百年孤独(英文版)-第47章
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adjustment of accounts with the carnival； which went awry because of the jubilee。 They smashed half of the dishes； they destroyed the rose bushes as they chased a bull they were trying to hog…tie； they killed the hens by shooting them； they made Amaranta dance the sad waltzes of Pietro Crespi； they got Remedios the Beauty to put on a pair of men’s pants and climb a greased pole； and in the dining room they turned loose a pig daubed with lard； which prostrated Fernanda； but no one regretted the destruction because the house shook with a healthy earthquake。 Colonel Aureliano Buendía who at first received them with mistrust and even doubted the parentage of some； was amused by their wildness； and before they left he gave each one a little gold fish。 Even the withdrawn Jos？Arcadio Segundo offered them an afternoon of cockfights； which was at the point of ending in tragedy because several of the Aurelianos were so expert in matters of the cockpit that they spotted Father Antonio Isabel’s tricks at once。 Aureliano Segundo； who saw the limitless prospect of wild times offered by those mad relatives； decided that they should all stay and work for him。 The only one who accepted was Aureliano Triste； a big mulatto with the drive and explorer’s spirit of his grandfather。 He had already tested his fortune in half the world and it did not matter to him where he stayed。 The others； even though they were unmarried； considered their destinies established。 They were all skillful craftsmen； the men of their houses； peace…loving people。 The Ash Wednesday before they went back to scatter out along the coast； Amaranta got them to put on Sunday clothes and acpany her to church。 More amused than devout； they let themselves be led to the altar rail where Father Antonio Isabel made the sign of the cross in ashes on them。 Back at the house； when the youngest tried to clean his forehead； he discovered that the mark was indelible and so were those of his brothers。 They tried soap and water； earth and a scrubbing brush； and lastly a pumice stone and lye； but they could not remove the crosses。 On the other hand； Amaranta and the others who had gone to mass took it off without any trouble。 “It’s better that way；？？rsula stated as she said goodbye to them。 “From now on everyone will know who you are。？They went off in a troop； preceded by a band of musicians and shooting off fireworks； and they left behind in the town an impression that the Buendía line had enough seed for many centuries。 Aureliano Triste； with the cross of ashes on his forehead； set up on the edge of town the ice factory that Jos？Arcadio Buendía had dreamed of in his inventive delirium。
Some months after his arrival； when he was already well…known and well…liked； Aureliano Triste went about looking for a house so that he could send for his mother and an unmarried sister （who was not the colonel’s daughter）； and he became interested in the run…down big house that looked abandoned on a corner of the square。 He asked who owned it。 Someone told him that it did not belong to anyone； that in former times a solitary widow who fed on earth and whitewash from the walls had lived there； and that in her last years she was seen only twice on the street with a hat of tiny artificial flowers and shoes the color of old silver when she crossed the square to the post office to mail a letter to the Bishop。 They told him that her only panion was a pitiless servant woman who killed dogs and cats and any animal that got into the house and threw their corpses into the middle of the street in order to annoy people with the rotten stench。 So much time had passed since the sun had mummified the empty skin of the last animal that everybody took it for granted that the lady of the house and the maid had died long before the wars were over； and that if the house was still standing it was because in recent years there had not been a rough winter or destructive wind。 The hinges had crumbled with rust； the doors were held up only by clouds of cobwebs； the windows were soldered shut by dampness； and the floor was broken by grass and wildflowers and in the cracks lizards and all manner of vermin had their nests； all of which seemed to confirm the notion that there had not been a human being there for at least half a century。 The impulsive Aureliano Triste did not need such proof to proceed。 He pushed on the main door with his shoulder and the worm…eaten wooden frame fell down noiselessly amid a dull cataclysm of dust and termite nests。 Aureliano Triste stood on the threshold waiting for the dust to clear and then he saw in the center of the room the squalid woman； still dressed in clothing of the past century； with a few yellow threads on her bald head； and with two large eyes； still beautiful； in which the last stars of hope had gone out； and the skin of her face was wrinkled by the aridity of solitude。 Shaken by that vision from another world； Aureliano Triste barely noticed that the woman was aiming an antiquated pistol at him。
“I beg your pardon；？he murmured。
She remained motionless in the center of the room filled with knickknacks； examining inch by inch the giant with square shoulders and with a tattoo of ashes on his forehead； and through the haze of dust she saw him in the haze of other times with a double…barreled shotgun on his shoulder and a string of rabbits in his hand。
“For the love of God；？she said in a low voice； it’s not right for them to e to me with that memory now。？
“I want to rent the house；？Aureliano Triste said。
The woman then raised the pistol； aiming with a firm wrist at the cross of ashes； and she held the trigger with a determination against which there was no appeal。
“Get out；？she ordered。
That night at dinner Aureliano Triste told the family about the episode and ？rsula wept with consternation。 “Holy God！？she exclaimed； clutching her head with her hands。 “She’s still alive！？Time； wars； the countless everyday disasters had made her forget about Rebeca。 The only one who had not lost for a single minute the awareness that she was alive and rotting in her wormhole was the implacable and aging Amaranta。 She thought of her at dawn； when the ice of her heart awakened her in her solitary bed； and she thought of her when she soaped her withered breasts and her lean stomach； and when she put on the white stiff…starched petticoats and corsets of old age； and when she changed the black bandage of terrible expiation on her hand。 Always； at every moment； asleep and awake； during the most sublime and most abject moments； Amaranta thought about Rebeca； because solitude had made a selection in her memory and had burned the dimming piles of nostalgic waste that life had accumulated in her heart； and had purified； magnified and eternalized the others； the most bitter ones。 Remedios the Beauty knew about Rebeca’s existence from her。 Every time they passed the run…down house she would tell her about an unpleasant incident； a tale of hate； trying in that way to make her extended rancor be shared by her niece and consequently prolonged beyond death； but her plan did not work because Remedios was immune to any kind of passionate feelings and much less to those of others。 ？rsula； on the other hand； who had suffered through a process opposite to Amaranta’s； recalled Rebeca with a memory free of impurities； for the image of the pitiful child brought to the house with the bag containing her parents？bones prevailed over the offense that had made her unworthy to be connected to the family tree any longer。 Aureliano Segundo decided that they would have to bring her to the house and take care of her； but his good intentions were frustrated by the firm intransigence of Rebeca； who had needed many years of suffering and misery in order to attain the privileges of solitude and who was not disposed to renounce them in exchange for an old age disturbed by the false attractions of charity。
In February； when the sixteen sons of Colonel Aureliano Buendía returned； still marked with the cross of ashes； Aureliano Triste spoke to them about Rebeca in the tumult of the celebration and in half a day they restored the appearance of the house； changing doors and windows； painting the front with gay colors； bracing walls and pouring fresh cement on the floor； but they could not get any authorization to continue the work inside。 Rebeca did not even e to the door。 She let them finish the mad restoration； then calculated what it had cost and sent Argénida； her old servant who was still with her； to them with a handful of coins that had been withdrawn from circulation after the last war and that Rebeca thought were still worth something it was then that they saw to what a fantastic point her separation from the world had arrived and they understood that it would be impossible to rescue her from her stubborn enclosure while she still had a breath of life in her。
On the second visit by the sons of Colonel Aureliano Buendía to Macondo； another of them； Aureliano Centeno； stayed on to work with Aureliano Triste。 He was one of the first who had been brought to the house for baptism and ？rsula and Amaranta remembered him very well because in a few hours he had destroyed every breakable object that passe
