百年孤独(英文版)-第53部分

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　　　They　kept　her；　because　there　was　nothing　else　they　could　do。　They　decided　to　call　her　Rebeca；　which　according　to　the　letter　was　her　mother’s　name；　because　Aureliano　had　the　patience　to　read　to　her　the　names　of　all　the　saints　and　he　did　not　get　a　reaction　from　any　one　of　them。　Since　there　was　no　cemetery　in　Macondo　at　that　time；　for　no　one　had　died　up　till　then；　they　kept　the　bag　of　bones　to　wait　for　a　worthy　place　of　burial；　and　for　a　long　time　it　got　in　the　way　everywhere　and　would　be　found　where　least　expected；　always　with　its　clucking　of　a　broody　hen。　A　long　time　passed　before　Rebeca　became　incorporated　into　the　life　of　the　family。　She　would　sit　in　her　small　rocker　sucking　her　finger　in　the　most　remote　corner　of　the　house。　Nothing　attracted　her　attention　except　the　music　of　the　clocks；　which　she　would　look　for　every　half　hour　with　her　frightened　eyes　as　if　she　hoped　to　find　it　someplace　in　the　air。　They　could　not　get　her　to　eat　for　several　days。　No　one　understood　why　she　had　not　died　of　hunger　until　the　Indians；　who　were　aware　of　everything；　for　they　went　ceaselessly　about　the　house　on　their　stealthy　feet；　discovered　that　Rebeca　only　liked　to　eat　the　damp　earth　of　the　courtyard　and　the　cake　of　whitewash　that　she　picked　of　the　walls　with　her　nails。　It　was　obvious　that　her　parents；　or　whoever　had　raised　her；　had　scolded　her　for　that　habit　because　she　did　it　secretively　and　with　a　feeling　of　guilt；　trying　to　put　away　supplies　so　that　she　could　eat　when　no　one　was　looking。　From　then　on　they　put　her　under　an　implacable　watch。　They　threw　cow　gall　onto　the　courtyard　and；　rubbed　hot　chili　on　the　walls；　thinking　they　could　defeat　her　pernicious　vice　with　those　methods；　but　she　showed　such　signs　of　astuteness　and　ingenuity　to　find　some　earth　that　？rsula　found　herself　forced　to　use　more　drastic　methods。　She　put　some　orange　juice　and　rhubarb　into　a　pan　that　she　left　in　the　dew　all　night　and　she　gave　her　the　dose　the　following　day　on　an　empty　stomach。　Although　no　one　had　told　her　that　it　was　the　specific　remedy　for　the　vice　of　eating　earth；　she　thought　that　any　bitter　substance　in　an　empty　stomach　would　have　to　make　the　liver　react。　Rebeca　was　so　rebellious　and　strong　in　spite　of　her　frailness　that　they　had　to　tie　her　up　like　a　calf　to　make　her　swallow　the　medicine；　and　they　could　barely　keep　back　her　kicks　or　bear　up　under　the　strange　hieroglyphics　that　she　alternated　with　her　bites　and　spitting；　and　that；　according　to　what　the　scandalized　Indians　said；　were　the　vilest　obscenities　that　one　could　ever　imagine　in　their　language。　When　？rsula　discovered　that；　she　added　whipping　to　the　treatment。　It　was　never　established　whether　it　was　the　rhubarb　or　the　beatings　that　had　effect；　or　both　of　them　together；　but　the　truth　was　that　in　a　few　weeks　Rebeca　began　to　show　signs　of　recovery。　She　took　part　in　the　games　of　Arcadio　and　Amaranta；　who　treated　her　like　an　older　sister；　and　she　ate　heartily；　using　the　utensils　properly。　It　was　soon　revealed　that　she　spoke　Spanish　with　as　much　fluency　as　the　Indian　language；　that　she　had　a　remarkable　ability　for　manual　work；　and　that　she　could　sing　the　waltz　of　the　clocks　with　some　very　funny　words　that　she　herself　had　invented。　It　did　not　take　long　for　them　to　consider　her　another　member　of　the　family。　She　was　more　affectionate　to　？rsula　than　any　of　her　own　children　had　been；　and　she　called　Arcadio；　and　Amaranta　brother　and　sister；　Aureliano　uncle；　and　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　grandpa。　So　that　she　finally　deserved；　as　much　as　the　others；　the　name　of　Rebeca　Buendía；　the　only　one　that　she　ever　had　and　that　she　bore　with　dignity　until　her　death。
