百年孤独(英文版)-第55部分

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that　room　for　a　century；？she　said。　The　officer　had　it　opened　and　flashed　the　beam　of　the　lantern　over　it；　and　Aureliano　Segundo　and　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　saw　the　Arab　eyes　of　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　at　the　moment　when　the　ray　of　light　passed　over　his　face　and　they　understood　that　it　was　the　end　of　one　anxiety　and　the　beginning　of　another　which　would　find　relief　only　in　resignation。　But　the　officer　continued　examining　the　room　with　the　lantern　and　showed　no　sign　of　interest　until　he　discovered　the　seventytwo　chamberpots　piled　up　in　the　cupboards。　Then　he　turned　on　the　light。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　cot；　ready　to　go；　more　solemn　and　pensive　than　ever。　In　the　background　were　the　shelves　with　the　shredded　books；　the　rolls　of　parchment；　and　the　clean　and　orderly　worktable　with　the　ink　still　fresh　in　the　inkwells。　There　was　the　same　pureness　in　the　air；　the　same　clarity；　the　same　respite　from　dust　and　destruction　that　Aureliano　Segundo　had　known　in　childhood　and　that　only　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　could　not　perceive。　But　the　officer　was　only　interested　in　the　chamberpots。
　　　“How　many　people　live　in　this　house？？he　asked。
　　　“Five。？
　　　The　officer　obviously　did　not　understand。　He　paused　with　his　glance　on　the　space　where　Aureliano　Segundo　and　Santa　Soft　de　la　Piedad　were　still　seeing　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　and　the　latter　also　realized　that　the　soldier　was　looking　at　him　without　seeing　him。　Then　he　turned　out　the　light　and　closed　the　door。　When　he　spoke　to　the　soldiers；　Aureliano；　Segundo　understood　that　the　young　officer　had　seen　the　room　with　the　same　eyes　as　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía。
　　　“It’s　obvious　that　no　one　has　been　in　that　room　for　at　least　a　hundred　years。？the　officer　said　to　the　soldiers。　“There　must　even　be　snakes　in　there。？
　　　When　the　door　closed；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　was　sure　that　the　war　was　over。　Years　before　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　had　spoken　to　him　about　the　fascination　of　war　and　had　tried　to　show　it　to　him　with　countless　examples　drawn　from　his　own　experience。　He　had　believed　him。　But　the　night　when　the　soldiers　looked　at　him　without　seeing　him　while　he　thought　about　the　tension　of　the　past　few　months；　the　misery　of　jail；　the　panic　at　the　station；　and　the　train　loaded　with　dead　people；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　reached　the　conclusion　that　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　was　nothing　but　a　faker　or　an　imbecile。　He　could　not　understand　why　he　had　needed　so　many　words　to　explain　what　he　felt　in　war　because　one　was　enough：　fear。　In　Melquíades？room；　on　the　other　hand；　protected　by　the　supernatural　light；　by　the　sound　of　the　rain；　by　the　feeling　of　being　invisible；　he　found　the　repose　that　he　had　not　had　for　one　single　instant　during　his　previous　life；　and　the　only　fear　that　remained　was　that　they　would　bury　him　alive。　He　told　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　about　it　when　she　brought　him　his　daily　meals　and　she　promised　to　struggle　to　stay　alive　even　beyond　her　natural　forces　in　order　to　make　sure　that　they　would　bury　him　dead。　Free　from　all　fear；　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　dedicated　himself　then　to　peruse　the　manuscripts　of　Melquíades　many　times；　and　with　so　much　more　pleasure　when　he　could　not　understand　them。　He　became　accustomed　to　the　sound　of　the　rain；　which　after　two　months　had　bee　another　form　of　silence；　and　the　only　thing　that　disturbed　his　solitude　was　the　ing　and　going　of　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad。　He　asked　her；　therefore；　to　leave　the　meals　on　the　windowsill　and　padlock　the　door。　The　rest　of　the　family　fot　about　him　including　Fernanda；　who　did　not　mind　leaving　him　there　when　she　found　that　the　soldiers　had　seen　him　without　recognizing　him。　After　six　months　of　enclosure；　since　the　soldiers　had　left　Macondo　Aureliano　Segundo　removed　the　padlock；　looking　for　someone　he　could　talk　to　until　the　rain　stopped。　As　soon　as　he　opened　the　door　he　felt　the　pestilential　attack　of　the　chamberpots；　which　were　placed　on　the　floor　and　all　of　which　had　been　used　several　times。　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　devoured　by　baldness；　indifferent　to　the　air　that　had　been　sharpened　by　the　nauseating　vapors；　was　still　reading　and　rereading　the　unintelligible　parchments。　He　was　illuminated　by　a　seraphic　glow。　He　scarcely　raised　his　eyes　when　he　heard　the　door　open；　but　that　look　was　enough　for　his　brother　to　see　repeated　in　it　the　irreparable　fate　of　his　greatgrandfather。
