百年孤独(英文版)-第39部分

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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　passed　through　his　hands。　Time　had　moderated　his　early　impulse　for　growth　and　he　was　a　man　of　average　height　marked　by　smallpox　scars；　but　his　amazing　power　for　manual　destruction　remained　intact。　He　broke　so　many　plates；　even　without　touching　them；　that　Fernanda　decided　to　buy　him　a　set　of　pewterware　before　he　did　away　with　the　last　pieces　of　her　expensive　china；　and　even　the　resistant　metal　plates　were　soon　dented　and　twisted。　But　to　make　up　for　that　irremediable　power；　which　was　exasperating　even　for　him；　he　had　a　cordiality　that　won　the　immediate　confidence　of　others　and　a　stupendous　capacity　for　work。　In　a　short　time　he　had　increased　the　production　of　ice　to　such　a　degree　that　it　was　too　much　for　the　local　market　and　Aureliano　Triste　had　to　think　about　the　possibility　of　expanding　the　business　to　other　towns　in　the　swamp。　It　was　then　that　he　thought　of　the　decisive　step；　not　only　for　the　modernization　of　his　business　but　to　link　the　town　with　the　rest　of　the　world。
　　　“We　have　to　bring　in　the　railroad；？he　said。
　　　That　was　the　first　time　that　the　word　had　ever　been　heard　in　Macondo。　Looking　at　the　sketch　that　Aureliano　Triste　drew　on　the　table　and　that　was　a　direct　descendent　of　the　plans　with　which　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　had　illustrated　his　project　for　solar　warfare；　？rsula　confirmed　her　impression　that　time　was　going　in　a　circle。　But　unlike　his　forebear；　Aureliano　Triste　did　not　lose　any　sleep　or　appetite　nor　did　he　torment　anyone　with　crises　of　ill　humor；　but　he　considered　the　most　harebrained　of　projects　as　immediate　possibilities；　made　rational　calculations　about　costs　and　dates；　and　brought　them　off　without　any　intermediate　exasperation。　If　Aureliano　Segundo　had　something　of　his　great…grandfather　in　him　and　lacked　something　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　it　was　an　absolute　indifference　to　mockery；　and　he　gave　the　money　to　bring　the　railroad　with　the　same　lighthearted　air　with　which　he　had　given　it　for　his　brother’s　absurd　navigation　project。　Aureliano　Triste　consulted　the　calendar　and　left　the　following　Wednesday；　planning　to　return　after　the　rains　had　passed。　There　was　no　more　news　of　him。　Aureliano　Centeno；　overwhelmed　by　the　abundance　of　the　factory；　had　already　begun　to　experiment　with　the　production　of　ice　with　a　base　of　fruit　juices　instead　of　water；　and　without　knowing　it　or　thinking　about　it；　he　conceived　the　essential　fundamentals　for　the　invention　of　sherbet。　In　that　way　he　planned　to　diversify　the　production　of　an　enterprise　he　considered　his　own；　because　his　brother　showed　no　signs　of　returning　after　the　rains　had　passed　and　a　whole　summer　had　gone　by　with　no　news　of　him。　At　the　start　of　another　winter；　however；　a　woman　who　was　washing　clothes　in　the　river　during　the　hottest　time　of　the　day　ran　screaming　down　the　main　street　in　an　alarming　state　of　motion。
　　　“It’s　ing；？she　finally　explained。　“Something　frightful；　like　a　kitchen　dragging　a　village　behind　it。？
　　　At　that　moment　the　town　was　shaken　by　a　whistle　with　a　fearful　echo　and　a　loud；　panting　respiration。　During　the　previous　weeks　they　had　seen　the　gangs　who　were　laying　ties　and　tracks　and　no　one　paid　attention　to　them　because　they　thought　it　was　some　new　trick　of　the　gypsies；　ing　back　with　whistles　and　tambourines　and　their　age…old　and　discredited　song　and　dance　about　the　qualities　of　some　concoction　put　together　by　journeyman　geniuses　of　Jerusalem。　But　when　they　recovered　from　the　noise　of　the　whistles　and　the　snorting；　all　the　inhabitants　ran　out　into　the　street　and　saw　Aureliano　Triste　waving　from　the　lootive；　and　in　a　trance　they　saw　the　flower…bedecked　train　which　was　arriving　for　the　first　time　eight　months　late。　The　innocent　yellow　train　that　was　to　bring　so　many　ambiguities　and　certainties；　so　many　pleasant　and　unpleasant　moments；　so　many　changes；　calamities；　and　feelings　of　nostalgia　to　Macondo。

Chapter　12
DAZZLED　BY　SO　MANY　and　such　marvelous　inventions；　the　people　of　Macondo　did　not　know　where　their　amazement　began。　They　stayed　up　all　night　looking　at　the　pale　electric　bulbs　fed　by　the　plant　that　Aureliano　Triste　had　brought　back　when　the　train　made　its　second　trip；　and　it　took　time　and　effort　for　them　to　grow　accustomed　to　its　obsessive　toom…toom。　They　be。　came　indignant　over　the　living　images　that　the　prosperous　merchant　Bruno　Crespi　projected　in　the　theater　with　the　lion…head　ticket　windows；　for　the　character　who　had　died　and　was　buried　in　one　film　and　for　whose　misfortune　tears　of　affliction　had　been　shed　would　reappear　alive　and　transformed　into　an　Arab　in　the　next　one。　The　audience；　who　paid　two　cents　apiece　to　share　the　difficulties　of　the　actors；　would　not　tolerate　that　outlandish　fraud　and　they　broke　up　the　seats。　The　mayor；　at　the　urging　of　Bruno　Crespi；　explained　in　a　proclamation　that　the　cinema　was　a　machine　of　illusions　that　did　not　merit　the　emotional　outbursts　of　the　audience。　With　that　discouraging　explanation　many　felt　that　they　had　been　the　victims　of　some　new　and　showy　gypsy　business　and　they　decided　not　to　return　to　the　movies；　considering　that　they　already　had　too　many　troubles　of　their　own　to　weep　over　the　acted…out　misfortunes　of　imaginary　beings。　Something　similar　happened　with　the　cylinder　phonographs　that　the　merry　matrons　from　France　brought　with　them　as　a　substitute　for　the　antiquated　hand　organs　and　that　for　a　time　had　serious　effects　on　the　livelihood　of　the　band　of　musicians。　At　first　curiosity　increased　the　clientele　on　the　forbidden　street　and　there　was　even　word　of　respectable　ladies　who　disguised　themselves　as　workers　in　order　to　observe　the　novelty　of　the　phonograph　from　first　hand；　but　from　so　much　and　such　close　observation　they　soon　reached　the　conclusion　that　it　was　not　an　enchanted　mill　as　everyone　had　thought　and　as　the　matrons　had　said；　but　a　mechanical　trick　that　could　not　be　pared　with　something　so　moving；　so　human；　and　so　full　of　everyday　truth　as　a　band　of　musicians。　It　was　such　a　serious　disappointment　that　when　phonographs　became　so　popular　that　there　was　one　in　every　house　they　were　not　considered　objects　for　amusement　for　adults　but　as　something　good　for　children　to　take　apart。　On