　　　One　night　about　the　time　that　Rebeca　was　cured　of　the　vice　of　eating　earth　and　was　brought　to　sleep　in　the　other　children’s　room；　the　Indian　woman；　who　slept　with　them　awoke　by　chance　and　heard　a　strange；　intermittent　sound　in　the　corner。　She　got　up　in　alarm；　thinking　that　an　animal　had　e　into　the　room；　and　then　she　saw　Rebeca　in　the　rocker；　sucking　her　finger　and　with　her　eyes　lighted　up　in　the　darkness　like　those　of　a　cat。　Terrified；　exhausted　by　her　fate；　Visitación　recognized　in　those　eyes　the　symptoms　of　the　sickness　whose　threat　had　obliged　her　and　her　brother　to　exile　themselves　forever　from　an　age…old　kingdom　where　they　had　been　prince　and　princess。　It　was　the　insomnia　plague。
　　　Cataure；　the　Indian；　was　gone　from　the　house　by　morning。　His　sister　stayed　because　her　fatalistic　heart　told　her　that　the　lethal　sickness　would　follow　her；　no　matter　what；　to　the　farthest　corner　of　the　earth。　No　one　understood　Visitación’s　alarm。　“If　we　don’t　ever　sleep　again；　so　much　the　better；？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　said　in　good　humor。　“That　way　we　can　get　more　out　of　life。？But　the　Indian　woman　explained　that　the　most　fearsome　part　of　the　sickness　of　insomnia　was　not　the　impossibility　of　sleeping；　for　the　body　did　not　feel　any　fatigue　at　all；　but　its　inexorable　evolution　toward　a　more　critical　manifestation：　a　loss　of　memory。　She　meant　that　when　the　sick　person　became　used　to　his　state　of　vigil；　the　recollection　of　his　childhood　began　to　be　erased　from　his　memory；　then　the　name　and　notion　of　things；　and　finally　the　identity　of　people　and　even　the　awareness　of　his　own　being；　until　he　sank　into　a　kind　of　idiocy　that　had　no　past。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　dying　with　laughter；　thought　that　it　was　just　a　question　of　one　of　the　many　illnesses　invented　by　the　Indians？superstitions。　But　？rsula；　just　to　be　safe；　took　the　precaution　of　isolating　Rebeca　from　the　other　children。
　　　After　several　weeks；　when　Visitación’s　terror　seemed　to　have　died　down；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　found　himself　rolling　over　in　bed；　unable　to　fall　asleep。　？rsula；　who　had　also　awakened；　asked　him　what　was　wrong；　and　he　answered：　“I’m　thinking　about　Prudencio　Aguilar　again。？They　did　not　sleep　a　minute；　but　the　following　day　they　felt　so　rested　that　they　forgot　about　the　bad　night。　Aureliano　mented　with　surprise　at　lunchtime　that　he　felt　very　well　in　spite　of　the　fact　that　he　had　spent　the　whole　night　in　the　laboratory　gilding　a　brooch　that　he　planned　to　give　to　？rsula　for　her　birthday。　They　did　not　bee　alarmed　until　the　third　day；　when　no　one　felt　sleepy　at　bedtime　and　they　realized　that　they　had　gone　more　than　fifty　hours　without　sleeping。
　　　“The　children　are　awake　too；？the　Indian　said　with　her　fatalistic　conviction。　“Once　it　gets　into　a　house　no　one　can　escape　the　plague。？
　　　They　had　indeed　contracted　the　illness　of　insomnia。　？rsula；　who　had　learned　from　her　mother　the　medicinal　value　of　plants；　prepared　and　made　them　all　drink　a　brew　of　monkshood；　but　they　could　not　get　to　sleep　and　spent　the　whole　day　dreaming　on　their　feet。　In　that　state　of　hallucinated　lucidity；　not　only　did　they　see　the　images　of　their　own　dreams；　but　some　saw　the　images　dreamed　by　others。　It　was　as　if　the　house　were　full　of　visitors。　Sitting　in　her　rocker　in　a　corner　of　the　kitchen；　Rebeca　dreamed　that　a　man　who　looked　very　much　like　her；　dressed　in　white　linen　and　with　his　shirt　collar　closed　by　a　gold　button；　was　bringing　her　a　bouquet　of　roses。　He　was　acpanied　by　a　woman　with　delicate　hands　who　took　out　one　rose　and　put　it　in　the　child’s　hair。　？rsula　understood　that　the　man　and　woman　were　Rebeca’s　parents；　but　even　though　she　made　a　great　effort　to　recognize　them；　she　confirmed　her　certainty　that　she　had　never　seen　them。　In　the　meantime；　through　an　oversight　that　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　never　forgave　himself　for；　the　candy　animals　made　in　the　house　were　still　being　sold　in　the　town。　