百年孤独(英文版)-第68章

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zinc　sheets　to　Macondo；　much　earlier　than　their　popularization　by　the　banana　pany；　simply　to　roof　Petra　Cotes’s　bedroom　with　them　and　to　take　pleasure　in　the　feeling　of　deep　intimacy　that　the　sprinkling　of　the　rain　produced　at　that　time。　But　even　those　wild　memories　of　his　mad　youth　left　him　unmoved；　just　as　during　his　last　debauch　he　had　exhausted　his　quota　of　salaciousness　and　all　he　had　left　was　the　marvelous　gift　of　being　able　to　remember　it　without　bitterness　or　repentance。　It　might　have　been　thought　that　the　deluge　had　given　him　the　opportunity　to　sit　and　reflect　and　that　the　business　of　the　pliers　and　the　oilcan　had　awakened　in　him　the　tardy　yearning　of　so　many　useful　trades　that　he　might　have　followed　in　his　life　and　did　not；　but　neither　case　was　true；　because　the　temptation　of　a　sedentary　domesticity　that　was　besieging　him　was　not　the　result　of　any　rediscovery　or　moral　lesion。　it　came　from　much　farther　off；　unearthed　by　the　rain’s　pitchfork　from　the　days　when　in　Melquíades？room　he　would　read　the　prodigious　fables　about　flying　carpets　and　whales　that　fed　on　entire　ships　and　their　crews。　It　was　during　those　days　that　in　a　moment　of　carelessness　little　Aureliano　appeared　on　the　porch　and　his　grandfather　recognized　the　secret　of　his　identity。　He　cut　his　hair；　dressed　him　taught　him　not　to　be　afraid　of　people；　and　very　soon　it　was　evident　that　he　was　a　legitimate　Aureliano　Buendía；　with　his　high　cheekbones；　his　startled　look；　and　his　solitary　air。　It　was　a　relief　for　Fernanda。　For　some　time　she　had　measured　the　extent　of　her　pridefulness；　but　she　could　not　find　any　way　to　remedy　it　because　the　more　she　thought　of　solutions　the　less　rational　they　seemed　to　her。　If　she　had　known　that　Aureliano　Segundo　was　going　to　take　things　the　way　he　did；　with　the　fine　pleasure　of　a　grandfather；　she　would　not　have　taken　so　many　turns　or　got　so　mixed　up；　but　would　have　freed　herself　from　mortification　the　year　before　Amaranta　？rsula；　who　already　had　her　second　teeth；　thought　of　her　nephew　as　a　scurrying　toy　who　was　a　consolation　for　the　tedium　of　the　rain。　Aureliano　Segundo　remembered　then　the　English　encyclopedia　that　no　one　had　since　touched　in　Meme’s　old　room。　He　began　to　show　the　children　the　pictures；　especially　those　of　animals；　and　later　on　the　maps　and　photographs　of　remote　countries　and　famous　people。　Since　he　did　not　know　any　English　and　could　identify　only　the　most　famous　cities　and　people；　he　would　invent　names　and　legends　to　satisfy　the　children’s　insatiable　curiosity。
　　　Fernanda　really　believed　that　her　husband　was　waiting　for　it　to　clear　to　return　to　his　concubine。　During　the　first　months　of　the　rain　she　was　afraid　that　he　would　try　to　slip　into　her　bedroom　and　that　she　would　have　to　undergo　the　shame　of　revealing　to　him　that　she　was　incapable　of　reconciliation　since　the　birth　of　Amaranta　？rsula。　That　was　the　reason　for　her　anxious　correspondence　with　the　invisible　doctors；　interrupted　by　frequent　disasters　of　the　mail。　During　the　first　months　when　it　was　learned　that　the　trains　were　jumping　their　tracks　in　the　rain；　a　letter　from　the　invisible　doctors　told　her　that　hers　were　not　arriving。　Later　on；　when　contact　with　the　unknown　correspondents　was　broken；　she　had　seriously　thought　of　putting　on　the　tiger　mask　that　her　husband　had　worn　in　the　bloody　carnival　and　having　herself　examined　under　a　fictitious　name　by　the　banana　pany　doctors。　But　one　of　the　many　people　who　regularly　brought　unpleasant　news　of　the　deluge　had　told　her　that　the　pany　was　dismantling　its　dispensaries　to　move　them　to　where　it　was　not　raining。　Then　she　gave　up　hope。　She　resigned　herself　to　waiting　until　the　rain　stopped　and　the　mail　service　was　back　to　normal；　and　in　the　meantime　she　sought　relief　from　her　secret　ailments　with　recourse　to　her　imagination；　because　she　would　rather　have　died　than　put　herself　in　the　hands　of　the　only　doctor　left　in　Macondo；　the　extravagant　Frenchman　who　ate　grass　like　a　donkey。　She　drew　close　to　？rsula；　trusting　that　she　would　know　of　some　palliative　for　her　attacks。　But　her　twisted　habit　of　not　calling　things　by　their　names　made　her　put　first　things　last　and　use　“expelled？for　“gave　birth？and　“burning？for　“flow？so　that　it　would　all　be　less　shameful；　with　the　result　that　？rsula　reached　the　reasonable　conclusion　that　her　trouble　was　intestinal　rather　than　uterine；　and　she　advised　her　to　take　a　dose　of　calomel　on　an　empty　stomach。　If　it　had　not　been　for　that　suffering；　which　would　have　had　nothing　shameful　about　it　for　someone　who　did　not　suffer　as　well　from　shamefulness；　and　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　loss　of　the　letters；　the　rain　would　not　have　bothered　Fernanda；　because；　after　all；　her　whole　life　had　been　spent　as　if　it　had　been　raining。　