百年孤独(英文版)-第35部分

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cockfights。　The　only　thing　that　remained　of　that　unfortunate　venture　was　the　breath　of　renovation　that　the　matrons　from　France　brought；　as　their　magnificent　arts　transformed　traditional　methods　of　love　and　their　sense　of　social　well…being　abolished　Catarino’s　antiquated　place　and　turned　the　street　into　a　bazaar　of　Japanese　lanterns　and　nostalgic　hand　organs。　They　were　the　promoters　of　the　bloody　carnival　that　plunged　Macondo　into　delirium　for　three　days　and　whose　only　lasting　consequence　was　having　given　Aureliano　Segundo　the　opportunity　to　meet　Fernanda　del　Carpio。
　　　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　proclaimed　queen。　？rsula；　who　shuddered　at　the　disquieted　beauty　of　her　great…granddaughter；　could　not　prevent　the　choice。　Until　then　she　had　succeeded　in　keeping　her　off　the　streets　unless　it　was　to　go　to　mass　with　Amaranta；　but　she　made　her　cover　her　face　with　a　black　shawl。　The　most　impious　men；　those　who　would　disguise　themselves　as　priests　to　say　sacrilegious　masses　in　Catarino’s　store；　would　go　to　church　with　an　aim　to　see；　if　only　for　an　instant；　the　face　of　Remedios　the　Beauty；　whose　legendary　good　looks　were　spoken　of　with　alarming　excitement　throughout　the　swamp。　It　was　a　long　time　before　they　were　able　to　do　so；　and　it　would　have　been　better　for　them　if　they　never　had；　because　most　of　them　never　recovered　their　peaceful　habits　of　sleep。　The　man　who　made　it　possible；　a　foreigner；　lost　his　serenity　forever；　became　involved　in　the　sloughs　of　abjection　and　misery；　and　years　later　was　cut　to　pieces　by　a　train　after　he　had　fallen　asleep　on　the　tracks。　From　the　moment　he　was　seen　in　the　church；　wearing　a　green　velvet　suit　and　an　embroidered　vest；　no　one　doubted　that　he　came　from　far　away；　perhaps　from　some　distant　city　outside　of　the　country；　attracted　by　the　magical　fascination　of　Remedios　the　Beauty。　He　was　so　handsome；　so　elegant　and　dignified；　with　such　presence；　that　Pietro　Crespi　would　have　been　a　mere　fop　beside　him　and　many　women　whispered　with　spiteful　smiles　that　he　was　the　one　who　really　should　have　worn　the　shawl。　He　did　not　speak　to　anyone　in　Macondo。　He　appeared　at　dawn　on　Sunday　like　a　prince　in　a　fairy　tale；　riding　a　horse　with　silver　stirrups　and　a　velvet　blanket；　and　he　left　town　after　mass。
　　　The　power　of　his　presence　was　such　that　from　the　first　time　he　was　seen　in　the　church　everybody　took　it　for　granted　that　a　silent　and　tense　duel　had　been　established　between　him　and　Remedios　the　Beauty；　a　secret　pact；　an　irrevocable　challenge　that　would　end　not　only　in　love　but　also　in　death。　On　the　sixth　Sunday　the　gentleman　appeared　with　a　yellow　rose　in　his　hand。　He　heard　mass　standing；　as　he　always　did；　and　at　the　end　he　stepped　in　front　of　Remedios　the　Beauty　and　offered　her　the　solitary　rose。　She　took　it　with　a　natural　gesture；　as　if　she　had　been　prepared　for　that　homage；　and　then　she　uncovered　her　face　and　gave　her　thanks　with　a　smile。　That　was　all　she　did。　Not　only　for　the　gentleman；　but　for　all　the　men　who　had　the　unfortunate　privilege　of　seeing　her；　that　was　an　eternal　instant。
　　　From　then　on　the　gentleman　had　a　band　of　musicians　play　beside　the　window　of　Remedios　the　Beauty；　sometimes　until　dawn。　Aureliano　Segundo　was　the　only　one　who　felt　a　cordial　passion　for　him　and　he　tried　to　break　his　perseverance。　“Don’t　waste　your　time　any　more；？he　told　him　one　night。　“The　women　in　this　house　are　worse　than　mules。？He　offered　him　his　friendship；　invited　him　to　bathe　in　champagne；　tried　to　make　him　understand　that　the　females　of　his　family　had　insides　made　of　flint；　but　he　could　not　weaken　his　obstinacy。　Exasperated　by　the　interminable　nights　of　music；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　threatened　to　cure　his　affliction　with　a　few　pistol　shots。　Nothing　made　him　desist　except　his　own　lamentable　state　of　demoralization。　