百年孤独(英文版)-第7部分

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　　　Jos？Arcadio’s　panion　asked　them　to　leave　them　alone；　and　the　couple　lay　down　on　the　ground；　close　to　the　bed。　The　passion　of　the　others　woke　up　Jos？Arcadio’s　fervor。　On　the　first　contact　the　bones　of　the　girl　seemed　to　bee　disjointed　with　a　disorderly　crunch　like　the　sound　of　a　box　of　dominoes；　and　her　skin　broke　out　into　a　pale　sweat　and　her　eyes　filled　with　tears　as　her　whole　body　exhaled　a　lugubrious　lament　and　a　vague　smell　of　mud。　But　she　bore　the　impact　with　a　firmness　of　character　and　a　bravery　that　were　admirable。　Jos？Arcadio　felt　himself　lifted　up　into　the　air　toward　a　state　of　seraphic　inspiration；　where　his　heart　burst　forth　with　an　outpouring　of　tender　obscenities　that　entered　the　girl　through　her　ears　and　came　out　of　her　mouth　translated　into　her　language。　It　was　Thursday。　On　Saturday　night；　Jos？Arcadio　wrapped　a　red　cloth　around　his　head　and　left　with　the　gypsies。
　　　When　？rsula　discovered　his　absence　she　searched　for　him　all　through　the　village。　In　the　remains　of　the　gypsy　camp　there　was　nothing　but　a　garbage　pit　among　the　still　smoking　ashes　of　the　extinguished　campfires。　Someone　who　was　there　looking　for　beads　among　the　trash　told　？rsula　that　the　night　before　he　had　seen　her　son　in　the　tumult　of　the　caravan　pushing　the　snake…man’s　cage　on　a　cart。　“He’s　bee　a　gypsy？she　shouted　to　her　husband；　who　had　not　shown　the　slightest　sign　of　alarm　over　the　disappearance。
　　　“I　hope　it’s　true；？Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　said；　grinding　in　his　mortar　the　material　that　had　been　ground　a　thousand　times　and　reheated　and　ground　again。　“That　way　he’ll　learn　to　be　a　man。？？rsula　asked　where　the　gypsies　had　gone。　She　went　along　asking　and　following　the　road　she　had　been　shown；　thinking　that　she　still　had　time　to　catch　up　to　them。　She　kept　getting　farther　away　from　the　village　until　she　felt　so　far　away　that　she　did　not　think　about　returning。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　did　not　discover　that　his　wife　was　missing　until　eight　o’clock　at　night；　when　he　left　the　material　warming　in　a　bed　of　manure　and　went　to　see　what　was　wrong　with　little　Amaranta；　who　was　getting　hoarse　from　crying。　In　a　few　hours　he　gathered　a　group　of　well…equipped　men；　put　Amaranta　in　the　hands　of　a　woman　who　offered　to　nurse　her；　and　was　lost　on　invisible　paths　in　pursuit　of　？rsula。　Aureliano　went　with　them。　Some　Indian　fishermen；　whose　language　they　could　not　understand；　told　them　with　signs　that　they　had　not　seen　anyone　pass。　After　three　days　of　useless　searching　they　returned　to　the　village。
　　　For　several　weeks　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　let　himself　be　overe　by　consternation。　He　took　care　of　little　Amaranta　like　a　mother。　He　bathed　and　dressed　her；　took　her　to　be　nursed　four　times　a　day；　and　even　sang　to　her　at　night　the　songs　that　？rsula　never　knew　how　to　sing。　On　a　certain　occasion　Pilar　Ternera　volunteered　to　do　the　household　chores　until　？rsula　came　back。　Aureliano；　whose　mysterious　intuition　had　bee　sharpened　with　the　misfortune；　felt　a　glow　of　clairvoyance　when　he　saw　her　e　in。　Then　he　knew　that　in　some　inexplicable　way　she　was　to　blame　for　his　brother’s　flight　and　the　consequent　disappearance　of　his　mother；　and　he　harassed　her　with　a　silent　and　implacable　hostility　in　such　a　way　that　the　woman　did　not　return　to　the　house。
　　　Time　put　things　in　their　place。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　and　his　son　did　not　know　exactly　when　they　returned　to　the　laboratory；　dusting　things；　lighting　the　water　pipe；　involved　once　more　in　the　patient　manipulation　of　the　material　that　had　been　sleeping　for　several　months　in　its　bed　of　manure。　Even　Amaranta；　lying　in　a　wicker　basket；　observed　with　curiosity　the　absorbing　work　of　her　father　and　her　brother　in　the　small　room　where　the　air　was　rarefied　by　mercury　vapors。　On　a　certain　occasion；　months　after　？rsula’s　departure；　strange　things　began　to　happen。　An　empty　flask　that　had　been　forgotten　in　a　cupboard　for　a　long　time　became　so　heavy　that　it　could　not　be　moved。　A　pan　of　water　on　the　worktable　boiled　without　any　fire　under　it　for　a　half　hour　until　it　pletely　evaporated。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　and　his　son　observed　those　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　express