She　did　not　change　her　schedule　or　modify　her　ritual。　When　the　table　was　still　raised　up　on　bricks　and　the　chairs　put　on　planks　so　that　those　at　the　table　would　not　get　their　feet　wet；　she　still　served　with　linen　tablecloths　and　fine　chinaware　and　with　lighted　candles；　because　she　felt　that　the　calamities　should　not　be　used　as　a　pretext　for　any　relaxation　in　customs。　No　one　went　out　into　the　street　any　more。　If　it　had　depended　on　Fernanda；　they　would　never　have　done　so；　not　only　since　it　started　raining　but　since　long　before　that；　because　she　felt　that　doors　had　been　invented　to　stay　closed　and　that　curiosity　for　what　was　going　on　in　the　street　was　a　matter　for　harlots。　Yet　she　was　the　first　one　to　look　out　when　they　were　told　that　the　funeral　procession　for　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　was　passing　by　and　even　though　she　only　watched　it　through　the　half…opened　window　it　left　her　in　such　a　state　of　affliction　that　for　a　long　time　she　repented　in　her　weakness。
　　　She　could　not　have　conceived　of　a　more　desolate　cortege。　They　had　put　the　coffin　in　an　oxcart　over　which　they　built　a　canopy　of　banana　leaves；　but　the　pressure　of　the　rain　was　so　intense　and　the　streets　so　muddy　that　with　every　step　the　wheels　got　stuck　and　the　covering　was　on　the　verge　of　falling　apart。　The　streams　of　sad　water　that　fell　on　the　coffin　were　soaking　the　flag　that　had　been　placed　on　top　which　was　actually　the　flag　stained　with　blood　and　gunpowder　that　had　been　rejected　by　more　honorable　veterans。　On　the　coffin　they　had　also　placed　the　saber　with　tassels　of　silver　and　copper；　the　same　one　that　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　used　to　hang　on　the　coat　rack　in　order　to　go　into　Amaranta’s　sewing　room　unarmed。　Behind　the　cart；　some　barefoot　and　all　of　them　with　their　pants　rolled　up；　splashing　in　the　mud　were　the　last　survivors　of　the　surrender　at　Neerlandia　carrying　a　drover’s　staff　in　one　hand　and　in　the　other　a　wreath　of　paper　flowers　that　had　bee　discolored　in　the　rain。　They　appeared　like　an　unreal　vision　along　the　street　which　still　bore　the　name　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　and　they　all　looked　at　the　house　as　they　passed　and　turned　the　corner　at　the　square；　where　they　had　to　ask　for　help　to　move　the　cart；　which　was　stuck。　？rsula　had　herself　carried　to　the　door　by　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad。　She　followed　the　difficulties　of　the　procession　with　such　attention　that　no　one　doubted　that　she　was　seeing　it；　especially　because　her　raised　hand　of　an　archangelic　messenger　was　moving　with　the　swaying　of　the　cart。
　　　“Good…bye；　Gerineldo；　my　son；？she　shouted。　“Say　hello　to　my　people　and　tell　them　I’ll　see　them　when　it　stops　raining。？
　　　Aureliano　Segundo　helped　her　back　to　bed　and　with　the　same　informality　with　which　he　always　treated　her；　he　asked　her　the　meaning　of　her　farewell。
　　　“It’s　true；？she　said。　“I’m　only　waiting　for　the　rain　to　stop　in　order　to　die。？
　　　The　condition　of　the　streets　alarmed　Aureliano　Segundo。　He　finally　became　worried　about　the　state　of　his　animals　and　he　threw　an　oilcloth　over　his　head　and　sent　to　Petra　Cotes’s　house。　He　found　her　in　the　courtyard；　in　the　water　up　to　her　waist；　trying　to　float　the　corpse　of　a　horse。　Aureliano　Segundo　helped　her　with　a　lever；　and　the　enormous　swollen　body　gave　a　turn　like　a　bell　and　was　dragged　away　by　the　torrent　of　liquid　mud。　Since　the　rain　began；　all　that　Petra　Cotes　had　done　was　to　clear　her　courtyard　of　dead　animals。　During　the　first　weeks　she　sent　messages　to　Aureliano　Segundo　for　him　to　take　urgent　measures　and　he　had　answered　that　there　was　no　rush；　that　the　situation　was　not　alarming；　that　there　would　be　plenty　of　time　to　think　about　something　when　it　cleared。　She　sent　him　word　that　the　horse　pastures　were　being　flooded；　that　the　cattle　were　fleeing　to　high　ground；　where　there　was　nothing　to　eat　and　where　they　were　at　the　mercy　of　jaguars　and　sickness。　“There’s　nothing　to　be　done；？Aureliano　Segundo　answered　her。　“Others　will　be　born　when　it　clears。？Petra　Cates　had　seen　them　die　in　dusters　and　the　was　able　to　butcher　only　those　stuck　in　the　mud。　She　saw　with　quiet　impotence　how　the　deluge　was　pitilessly　exterminating　a　fortune　that　at　one　time　was　considered　the　largest　and　most　solid　in　Macondo；　and　of　which　nothing　remained　but　pestilence。　When　Aureliano　Segundo　decided　to　go　see　what　was　going　on；　he　found　only　the　corpse　of　the　horse　and　a　squalid　mule　in　the　ruins　of　the　stable。　Petra　Cotes　watched　him　arrive　without　surprise；　joy；　or　resentment；　and　she　only　allowed　herself　an　ironic　smile。
　　　“It’s　about　time！？she　said。
　　　She　had　aged；　all