百年孤独(英文版)-第45部分

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　　　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　the　only　one　who　was　immune　to　the　banana　plague。　She　was　becalmed　in　a　magnificent　adolescence；　more　and　more　impenetrable　to　formality；　more　and　more　indifferent　to　malice　and　suspicion；　happy　in　her　own　world　of　simple　realities。　She　did　not　understand　why　women　plicated　their　lives　with　corsets　and　petticoats；　so　she　sewed　herself　a　coarse　cassock　that　she　simply　put　over　her　and　without　further　difficulties　resolved　the　problem　of　dress；　without　taking　away　the　feeling　of　being　naked；　which　according　to　her　lights　was　the　only　decent　way　to　be　when　at　home。　They　bothered　her　so　much　to　cut　the　rain　of　hair　that　already　reached　to　her　thighs　and　to　make　rolls　with　bs　and　braids　with　red　ribbons　that　she　simply　shaved　her　head　and　used　the　hair　to　make　wigs　for　the　saints。　The　startling　thing　about　her　simplifying　instinct　was　that　the　more　she　did　away　with　fashion　in　a　search　for　fort　and　the　more　she　passed　over　conventions　as　she　obeyed　spontaneity；　the　more　disturbing　her　incredible　beauty　became　and　the　more　provocative　she　became　to　men。　When　the　sons　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　were　in　Macondo　for　the　first　time；　？rsula　remembered　that　in　their　veins　they　bore　the　same　blood　as　her　great…granddaughter　and　she　shuddered　with　a　forgotten　fright。　“Keep　your　eyes　wide　open；？she　warned　her。　“With　any　of　them　your　children　will　e　out　with　the　tail　of　a　pig。？The　girl　paid　such　little　attention　to　the　warning　that　she　dressed　up　as　a　man　and　rolled　around　in　the　sand　in　order　to　climb　the　greased　pole；　and　she　was　at　the　point　of　bringing　on　a　tragedy　among　the　seventeen　cousins；　who　were　driven　mad　by　the　unbearable　spectacle。　That　was　why　none　of　them　slept　at　the　house　when　they　visited　the　town　and　the　four　who　had　stayed　lived　in　rented　rooms　at　？rsula’s　insistence。　Remedios　the　Beauty；　however；　would　have　died　laughing　if　she　had　known　about　that　precaution。　Until　her　last　moment　on　earth　she　was　unaware　that　her　irreparable　fate　as　a　disturbing　woman　was　a　daily　disaster。　Every　time　she　appeared　in　the　dining　room；　against　？rsula’s　orders；　she　caused　a　panic　of　exasperation　among　the　outsiders。　It　was　all　too　evident　that　she　was　pletely　naked　underneath　her　crude　nightshirt　and　no　one　could　understand　that　her　shaved　and　perfect　skull　was　not　some　kind　of　challenge；　and　that　the　boldness　with　which　she　uncovered　her　thighs　to　cool　off　was　not　a　criminal　provocation；　nor　was　her　pleasure　when　she　sucked　her　fingers　after。　eating。　What　no　member　of　the　family　ever　knew　was　that　the　strangers　did　not　take　long　to　realize　that　Remedios　the　Beauty　gave　off　a　breath　of　perturbation；　a　tormenting　breeze　that　was　still　perceptible　several　hours　after　she　had　passed　by。　Men　expert　in　the　disturbances　of　love；　experienced　all　over　the　world；　stated　that　they　had　never　suffered　an　anxiety　similar　to　the　one　produced　by　the　natural　smell　of　Remedios　the　Beauty。　On　the　porch　with　the　begonias；　in　the　parlor；　in　any　place　in　the　house；　it　was　possible　to　point　out　the　exact　place　where　she　had　been　and　the　time　that　had　passed　since　she　had　left　it。　It　was　a　definite；　unmistakable　trace　that　no　one　in　the　family　could　distinguish　because　it　had　been　incorporated　into　the　daily　odors　for　a　long　time；　but　it　was　one　that　the　outsiders　identified　immediately。　