百年孤独(英文版)-第52部分

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hose　phenomena　with　startled　excitement；　unable　to　explain　them　but　interpreting　them　as　predictions　of　the　material。　One　day　Amaranta’s　basket　began　to　move　by　itself　and　made　a　plete　turn　about　the　room；　to　the　consternation　of　Auerliano；　who　hurried　to　stop　it。　But　his　father　did　not　get　upset。　He　put　the　basket　in　its　place　and　tied　it　to　the　leg　of　a　table；　convinced　that　the　long…awaited　event　was　imminent。　It　was　on　that　occasion　that　Auerliano　heard　him　say：
　　　“If　you　don’t　fear　God；　fear　him　through　the　metals。
　　　Suddenly；　almost　five　months　after　her　disappearance；　？rsula　came　back。　She　arrived　exalted；　rejuvenated；　with　new　clothes　in　a　style　that　was　unknown　in　the　village。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　could　barely　stand　up　under　the　impact。　“That　was　it！？he　shouted。　“I　knew　it　was　going　to　happen。？And　he　really　believed　it；　for　during　his　prolonged　imprisonment　as　he　manipulated　the　material；　he　begged　in　the　depth　of　his　heart　that　the　longed…for　miracle　should　not　be　the　discovery　of　the　philosopher’s　stone；　or　the　freeing　of　the　breath　that　makes　metals　live；　or　the　faculty　to　convert　the　hinges　and　the　locks　of　the　house　into　gold；　but　what　had　just　happened：　？rsula’s　return。　But　she　did　not　share　his　excitement。　She　gave　him　a　conventional　kiss；　as　if　she　had　been　away　only　an　hour；　and　she　told　him：
　　　“Look　out　the　door。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　took　a　long　time　to　get　out　of　his　perplexity　when　he　went　out　into　the　street　and　saw　the　crowd。　They　were　not　gypsies。　They　were　men　and　women　like　them；　with　straight　hair　and　dark　skin；　who　spoke　the　same　language　and　plained　of　the　same　pains。　They　had　mules　loaded　down　with　things　to　eat；　oxcarts　with　furniture　and　domestic　utensils；　pure　and　simple　earthly　accessories　put　on　sale　without　any　fuss　by　peddlers　of　everyday　reality。　They　came　from　the　other　side　of　the　swamp；　only　two　days　away；　where　there　were　towns　that　received　mail　every　month　in　the　year　and　where　they　were　familiar　with　the　implements　of　good　living。　？rsula　had　not　caught　up　with　the　gypsies；　but　she　had　found　the　route　that　her　husband　had　been　unable　to　discover　in　his　frustrated　search　for　the　great　inventions。

Chapter　3
PILAR　TERNERA’S　son　was　brought　to　his　grand　parents？house　two　weeks　after　he　was　born。　？rsula　admitted　him　grudgingly；　conquered　once　more　by　the　obstinacy　of　her　husband；　who　could　not　tolerate　the　idea　that　an　offshoot　of　his　blood　should　be　adrift；　but　he　imposed　the　condition　that　the　child　should　never　know　his　true　identity。　Although　he　was　given　the　name　Jos？Arcadio；　they　ended　up　calling　him　simply　Arcadio　so　as　to　avoid　confusion。　At　that　time　there　was　so　much　activity　in　the　town　and　so　much　bustle　in　the　house　that　the　care　of　the　children　was　relegated　to　a　secondary　level。　They　were　put　in　the　care　of　Visitación；　a　Guajiro　Indian　woman　who　had　arrived　in　town　with　a　brother　in　flight　from　a　plague　of　insomnia　that　had　been　scourging　their　tribe　for　several　years。　They　were　both　so　docile　and　willing　to　help　that　？rsula　took　them　on　to　help　her　with　her　household　chores。　That　was　how　Arcadio　and　Amaranta　came　to　speak　the　Guajiro　language　before　Spanish；　and　they　learned　to　drink　lizard　broth　and　eat　spider　eggs　without　？rsula’s　knowing　it；　for　she　was　too　busy　with　a　promising　business　in　candy　animals。　Macondo　had　changed。　The　people　who　had　e　with　？rsula　spread　the　news　of　the　good　quality　of　its　soil　and　its　privileged　position　with　respect　to　the　swamp；　so　that　from　the　narrow　village　of　past　times　it　changed　into　an　active　town　with　stores　and　workshops　and　a　permanent　mercial　route　over　which　the　first　Arabs　arrived　with　their　baggy　pants　and　rings　in　their　ears；　sping　glass　beads　for　macaws。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　did　not　have　a　moment’s　rest。　