百年孤独(英文版)-第34部分

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the　bedroom　but　all　through　the　house；　where　Aureliano　Segundo’s　rowdy　friends　were　gathered。　The　war；　relegated　to　the　attic　of　bad　memories；　was　momentarily　recalled　with　the　popping　of　champagne　bottles。
　　　“To　the　health　of　the　Pope；？Aureliano　Segundo　toasted。
　　　The　guests　toasted　in　a　chorus。　Then　the　man　of　the　house　played　the　accordion；　fireworks　were　set　off；　and　drums　celebrated　the　event　throughout　the　town。　At　dawn　the　guests；　soaked　in　champagne；　sacrificed　six　cows　and　put　them　in　the　street　at　the　disposal　of　the　crowd。　No　one　was　scandalized。　Since　Aureliano　Segundo　had　taken　charge　of　the　house　those　festivities　were　a　mon　thing；　even　when　there　was　no　motive　as　proper　as　the　birth　of　a　Pope。　In　a　few　years；　without　effort；　simply　by　luck；　he　had　accumulated　one　of　the　largest　fortunes　in　the　swamp　thanks　to　the　supernatural　proliferation　of　his　animals。　His　mares　would　bear　triplets；　his　hens　laid　twice　a　day；　and　his　hogs　fattened　with　such　speed　that　no　one　could　explain　such　disorderly　fecundity　except　through　the　use　of　black　magic。　“Save　something　now；？？rsula　would　tell　her　wild　great…grandson。　“This　luck　is　not　going　to　last　all　your　life。？But　Aureliano　Segundo　paid　no　attention　to　her。　The　more　he　opened　champagne　to　soak　his　friends；　the　more　wildly　his　animals　gave　birth　and　the　more　he　was　convinced　that　his　lucky　star　was　not　a　matter　of　his　conduct　but　an　influence　of　Petra　Cotes；　his　concubine；　whose　love　had　the　virtue　of　exasperating　nature。　So　convinced　was　he　that　this　was　the　origin　of　his　fortune　that　he　never　kept　Petra　Cotes　far　away　from　his　breeding　grounds　and　even　when　he　married　and　had　children　he　continued　living　with　her　with　the　consent　of　Fernanda。　Solid；　monumental　like　his　grandfathers；　but　with　a　joie　de　vivre　and　an　irresistible　good　humor　that　they　did　not　have；　Aureliano　Segundo　scarcely　had　time　to　look　after　his　animals。　All　he　had　to　do　was　to　take　Petra　Cores　to　his　breeding　grounds　and　have　her　ride　across　his　land　in　order　to　have　every　animal　marked　with　his　brand　succumb　to　the　irremediable　plague　of　proliferation。
　　　Like　all　the　good　things　that　occurred　in　his　long　life；　that　tremendous　fortune　had　its　origins　in　chance。　Until　the　end　of　the　wars　Petra　Cotes　continued　to　support　herself　with　the　returns　from　her　raffles　and　Aureliano　Segundo　was　able　to　sack　？rsula’s　savings　from　time　to　time。　They　were　a　frivolous　couple；　with　no　other　worries　except　going　to　bed　every　night；　even　on　forbidden　days；　and　frolicking　there　until　dawn。　“That　woman　has　been　your　ruination；？？rsula　would　shout　at　her　great…grandson　when　she　saw　him　ing　into　the　house　like　a　sleepwalker。　“She’s　got　you　so　bewitched　that　one　of　these　days　I’m　going　to　see　you　twisting　around　with　colic　and　with　a　toad　in　your　belly。？Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　who　took　a　long　time　to　discover　that　he　had　been　supplanted；　was　unable　to　understand　his　brother’s　passion。　He　remembered　Petra　Cotes　as　an　ordinary　woman；　rather　lazy　in　bed；　and　pletely　lacking　in　any　resources　for　lovemaking。　Deaf　to　？rsula’s　clamor　and　the　teasing　of　his　brother；　Aureliano　Segundo　only　thought　at　that　time　of　finding　a　trade　that　would　allow　him　to　maintain　a　house　for　Petra　Cotes；　and　to　die　with　her；　on　top　of　her　and　underneath　her；　during　a　night　of　feverish　license。　When　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　opened　up　his　workshop　again；　seduced　at　last　by　the　peaceful　charms　of　old　age；　Aureliano　Segundo　thought　that　it　would　be　good　business　to　devote　himself　to　the　manufacture　of　little　gold　fishes。　He　spent　many　hours　in　the　hot　room　watching　how　the　hard　sheets　of　metal；　worked　by　the　colonel　with　the　inconceivable　patience　of　disillusionment；　were　slowly　being　converted　into　golden　scales。　