They　were　the　only　ones；　therefore；　who　understood　how　the　young　mander　of　the　guard　had　died　of　love　and　how　a　gentleman　from　a　faraway　land　had　been　plunged　into　desperation。　Unaware　of　the　restless　circle　in　which　she　moved；　of　the　unbearable　state　of　intimate　calamity　that　she　provoked　as　she　passed　by；　Remedios　the　Beauty　treated　the　men　without　the　least　bit　of　malice　and　in　the　end　upset　them　with　her　innocent　plaisance。　When　？rsula　succeeded　in　imposing　the　mand　that　she　eat　with　Amaranta　in　the　kitchen　so　that　the　outsiders　would　not　see　her；　she　felt　more　fortable；　because；　after　all；　she　was　beyond　all　discipline。　In　reality；　it　made　no　difference　to　her　where　she　ate；　and　not　at　regular　hours　but　according　to　the　whims　of　her　appetite。　Sometimes　she　would　get　up　to　have　lunch　at　three　in　the　morning；　sleep　all　day　long；　and　she　spent　several　months　with　her　timetable　all　in　disarray　until　some　casual　incident　would　bring　her　back　into　the　order　of　things。　When　things　were　going　better　she　would　get　up　at　eleven　o’clock　in　the　morning　and　shut　herself　up　until　two　o’clock；　pletely　nude；　in　the　bathroom；　killing　scorpions　as　she　came　out　of　her　dense　and　prolonged　sleep。　Then　she　would　throw　water　from　the　cistern　over　herself　with　a　gourd。　It　was　an　act　so　prolonged；　so　meticulous；　so　rich　in　ceremonial　aspects　that　one　who　did　not　know　her　well　would　have　thought　that　she　was　given　over　to　the　deserved　adoration　of　her　own　body。　For　her；　however；　that　solitary　rite　lacked　all　sensuality　and　was　simply　a　way　of　passing　the　time　until　she　was　hungry。　One　day；　as　she　began　to　bathe　herself；　a　stranger　lifted　a　tile　from　the　roof　and　was　breathless　at　the　tremendous　spectacle　of　her　nudity。　She　saw　his　desolate　eyes　through　the　broken　tiles　and　had　no　reaction　of　shame　but　rather　one　of　alarm。
　　　“Be　careful；？she　exclaimed。　“You’ll　fall。？
　　　“I　just　wanted　to　see　you；？the　foreigner　murmured。
　　　“Oh；　all　right；？she　said。　“But　be　careful；　those　tiles　are　rotten。？
　　　The　stranger’s　face　had　a　pained　expression　of　stupor　and　he　seemed　to　be　battling　silently　against　his　primary　instincts　so　as　not　to　break　up　the　mirage。　Remedios　the　Beauty　thought　that　he　was　suffering　from　the　fear　that　the　tiles　would　break　and　she　bathed　herself　more　quickly　than　usual　so　that　the　man　would　not　be　in　danger。　While　she　was　pouring　water　from　the；　cistern　she　told　him　that　the　roof　was　in　that　state　because　she　thought　that　the　bed　of　leaves　had　been　rotted　by　the　rain　and　that　was　what　was　filling　the　bathroom　with　scorpions。　The　stranger　thought　that　her　small　talk　was　a　way　of　covering　her　plaisance；　so　that　when　she　began　to　soap　herself　he　gave　into　temptation　and　went　a　step　further。
　　　“Let　me　soap　you；？he　murmured。
　　　“Thank　you　for　your　good　intentions；？she　said；　“but　my　two　hands　are　quite　enough。？
　　　“Even　if　it’s　just　your　back；？the　foreigner　begged。
　　　“That　would　be　silly；？she　said。　“People　never　soap　their　backs。？
　　　Then；　while　she　was　drying　herself；　the　stranger　begged　her；　with　his　eyes　full　of　tears；　to　marry　him。　She　answered　him　sincerely　that　she　would　never　marry　a　man　who　was　so　simple　that　he　had　wasted　almost　an　hour　and　even　went　without　lunch　just　to　see　a　woman　taking　a　bath。　Finally；　when　she　put　on　her　cassock；　the　man　could　not　bear　the　proof　that；　indeed；　she　was　not　wearing　anything　underneath；　as　everyone　had　suspected；　and　he　felt　himself　marked　forever　with　the　white…hot　iron　of　that　secret。　Then　he　took　two　more　tiles　off　in　order　to　drop　down　into　the　bathroom。
