百年孤独(英文版)-第63部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

dicine　chest　of　tasteless　pills　and　a　medical　motto　that　convinced　no　one：　One　nail　draws　another。　In　reality　he　was　a　charlatan。　Behind　his　innocent　fa？ade　of　a　doctor　without　prestige　there　was　hidden　a　terrorist　who　with　his　short　legged　boots　covered　the　scars　that　five　years　in　the　stocks　had　left　on　his　legs。　Taken　prisoner　during　the　first　federalist　adventure；　he　managed　to　escape　to　Cura？ao　disguised　in　the　garment　he　detested　most　in　this　world：　a　cassock。　At　the　end　of　a　prolonged　exile；　stirred　up　by　the　exciting　news　that　exiles　from　all　over　the　Caribbean　brought　to　Cura？ao；　he　set　out　in　a　smuggler’s　schooner　and　appeared　in　Riohacha　with　the　bottles　of　pills　that　were　nothing　but　refined　sugar　and　a　diploma　from　the　University　of　Leipzig　that　he　had　forged　himself。　He　wept　with　disappointment。　The　federalist　fervor；　which　the　exiles　had　pictured　as　a　powder　keg　about　to　explode；　had　dissolved　into　a　vague　electoral　illusion。　Embittered　by　failure；　yearning　for　a　safe　place　where　he　could　await　old　age；　the　false　homeopath　took　refuge　in　Macondo。　In　the　narrow　bottle…crowded　room　that　he　rented　on　one　side　of　the　square；　he　lived　several　years　off　the　hopelessly　ill　who；　after　having　tried　everything；　consoled　themselves　with　sugar　pills。　His　instincts　of　an　agitator　remained　dormant　as　long　as　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　was　a　figurehead。　He　passed　the　time　remembering　and　fighting　against　asthma。　The　　approach　of　the　elections　was　the　thread　that　led　him　once　more　to　the　skein　of　subversion。　He　made　contact　with　the　young　people　in　the　town；　who　lacked　political　knowledge；　and　he　embarked　on　a　stealthy　campaign　of　instigation。　The　numerous　red　ballots　that　appeared　is　the　box　and　that　were　attributed　by　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　to　the　curiosity　that　came　from　youth　were　part　of　his　plan：　he　made　his　disciples　vote　in　order　to　show　them　that　elections　were　a　farce。　“The　only　effective　thing；？he　would　say；　“is　violence。？The　majority　of　Aureliano’s　friends　were　enthusiastic　over　the　idea　of　liquidating　the　Conservative　establishment；　but　no　one　had　dared　include　him　in　the　plans；　not　only　because　of　his　ties　with　the　magistrate；　but　because　of　his　solitary　and　elusive　character。　It　was　known；　furthermore；　that　he　had　voted　blue　at　his　father…in…law’s　direction。　So　it　was　a　simple　matter　of　chance　that　he　revealed　his　political　sentiments；　and　it　was　purely　a　matter　of　curiosity；　a　caprice；　that　brought　him　to　visit　the　doctor　for　the　treatment　of　a　pain　that　he　did　not　have。　In　the　den　that　smelled　of　camphorated　cobwebs　he　found　himself　facing　a　kind　of　dusty　iguana　whose　lungs　whistled　when　he　breathed。　Before　asking　him　any　questions　the　doctor　took　him　to　the　window　and　examined　the　inside　of　his　lower　eyelid。　“It’s　not　there；？Aureliano　said；　following　what　they　told　him。　He　pushed　the　tips　of　his　fingers　into　his　liver　and　added：　“Here’s　where　I　have　the　pain　that　won’t　let　me　sleep。？Then　Dr。　Noguera　closed　the　window　with　the　pretext　that　there　was　too　much　sun；　and　explained　to　him　in　simple　terms　that　it　was　a　patriotic　duty　to　assassinate　Conservatives。　For　several　days　Aureliano　carried　a　small　bottle　of　pills　in　his　shirt　pocket。　He　would　take　it　out　every　two　hours；　put　three　pills　in　the　palm　of　his　hand；　and　pop　them　into　his　mouth　for　them　to　be　slowly　dissolved　on　his　tongue。　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　made　fun　of　his　faith　in　homeopathy；　but　those　who　were　in　on　the　plot　recognized　another　one　of　their　people　in　him。　Almost　all　of　the　sons　of　the　founders　were　implicated；　although　none　of　them　knew　concretely　what　action　they　were　plotting。　