百年孤独(英文版)-第53部分
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Some months after his arrival； when he was already wellknown and wellliked； 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 rundown 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 wormeaten 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 doublebarreled 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 fet 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 stiffstarched 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 rundown 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 exaspe