　　　“It’s　very　high；？she　warned　him　in　fright。　“You’ll　kill　yourself！？
　　　The　rotten　tiles　broke　with　a　noise　of　disaster　and　the　man　barely　had　time　to　let　out　a　cry　of　terror　as　he　cracked　his　skull　and　was　killed　outright　on　the　cement　floor。　The　foreigners　who　heard　the　noise　in　the　dining　room　and　hastened　to　remove　the　body　noticed　the　suffocating　odor　of　Remedios　the　Beauty　on　his　skin。　It　was　so　deep　in　his　body　that　the　cracks　in　his　skull　did　not　give　off　blood　but　an　amber…colored　oil　that　was　impregnated　with　that　secret　perfume；　and　then　they　understood　that　the　smell　of　Remedios　the　Beauty　kept　on　torturing　men　beyond　death；　right　down　to　the　dust　of　their　bones。　Nevertheless；　they　did　not　relate　that　horrible　accident　to　the　other　two　men　who　had　died　because　of　Remedios　the　Beauty。　A　victim　was　still　needed　before　the　outsiders　and　many　of　the　old　inhabitants　of　Macondo　would　credit　the　legend　that　Remedios　Buendía　did　not　give　off　a　breath　of　love　but　a　fatal　emanation。　The　occasion　for　the　proof　of　it　came　some　months　later　on　one　afternoon　when　Remedios　the　Beauty　went　with　a　group　of　girl　friends　to　look　at　the　new　plantings。　For　the　girls　of　Macondo　that　novel　game　was　reason　for　laughter　and　surprises；　frights　and　jokes；　and　at　night　they　would　talk　about　their　walk　as　if　it　had　been　an　experience　in　a　dream。　Such　was　the　prestige　of　that　silence　that　？rsula　did　not　have　the　heart　to　take　the　fun　away　from　Remedios　the　Beauty；　and　she　let　her　go　one　afternoon；　providing　that　she　wore　a　hat　and　a　decent　dress。　As　soon　as　the　group　of　friends　went　into　the　plantings　the　air　became　impregnated　with　a　fatal　fragrance。　The　men　who　were　working　along　the　rows　felt　possessed　by　a　strange　fascination；　menaced　by　some　invisible　danger；　and　many　succumbed　to　a　terrible　desire　to　weep。　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　her　startled　friends　managed　to　take　refuge　in　a　nearby　house　just　as　they　were　about　to　be　assaulted　by　a　pack　of　ferocious　males。　A　short　time　later　they　were　rescued　by　the　flour　Aurelianos；　whose　crosses　of　ash　inspired　a　sacred　respect；　as　if　they　were　caste　marks；　stamps　of　invulnerability。　Remedios　the　Beauty　did　not　tell　anyone　that　one　of　the　men；　taking　advantage　of　the　tumult；　had　managed　to　attack　her　stomach　with　a　hand　that　was　more　like　the　claw　of　an　eagle　clinging　to　the　edge　of　a　precipice。　She　faced　the　attacker　in　a　kind　of　instantaneous　flash　and　saw　the　disconsolate　eyes；　which　remained　stamped　on　her　heart　like　the　hot　coals　of　pity。　That　night　the　man　boasted　of　his　audacity　and　swaggered　over　his　good　luck　on　the　Street　of　the　Turks　a　few　minutes　before　the　kick　of　a　horse　crushed　his　chest　and　a　crowd　of　outsiders　saw　him　die　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　drowned　in　his　own　bloody　vomiting。
　　　The　supposition　that　Remedios　the　Beauty　Possessed　powers　of　death　was　then　borne　out　by　four　irrefutable　events。　Although　some　men　who　were　easy　with　their　words　said　that　it　was　worth　sacrificing　one’s　life　for　a　night　of　love　with　such　an　arousing　woman；　the　truth　was　that　no　one　made　any　effort　to　do　so。　Perhaps；　not　only　to　attain　her　but　also　to　conjure　away　her　dangers；　all　that　was　needed　was　a　feeling　as　primitive　and　as　simple　as　that　of　love；　but　that　was　the　only　thing　that　did　not　occur　to　anyone。　？rsula　did　not　worry　about　her　any　more。　On　another　occasion；　when　she　had　not　yet　given　up　the　idea　of　s