　　　“There　were　more　than　three　thousand　of　them；？was　all　that　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo　said。　“I’m　sure　now　that　they　were　everybody　who　had　been　at　the　station。？

Chapter　16
IT　RAINED　FOR　four　years；　eleven　months；　and　two　days。　There　were　periods　of　drizzle　during　which　everyone　put　on　his　full　dress　and　a　convalescent　look　to　celebrate　the　clearing；　but　the　people　soon　grew　accustomed　to　interpret　the　pauses　as　a　sign　of　redoubled　rain。　The　sky　crumbled　into　a　set　of　destructive　storms　and　out　of　the　north　came　hurricanes　that　scattered　roofs　about　and　knocked　down　walls　and　uprooted　every　last　plant　of　the　banana　groves。　Just　as　during　the　insomnia　plague；　as　？rsula　came　to　remember　during　those　days；　the　calamity　itself　inspired　defenses　against　boredom。　Aureliano　Segundo　was　one　of　those　who　worked　hardest　not　to　be　conquered　by　idleness。　He　had　gone　home　for　some　minor　matter　on　the　night　that　Mr。　Brown　unleashed　the　storm；　and　Fernanda　tried　to　help　him　with　a　halfblownout　umbrella　that　she　found　in　a　closet。　“I　don’t　need　it；？he　said。　“I’ll　stay　until　it　clears。？That　was　not；　of　course；　an　ironclad　promise；　but　he　would　acplish　it　literally。　Since　his　clothes　were　at　Petra　Cotes’s；　every　three　days　he　would　take　off　what　he　had　on　and　wait　in　his　shorts　until　they　washed。　In　order　not　to　bee　bored；　he　dedicated　himself　to　the　task　of　repairing　the　many　things　that　needed　fixing　in　the　house。　He　adjusted　hinges；　oiled　locks；　screwed　knockers　tight；　and　planed　doorjambs。　For　several　months　he　was　seen　wandering　about　with　a　toolbox　that　the　gypsies　must　have　left　behind　in　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía’s　days；　and　no　one　knew　whether　because　of　the　involuntary　exercise；　the　winter　tedium　or　the　imposed　abstinence；　but　his　belly　was　deflating　little　by　little　like　a　wineskin　and　his　face　of　a　beatific　tortoise　was　being　less　bloodshot　and　his　double　chin　less　prominent　until　he　became　less　pachydermic　all　over　and　was　able　to　tie　his　own　shoes　again。　Watching　him　putting　in　latches　and　repairing　clocks；　Fernanda　wondered　whether　or　not　he　too　might　be　falling　into　the　vice　of　building　so　that　he　could　take　apart　like　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　and　his　little　gold　fishes；　Amaranta　and　her　shroud　and　her　buttons；　Jos？Arcadio　and　the　parchments；　and　？rsula　and　her　memories。　But　that　was　not　the　case。　The　worst　part　was　that　the　rain　was　affecting　everything　and　the　driest　of　machines　would　have　flowers　popping　out　among　their　gears　if　they　were　not　oiled　every　three　days；　and　the　threads　in　brocades　rusted；　and　wet　clothing　would　break　out　in　a　rash　of　saffroncolored　moss。　The　air　was　so　damp　that　fish　could　have　e　in　through　the　doors　and　swum　out　the　windows；　floating　through　the　atmosphere　in　the　rooms。　One　morning　？rsula　woke　up　feeling　that　she　was　reaching　her　end　in　a　placid　swoon　and　she　had　already　asked　them　to　take　her　to　Father　Antonio　Isabel；　even　if　it　had　to　be　on　a　stretcher；　when　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad　discovered　that　her　back　was　paved　with　leeches。　She　took　them　off　one　by　one；　crushing　them　with　a　firebrand　before　they　bled　her　to　death。　It　was　necessary　to　dig　canals　to　get　the　water　out　of　the　house　and　rid　it　of　the　frogs　and　snails　so　that　they　could　dry　the　floors　and　take　the　bricks　from　under　the　bedposts　and　walk　in　shoes　once　more。　Occupied　with　the　many　small　details　that　called　for　his　attention；　Aureliano　Segundo　did　not　realize　that　he　was　getting　old　until　one　afternoon　when　he　found　himself　contemplating　the　premature　dusk　from　a　rocking　chair　and　thinking　about　Petra　Cotes　without　quivering。　There　would　have　been　no　problem　in　going　back　to　Fernanda’s　insipid　love；　because　her　beauty　had　bee　solemn　with　age；　but　the　rain　had　spared　him　from　all　emergencies　of　passion　and　had　filled　him　with　the　spongy　serenity　of　a　lack　of　appetite。　He　amused　himself　thinking　about　the　things　that　he　could　have　done　in　other　times　with　that　rain　which　had　already　lasted　a　year。　He　had　been　one　of　the　first　to　bring　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　firs