Fascinated　by　an　immediate　reality　that　came　to　be　more　fantastic　than　the　vast　universe　of　his　imagination；　he　lost　all　interest　in　the　alchemist’s　laboratory；　put　to　rest　the　material　that　had　bee　attenuated　with　months　of　manipulation；　and　went　back　to　being　the　enterprising　man　of　earlier　days　when　he　had　decided　upon　the　layout　of　the　streets　and　the　location　of　the　new　houses　so　that　no　one　would　enjoy　privileges　that　everyone　did　not　have。　He　acquired　such　authority　among　the　new　arrivals　that　foundations　were　not　laid　or　walls　built　without　his　being　consulted；　and　it　was　decided　that　he　should　be　the　one　in　charge　of　the　distribution　of　the　land。　When　the　acrobat　gypsies　returned；　with　their　vagabond　carnival　transformed　now　into　a　gigantic　organization　of　games　of　luck　and　chance；　they　were　received　with　great　joy；　for　it　was　thought　that　Jos？Arcadio　would　be　ing　back　with　them。　But　Jos？Arcadio　did　not　return；　nor　did　they　e　with　the　snake…man；　who；　according　to　what　？rsula　thought；　was　the　only　one　who　could　tell　them　about　their　son；　so　the　gypsies　were　not　allowed　to　camp　in　town　or　set　foot　in　it　in　the　future；　for　they　were　considered　the　bearers　of　concupiscence　and　perversion。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　however；　was　explicit　in　maintaining　that　the　old　tribe　of　Melquíades；　who　had　contributed　so　much　to　the　growth　of　the　village　with　his　age…old　wisdom　and　his　fabulous　inventions；　would　always　find　the　gates　open。　But　Melquíades？tribe；　according　to　what　the　wanderers　said；　had　been　wiped　off　the　face　of　the　earth　because　they　had　gone　beyond　the　limits　of　human　knowledge。
　　　Emancipated　for　the　moment　at　least　from　the　torment　of　fantasy；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　in　a　short　time　set　up　a　system　of　order　and　work　which　allowed　for　only　one　bit　of　license：　the　freeing　of　the　birds；　which；　since　the　time　of　the　founding；　had　made　time　merry　with　their　flutes；　and　installing　in　their　place　musical　clocks　in　every　house。　They　were　wondrous　clocks　made　of　carved　wood；　which　the　Arabs　had　traded　for　macaws　and　which　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　had　synchronized　with　such　precision　that　every　half　hour　the　town　grew　merry　with　the　progressive　chords　of　the　same　song　until　it　reached　the　climax　of　a　noontime　that　was　as　exact　and　unanimous　as　a　plete　waltz。　It　was　also　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　who　decided　during　those　years　that　they　should　plant　almond　trees　instead　of　acacias　on　the　streets；　and　who　discovered；　without　ever　revealing　it；　a　way　to　make　them　live　forever。　Many　years　later；　when　Macondo　was　a　field　of　wooden　houses　with　zinc　roofs；　the　broken　and　dusty　almond　trees　still　stood　on　the　oldest　streets；　although　no　one　knew　who　had　planted　them。　While　his　father　was　putting　the　town　in　order　and　his　mother　was　increasing　their　wealth　with　her　marvelous　business　of　candied　little　roosters　and　fish；　which　left　the　house　twice　a　day　strung　along　sticks　of　balsa　wood；　Aureliano　spent　interminable　hours　in　the　abandoned　laboratory；　learning　the　art　of　silverwork　by　his　own　experimentation。　He　had　shot　up　so　fast　that　in　a　short　time　the　clothing　left　behind　by　his　brother　no　longer　fit　him　and　he　began　to　wear　his　father’s；　but　Visitación　had　to　sew　pleats　in　the　shirt　and　darts　in　the　pants；　because　Aureliano　had　not　sequined　the　corpulence　of　the　others。　Adolescence　had　taken　away　the　softness　of　his　voice　and　had　made　him　silent　and　definitely　solitary；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　it　had　restored　the　intense　expression　that　he　had　had　in　his　eyes　when　he　was　born。　He　concentrated　so　much　on　his　experiments　in　silverwork　that　he　scarcely　left　the　laboratory　to　eat。　Worried　ever　his　inner　withdrawal；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　gave　him　the　keys　to　the　house　and　a　little　money；　thinking　that　perhaps　he　needed　a　woman。　