百年孤独(英文版)-第55部分

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ribly　alone。　“I’ll　throw　in　other　twenty　cents；？he　said　with　a　desolate　voice。　The　girl　thanked　him　in　silence。　Her　back　was　raw。　Her　skin　was　stuck　to　her　ribs　and　her　breathing　was　forced　because　of　an　immeasurable　exhaustion。　Two　years　before；　far　away　from　there；　she　had　fallen　asleep　without　putting　out　the　candle　and　had　awakened　surrounded　by　flames。　The　house　where　she　lived　with　the　grandmother　who　had　raised　her　was　reduced　to　ashes。　Since　then　her　grandmother　carried　her　from　town　to　town；　putting　her　to　bed　for　twenty　cents　in　order　to　make　up　the　value　of　the　burned　house。　According　to　the　girl’s　calculations；　she　still　had　ten　years　of　seventy　men　per　night；　because　she　also　had　to　pay　the　expenses　of　the　trip　and　food　for　both　of　them　as　well　as　the　pay　of　the　Indians　who　carried　the　rocking　chair。　When　the　matron　knocked　on　the　door　the　second　time；　Aureliano　left　the　room　without　having　done　anything；　troubled　by　a　desire　to　weep。　That　night　he　could　not　sleep；　thinking　about　the　girl；　with　a　mixture　of　desire　and　pity。　He　felt　an　irresistible　need　to　love　her　and　protect　her。　At　dawn；　worn　out　by　insomnia　and　fever；　he　made　the　calm　decision　to　marry　her　in　order　to　free　her　from　the　despotism　of　her　grandmother　and　to　enjoy　all　the　nights　of　satisfaction　that　she　would　give　the　seventy　men。　But　at　ten　o’clock　in　the　morning；　when　he　reached　Catarino’s　store；　the　girl　had　left　town。
　　　Time　mitigated　his　mad　proposal；　but　it　aggravated　his　feelings　of　frustration。　He　took　refuge　in　work。　He　resigned　himself　to　being　a　womanless　man　for　all　his　life　in　order　to　hide　the　shame　of　his　uselessness。　In　the　meantime；　Melquíades　had　printed　on　his　plates　everything　that　was　printable　in　Macondo；　and　he　left　the　daguerreotype　laboratory　to　the　fantasies　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　　who　had　resolved　to　use　it　to　obtain　scientific　proof　of　the　existence　of　God。　Through　a　plicated　process　of　superimposed　exposures　taken　in　different　parts　of　the　house；　he　was　sure　that　sooner　or　later　he　would　get　a　daguerreotype　of　God；　if　He　existed；　or　put　an　end　once　and　for　all　to　the　supposition　of　His　existence。　Melquíades　got　deeper　into　his　interpretations　of　Nostradamus。　He　would　stay　up　until　very　late；　suffocating　in　his　faded　velvet　vest；　scribbling　with　his　tiny　sparrow　hands；　whose　rings　had　lost　the　glow　of　former　times。　One　night　he　thought　he　had　found　a　prediction　of　the　future　of　Macondo。　It　was　to　be　a　luminous　city　with　great　glass　houses　where　there　was　no　trace　remaining　of　the　race　of　the　Buendía。　“It’s　a　mistake；？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　thundered。　“They　won’t　be　houses　of　glass　but　of　ice；　as　I　dreamed；　and　there　will　always　be　a　Buendía；　per　omnia　secula　seculorum。？？rsula　fought　to　preserve　mon　sense　in　that　extravagant　house；　having　broadened　her　business　of　little　candy　animals　with　an　oven　that　went　all　night　turning　out　baskets　and　more　baskets　of　bread　and　a　prodigious　variety　of　puddings；　meringues；　and　cookies；　which　disappeared　in　a　few　hours　on　the　roads　winding　through　the　swamp。　She　had　reached　an　age　where　she　had　a　right　to　rest；　but　she　was　nonetheless　more　and　more　active。　So　busy　was　she　in　her　prosperous　enterprises　that　one　afternoon　she　looked　distractedly　toward　the　courtyard　while　the　Indian　woman　helped　her　sweeten　the　dough　and　she　saw　two　unknown　and　beautiful　adolescent　girls　doing　frame　embroidery　in　the　light　of　the　sunset。　They　were　Rebeca　and　Amaranta。　As　soon　as　they　had　taken　off　the　mourning　clothes　for　their　grandmother；　which　they　wore　with　inflexible　rigor　for　three　years；　their　bright　clothes　seemed　to　have　given　them　a　new　place　in　the　world。　Rebeca；　contrary　to　what　might　have　been　expected；　was　the　more　beautiful。　