百年孤独(英文版)-第40部分

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ot　considered　objects　for　amusement　for　adults　but　as　something　good　for　children　to　take　apart。　On　the　other　hand；　when　someone　from　the　town　had　the　opportunity　to　test　the　crude　reality　of　the　telephone　installed　in　the　railroad　station；　which　was　thought　to　be　a　rudimentary　version　of　the　phonograph　because　of　its　crank；　even　the　most　incredulous　were　upset。　It　was　as　if　God　had　decided　to　put　to　the　test　every　capacity　for　surprise　and　was　keeping　the　inhabitants　of　Macondo　in　a　permanent　alternation　between　excitement　and　disappointment；　doubt　and　revelation；　to　such　an　extreme　that　no　one　knew　for　certain　where　the　limits　of　reality　lay。　It　was　an　intricate　stew　of　truths　and　mirages　that　convulsed　the　ghost　of　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　under　the　chestnut　tree　with　impatience　and　made　him　wander　all　through　the　house　even　in　broad　daylight。　Ever　since　the　railroad　had　been　officially　inaugurated　and　had　begun　to　arrive　with　regularity　on　Wednesdays　at　eleven　o’clock　and　the　primitive　wooden　station　with　a　desk；　a　telephone；　and　a　ticket　window　had　been　built；　on　the　streets　of　Macondo　men　and　women　were　seen　who　had　adopted　everyday　and　normal　customs　and　manners　but　who　really　looked　like　people　out　of　a　circus。　In　a　town　that　had　chafed　under　the　tricks　of　the　gypsies　there　was　no　future　for　those　ambulatory　acrobats　of　merce　who　with　equal　effrontery　offered　a　whistling　kettle　and　a　daily　regime　that　would　assure　the　salvation　of　the　soul　on　the　seventh　day；　but　from　those　who　let　themselves　be　convinced　out　of　fatigue　and　the　ones　who　were　always　unwary；　they　reaped　stupendous　benefits。　Among　those　theatrical　creatures；　wearing　riding　breeches　and　leggings；　a　pith　helmet　and　steel…rimmed　glasses；　with　topaz　eyes　and　the　skin　of　a　thin　rooster；　there　arrived　in　Macondo　on　one　of　so　many　Wednesdays　the　chubby　and　smiling　Mr。　Herbert；　who　ate　at　the　house。
　　　No　one　had　noticed　him　at　the　table　until　the　first　bunch　of　bananas　had　been　eaten。　Aureliano　Segundo　had　e　across　him　by　chance　as　he　protested　In　broken　Spanish　because　there　were　no　rooms　at　the　Hotel　Jacob；　and　as　he　frequently　did　with　strangers；　he　took　him　home。　He　was　in　the　captive…balloon　business；　which　had　taken　him　halfway　around　the　world　with　excellent　profits；　but　he　had　not　succeeded　in　taking　anyone　up　in　Macondo　because　they　considered　that　invention　backward　after　having　seen　and　tried　the　gypsies？flying　carpets。　He　was　leaving；　therefore；　on　the　next　train。　When　they　brought　to　the　table　the　tiger…striped　bunch　of　bananas　that　they　were　accustomed　to　hang　in　the　dining　room　during　lunch；　he　picked　the　first　piece　of　fruit　without　great　enthusiasm。　But　he　kept　on　eating　as　he　spoke；　tasting；　chewing；　more　with　the　distraction　of　a　wise　man　than　with　the　delight　of　a　good　eater；　and　when　he　finished　the　first　bunch　he　asked　them　to　bring　him　another。　Then　he　took　a　small　case　with　optical　instruments　out　of　the　toolbox　that　he　always　carried　with　him。　With　the　auspicious　attention　of　a　diamond　merchant　he　examined　the　banana　meticulously；　dissecting　it　with　a　special　scalpel；　weighing　the　pieces　on　a　pharmacist’s　scale；　and　calculating　its　breadth　with　a　gunsmith’s　calipers。　Then　he　took　a　series　of　instruments　out　of　the　chest　with　which　he　measured　the　temperature；　the　level　of　humidity　in　the　atmosphere；　and　the　intensity　of　the　light。　It　was　such　an　intriguing　ceremony　that　no　one　could　eat　in　peace　as　everybody　waited　for　Mr。　Herbert　to　pass　a　final　and　revealing　judgment；　but　he　did　not　say　anything　that　allowed　anyone　to　guess　his　intentions。