From　a　well…dressed　and　neat　individual　he　became　filthy　and　ragged。　It　was　rumored　that　he　had　abandoned　power　and　fortune　in　his　distant　nation；　although　his　origins　were　actually　never　known。　He　became　argumentative；　a　barroom　brawler；　and　he　would　wake　up　rolling　in　his　own　filth　in　Catarino’s　store。　The　saddest　part　of　his　drama　was　that　Remedios　the　Beauty　did　not　notice　him　not　even　when　he　appeared　in　church　dressed　like　a　prince。　She　accepted　the　yellow　rose　without　the　least　bit　of　malice；　amused；　rather；　by　the　extravagance　of　the　act；　and　she　lifted　her　shawl　to　see　his　face　better；　not　to　show　hers。
　　　Actually；　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　not　a　creature　of　this　world。　Until　she　was　well　along　in　puberty　Santa　Sofía　de　la。　Piedad　had　to　bathe　and　dress　her；　and　even　when　she　could　take　care　of　herself　it　was　necessary　to　keep　an　eye　on　her　so　that　she　would　not　paint　little　animals　on　the　walls　with　a　stick　daubed　in　her　own　excrement。　She　reached　twenty　without　knowing　how　to　read　or　write；　unable　to　use　the　silver　at　the　table；　wandering　naked　through　the　house　because　her　nature　rejected　all　manner　of　convention。　When　the　young　mander　of　the　guard　declared　his　love　for　her；　she　rejected　him　simply　because　his　frivolity　startled　her。　“See　how　simple　he　is；？she　told　Amaranta。　“He　says　that　he’s　dying　because　of　me；　as　if　I　were　a　bad　case　of　colic。？When；　indeed；　they　found　him　dead　beside　her　window；　Remedios　the　Beauty　confirmed　her　first　impression。
　　　“You　see；？she　mented。　“He　was　a　plete　Simpleton。？
　　　It　seemed　as　if　some　penetrating　lucidity　permitted　her　to　see　the　reality　of　things　beyond　any　formalism。　That　at　least　was　the　point　of　view　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　for　whom　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　in　no　way　mentally　retarded；　as　was　generally　believed；　but　quite　the　opposite。　“It’s　as　if　she’s　e　back　from　twenty　years　of　war；？he　would　say。　？rsula；　for　her　part；　thanked　God　for　having　awarded　the　family　with　a　creature　of　exceptional　purity；　but　at　the　same　time　she　was　disturbed　by　her　beauty；　for　it　seemed　a　contradictory　virtue　to　her；　a　diabolical　trap　at　the　center　of　her　innocence。　It　was　for　that　reason　that　she　decided　to　keep　her　away　from　the　world；　to　protect　her　from　all　earthly　temptation；　not　knowing　that　Remedios　the　Beauty；　even　from　the　time　when　she　was　in　her　mother’s　womb；　was　safe　from　any　contagion。　It　never　entered　her　head　that　they　would　elect　her　beauty　queen　of　the　carnival　pandemonium。　But　Aureliano；　Segundo；　excited　at　the　caprice　of　disguising　himself　as　a　tiger；　brought　Father　Antonio　Isabel　to　the　house　in　order　to　convince　？rsula　that　the　carnival　was　not　a　pagan　feast；　as　she　said；　but　a　Catholic　tradition。　Finally　convinced；　even　though　reluctantly；　she　consented　to　the　coronation。
　　　The　news　that　Remedios　Buendía　was　going　to　be　the　sovereign　ruler　of　the　festival　went　beyond　the　limits　of　the　swamp　in　a　few　hours；　reached　distant　places　where　the　prestige　of　her　beauty　was　not　known；　and　it　aroused　the　anxiety　of　those　who　still　thought　of　her　last　name　as　a　symbol　of　subversion。　The　anxiety　was　baseless。　If　anyone　had　bee　harmless　at　that　time　it　was　the　aging　and　disillusioned　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　who　was　slowly　losing　all　contact　with　the　reality　of　the　nation。　Enclosed　in　his　workshop；　his　only　relationship　with　the　rest　of　the　world　was　his　business　in　little　gold　fishes。　One　of　the　soldiers　who　had　guarded　his　house　during　the　first　days　of　peace　would　go　sell　them　in　the　villages　of　the　swamp　and　return　loaded　down　with　coins　and　news。　That　the　Conservative　government；　he　would　say；　with　the　backing　of　the　Liberals；　was　reforming　the　calendar　so　that　every　president　could　remain　in　power　for　a　hundred　years。　