百年孤独(英文版)-第97部分

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　　　A　short　time　later　contradictory　news　of　the　war　began　to　e　in。　While　the　government　itself　admitted　the　progress　of　the　rebellion；　the　officers　in　Macondo　had　confidential　reports　of　the　imminence　of　a　negotiated　peace。　Toward　the　first　of　April　a　special　emissary　identified　himself　to　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez。　He　confirmed　the　fact　to　him　that　the　leaders　of　the　party　had　indeed　established　contact　with　the　rebel　leaders　in　the　interior　and　were　on　the　verge　of　arranging　an　armistice　in　exchange　for　three　cabinet　posts　for　the　Liberals；　a　minority　representation　in　the　congress；　and　a　general　amnesty　for　rebels　who　laid　down　their　arms。　The　emissary　brought　a　highly　confidential　order　from　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　who　was　not　in　agreement　with　the　terms　of　the　armistice。　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　was　to　choose　five　of　his　best　men　and　prepare　to　leave　the　country　with　them。　The　order　would　be　carried　out　with　the　strictest　secrecy。　One　week　before　the　agreement　was　announced；　and　in　the　midst　of　a　storm　of　contradictory　rumors；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　and　ten　trusted　officers；　among　them　Colonel　Roque　Carnicero；　stealthily　arrived　in　Macondo　after　midnight；　dismissed　the　garrison；　buried　their　weapons；　and　destroyed　their　records。　By　dawn　they　had　left　town；　along　with　Colonel　Gerineldo　Márquez　and　his　five　officers。　It　was　such　a　quick　and　secret　operation　that　？rsula　did　not　find　out　about　it　until　the　last　moment；　when　someone　tapped　on　her　bedroom　window　and　whispered；　“If　you　want　to　see　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　e　to　the　door　right　now。？？rsula　Jumped　out　of　bed　and　went　to　the　door　in　her　nightgown　and　she　was　just　able　to　see　the　horsemen　who　were　leaving　town　gallop　off　in　a　mute　cloud　of　dust。　Only　on　the　following　day　did　she　discover　that　Aureliano　Jos？had　gone　with　his　father。
　　　Ten　days　after　a　joint　muniqu？by　the　government　and　the　opposition　announced　the　end　of　the　war；　there　was　news　of　the　first　armed　uprising　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　on　the　western　border。　His　small　and　poorly　armed　force　was　scattered　in　less　than　a　week。　But　during　that　year；　while　Liberals　and　Conservatives　tried　to　make　the　country　believe　in　reconciliation；　he　attempted　seven　other　revolts。　One　night　he　bombarded　Riohacha　from　a　schooner　and　the　garrison　dragged　out　of　bed　and　shot　the　fourteen　best…known　Liberals　in　the　town　as　a　reprisal。　For　more　than　two　weeks　he　held　a　customs　post　on　the　border　and　from　there　sent　the　nation　a　call　to　general　war。　Another　of　his　expectations　was　lost　for　three　months　in　the　jungle　in　a　mad　attempt　to　cross　more　than　a　thousand　miles　of　virgin　territory　in　order　to　proclaim　war　on　the　outskirts　of　the　capital。　On　one　occasion　he　was　lea　than　fifteen　miles　away　from　Macondo　and　was　obliged　by　government　patrols　to　hide　in　the　mountains；　very　close　to　the　enchanted　region　where　his　father　had　found　the　fossil　of　a　Spanish　galleon　many　years　before。
　　　Visitación　died　around　that　time。　She　had　the　pleasure　of　dying　a　natural　death　after　having　renounced　a　throne　out　of　fear　of　insomnia；　and　her　last　wish　was　that　they　should　dig　up　the　wages　she　had　saved　for　more　than　twenty　years　under　her　bed　and　send　the　money　to　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　so　that　he　could　go　on　with　the　war。　But　？rsula　did　not　bother　to　dig　it　up　because　it　was　rumored　in　those　days　that　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　had　been　killed　in　a　landing　near　the　provincial　capital。　The　official　announcement—the　fourth　in　less　than　two　years—was　considered　true　for　almost　six　months　because　nothing　further　was　heard　of　him。　Suddenly；　when　？rsula　and　Amaranta　had　added　new　mourning　to　the　past　period；　unexpected　news　arrived。　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　was　alive；　but　apparently　he　had　stopped　harassing　the　government　of　his　country　and　had　joined　with　the　victorious　federalism　of　other　republics　of　the　Caribbean。　He　would　show　up　under　different　names　farther　and　farther　away　from　his　own　country。　Later　it　would　be　learned　that　the　idea　that　was　working　on　him　at　the　time　was　the　unification　of　the　federalist　forms　of　Central　America　in　order　to　wipe　out　conservative　regimes　from　Alaska　to　Patagonia。　The　first　direct　news　that　？rsula　received　from　him；　several　years　after　his　departure；　was　a　wrinkled　and　faded　letter　that　had　arrived；　passing　through　various　hands；　from　Santiago；　Cuba。