　　　On　the　days　that　followed　he　was　seen　with　a　net　and　a　small　basket　hunting　butterflies　on　the　outskirts　of　town。　On　Wednesday　a　group　of　engineers；　agronomists；　hydrologists；　topographers；　and　surveyors　arrived　who　for　several　weeks　explored　the　places　where　Mr。　Herbert　had　hunted　his　butterflies。　Later　on　Mr。　Jack　Brown　arrived　in　an　extra　coach　that　had　been　coupled　onto　the　yellow　train　and　that　was　silver…plated　all　over；　with　seats　of　episcopal　velvet；　and　a　roof　of　blue　glass。　Also　arriving　on　the　special　car；　fluttering　around　Mr。　Brown；　were　the　solemn　lawyers　dressed　in　black　who　in　different　times　had　followed　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　everywhere；　and　that　led　the　people　to　think　that　the　agronomists；　hydrologists；　topographers；　and　surveyors；　like　Mr。　Herbert　with　his　captive　balloons　and　his　colored　butterflies　and　Mr。　Brown　with　his　mausoleum　on　wheels　and　his　ferocious　German　shepherd　dogs；　had　something　to　do　with　the　war。　There　was　not　much　time　to　think　about　it；　however；　because　the　suspicious　inhabitants　of　Macondo　barely　began　to　wonder　what　the　devil　was　going　on　when　the　town　had　already　bee　transformed　into　an　encampment　of　wooden　houses　with　zinc　roofs　inhabited　by　foreigners　who　arrived　on　the　train　from　halfway　around　the　world；　riding　not　only　on　the　seats　and　platforms　but　even　on　the　roof　of　the　coaches。　The　gringos；　who　later　on　brought　their　languid　wives　in　muslin　dresses　and　large　veiled　hats；　built　a　separate　town　across　the　railroad　tracks　with　streets　lined　with　palm　trees；　houses　with　screened　windows；　small　white　tables　on　the　terraces；　and　fans　mounted　on　the　ceilings；　and　extensive　blue　lawns　with　peacocks　and　quails。　The　section　was　surrounded　by　a　metal　fence　topped　with　a　band　of　electrified　chicken　wire　which　during　the　cool　summer　mornings　would　be　black　with　roasted　swallows。　No　one　knew　yet　what　they　were　after；　or　whether　they　were　actually　nothing　but　philanthropists；　and　they　had　already　caused　a　colossal　disturbance；　much　more　than　that　of　the　old　gypsies；　but　less　transitory　and　understandable。　Endowed　with　means　that　had　been　reserved　for　Divine　Providence　in　former　times；　they　changed　the　pattern　of　the　rams；　accelerated　the　cycle　of　harvest；　and　moved　the　river　from　where　it　had　always　been　and　put　it　with　its　white　stones　and　icy　currents　on　the　other　side　of　the　town；　behind　the　cemetery。　It　was　at　that　time　that　they　built　a　fortress　of　reinforced　concrete　over　the　faded　tomb　of　Jos？Arcadio；　so　that　the　corpses　smell　of　powder　would　not　contaminate　the　waters。　For　the　foreigners　who　arrived　without　love　they　converted　the　street　of　the　loving　matrons　from　France　into　a　more　extensive　village　than　it　had　been；　and　on　one　glorious　Wednesday　they　brought　in　a　trainload　of　strange　whores；　Babylonish　women　skilled　in　age…old　methods　and　in　possession　of　all　manner　of　unguents　and　devices　to　stimulate　the　unaroused；　to　give　courage　to　the　timid；　to　satiate　the　voracious；　to　exalt　the　modest　man；　to　teach　a　lesson　to　repeaters；　and　to　correct　solitary　people。　The　Street　of　the　Turks；　enriched　by　well…lit　stores　with　products　from　abroad；　displacing　the　old　bazaars　with　their　bright　colors；　overflowed　on　Saturday　nights　with　the　crowds　of　adventurers　who　bumped　into　each　other　among　gambling　tables；　shooting　galleries；　the　alley　where　the　future　was　guessed　and　dreams　interpreted；　and　tables　of　fried　food　and　drinks；　and　on　Sunday　mornings　there　were　scattered　on　the　ground　bodies　that　were　sometimes　those　of　happy　drunkards　and　more　often　those　of　onlookers　felled　by　shots；　fists；　knives；　and　bottles　during　the　brawls。　It　was　such　a　tumultuous　and　intemperate　invasion　that　during　the　first　days　it　was　impossible　to　walk　through　the　streets　because　of　the　furniture　and　trunks；　and　the　noise　of　the　carpentry　of　those　who　were　building　their　houses　in　any　vacant　lot　without　asking　anyone’s　permission；　and　the　scandalous　behavior　of　couples　who　hung　their　hammocks　between　the　almond　trees　and　made　love　under　the　netting　in　broad　daylight　and　in　view　of　everyone。　The　only　serene　corner　had　been　established　by　peaceful　West　Indian　Negroes；　who　built　a　marginal　street　with　wooden　houses　on　piles　where　they　would　sit　in　the　doors　at　dusk　singing　melancholy　hymns　in　their　disordered　gabble。　So　many　changes　took　place　in　such　a　short　time　that　eight　months　after　Mr。　Herbert’s　visit　the　old　inhabitants　had　a　hard　time　recognizing　their　own　town。
