百年孤独(英文版)-第46章
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by Fernanda and she lost no time in putting a stop to it。 The doors of the house； wide open from dawn until bedtime； were closed during siesta time under the pretext that the sun heated up the bedrooms and in the end they were closed for good。 The aloe branch and loaf of bread that had been hanging over the door since the days of the founding were replaced by a niche with the Sacred Heart of Jesus。 Colonel Aureliano； Buendía became aware somehow of those changes and foresaw their consequences。 “We’re being people of quality；？he protested。 “At this rate we’ll end up fighting against the Conservative regime again； but this time to install a king in its place。？Fernanda very tactfully tried not to cross his path。 Within herself she was bothered by his independent spirit his resistance to all kinds of social rigidity。 She was exasperated by his mugs of coffee at five in the morning； the disorder of his workshop； his frayed blanket； and his custom of sitting in the street door at dusk。 But she had to tolerate that one loose piece in the family machinery because she was sure that the old colonel was an animal who had been tamed by the years and by disappointment and who； in a burst of senile rebellion； was quite capable of uprooting the foundations of the house。 When her husband decided to give their first son the name of his great…grandfather； she did not dare oppose him because she had been there only a year。 But when the first daughter was bom she expressed her unreserved determination to name her Renata after her mother。 ？rsula had decided to call her Remedios。 After a tense argument； in which Aureliano Segundo acted as the laughing go…between； they baptized her with the name Renata Remedios； but Fernanda went on calling her just Renata while her husband’s family and everyone in town called her Meme； a diminutive of Remedios。
At first Fernanda did not talk about her family； but in time she began to idealize her father。 She spoke of him at the table as an exceptional being who had renounced all forms of vanity and was on his way to being a saint。 Aureliano Segundo； startled at that unbridled glorification of his father…in…law； could not resist the temptation to make small jokes behind his wife’s back。 The rest of the family followed his example。 Even ？rsula； who was extremely careful to preserve family harmony and who suffered in secret from the domestic friction； once allowed herself the liberty of saying that her little great…great…grandson had his pontifical future assured because he was “the grandson of a saint and the son of a queen and a rustler。？In spite of that conspiracy of smiles； the children became accustomed to think of their grandfather as a legendary being who wrote them pious verses in his letters and every Christmas sent them a box of gifts that barely fitted through the outside door。 Actually they were the last remains of his lordly inheritance。 They used them to build an altar of life…size saints in the children’s bedroom； saints with glass eyes that gave them a disquietingly lifelike look； whose artistically embroidered clothing was better than that worn by any inhabitant of Macondo。 Little by little the funereal splendor of the ancient and icy mansion was being transformed into the splendor of the House of Buendía。 “They’ve already sent us the whole family cemetery；？Aureliano Segundo mented one day。 “All we need now are the weeping willows and the tombstones。？Although nothing ever arrived in the boxes that the children could play with； they would spend all year waiting for December because； after all； the antique and always unpredictable gifts were something； new in the house。 On the tenth Christmas； when little Jos？Arcadio was getting ready to go to the seminary； the enormous box from their grandfather arrived earlier than usual； nailed tight and protected with pitch； and addressed in the usual Gothic letters to the Very Distinguished Lady Do？a Fernanda del Carpio de Buendía。 While she read the letter in her room the children hastened to open the box。 Aided as was customary by Aureliano Segundo； they broke the seals； opened the cover； took out the protective sawdust； and found inside a long lead chest closed by copper bolts。 Aureliano Segundo took out the eight bolts as the children watched impatiently； and he barely had time to give a cry and push the children aside when be raised the lead cover and saw Don Fernando； dressed in black and with a crucifix on his chest； his skin broken out in pestilential sores and cooking slowly in a frothy stew with bubbles like live pearls。
A short time after the birth of their daughter； the unexpected jubilee for Colonel Aureliano； Buendía； ordered by the government to celebrate another anniversary of the Treaty of Neerlandia； was announced。 It was a decision so out of line with official policy that the colonel spoke out violently against it and rejected the homage。 “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of the word ‘jubilee；？？he said。 “But whatever it means； it has to be a trick。？The small goldsmith shop was filled with emissaries。 Much older and more solemn； the lawyers in dark suits who in other days had flapped about the colonel like crows had returned。 When he saw them appear the same as the other time； when they came to put a stop to the war； he could not bear the cynicism of their praise。 He ordered them to leave him in peace； insisting that he was not a hero of the nation as they said but an artisan without memories whose only dream was to die of fatigue in the oblivion and misery of his little gold fishes。 What made him most indignant was the word that the president of the republic himself planned to be present at the ceremonies in Macondo in order to decorate him with the Order of Merit。 Colonel Aureliano； Buendía had him told； word for word； that he was eagerly awaiting that tardy but deserved occasion in order to take a shot at him； not as payment for the arbitrary acts and anachronisms of his regime； but for his lack of respect for an old man who had not done anyone any harm。 Such was the vehemence with which he made the threat that the president of the republic canceled his trip at the last moment and sent the decoration with a personal representative。 Colonel Gerineldo Márquez； besieged by pressures of all kinds； left his bed of a paralytic in order to persuade his former panion in arms。 When the latter saw the rocking chair carried by four men appear and saw the friend who had shared his victories and defeats since youth sitting in it among some large pillows； he did not have a single doubt but that he was making that effort in order to express his solidarity。 But when he discovered the real motive for his visit he had them take him out of the workshop。
“Now I’m convinced too late；？he told him； “that I would have done you a great favor if I’d let them shoot you。？
So the jubilee was celebrated without the attendance of any members of the family。 Chance had it that it also coincided with carnival week； but no one could get the stubborn idea out of Colonel Aureliano Buendía’s head that the coincidence had been foreseen by the government in order to heighten the cruelty of the mockery。 From his lonely workshop he could hear the martial music； the artillery salutes； the tolling of the Te Deum； and a few phrases of the speeches delivered in front of the house as they named the street after him。 His eyes grew moist with indignation； with angry impotence； and for the first time since his defeat it pained him not to have the strength of youth so that he could begin a bloody war that would wipe out the last vestiges of the Conservative regime。 The echoes of the homage had not died down when ？rsula knocked at the workshop door。
“Don’t bother me；？he said。 “I’m busy。？
“Open up；？？rsula insisted in a normal voice。 “This has nothing to do with the celebration。？
Then Colonel Aureliano Buendía took down the bar and saw at the door seventeen men of the most varied appearance； of all types and colors； but all with a solitary air that would have been enough to identify them anywhere on earth。 They were his sons。 Without any previous agreement； without knowing each other； they had arrived from the most distant corners of the coast； captivated by the talk of the jubilee。 They all bore with pride the name Aureliano and the last name of their mothers。 The three days that they stayed in the house； to the satisfaction of ？rsula and the scandal of Fernanda； were like a state war。 Amaranta searched among old papers for the ledger where ？rsula had written down the names and birth and baptism dates of all of them； and beside the space for each one she added his present address。 That list could well have served as a recapitulation of twenty years of war。 From it the nocturnal itinerary of the colonel from the dawn he left Macondo at the head of twenty…one men on his way to a fanciful rebellion until he returned for the last time wrapped in a blanket stiff with blood could have been reconstructed。 Aureliano Segundo did not let the chance go by to regale his cousins with a thunderous champagne and accordion party that was interpreted as a tardy adjustment of accounts with the carnival； which went awry because of the jubilee。 They smashed half
