百年孤独(英文版)-第74部分

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ddition　to　Sanskrit　he　had　learned　English　and　French　and　a　little　Latin　and　Greek。　Since　he　went　out　every　afternoon　at　that　time　and　Amaranta　？rsula　had　set　aside　a　weekly　sum　for　him　for　his　personal　expenses；　his　room　looked　like　a　branch　of　the　wise　Catalonian’s　bookstore。　He　read　avidly　until　late　at　night；　although　from　the　manner　in　which　he　referred　to　his　reading；　Gaston　thought　that　he　did　not　buy　the　books　in　order　to　learn　but　to　verify　the　truth　of　his　knowledge；　and　that　none　of　them　interested　him　more　than　the　parchments；　to　which　he　dedicated　most　of　his　time　in　the　morning。　Both　Gaston　and　his　wife　would　have　liked　to　incorporate　him　into　the　family　life；　but　Aureliano　was　a　hermetic　man　with　a　cloud　of　mystery　that　time　was　making　denser。　It　was　such　an　unfathomable　condition　that　Gaston　failed　in　his　efforts　to　bee　intimate　with　him　and　had　to　seek　other　pastimes　for　his　idle　hours。　It　was　around　that　time　that　he　conceived　the　idea　of　establishing　an　airmail　service。
　　　It　was　not　a　new　project。　Actually；　he　had　it　fairly　well　advanced　when　he　met　Amaranta　？rsula；　except　that　it　was　not　for　Macondo；　but　for　the　Belgian　Congo；　where　his　family　had　investments　in　palm　oil。　The　marriage　and　the　decision　to　spend　a　few　months　in　Macondo　to　please　his　wife　had　obliged　him　to　postpone　it。　But　when　he　saw　that　Amaranta　？rsula　was　determined　to　organize　a　mission　for　public　improvement　and　even　laughed　at　him　when　he　hinted　at　the　possibility　of　returning；　he　understood　that　things　were　going　to　take　a　long　time　and　he　reestablished　contact　with　his　forgotten　partners　in　Brussels；　thinking　that　it　was　just　as　well　to　be　a　pioneer　in　the　Caribbean　as　in　Africa。　While　his　steps　were　progressing　he　prepared　a　landing　field　in　the　old　enchanted　region　which　at　that　time　looked　like　a　plain　of　crushed　flintstone；　and　he　studied　the　wind　direction；　the　geography　of　the　coastal　region；　and　the　best　routes　for　aerial　navigation；　without　knowing　that　his　diligence；　so　similar　to　that　of　Mr。　Herbert；　was　filling　the　town　with　the　dangerous　suspicion　that　his　plan　was　not　to　set　up　routes　but　to　plant　banana　trees。　Enthusiastic　over　the　idea　that；　after　all；　might　justify　his　permanent　establishment　in　Macondo；　he　took　several　trips　to　the　capital　of　the　province；　met　with　authorities；　obtained　licenses；　and　drew　up　contracts　for　exclusive　rights。　In　the　meantime　he　maintained　a　correspondence　with　his　partners　in　Brussels　which　resembled　that　of　Fernanda　with　the　invisible　doctors；　and　he　finally　convinced　them　to　ship　the　first　airplane　under　the　care　of　an　expert　mechanic；　who　would　assemble　it　in　the　nearest　port　and　fly　it　to　Macondo。　One　year　after　his　first　meditations　and　meteorological　calculations；　trusting　in　the　repeated　promises　of　his　correspondents；　he　had　acquired　the　habit　of　strolling　through　the　streets；　looking　at　the　sky；　hanging　onto　the　sound　of　the　breeze　in　hopes　that　the　airplane　would　appear。