　　　“Look　at　the　mess　we’ve　got　ourselves　into；？Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　said　at　that　time；　“just　because　we　invited　a　gringo　to　eat　some　bananas。？
　　　Aureliano　Segundo；　on　the　other　hand；　could　not　contain　his　happiness　over　the　avalanche　of　foreigners。　The　house　was　suddenly　filled　with　unknown　guests；　with　invincible　and　worldly　carousers；　and　it　became　necessary　to　add　bedrooms　off　the　courtyard；　widen　the　dining　room；　and　exchange　the　old　table　for　one　that　held　sixteen　people；　with　new　china　and　silver；　and　even　then　they　had　to　eat　lunch　in　shifts。　Fernanda　had　to　swallow　her　scruples　and　their　guests　of　the　worst　sort　like　kings　as　they　muddied　the　porch　with　their　boots；　urinated　in　the　garden。　laid　their　mats　down　anywhere　to　take　their　siesta；　and　spoke　without　regard　for　the　sensitivities　of　ladies　or　the　proper　behavior　of　gentlemen。　Amaranta；　was　so　scandalized　with　the　plebeian　invasion　that　she　went　back　to　eating　in　the　kitchen　as　in　olden　days。　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　convinced　that　the　majority　of　those　who　came　into　his　workshop　to　greet　him　were　not　doing　it　because　of　sympathy　or　regard　but　out　of　the　curiosity　to　meet　a　historical　relic；　a　museum　fossil；　decided　to　shut　himself　in　by　barring　the　door　and　he　was　not　seen　any　more　except　on　very　rare　occasions　when　he　would　sit　at　the　street　door。　？rsula；　on　the　other　hand；　even　during　the　days　when　she　was　already　dragging　her　feet　and　walking　about　groping　along　the　walls；　felt　a　juvenile　excitement　as　the　time　for　the　arrival　of　the　train　approached。　“We　have　to　prepare　some　meat　and　fish；？she　would　order　the　four　cooks；　who　hastened　to　have　everything　ready　under　the　imperturbable　direction　of　Santa　Sofía　de　la　Piedad。　“We　have　to　prepare　everything；？she　insisted；　“because　we　never　know　what　these　strangers　like　to　eat。？The　train　arrived　during　the　hottest　time　of　day。　At　lunchtime　the　house　shook　with　the　bustle　of　a　marketplace；　and　the　perspiring　guests—who　did　not　even　know　who　their　hosts　were—trooped　in　to　occupy　the　best　places　at　the　table；　while　the　cooks　bumped　into　each　other　with　enormous　kettles　of　soup；　pots　of　meat；　large　gourds　filled　with　vegetables；　and　troughs　of　rice；　and　passed　around　the　contents　of　barrels　of　lemonade　with　inexhaustible　ladles。　The　disorder　was　such　that　Fernanda　was　troubled　by　the　idea　that　many　were　eating　twice　and　on　more　than　one　occasion　she　was　about　to　burst　out　with　a　vegetable　hawker’s　insults　because　someone　at　the　table　in　confusion　asked　her　for　the　check。　More　than　a　year　had　gone　by　since　Mr。　Herbert’s　visit　and　the　only　thing　that　was　known　was　that　the　gringos　were　planning　to　plant　banana　trees　in　the　enchanted　region　that　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　and　his　men　had　crossed　in　search　of　the　route　to　the　great　inventions。　Two　other　sons　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　with　the　cross　of　ashes　on　their　foreheads；　arrived；　drawn　by　that　great　volcanic　belch；　and　they　justified　their　determination　with　a　phrase　that　may　have　explained　everybody’s　reasons。
　　　“We　came；？they　said；　“because　everyone　is　ing。？
　　　Remedios　the　Beauty　was　the　only　one　who　was　immune　to　the　banana　plague。　She　was　becalmed　in　a　magnificent　adolescence；　more　and　more　impenetrable　to　formality；　more　and　more　indiffer