But　Aureliano　spent　the　money　on　muriatic　acid　to　prepare　some　aqua　regia　and　he　beautified　the　keys　by　plating　them　with　gold。　His　excesses　were　hardly　parable　to　those　of　Arcadio　and　Amaranta；　who　had　already　begun　to　get　their　second　teeth　and　still　went　about　all　day　clutching　at　the　Indians？cloaks；　stubborn　in　their　decision　not　to　speak　Spanish　but　the　Guajiro　language。　“You　shouldn’t　plain。？？rsula　told　her　husband。　“Children　inherit　their　parents？madness。？And　as　she　was　lamenting　her　misfortune；　convinced　that　the　wild　behavior　of　her　children　was　something　as　fearful　as　a　pig’s　tail；　Aureliano　gave　her　a　look　that　wrapped　her　in　an　atmosphere　of　uncertainty。
　　　“Somebody　is　ing；？he　told　her。
　　　？rsula；　as　she　did　whenever　he　made　a　prediction；　tried　to　break　it　down　with　her　housewifely　logic。　It　was　normal　for　someone　to　be　ing。　Dozens　of　strangers　came　through　Macondo　every　day　without　arousing　suspicion　or　secret　ideas。　Nevertheless；　beyond　all　logic；　Aureliano　was　sure　of　his　prediction。
　　　“I　don’t　know　who　it　will　be；？he　insisted；　“but　whoever　it　is　is　already　on　the　way。？
　　　That　Sunday；　in　fact；　Rebeca　arrived。　She　was　only　eleven　years　old。　She　had　made　the　difficult　trip　from　Manaure　with　some　hide　dealers　who　had　taken　on　the　task　of　delivering　her　along　with　a　letter　to　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　but　they　could　not　explain　precisely　who　the　person　was　who　had　asked　the　favor。　Her　entire　baggage　consisted　of　a　small　trunk；　a　little　rocking　chair　with　small　hand…painted　flowers；　and　a　canvas　sack　which　kept　making　a　cloc…cloc…cloc　sound；　where　she　carried　her　parents？bones。　The　letter　addressed　to　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　was　written　is　very　warm　terms　by　someone　who　still　loved　him　very　much　in　spite　of　time　and　distance；　and　who　felt　obliged　by　a　basic　humanitarian　feeling　to　do　the　charitable　thing　and　send　him　that　poor　unsheltered　orphan；　who　was　a　second　cousin　of　？rsula’s　and　consequently　also　a　relative　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　although　farther　removed；　because　she　was　the　daughter　of　that　unforgettable　friend　Nicanor　Ulloa　and　his　very　worthy　wife　Rebeca　Montiel；　may　God　keep　them　in　His　holy　kingdom；　whose　remains　the　girl　was　carrying　so　that　they　might　be　given　Christian　burial。　The　names　mentioned；　as　well　as　the　signature　on　the　letter；　were　perfectly　legible；　but　neither　Jos？Arcadio；　Buendía　nor　？rsula　remembered　having　any　relatives　with　those　names；　nor　did　they　know　anyone　by　the　name　of　the　sender　of　the　letter；　much　less　the　remote　village　of　Manaure。　It　was　impossible　to　obtain　any　further　information　from　the　girl。　From　the　moment　she　arrived　she　had　been　sitting　in　the　rocker；　sucking　her　finger　and　observing　everyone　with　her　large；　startled　eyes　without　giving　any　sign　of　understanding　what　they　were　asking　her。　She　wore　a　diagonally　striped　dress　that　had　been　dyed　black；　worn　by　use；　and　a　pair　of　scaly　patent　leather　boots。　Her　hair　was　held　behind　her　ears　with　bows　of　black　ribbon。　She　wore　a　scapular　with　the　images　worn　away　by　sweat；　and　on　her　right　wrist　the　fang　of　a　carnivorous　animal　mounted　on　a　backing　of　copper　as　an　amulet　against　the　evil　eye。　Her　greenish　skin；　her　stomach；　round　and　tense　as　a　drum。　revealed　poor　health　and　hunger　that　were　older　than　she　was；　but　when　they　gave　her　something　to　eat　she　kept　the　plate　on　her　knees　without　tasting　anything。　They　even　began　to　think　that　she　was　a　deaf…mute　until　the　Indians　asked　her　in　their　language　if　she　wanted　some　water　and　she　moved　her　eyes　as　if　she　recognized　them　and　said　yes　with　her　head。
　　　They　kept　her；　because　there　was　nothing　else　they　could　do。　They　decided　to　call　her　Rebeca；　which　according　to　the　letter　was　her　mother’s　name；　because　Aureliano　had　the　patience　to　read　to　h