Nevertheless；　the　day　the　doctor　revealed　the　secret　to　Aureliano；　the　latter　elicited　the　whole　plan　of　the　conspiracy。　Although　he　was　convinced　at　that　time　of　the　urgency　of　liquidating　the　Conservative　regime；　the　plot　horrified　him。　Dr。　Noguera　had　a　mystique　of　personal　assassination。　His　system　was　reduced　to　coordinating　a　series　of　individual　actions　which　in　one　master　stroke　covering　the　whole　nation　would　liquidate　the　functionaries　of　the　regime　along　with　their　respective　families；　especially　the　children；　in　order　to　exterminate　Conservatism　at　its　roots。　Don　Apolinar　Moscote；　his　wife；　and　his　six　daughters；　needless　to　say；　were　on　the　list。
　　　“You’re　no　Liberal　or　anything　else；？Aureliano　told　him　without　getting　excited。　“You’re　nothing　but　a　butcher。？
　　　“In　that　case；？the　doctor　replied　with　equal　calm；　“give　me　back　the　bottle。　You　don’t　need　it　any　more。？
　　　Only　six　months　later　did　Aureliano　learn　that　the　doctor　had　given　up　on　him　as　a　man　of　action　because　he　was　a　sentimental　person　with　no　future；　with　a　passive　character；　and　a　definite　solitary　vocation。　They　tried　to　keep　him　surrounded；　fearing　that　he　would　betray　the　conspiracy。　Aureliano　calmed　them　down：　he　would　not　say　a　word；　but　on　the　night　they　went　to　murder　the　Moscote　family　they　would　find　him　guarding　the　door。　He　showed　such　a　convincing　decision　that　the　plan　was　postponed　for　an　indefinite　date。　It　was　during　those　days　that　？rsula　asked　his　opinion　about　the　marriage　between　Pietro　Crespi　and　Amaranta；　and　he　answered　that　these　were　not　times　to　be　thinking　about　such　a　thing。　For　a　week　he　had　been　carrying　an　old…fashioned　pistol　under　his　shirt。　He　kept　his　eyes　on　his　friends。　In　the　afternoon　he　would　go　have　coffee　with　Jos？Arcadio　and　Rebeca；　who　had　begun　to　put　their　house　in　order；　and　from　seven　o’clock　on　he　would　play　dominoes　with　his　father…in…law。　At　lunchtime　he　was　chatting　with　Arcadio；　who　was　already　a　huge　adolescent；　and　he　found　him　more　and　more　excited　over　the　imminence　of　war。　In　school；　where　Arcadio　had　pupils　older　than　himself　mixed　in　with　children　who　were　barely　beginning　to　talk；　the　Liberal　fever　had　caught　on。　There　was　talk　of　shooting　Father　Nicanor；　of　turning　the　church　into　a　school；　of　instituting　free　love。　Aureliano　tried　to　calm　down　his　drive。　He　remended　discretion　and　prudence　to　him。　Deaf　to　his　calm　reasoning；　to　his　sense　of　reality；　Arcadio　reproached　him　in　public　for　his　weakness　of　character。　Aureliano　waited。　Finally；　in　the　beginning　of　December；　？rsula　burst　into　the　workshop　all　upset。
　　　“War’s　broken　out！？
　　　War；　in　fact；　had　broken　out　three　months　before。　Martial　law　was　in　effect　in　the　whole　country。　The　only　one　who　knew　it　immediately　was　Don　Apolinar　Moscote；　but　he　did　not　give　the　news　even　to　his　wife　while　the　army　platoon　that　was　to　occupy　the　town　by　surprise　was　on　its　way。　They　entered　noiselessly　before　dawn；　with　two　pieces　of　light　artillery　drawn　by　mules；　and　they　set　up　their　headquarters　in　the　school。　A　6　P。M。　curfew　was　established。　A　more　drastic　search　than　the　previous　one　was　undertaken；　house　by　house；　and　this　time　they　even　took　farm　implements。　They　dragged　out　Dr。　Noguera；　tied　him　to　a　tree　in　the　square；　and　shot　him　without　any　due　process　of　law。　Father　Nicanor　tried　to　impress　the　military　authorities　with　the　miracle　of　levitation　and　had　his　head　split　open　by　the　butt　of　a　soldier’s　rifle。　The　Liberal　exaltation　had　been　extinguished　into　a　silent　terror。　Aureliano；　pale；　mysterious；　continued　playing　dominoes　with　his　father…in…law。　He　understood　that　in　spite　of　his　present　title　of　civil　and　military　leader　of　the　town；　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　was　once　more　a　figurehead。　The　decisions　were　made　by　the　army　captain；　who　each　morning　collected　an　extraordinary　levy　for　the　defense　of　public　order。　Four　soldiers　under　his　mand　snatched　a　woman　who　had　been　bitten　by　a　mad　dog　from　her　family　and　killed　her　with　their　rifle　butts。　One　Sunday；　two　weeks　after　the　occupation；　Aureliano　entered　Gerineldo　Márquez’s　house　and　with　his　usual　terseness　asked　for　a　mug　of　coffee　without　sugar。　When　the　two　of　them　were　alone　in　the　kitchen；　Aureliano　gave　his　voice　an　authority　that　had　never　been　heard　before。　“Get　the　boys　ready；？he　said。　“We’re　going　to　war。？Gerineldo　Márquez　did　not　believe　him。