She　had　a　light　plexion；　large　and　peaceful　eyes；　and　magical　hands　that　seemed　to　work　out　the　design　of　the　embroidery　with　invisible　threads。　Amaranta；　the　younger；　was　somewhat　graceless；　but　she　had　the　natural　distinction；　the　inner　tightness　of　her　dead　grandmother。　Next　to　them；　although　he　was　already　revealing　the　physical　drive　of　his　father；　Arcadio　looked　like　a　child。　He　set　about　learning　the　art　of　silverwork　with　Aureliano；　who　had　also　taught　him　how　to　read　and　write。　？rsula　suddenly　realized　that　the　house　had　bee　full　of　people；　that　her　children　were　on　the　point　of　marrying　and　having　children；　and　that　they　would　be　obliged　to　scatter　for　lack　of　space。　Then　she　took　out　the　money　she　had　accumulated　over　long　years　of　hard　labor；　made　some　arrangements　with　her　customers；　and　undertook　the　enlargement　of　the　house。　She　had　a　formal　parlor　for　visits　built；　another　one　that　was　more　fortable　and　cool　for　daily　use；　a　dining　room　with　a　table　with　twelve　places　where　the　family　could　sit　with　all　of　their　guests；　nine　bedrooms　with　windows　on　the　courtyard　and　a　long　porch　protected　from　the　heat　of　noon　by　a　rose　garden　with　a　railing　on　which　to　place　pots　of　ferns　and　begonias。　She　had　the　kitchen　enlarged　to　hold　two　ovens。　The　granary　where　Pilar　Ternera　had　read　Jos？Arcadio’s　future　was　torn　down　and　another　twice　as　large　built　so　that　there　would　never　be　a　lack　of　food　in　the　house。　She　had　baths　built　is　the　courtyard　in　the　shade　of　the　chestnut　tree；　one　for　the　women　and　another　for　the　men；　and　in　the　rear　a　large　stable；　a　fenced…in　chicken　yard；　a　shed　for　the　milk　cows；　and　an　aviary　open　to　the　four　winds　so　that　wandering　birds　could　roost　there　at　their　pleasure。　Followed　by　dozens　of　masons　and　carpenters；　as　if　she　had　contracted　her　husband’s　hallucinating　fever；　？rsula　fixed　the　position　of　light　and　heat　and　distributed　space　without　the　least　sense　of　its　limitations。　The　primitive　building　of　the　founders　became　filled　with　tools　and　materials；　of　workmen　exhausted　by　sweat；　who　asked　everybody　please　not　to　molest　them；　exasperated　by　the　sack　of　bones　that　followed　them　everywhere　with　its　dull　rattle。　In　that　disfort；　breathing　quicklime　and　tar；　no　one　could　see　very　well　how　from　the　bowels　of　the　earth　there　was　rising　not　only　the　largest　house　is　the　town；　but　the　most　hospitable　and　cool　house　that　had　ever　existed　in　the　region　of　the　swamp。　Jos？Buendía；　trying　to　surprise　Divine　Providence　in　the　midst　of　the　cataclysm；　was　the　one　who　least　understood　it。　The　new　house　was　almost　finished　when　？rsula　drew　him　out　of　his　chimerical　world　in　order　to　inform　him　that　she　had　an　order　to　paint　the　front　blue　and　not　white　as　they　had　wanted。　She　showed　him　the　official　document。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　without　understanding　what　his　wife　was　talking　about；　deciphered　the　signature。
　　　“Who　is　this　fellow？？he　asked：
　　　“The　magistrate；？？rsula　answered　disconsolately。　They　say　he’s　an　authority　sent　by　the　government。？
　　　Don　Apolinar　Moscote；　the　magistrate；　had　arrived　in　Macondo　very　quietly。　He　put　up　at　the　Hotel　Jacob—built　by　one　of　the　first　Arabs　who　came　to　s　knickknacks　for　macaws—and　on　the　following　day　he　rented　a　small　room　with　a　door　on　the　street　two　blocks　away　from　the　Buendía　house。　He　set　up　a　table　and　a　chair　that　he　had　bought　from　Jacob；　nailed　up　on　the　wall　the　shield　of　the　republic　that　he　had　brought　with　him；　and　on　the　door　he　painted　the　sign：　Magistrate。　His　first　order　was　for　all　the　houses　to　be　painted　blue　in　celebration　of　the　anniversary　of　national　independence。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　with　the　copy　of　the　order　in　his　hand；　found　him　taking　his　nap　in　a　hammock　he　had　set　up　in　the　narrow　office。　“Did　you　write　this　paper？？he　asked　him。　Don　Apolinar　Moscote；　a　mature　man；　timid；　with　a　ruddy　plexion；　said　yes。　“By　what　right？？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　asked　again。　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　picked　up　a　paper　from　the　drawer　of　the　table　and　showed　it　to　him。　“I　have　been　named　magistrate　of　this　town。？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　did　not　even　look　at　the　appointment。
