百年孤独(英文版)-第14部分
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Time mitigated his mad proposal； but it aggravated his feelings of frustration。 He took refuge in work。 He resigned himself to being a womanless man for all his life in order to hide the shame of his uselessness。 In the meantime； Melquíades had printed on his plates everything that was printable in Macondo； and he left the daguerreotype laboratory to the fantasies of Jos？Arcadio Buendía who had resolved to use it to obtain scientific proof of the existence of God。 Through a plicated process of superimposed exposures taken in different parts of the house； he was sure that sooner or later he would get a daguerreotype of God； if He existed； or put an end once and for all to the supposition of His existence。 Melquíades got deeper into his interpretations of Nostradamus。 He would stay up until very late； suffocating in his faded velvet vest； scribbling with his tiny sparrow hands； whose rings had lost the glow of former times。 One night he thought he had found a prediction of the future of Macondo。 It was to be a luminous city with great glass houses where there was no trace remaining of the race of the Buendía。 “It’s a mistake；？Jos？Arcadio Buendía thundered。 “They won’t be houses of glass but of ice； as I dreamed； and there will always be a Buendía； per omnia secula seculorum。？？rsula fought to preserve mon sense in that extravagant house； having broadened her business of little candy animals with an oven that went all night turning out baskets and more baskets of bread and a prodigious variety of puddings； meringues； and cookies； which disappeared in a few hours on the roads winding through the swamp。 She had reached an age where she had a right to rest； but she was nonetheless more and more active。 So busy was she in her prosperous enterprises that one afternoon she looked distractedly toward the courtyard while the Indian woman helped her sweeten the dough and she saw two unknown and beautiful adolescent girls doing frame embroidery in the light of the sunset。 They were Rebeca and Amaranta。 As soon as they had taken off the mourning clothes for their grandmother； which they wore with inflexible rigor for three years； their bright clothes seemed to have given them a new place in the world。 Rebeca； contrary to what might have been expected； was the more beautiful。 She had a light plexion； large and peaceful eyes； and magical hands that seemed to work out the design of the embroidery with invisible threads。 Amaranta； the younger； was somewhat graceless； but she had the natural distinction； the inner tightness of her dead grandmother。 Next to them； although he was already revealing the physical drive of his father； Arcadio looked like a child。 He set about learning the art of silverwork with Aureliano； who had also taught him how to read and write。 ？rsula suddenly realized that the house had bee full of people； that her children were on the point of marrying and having children； and that they would be obliged to scatter for lack of space。 Then she took out the money she had accumulated over long years of hard labor； made some arrangements with her customers； and undertook the enlargement of the house。 She had a formal parlor for visits built； another one that was more fortable and cool for daily use； a dining room with a table with twelve places where the family could sit with all of their guests； nine bedrooms with windows on the courtyard and a long porch protected from the heat of noon by a rose garden with a railing on which to place pots of ferns and begonias。 She had the kitchen enlarged to hold two ovens。 The granary where Pilar Ternera had read Jos？Arcadio’s future was torn down and another twice as large built so that there would never be a lack of food in the house。 She had baths built is the courtyard in the shade of the chestnut tree； one for the women and another for the men； and in the rear a large stable； a fencedin chicken yard； a shed for the milk cows； and an aviary open to the four winds so that wandering birds could roost there at their pleasure。 Followed by dozens of masons and carpenters； as if she had contracted her husband’s hallucinating fever； ？rsula fixed the position of light and heat and distributed space without the least sense of its limitations。 The primitive building of the founders became filled with tools and materials； of workmen exhausted by sweat； who asked everybody please not to molest them； exasperated by the sack of bones that followed them everywhere with its dull rattle。 In that disfort； breathing quicklime and tar； no one could see very well how from the bowels of the earth there was rising not only the largest house is the town； but the most hospitable and cool house that had ever existed in the region of the swamp。 Jos？Buendía； trying to surprise Divine Providence in the midst of the cataclysm； was the one who least understood it。 The new house was almost finished when ？rsula drew him out of his chimerical world in order to inform him that she had an order to paint the front blue and not white as they had wanted。 She showed him the official document。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía； without understanding what his wife was talking about； deciphered the signature。
“Who is this fellow？？he asked：
“The magistrate；？？rsula answered disconsolately。 They say he’s an authority sent by the government。？
Don Apolinar Moscote； the magistrate； had arrived in Macondo very quietly。 He put up at the Hotel Jacob—built by one of the first Arabs who came to swap knickknacks for macaws—and on the following day he rented a small room with a door on the street two blocks away from the Buendía house。 He set up a table and a chair that he had bought from Jacob； nailed up on the wall the shield of the republic that he had brought with him； and on the door he painted the sign： Magistrate。 His first order was for all the houses to be painted blue in celebration of the anniversary of national independence。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía； with the copy of the order in his hand； found him taking his nap in a hammock he had set up in the narrow office。 “Did you write this paper？？he asked him。 Don Apolinar Moscote； a mature man； timid； with a ruddy plexion； said yes。 “By what right？？Jos？Arcadio Buendía asked again。 Don Apolinar Moscote picked up a paper from the drawer of the table and showed it to him。 “I have been named magistrate of this town。？Jos？Arcadio Buendía did not even look at the appointment。
“In this town we do not give orders with pieces of paper；？he said without losing his calm。 “And so that you know it once and for all； we don’t need any judge here because there’s nothing that needs judging。？
Facing Don Apolinar Moscote； still without raising his voice； he gave a detailed account of how they had founded the village； of how they had distributed the land； opened the roads； and introduced the improvements that necessity required without having bothered the government and without anyone having bothered them。 “We are so peaceful that none of us has died even of a natural death；？he said。 “You can see that we still don’t have any cemetery。？No once was upset that the government had not helped them。 On the contrary； they were happy that up until then it had let them grow in peace； and he hoped that it would continue leaving them that way； because they had not founded a town so that the first upstart who came along would tell them what to do。 Don Apolinar had put on his denim jacket； white like his trousers； without losing at any moment the elegance of his gestures。
“So that if you want to stay here like any other ordinary citizen； you’re quite wele；？Jos？Arcadio Buendía concluded。 “But if you’ve e to cause disorder by making the people paint their houses blue； you can pick up your junk and go back where you came from。 Because my house is going to be white； white； like a dove。？
Don Apolinar Moscote turned pale。 He took a step backward and tightened his jaws as he said with a certain affliction：
“I must warn you that I’m armed。？
Jos？Arcadio Buendía did not know exactly when his hands regained the useful strength with which he used to pull down horses。 He grabbed Don Apolinar Moscote by the lapels and lifted him up to the level of his eyes。
“I’m doing this；？he sa