That　the　concordat　with　the　Holy　See　had　finally　been　signed　and　a　cardinal　had　e　from　Rome　with　a　crown　of　diamonds　and　a　throne　of　solid　gold；　and　that　the　Liberal　ministers　had　had　their　pictures　taken　on　their　knees　in　the　act　of　kissing　his　ring。　That　the　leading　lady　of　a　Spanish　pany　passing　through　the　capital　had　been　kidnapped　by　a　band　of　masked　highwaymen　and　on　the　following　Sunday　she　had　danced　in　the　nude　at　the　summer　house　of　the　president　of　the　republic。　“Don’t　talk　to　me　about　politics；？the　colonel　would　tell　him。　“Our　business　is　selling　little　fishes。？The　rumor　that　he　did　not　want　to　hear　anything　about　the　situation　in　the　country　because　he　was　growing　rich　in　his　workshop　made　？rsula　laugh　when　it　reached　her　ears。　With　her　terrible　practical　sense　she　could　not　understand　the　colonel’s　business　as　he　exchanged　little　fishes　for　gold　coins　and　then　converted　the　coins　into　little　fishes；　and　so　on；　with　the　result　that　he　had　to　work　all　the　harder　with　the　more　he　sold　in　order　to　satisfy　an　exasperating　vicious　circle。　Actually；　what　interested　him　was　not　the　business　but　the　work。　He　needed　so　much　concentration　to　link　scales；　fit　minute　rubies　into　the　eyes；　laminate　gills；　and　put　on　fins　that　there　was　not　the　smallest　empty　moment　left　for　him　to　fill　with　his　disillusionment　of　the　war。　So　absorbing　was　the　attention　required　by　the　delicacy　of　his　artistry　that　in　a　short　time　he　had　aged　more　than　during　all　the　years　of　the　war；　and　his　position　had　twisted　his　spine　and　the　close　work　had　used　up　his　eyesight；　but　the　implacable　concentration　awarded　him　with　a　peace　of　the　spirit。　The　last　time　he　was　seen　to　take　an　interest　in　some　matter　related　to　the　war　was　when　a　group　of　veterans　from　both　parties　sought　his　support　for　the　approval　of　lifetime　pensions；　which　had　always　been　promised　and　were　always　about　to　be　put　into　effect。　“Forget　about　it；？he　told　them。　“You　can　see　how　I　refuse　my　pension　in　order　to　get　rid　of　the　torture　of　waiting　for　it　until　the　day　I　died。？At　first　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　would　visit　him　at　dusk　and　they　would　both　sit　in　the　street　door　and　talk　about　the　past。　But　Amaranta　could　not　bear　the　memories　that　that　man；　whose　baldness　had　plunged　him　into　the　abyss　of　premature　old　age；　aroused　in　her；　and　she　would　torment　him　with　snide　remarks　until　he　did　not　e　back　except　on　special　occasions　and　he　finally　disappeared；　extinguished　by　paralysis。　Taciturn；　silent；　insensible　to　the　new　breath　of　vitality　that　was　shaking　the　house；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　could　understand　only　that　the　secret　of　a　good　old　age　is　simply　an　honorable　pact　with　solitude。　He　would　get　up　at　five　in　the　morning　after　a　light　sleep；　have　his　eternal　mug　of　bitter　coffee　in　the　kitchen；　shut　himself　up　all　day　in　the　workshop；　and　at　four　in　the　afternoon　he　would　go　along　the　porch　dragging　a　stool；　not　even　noticing　the　fire　of　the　rose　bushes　or　the　brightness　of　the　hour　or　the　persistence　of　Amaranta；　whose　melancholy　made　the　noise　of　a　boiling　pot；　which　was　perfectly　perceptible　at　dusk；　and　he　would　sit　in　the　street　door　as　long　as　the　mosquitoes　would　allow　him　to。　Someone　dared　to　disturb　his　solitude　once。
　　　“How　are　you；　Colonel？？he　asked　in　passing。
　　　“Right　here；？he　answered。　“Waiting　for　my　funeral　procession　to　pass。？
　　　So　that　the　anxiety　caused　by　the　public　reappearance　of　his　family　name；　having　to　do　with　the　coronation　of　Remedios　the　Beauty；　was　baseless。　Many　people　did　not　think　that　way；　however。　Innocent　of　the　tragedy　that　threatened　it；　the　town　poured　into　the　main　square　in　a　noisy　explosion　of　merriment。　The　carnival　had　reached　its　highest　level　of　madness　and　Aureliano　Segundo　had　satisfied　at　last　his　dream　of　dressing　up　li