The　work　seemed　so　laborious　to　him　and　the　thought　of　Petra　Cotes　was　so　persistent　and　pressing　that　after　three　weeks　he　disappeared　from　the　workshop。　It　was　during　that　time　that　it　occurred　to　Petra　Cotes　to　raffle　off　rabbits。　They　reproduced　and　grew　up　so　fast　that　there　was　barely　time　to　sell　the　tickets　for　the　raffle。　At　first　Aureliano　Segundo　did　not　notice　the　alarming　proportions　of　the　proliferation。　But　one　night；　when　nobody　in　town　wanted　to　hear　about　the　rabbit　raffle　any　more；　he　heard　a　noise　by　the　courtyard　door。　“Don’t　get　worried；？Petra；　Cotes　said。　“It’s　only　the　rabbits。？They　could　not　sleep；　tormented　by　the　uproar　of　the　animals。　At　dawn　Aureliano　Segundo　opened　the　door　and　saw　the　courtyard　paved　with　rabbits；　blue　in　the　glow　of　dawn。　Petra　Cotes；　dying　with　laughter；　could　not　resist　the　temptation　of　teasing　him。
　　　“Those　are　the　ones　who　were　born　last　night；？she　aid。
　　　“Oh　my　God！？he　said。　“Why　don’t　you　raffle　off　cows？？
　　　A　few　days　later；　in　an　attempt　to　clean　out　her　courtyard；　Petra　Cotes　exchanged　the　rabbits　for　a　cow；　who　two　months　later　gave　birth　to　triplets。　That　was　how　things　began。　Overnight　Aureliano　Segundo　be。　came　the　owner　of　land　and　livestock　and　he　barely　had　time　to　enlarge　his　overflowing　barns　and　pigpens。　It　was　a　delirious　prosperity　that　even　made　him　laugh；　and　he　could　not　help　doing　crazy　things　to　release　his　good　humor。　“Cease；　cows；　life　is　short；？he　would　shout。　？rsula　wondered　what　entanglements　he　had　got　into；　whether　he　might　be　stealing；　whether　he　had　bee　a　rustler；　and　every　time　she　saw　him　uncorking　champagne　just　for　the　pleasure　of　pouring　the　foam　over　his　head；　she　would　shout　at　him　and　scold　him　for　the　waste。　It　annoyed　him　so　much　that　one　day　when　he　awoke　in　a　merry　mood；　Aureliano　Segundo　appeared　with　a　chest　full　of　money；　a　can　of　paste；　and　a　brush；　and　singing　at　the　top　of　his　lungs　the　old　songs　of　Francisco　the　Man；　he　papered　the　house　inside　and　out　and　from　top　to　bottom；　with　one…peso　banknotes。　The　old　mansion；　painted　white　since　the　time　they　had　brought　the　pianola；　took　on　the　strange　look　of　a　mosque。　In　the　midst　of　the　excitement　of　the　family　the　scandalization　of　？rsula；　the　joy　of　the　people　cramming　the　street　to　watch　that　apotheosis　of　squandering。　Aureliano　Segundo　finished　by　papering　the　house　from　the　front　to　the　kitchen；　including　bathrooms　and　bedrooms；　and　threw　the　leftover　bills　into　the　courtyard。
　　　“Now；？he　said　in　a　final　way；　“I　hope　that　nobody　in　this　house　ever　talks　to　me　about　money　again。？
　　　That　was　what　happened。　？rsula　had　the　bills　taken　down；　stuck　to　great　cakes　of　whitewash；　and　the　house　was　painted　white　again。　“Dear　Lord；？she　begged；　“make　us　poor　again　the　way　we　were　when　we　founded　this　town　so　that　you　will　not　collect　for　this　squandering　in　the　other　life。？Her　prayers　were　answered　in　reverse。　One　of　the　workmen　removing　the　bills　bumped　into　an　enormous　plaster　statue　of　Saint　Joseph　that　someone　had　left　in　the　house　during　the　last　years　of　the　war　and　the　hollow　figure　broke　to　pieces　on　the　floor。　It　had　been　stuffed　with　gold　coins。　No　one　could　remember　who　had　brought　that　life…sized　saint。　“Three　men　brought　it；？Amaranta　explained。　“They　asked　us　to　keep　it　until　the　rains　were　over　and　I　told　them　to　put　it　there　in　the　corner　where　nobody　would　bump　into　it；　and　there　they　put　it；　very　carefully；　and　there　it’s　been　ever　since　because　they　never　came　back　for　it。？Later　on；　？rsula　had　put　candles　on　it　and　had　prostrated　herself　before　it；　not　suspecting　that　instead　of　a　saint　she　was　adoring　almost　four　bundled　pounds　of　gold。　The　tardy　evidence　of　her　involuntary　paganism　made　her　even　more　upset。　She　spat　on　the　spectacular　pile　of　coins；　put　them　in　three　canvas　sacks；　and　buried　them　in　a　secret　place；　hoping　that　sooner　or　later　the　three　unknown　men　would　e　to　reclaim　them。　Much　later；　during　the　difficult　years　of　her　decrepitude；　？rsula　would　intervene　in　the　conversations　of　the　many　travelers　who　came　by　the　house　at　that　time　and　ask　them　if　they　had　left　a　plaster　Saint　Joseph　there　during　the　war　to　be　taken　care　of　until　the　rains　passed。
