　to　church　with　an　aim　to　see；　if　only　for　an　instant；　the　face　of　Remedios　the　Beauty；　whose　legendary　good　looks　were　spoken　of　with　alarming　excitement　throughout　the　swamp。　It　was　a　long　time　before　they　were　able　to　do　so；　and　it　would　have　been　better　for　them　if　they　never　had；　because　most　of　them　never　recovered　their　peaceful　habits　of　sleep。　The　man　who　made　it　possible；　a　foreigner；　lost　his　serenity　forever；　became　involved　in　the　sloughs　of　abjection　and　misery；　and　years　later　was　cut　to　pieces　by　a　train　after　he　had　fallen　asleep　on　the　tracks。　From　the　moment　he　was　seen　in　the　church；　wearing　a　green　velvet　suit　and　an　embroidered　vest；　no　one　doubted　that　he　came　from　far　away；　perhaps　from　some　distant　city　outside　of　the　country；　attracted　by　the　magical　fascination　of　Remedios　the　Beauty。　He　was　so　handsome；　so　elegant　and　dignified；　with　such　presence；　that　Pietro　Crespi　would　have　been　a　mere　fop　beside　him　and　many　women　whispered　with　spiteful　smiles　that　he　was　the　one　who　really　should　have　worn　the　shawl。　He　did　not　speak　to　anyone　in　Macondo。　He　appeared　at　dawn　on　Sunday　like　a　prince　in　a　fairy　tale；　riding　a　horse　with　silver　stirrups　and　a　velvet　blanket；　and　he　left　town　after　mass。
　　　The　power　of　his　presence　was　such　that　from　the　first　time　he　was　seen　in　the　church　everybody　took　it　for　granted　that　a　silent　and　tense　duel　had　been　established　between　him　and　Remedios　the　Beauty；　a　secret　pact；　an　irrevocable　challenge　that　would　end　not　only　in　love　but　also　in　death。　On　the　sixth　Sunday　the　gentleman　appeared　with　a　yellow　rose　in　his　hand。　He　heard　mass　standing；　as　he　always　did；　and　at　the　end　he　stepped　in　front　of　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　offered　her　the　solitary　rose。　She　took　it　with　a　natural　gesture；　as　if　she　had　been　prepared　for　that　homage；　and　then　she　uncovered　her　face　and　gave　her　thanks　with　a　smile。　That　was　all　she　did。　Not　only　for　the　gentleman；　but　for　all　the　men　who　had　the　unfortunate　privilege　of　seeing　her；　that　was　an　eternal　instant。
　　　From　then　on　the　gentleman　had　a　band　of　musicians　play　beside　the　window　of　Remedios　the　Beauty；　sometimes　until　dawn。　Aureliano　Segundo　was　the　only　one　who　felt　a　cordial　passion　for　him　and　he　tried　to　break　his　perseverance。　“Don’t　waste　your　time　any　more；？he　told　him　one　night。　“The　women　in　this　house　are　worse　than　mules。？He　offered　him　his　friendship；　invited　him　to　bathe　in　champagne；　tried　to　make　him　understand　that　the　females　of　his　family　had　insides　made　of　flint；　but　he　could　not　weaken　his　obstinacy。　Exasperated　by　the　interminable　nights　of　music；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　threatened　to　cure　his　affliction　with　a　few　pistol　shots。　Nothing　made　him　desist　except　his　own　lamentable　state　of　demoralization。　From　a　well…dressed　and　neat　individual　he　became　filthy　and　ragged。　It　was　rumored　that　he　had　abandoned　power　and　fortune　in　his　distant　nation；　although　his　origins　were　actually　never　known。　He　became　argumentative；　a　barroom　brawler；　and　he　would　wake　up　rolling　in　his　own　filth　in　Catarino’s　store。　The　saddest　part　of　his　drama　was　that　Remedios　the　Beauty　did　not　notice　him　not　even　when　he　appeared　in　church　dressed　like　a　prince。　She　accepted　the　yellow　rose　without　the　least　bit　of　malice；　amused；　rather；　by　the　extravagance　of　the　act；　and　she　lifted　her　shawl　to　see　his　face　better；　not　to　show　hers。
　　　Actually；　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　not　a　creature　of　this　world。　Until　she　was　well　along　in　puberty　Santa　Sofía　de　la。　Piedad　had　to　bathe　and　dress　her；　and　even　when　she　could　take　care　of　herself　it　was　necessary　to　keep　an　eye　on　her　so　that　she　would　not　paint　little　animals　on　the　walls　with　a　stick　daubed　in　her　own　excrement。　She　reached　twenty　without　knowing　how　to　read　or　write；　unable　to　use　the　silver　at　the　table；　wandering　naked　through　the　house　because　her　nature　rejected　all　manner　of　convention。　When　the　young　mander　of　the　guard　declared　his　love　for　her；　she　rejected　him　simply　because　his　frivolity　startled　her。　“See　how　simple　he　is；？she　told　Amaranta。　“He　says　that　he’s　dying　because　of　me；　as　if　I　were　a　bad　case　of　colic。？When；　indeed；　they　found　him　dead　beside　her　window；　Remedios　the　Beauty　confirmed　her　first　impression。
　　　“You　see；？she　mented。　“He　was　a　plete　Simpleton。？
　　　It　seemed　as　if　some　penetrating　lucidity　permitted　her　to　see　the　reality　of　things　beyond　any　formalism。　That　at　least　was　the　point　of　view　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　for　whom　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　in　no　way　mentally　retarded；　as　was　generally　believed；　but　quite　the　opposite。　“It’s　as　if　she’s　e　back　from　twenty　years　of　war；？he　would　say。　？rsula；　for　her　part；　thanked　God　for　having　awarded　the　family　with　a　creature　of　exceptional　purity；　but　at　the　same　time　she　was　disturbed　by　her　beauty；　for　it　seemed　a　contradictory　virtue　to　her；　a　diabolical　trap　at　the　center　of　her　innocence。　It　was　for　that　reason　that　she　decided　to　keep　her　away　from　the　world；　to　protect　her　from　all　earthly　temptation；　not　knowing　that　Remedios　the　Beauty；　even　from　the　time　when　she　was　in　her　mother’s　womb；　was　safe　from　any　contagion。　It　never　entered　her　head　that　they　would　elect　her　beaut