　　　“With　what　weapons？？he　asked。
　　　“With　theirs；？Aureliano　replied。
　　　Tuesday　at　midnight　in　a　mad　operation；　twenty…one　men　under　the　age　of　thirty　manded　by　Aureliano　Buendía；　armed　with　table　knives　and　sharpened　tools；　took　the　garrison　by　surprise；　seized　the　weapons；　and　in　the　courtyard　executed　the　captain　and　the　four　soldiers　who　had　killed　the　woman。
　　　That　same　night；　while　the　sound　of　the　firing　squad　could　be　heard；　Arcadio　was　named　civil　and　military　leader　of　the　town。　The　married　rebels　barely　had　time　to　take　leave　of　their　wives；　whom　they　left　to　their　our　devices。　They　left　at　dawn；　cheered　by　the　people　who　had　been　liberated　from　the　terror；　to　join　the　forces　of　the　revolutionary　general　Victorio　Medina；　who；　according　to　the　latest　reports；　was　on　his　way　to　Manaure。　Before　leaving；　Aureliano　brought　Don　Apolinar　Moscote　out　of　a　closet。　“Rest　easy；　father…in…law；？he　told　him。　“The　new　government　guarantees　on　its　word　of　honor　your　personal　safety　and　that　of　your　family。？Don　Apolinar　Moscote　had　trouble　identifying　that　conspirator　in　high　boots　and　with　a　rifle　slung　over　his　shoulder　with　the　person　he　had　played　dominoes　with　until　nine　in　the　evening。
　　　“This　is　madness；　Aurelito；？he　exclaimed。
　　　“Not　madness；？Aureliano　said。　“War。　And　don’t　call　me　Aurelito　any　more。　Now　I’m　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía。？

Chapter　6
COLONEL　AURELIANO　BUEND？A　organized　thirty…two　armed　uprisings　and　he　lost　them　all。　He　had　seventeen　male　children　by　seventeen　different　women　and　they　were　exterminated　one　after　the　other　on　a　single　night　before　the　oldest　one　had　reached　the　age　of　thirty…five。　He　survived　fourteen　attempts　on　his　life；　seventy…three　ambushes；　and　a　firing　squad。　He　lived　through　a　dose　of　strychnine　in　his　coffee　that　was　enough　to　kill　a　horse。　He　refused　the　Order　of　Merit；　which　the　President　of　the　Republic　awarded　him。　He　rose　to　be　mander　in　Chief　of　the　revolutionary　forces；　with　jurisdiction　and　mand　from　one　border　to　the　other；　and　the　man　most　feared　by　the　government；　but　he　never　let　himself　be　photographed。　He　declined　the　lifetime　pension　offered　him　after　the　war　and　until　old　age　he　made　his　living　from　the　little　gold　fishes　that　he　manufactured　in　his　workshop　in　Macondo。　Although　he　always　fought　at　the　head　of　his　men；　the　only　wound　that　he　received　was　the　one　he　gave　himself　after　signing　the　Treaty　of　Neerlandia；　which　put　an　end　to　almost　twenty　years　of　civil　war。　He　shot　himself　in　the　chest　with　a　pistol　and　the　bullet　came　out　through　his　back　without　damaging　any　vital　organ。　The　only　thing　left　of　all　that　was　a　street　that　bore　his　name　in　Macondo。　And　yet；　as　he　declared　a　few　years　before　he　died　of　old　age；　he　had　not　expected　any　of　that　on　the　dawn　he　left　with　his　twenty…one　men　to　join　the　forces　of　General　Victorio　Medina。
　　　“We　leave　Macondo　in　your　care。？was　all　that　he　said　to　Arcadio　before　leaving。　“We　leave　it　to　you　in　good　shape；　try　to　have　it　in　better　shape　when　we　return。？
　　　Arcadio　gave　a　very　personal　interpretation　to　the　instructions。　He　invented　a　uniform　with　the　braid　and　epaulets　of　a　marshal；　inspired　by　the　prints　in　one　of　Melquíades？books；　and　around　his　waist　he　buckled　the　saber　with　gold　tassels　that　had　belonged　to　the　executed　captain。　He　s