　　　Although　she　had　not　noticed　it；　the　return　of　Amaranta　？rsula　had　brought　on　a　radical　change　in　Aureliano’s　life。　After　the　death　of　Jos？Arcadio　he　had　bee　a　regular　customer　at　the　wise　Catalonian’s　bookstore。　Also；　the　freedom　that　he　enjoyed　then　and　the　time　at　his　disposal　awoke　in　him　a　certain　curiosity　about　the　town；　which　he　came　to　know　without　any　surprise。　He　went　through　the　dusty　and　solitary　streets；　examining　with　scientific　interest　the　inside　of　houses　in　ruin；　the　metal　screens　on　the　windows　broken　by　rust　and　the　dying　birds；　and　the　inhabitants　bowed　down　by　memories。　He　tried　to　reconstruct　in　his　imagination　the　annihilated　splendor　of　the　old　banana…pany　town；　whose　dry　swimming　pool　was　filled　to　the　brim　with　rotting　men’s　and　women’s　shoes；　and　in　the　houses　of　which；　destroyed　by　rye　grass；　he　found　the　skeleton　of　a　German　shepherd　dog　still　tied　to　a　ring　by　a　steel　chain　and　a　telephone　that　was　ringing；　ringing；　ringing　until　he　picked　it　up　and　an　anguished　and　distant　woman　spoke　in　English；　and　he　said　yes；　that　the　strike　was　over；　that　three　thousand　dead　people　had　been　thrown　into　the　sea；　that　the　banana　pany　had　left；　and　that　Macondo　finally　had　peace　after　many　years。　Those　wanderings　led　him　to　the　prostrate　red…light　district；　where　in　other　times　bundles　of　banknotes　had　been　burned　to　liven　up　the　revels；　and　which　at　that　time　was　a　maze　of　streets　more　afflicted　and　miserable　than　the　others；　with　a　few　red　lights　still　burning　and　with　deserted　dance　halls　adorned　with　the　remnants　of　wreaths；　where　the　pale；　fat　widows　of　no　one；　the　French　great…grandmothers　and　the　Babylonian　matriarchs；　were　still　waiting　beside　their　photographs。　Aureliano　could　not　find　anyone　who　remembered　his　family；　not　even　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　except　for　the　oldest　of　the　West　Indian　Negroes；　an　old　man　whose　cottony　hair　gave　him　the　look　of　a　photographic　negative　and　who　was　still　singing　the　mournful　sunset　psalms　in　the　door　of　his　house。　Aureliano　would　talk　to　him　in　the　tortured　Papiamento　that　he　had　learned　in　a　few　weeks　and　sometimes　he　would　share　his　chicken…head　soup；　prepared　by　the　great…granddaughter；　with　him。　She　was　a　large　black　woman　with　solid　bones；　the　hips　of　a　mare；　teats　like　live　melons；　and　a　round　and　perfect　head　armored　with　a　hard　surface　of　wiry　hair　which　looked　like　a　medieval　warrior’s　mail　headdress。　Her　name　was　Nigromanta。　In　those　days　Aureliano　lived　off　the　sale　of　silverware；　candlesticks；　and　other　bric…a…brac　from　the　house。　When　he　was　penniless；　which　was　most　of　the　time；　he　got　people　in　the　back　of　the　market　to　give　him　the　chicken　heads　that　they　were　going　to　throw　away　and　he　would　take　them　to　Nigromanta　to　make　her　soups；　fortified　with　purslane　and　seasoned　with　mint。　When　the　great…grandfather　died　Aureliano　stopped　going　by　the　house；　but　he　would　run　into　Nigromanta　under　the　dark　almond　trees　on　the　square；　using　her　wild…animal　whistles　to　lure　the　few　night　owls。　Many　times　he　stayed　with　her；　speaking　in　Papiamento　about　chicken…head　soup　and　other　dainties　of　misery；　and　he　would　have　kept　right　on　if　she　had　not　let　him　know　that　his　presence　frightened　off　customers。　Although　he　sometimes　felt　the　temptation　and　although　Nigromanta　herself　might　have　seemed　to　him　as　the　natural　culmination　of　a　shared　nostalgia；　he　did　not　go　to　bed　with　her。　So　Aureliano　was　still　a　virgin　when　Amaranta　？rsula　returned　to　Macondo　and　gave　him　a　sisterly　embrace　that　left　him　breathless。　Every　time　he　saw　her；　and　worse　yet　when　she　showed　him　the　latest　dances；　he　felt　the　same　spongy　release　in　his　bones　that　had　disturbed　his　great…great…grandfather　when　Pilar　Ternera　made　her　pretexts　about　the　cards　in　the　granary。　