　　　Things　like　that　which　gave　？rsula　such　consternation；　were　monplace　in　those　days。　Macondo　was　swamped　in　a　miraculous　prosperity。　The　adobe　houses　of　the　founders　had　been　replaced　by　brick　buildings　with　wooden　blinds　and　cement　floors　which　made　the　suffocating　heat　of　two　o’clock　in　the　afternoon　more　bearable。　All　that　remained　at　that　time　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía’s　ancient　village　were　the　dusty　almond　trees；　destined　to　resist　the　most　arduous　of　circumstances；　and　the　river　of　clear　water　whose　prehistoric　stones　had　been　pulverized　by　the　frantic　hammers　of　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　when　he　set　about　opening　the　channel　in　order　to　establish　a　boat　line。　It　was　a　mad　dream；　parable　to　those　of　his　great…grandfather；　for　the　rocky　riverbed　and　the　numerous　rapids　prevented　navigation　from　Macondo　to　the　sea。　But　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　in　an　unforeseen　burst　of　temerity；　stubbornly　kept　on　with　the　project。　Until　then　he　had　shown　no　sign　of　imagination。　Except　for　his　precarious　adventure　with　Petra　Cotes；　he　had　never　known　a　woman。　？rsula　had　considered　him　the　quietest　example　the　family　had　ever　produced　in　all　its　history；　incapable　of　standing　out　even　as　a　handler　of　fighting　cocks；　when　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　told　him　the　story　of　the　Spanish　galleon　aground　eight　miles　from　the　sea；　the　carbonized　frame　of　which　he　had　seen　himself　during　the　war。　The　story；　which　for　so　many　years　had　seemed　fantastic　to　so　many　people；　was　a　revelation　for　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo。　He　auctioned　off　his　roosters　to　the　highest　bidder；　recruited　men；　bought　tools；　and　set　about　the　awesome　task　of　breaking　stones；　digging　canals；　clearing　away　rapids；　and　even　harnessing　waterfalls。　“I　know　all　of　this　by　heart；？？rsula　would　shout。　“It’s　as　if　time　had　turned　around　and　we　were　back　at　the　beginning。？When　he　thought　that　the　river　was　navigable；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　gave　his　brother　a　detailed　account　of　his　plans　and　the　latter　gave　him　the　money　he　needed　for　the　enterprise。　He　disappeared　for　a　long　time。　It　had　been　said　that　his　plan　to　buy　a　boat　was　nothing　but　a　trick　to　make　off　with　his　brother’s　money　when　the　news　spread　that　a　strange　craft　was　approaching　the　town。　The　inhabitants　of　Macondo；　who　no　longer　remembered　the　colossal　undertakings　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　ran　to　the　riverbank　and　saw　with　eyes　popping　in　disbelief　the　arrival　of　the　first　and　last　boat　ever　to　dock　in　the　town。　It　was　nothing　but　a　log　raft　drawn　by　thick　ropes　pulled　by　twenty　men　who　walked　along　the　bank。　In　the　prow；　with　a　glow　of　satisfaction　in　his　eyes；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　directing　the　arduous　maneuver。　There　arrived　with　him　a　rich　group　of　splendid　matrons　who　were　protecting　themselves　from　the　burning　sun　with　gaudy　parasols；　and　wore　on　their　shoulders　fine　silk　kerchiefs；　with　colored　creams　on　their　faces　and　natural　flowers　in　their　hair　and　golden　serpents　on　their　arms　and　diamonds　in　their　teeth。　The　log　raft　was　the　only　vessel　that　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　able　to　bring　to　Macondo；　and　only　once；　but　he　never　recognized　the　failure　of　his　enterprise；　but　proclaimed　his　deed　as　a　victory　of　will　power。　He　gave　a　scrupulous　accounting　to　his　brother　and　very　soon　plunged　back　into　the　routine　of　cockfights。　The　only　thing　that　remained　of　that　unfortunate　venture　was　the　breath　of　renovation　th