Children　and　adults　sucked　with　delight　on　the　delicious　little　green　roosters　of　insomnia；　the　exquisite　pink　fish　of　insomnia；　and　the　tender　yellow　ponies　of　insomnia；　so　that　dawn　on　Monday　found　the　whole　town　awake。　No　one　was　alarmed　at　first。　On　the　contrary；　they　were　happy　at　not　sleeping　because　there　was　so　much　to　do　in　Macondo　in　those　days　that　there　was　barely　enough　time。　They　worked　so　hard　that　soon　they　had　nothing　else　to　do　and　they　could　be　found　at　three　o’clock　in　the　morning　with　their　arms　crossed；　counting　the　notes　in　the　waltz　of　the　clock。　Those　who　wanted　to　sleep；　not　from　fatigue　but　because　of　the　nostalgia　for　dreams；　tried　all　kinds　of　methods　of　exhausting　themselves。　They　would　gather　together　to　converse　endlessly；　to　tell　over　and　over　for　hours　on　end　the　same　jokes；　to　plicate　to　the　limits　of　exasperation　the　story　about　the　capon；　which　was　an　endless　game　in　which　the　narrator　asked　if　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them　the　story　about　the　capon；　and　when　they　answered　yes；　the　narrator　would　say　that　he　had　not　asked　them　to　say　yes；　but　whether　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them　the　story　about　the　capon；　and　when　they　answered　no；　the　narrator　told　them　that　he　had　not　asked　them　to　say　no；　but　whether　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them　the　story　about　the　capon；　and　when　they　remained　silent　the　narrator　told　them　that　he　had　not　asked　them　to　remain　silent　but　whether　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them　the　story　about　the　capon；　and　no　one　could　leave　because　the　narrator　would　say　that　he　had　not　asked　them　to　leave　but　whether　they　wanted　him　to　tell　them　the　story　about　the　capon；　and　so　on　and　on　in　a　vicious　circle　that　lasted　entire　nights。
　　　When　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　realized　that　the　plague　had　invaded　the　town；　he　gathered　together　the　heads　of　families　to　explain　to　them　what　he　knew　about　the　sickness　of　insomnia；　and　they　agreed　on　methods　to　prevent　the　scourge　from　spreading　to　other　towns　in　the　swamp。　That　was　why　they　took　the　bells　off　the　goats；　bells　that　the　Arabs　had　sped　them　for　macaws；　and　put　them　at　the　entrance　to　town　at　the　disposal　of　those　who　would　not　listen　to　the　advice　and　entreaties　of　the　sentinels　and　insisted　on　visiting　the　town。　All　strangers　who　passed　through　the　streets　of　Macondo　at　that　time　had　to　ring　their　bells　so　that　the　sick　people　would　know　that　they　were　healthy。　They　were　not　allowed　to　eat　or　drink　anything　during　their　stay；　for　there　was　no　doubt　but　that　the　illness　was　transmitted　by　mouth；　and　all　food　and　drink　had　been　contaminated　by　insomnia。　In　that　way　they　kept　the　plague　restricted　to　the　perimeter　of　the　town。　So　effective　was　the　quarantine　that　the　day　came　when　the　emergency　situation　was　accepted　as　a　natural　thing　and　life　was　organized　in　such　a　way　that　work　picked　up　its　rhythm　again　and　no　one　worried　any　more　about　the　useless　habit　of　sleeping。
　　　It　was　Aureliano　who　conceived　the　formula　that　was　to　protect　them　against　loss　of　memory　for　several　months。　He　discovered　it　by　chance。　An　expert　insomniac；　having　been　one　of　the　first；　he　had　learned　the　art　of　silverwork　to　perfection。　One　day　he　was　looking　for　the　small　anvil　that　he　used　for　laminating　metals　and　he　could　not　remember　its　name。　His　father　told　him：　“Stake。？Aureliano　wrote　the　name　on　a　piece　of　paper　that　he　pasted　to　the　base　of　the　small　anvil：　stake。　In　that　way　he　was　sure　of　not　forgetting　it　in　the　future。　It　did　not　occur　to　him　that　this　was　the　first　manifestation　of　a　loss　of　memory；　because　the　object　had　a　difficult　name　to　remember。　But　a　few　days　later　be；　discovered　that　he　had　trouble　remembering　almost　every　object　in　the　laboratory。　Then　he　marked　them　with　their　respective　names　so　that　all　he　had　to　do　was　read　the　inscription　in　order　to　identify　them。　When　his　fat