百年孤独(英文版)-第48部分

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；　which　had　not　merited　the　risks　and　sacrifices　of　the　adventure。
　　　“God　damn　it！？he　shouted。　“Macondo　is　surrounded　by　water　on　all　sides。？
　　　The　idea　of　a　peninsular　Macondo　prevailed　for　a　long　time；　inspired　by　the　arbitrary　map　that　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　sketched　on　his　return　from　the　expedition。　He　drew　it　in　rage；　evilly；　exaggerating　the　difficulties　of　munication；　as　if　to　punish　himself　for　the　absolute　lack　of　sense　with　which　he　had　chosen　the　place。　“We’ll　never　get　anywhere；？he　lamented　to　？rsula。　“We’re　going　to　rot　our　lives　away　here　without　receiving　the　benefits　of　science。？That　certainty；　mulled　over　for　several　months　in　the　small　room　he　used　as　his　laboratory；　brought　him　to　the　conception　of　the　plan　to　move　Maeondo　to　a　better　place。　But　that　time　？rsula　had　anticipated　his　feverish　designs。　With　the　secret　and　implacable　labor　of　a　small　ant　she　predisposed　the　women　of　the　village　against　the　flightiness　of　their　husbands；　who　were　already　preparing　for　the　move。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　did　not　know　at　what　moment　or　because　of　what　adverse　forces　his　plan　had　bee　enveloped　in　a　web　of　pretexts；　disappointments；　and　evasions　until　it　turned　into　nothing　but　an　illusion。　？rsula　watched　him　with　innocent　attention　and　even　felt　some　pity　for　him　on　the　morning　when　she　found　him　in　the　back　room　muttering　about　his　plans　for　moving　as　he　placed　his　laboratory　pieces　in　their　original　boxes。　She　let　him　finish。　She　let　him　nail　up　the　boxes　and　put　his　initials　on　them　with　an　inked　brush；　without　reproaching　him；　but　knowing　now　that　he　knew　（because　she　had　heard　him　say　so　in　his　soft　monologues）　that　the　men　of　the　village　would　not　back　him　up　in　his　undertaking。　Only　when　he　began　to　take　down　the　door　of　the　room　did　？rsula　dare　ask　him　what　he　was　doing；　and　he　answered　with　a　certain　bitterness。　“Since　no　one　wants　to　leave；　we’ll　leave　all　by　ourselves。？？rsula　did　not　bee　upset。
　　　“We　will　not　leave；？she　said。　“We　will　stay　here；　because　we　have　had　a　son　here。？
　　　“We　have　still　not　had　a　death；？he　said。　“A　person　does　not　belong　to　a　place　until　there　is　someone　dead　under　the　ground。？
　　　？rsula　replied　with　a　soft　firmness：
　　　“If　I　have　to　die　for　the　rest　of　you　to　stay　here；　I　will　die。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　had　not　thought　that　his　wife’s　will　was　so　firm。　He　tried　to　seduce　her　with　the　charm　of　his　fantasy；　with　the　promise　of　a　prodigious　world　where　all　one　had　to　do　was　sprinkle　some　magic　liquid　on　the　ground　and　the　plants　would　bear　fruit　whenever　a　man　wished；　and　where　all　manner　of　instruments　against　pain　were　sold　at　bargain　prices。　But　？rsula　was　insensible　to　his　clairvoyance。
　　　“Instead　of　going　around　thinking　about　your　crazy　inventions；　you　should　be　worrying　about　your　sons；？she　replied。　“Look　at　the　state　they’re　in；　running　wild　just　like　donkeys。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　took　his　wife’s　words　literally。　He　looked　out　the　window　and　saw　the　barefoot　children　in　the　sunny　garden　and　he　had　the　impression　that　only　at　that　instant　had　they　begun　to　exist；　conceived　by　？rsula’s　spell；　Something　occurred　inside　of　him　then；　something　mysterious　and　definitive　that　uprooted　him　from　his　own　time　and　carried　him　adrift　through　an　unexplored　region　of　his　memory。　While　？rsula　continued　sweeping　the　house；　which　was　safe　now　from　being　abandoned　for　the　rest　of　her　life；　he　stood　there　with　an　absorbed　look；　contemplating　the　children　until　his　eyes　became　moist　and　he　dried　them　with　the　back　of　his　hand；　exhaling　a　deep　sigh　of　resignation。