Trying　to　squelch　the　torment；　he　sank　deeper　into　the　parchments　and　eluded　the　innocent　flattery　of　that　aunt　who　was　poisoning　his　nights　with　a　flow　of　tribulation；　but　the　more　he　avoided　her　the　more　the　anxiety　with　which　he　waited　for　her　stony　laughter；　her　howls　of　a　happy　cat；　and　her　songs　of　gratitude；　agonizing　in　love　at　all　hours　and　in　the　most　unlikely　parts　of　the　house。　One　night　thirty　feet　from　his　bed；　on　the　silver　workbench；　the　couple　with　unhinged　bellies　broke　the　bottles　and　ended　up　making　love　in　a　pool　of　muriatic　acid。　Aureliano　not　only　could　not　sleep　for　a　single　second；　but　he　spent　the　next　day　with　a　fever；　sobbing　with　rage。　The　first　night　that　he　waited　for　Nigromanta　to　e　to　the　shadows　of　the　almond　trees　it　seemed　like　an　eternity；　pricked　as　he　was　by　the　needles　of　uncertainty　and　clutching　in　his　fist　the　peso　and　fifty　cents　that　he　had　asked　Amaranta　？rsula　for；　not　so　much　because　he　needed　it　as　to　involve　her；　debase　her；　prostitute　her　in　his　adventure　in　some　way。　Nigromanta　took　him　to　her　room；　which　was　lighted　with　false　candlesticks；　to　her　folding　cot　with　the　bedding　stained　from　bad　loves；　and　to　her　body　of　a　wild　dog；　hardened　and　without　soul；　which　prepared　itself　to　dismiss　him　as　if　he　were　a　frightened　child；　and　suddenly　it　found　a　man　whose　tremendous　power　demanded　a　movement　of　seismic　readjustment　from　her　insides。
　　　They　became　lovers。　Aureliano　would　spend　his　mornings　deciphering　parchments　and　at　siesta　time　he　would　go　to　the　bedroom　where　Nigromanta　was　waiting　for　him；　to　teach　him　first　how　to　do　it　like　earthworms；　then　like　snails；　and　finally　like　crabs；　until　she　had　to　leave　him　and　lie　in　wait　for　vagabond　loves。　Several　weeks　passed　before　Aureliano　discovered　that　around　her　waist　she　wore　a　small　belt　that　seemed　to　be　made　out　of　a　cello　string；　but　which　was　hard　as　steel　and　had　no　end；　as　if　it　had　been　born　and　grown　with　her。　Almost　always；　between　loves；　they　would　eat　naked　in　the　bed；　in　the　hallucinating　heat　and　under　the　daytime　stars　that　the　rust　had　caused　to　shine　on　the　zinc　ceiling。　It　was　the　first　time　that　Nigromanta　had　had　a　steady　man；　a　bone　crusher　from　head　to　toe；　as　she　herself　said；　dying　with　laughter；　and　she　had　even　begun　to　get　romantic　illusions　when　Aureliano　confided　in　her　about　his　repressed　passion　for　Amaranta　？rsula；　which　he　had　not　been　able　to　cure　with　the　substitution　but　which　was　twisting　him　inside　all　the　more　as　experience　broadened　the　horizons　of　love。　After　that　Nigromanta　continued　to　receive　him　with　the　same　warmth　as　ever　but　she　made　him　pay　for　her　services　so　strictly　that　when　Aureliano　had　no　money　she　would　make　an　addition　to　his　bill；　which　was　not　figured　in　numbers　but　by　marks　that　she　made　with　her　thumbnail　behind　the　door。　At　sundown；　while　she　was　drifting　through　the　shadows　in　the　square；　Aureliano；　was　going　along　the　porch　like　a　stranger；　scarcely　greeting　Amaranta　？rsula　and　Gaston；　who　usually　dined　at　that　time；　and　shutting　herself　up　in　his　room　again；　unable　to　read　or　write　or　even　think　because　of　the　anxiety　brought　on　by　the　laughter；　the　whispering；　the　preliminary　frolics；　and　then　the　explosions　of　agonizing　happiness　that　capped　the　nights　in　the　house。　That　was　his　life　two　years　before　Gaston　began　to　wait　for　the　airplane；　and　it　went　on　the　same　way　on　the　afternoon　that　he　went　to　the　bookstore　of　the　wise　Catalonian　and　found　four　ranting　boys　in　a　heated　argument　about　the　methods　used　to　kill　cockroaches　in　the　Mid