　　　“In　this　town　we　do　not　give　orders　with　pieces　of　paper；？he　said　without　losing　his　calm。　“And　so　that　you　know　it　once　and　for　all；　we　don’t　need　any　judge　here　because　there’s　nothing　that　needs　judging。？
　　　Facing　Don　Apolinar　Moscote；　still　without　raising　his　voice；　he　gave　a　detailed　account　of　how　they　had　founded　the　village；　of　how　they　had　distributed　the　land；　opened　the　roads；　and　introduced　the　improvements　that　necessity　required　without　having　bothered　the　government　and　without　anyone　having　bothered　them。　“We　are　so　peaceful　that　none　of　us　has　died　even　of　a　natural　death；？he　said。　“You　can　see　that　we　still　don’t　have　any　cemetery。？No　once　was　upset　that　the　government　had　not　helped　them。　On　the　contrary；　they　were　happy　that　up　until　then　it　had　let　them　grow　in　peace；　and　he　hoped　that　it　would　continue　leaving　them　that　way；　because　they　had　not　founded　a　town　so　that　the　first　upstart　who　came　along　would　tell　them　what　to　do。　Don　Apolinar　had　put　on　his　denim　jacket；　white　like　his　trousers；　without　losing　at　any　moment　the　elegance　of　his　gestures。
　　　“So　that　if　you　want　to　stay　here　like　any　other　ordinary　citizen；　you’re　quite　wele；？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　concluded。　“But　if　you’ve　e　to　cause　disorder　by　making　the　people　paint　their　houses　blue；　you　can　pick　up　your　junk　and　go　back　where　you　came　from。　Because　my　house　is　going　to　be　white；　white；　like　a　dove。？
　　　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　turned　pale。　He　took　a　step　backward　and　tightened　his　jaws　as　he　said　with　a　certain　affliction：
　　　“I　must　warn　you　that　I’m　armed。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　did　not　know　exactly　when　his　hands　regained　the　useful　strength　with　which　he　used　to　pull　down　horses。　He　grabbed　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　by　the　lapels　and　lifted　him　up　to　the　level　of　his　eyes。
　　　“I’m　doing　this；？he　said；　“because　I　would　rather　carry　you　around　alive　and　not　have　to　keep　carrying　you　around　dead　for　the　rest　of　my　life。？
　　　In　that　way　he　carried　him　through　the　middle　of　the　street；　suspended　by　the　lapels；　until　he　put　him　down　on　his　two　feet　on　the　swamp　road。　A　week　later　he　was　back　with　six　barefoot　and　ragged　soldiers；　armed　with　shotguns；　and　an　oxcart　in　which　his　wife　and　seven　daughters　were　traveling。　Two　other　carts　arrived　later　with　the　furniture；　the　baggage；　and　the　household　utensils。　He　settled　his　family　in　the　Hotel　Jacob；　while　he　looked　for　a　house；　and　he　went　back　to　open　his　office　under　the　protection　of　the　soldiers。　The　founders　of　Macondo；　resolving　to　expel　the　invaders；　went　with　their　older　sons　to　put　themselves　at　the　disposal　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía。　But　he　was　against　it；　as　he　explained；　because　it　was　not　manly　to　make　trouble　for　someone　in　front　of　his　family；　and　Don　Apolinar　had　returned　with　his　wife　and　daughters。　So　he　decided　to　resolve　the　situation　in　a　pleasant　way。
　　　Aureliano　went　with　him。　About　that　time　he　had　begun　to　cultivate　the　black　mustache　with　waxed　tips　and　the　somewhat　stentorian　voice　that　would　characterize　him　in　the　war。　Unarmed；　without　paying　any　attention　to　the　guards；　they　went　into　the　magistrate’s　office。　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　did　not　lose　his　calm。　He　introduced　them　to　two　of　his　daughters　who　happened　to　be　there：　Amparo；　sixteen；　dark　like　her　mother；　and　Remedios；　only　nine；　a　pretty　little　girl　with　lily…colored　skin　and　green　eyes。　They　were　gracious　and　well…mannered。　As　soon　as　the　men　came　in；　before　being　introduced；　they