　　　“We’ve　lost　him　forever；？？rsula　exclaimed　on　reading　it。　“If　he　follows　this　path　he’ll　spend　Christmas　at　the　ends　of　the　earth。？
　　　The　person　to　whom　she　said　it；　who　was　the　first　to　whom　she　showed　the　letter；　was　the　Conservative　general　Jos？Raquel　Moncada；　mayor　of　Macondo　since　the　end　of　the　war。　“This　Aureliano；？General　Moncada　mented；　“what　a　pity　that　he’s　not　a　Conservative。？He　really　admired　him。　Like　many　Conservative　civilians；　Jos？Raquel　Moncada　had　waged　war　in　defense　of　his　party　and　had　earned　the　title　of　general　on　the　field　of　battle；　even　though　he　was　not　a　military　man　by　profession。　On　the　contrary；　like　so　many　of　his　fellow　party　members；　he　was　an　antimilitarist。　He　considered　military　men　unprincipled　loafers；　ambitious　plotters；　experts　in　facing　down　civilians　in　order　to　prosper　during　times　of　disorder。　Intelligent；　pleasant；　ruddy…faced；　a　man　who　liked　to　eat　and　watch　cockfights；　he　had　been　at　one　time　the　most　feared　adversary　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía。　He　succeeded　in　imposing　his　authority　over　the　career　officers　in　a　wide　sector　along　the　coast。　One　time　when　he　was　forced　by　strategic　circumstances　to　abandon　a　stronghold　to　the　forces　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　he　left　two　letters　for　him。　In　one　of　them　quite　long；　he　invited　him　to　join　in　a　campaign　to　make　war　more　humane。　The　other　letter　was　for　his　wife；　who　lived　in　Liberal　territory；　and　he　left　it　with　a　plea　to　see　that　it　reached　its　destination。　From　then　on；　even　in　the　bloodiest　periods　of　the　war；　the　two　manders　would　arrange　truces　to　exchange　prisoners。　They　were　pauses　with　a　certain　festive　atmosphere；　which　General　Moncada　took　advantage　of　to　teach　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　how　to　play　chess。　They　became　great　friends。　They　even　came　to　think　about　the　possibility　of　coordinating　the　popular　elements　of　both　parties；　doing　away　with　the　influence　of　the　military　men　and　professional　politicians；　and　setting　up　a　humanitarian　regime　that　would　take　the　best　from　each　doctrine。　When　the　war　was　over；　while　Colonel　Aureliano；　Buendía　was　sneaking　about　through　the　narrow　trails　of　permanent　sub。　version；　General　Moncada　was　named　magistrate　of　Macondo。　He　wore　civilian　clothes；　replaced　the　soldiers　with　unarmed　policemen；　enforced　the　amnesty　laws；　and　helped　a　few　families　of　Liberals　who　had　been　killed　in　the　war。　He　succeeded　in　having　Macondo　raised　to　the　status　of　a　municipality　and　he　was　therefore　its　first　mayor；　and　he　created　an　atmosphere　of　confidence　that　made　people　think　of　the　war　as　an　absurd　nightmare　of　the　past。　Father　Nicanor；　consumed　by　hepatic　fever；　was　replaced　by　Father　Coronel；　whom　they　called　“The　Pup；？a　veteran　of　the　first　federalist　war。　Bruno　Crespi；　who　was　married　to　Amparo　Mos。　cote；　and　whose　shop　of　toys　and　musical　instruments　continued　to　prosper；　built　a　theater　which　Spanish　panies　included　in　their　Itineraries。　It　was　a　vast　open…air　hall　with　wooden　benches；　a　velvet　curtain　with　Greek　masks；　and　three　box　offices　in　the　shape　of　lions？heads；　through　whose　mouths　the　tickets　were　sold。　It　was　also　about　that　time　that　the　school　was　rebuilt。　It　was　put　under　the　charge　of　Don　Melchor　Escalona；　an　old　teacher　brought　from　the　swamp；　who　made　his　lazy　students　walk　on　their　knees　in　the　lime…coated　courtyard　and　made　the　students　who　talked　in　class　eat　hot　chili　with　the　approval　of　their　parents。　Aureliano　Segundo　and　Jos？Arcadio　Segundo；　the　willful　twins　of　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad；　were　the　first　to　sit　in　the　classroom；　with　their　slates；　their　chalk；　and　their　aluminum　jugs　with　their　names　on　them。　Remedios；　who　inherited　her　mother’s　pure　beauty；　began　to　be　known　as　Remedios　the　Beauty。　In　spite　of　time；　of　the　superimposed　Periods　of　mourning；　and　her　accumulated　afflictions；　？rsula　resisted　growing　old。　Aided　by　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad；　she