　　　“All　right；？he　said。　“Tell　them　to　e　help　me　take　the　things　out　of　the　boxes。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio；　the　older　of　the　children；　was　fourteen。　He　had　a　square　head；　thick　hair；　and　his　father’s　character。　Although　he　had　the　same　impulse　for　growth　and　physical　strength；　it　was　early　evident　that　he　lacked　imagination。　He　had　been　conceived　and　born　during　the　difficult　crossing　of　the　mountains；　before　the　founding　of　Macondo；　and　his　parents　gave　thanks　to　heaven　when　they　saw　he　had　no　animal　features。　Aureliano；　the　first　human　being　to　be　born　in　Macondo；　would　be　six　years　old　in　March。　He　was　silent　and　withdrawn。　He　had　wept　in　his　mother’s　womb　and　had　been　born　with　his　eyes　open。　As　they　were　cutting　the　umbilical　cord；　he　moved　his　head　from　side　to　side；　taking　in　the　things　in　the　room　and　examining　the　faces　of　the　people　with　a　fearless　curiosity。　Then；　indifferent　to　those　who　came　close　to　look　at　him；　he　kept　his　attention　concentrated　on　the　palm　roof；　which　looked　as　if　it　were　about　to　collapse　under　the　tremendous　pressure　of　the　rain。　？rsula　did　not　remember　the　intensity　of　that　look　again　until　one　day　when　little　Aureliano；　at　the　age　of　three；　went　into　the　kitchen　at　the　moment　she　was　taking　a　pot　of　boiling　soup　from　the　stove　and　putting　it　on　the　table。　The　child；　Perplexed；　said　from　the　doorway；　“It’s　going　to　spill。？The　pot　was　firmly　placed　in　the　center　of　the　table；　but　just　as　soon　as　the　child　made　his　announcement；　it　began　an　unmistakable　movement　toward　the　edge；　as　if　impelled　by　some　inner　dynamism；　and　it　fell　and　broke　on　the　floor。　？rsula；　alarmed；　told　her　husband　about　the　episode；　but　he　interpreted　it　as　a　natural　phenomenon。　That　was　the　way　he　always　was　alien　to　the　existence　of　his　sons；　partly　because　he　considered　childhood　as　a　period　of　mental　insufficiency；　and　partly　because　he　was　always　too　absorbed　in　his　fantastic　speculations。
　　　But　since　the　afternoon　when　he　called　the　children　in　to　help　him　unpack　the　things　in　the　laboratory；　he　gave　them　his　best　hours。　In　the　small　separate　room；　where　the　walls　were　gradually　being　covered　by　strange　maps　and　fabulous　drawings；　he　taught　them　to　read　and　write　and　do　sums；　and　he　spoke　to　them　about　the　wonders　of　the　world；　not　only　where　his　learning　had　extended；　but　forcing　the　limits　of　his　imagination　to　extremes。　It　was　in　that　way　that　the　boys　ended　up　learning　that　in　the　southern　extremes　of　Africa　there　were　men　so　intelligent　and　peaceful　that　their　only　pastime　was　to　sit　and　think；　and　that　it　was　possible　to　cross　the　Aegean　Sea　on　foot　by　jumping　from　island　to　island　all　the　way　to　the　port　of　Salonika。　Those　hallucinating　sessions　remained　printed　on　the　memories　of　the　boys　in　such　a　way　that　many　years　later；　a　second　before　the　regular　army　officer　gave　the　firing　squad　the　mand　to　fire；　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía　saw　once　more　that　warm　March　afternoon　on　which　his　father　had　interrupted　the　lesson　in　physics　and　stood　fascinated；　with　his　hand　in　the　air　and　his　eyes　motionless；　listening　to　the　distant　pipes；　drums；　and　jingles　of　the　gypsies；　who　were　ing　to　the　village　once　more；　announcing　the　latest　and　most　startling　discovery　of　the　sages　of　Memphis。
　　　They　were　new　gypsies；　young　men　and　women　who　knew　only　their　own　language；　handsome　specimens　with　oily　skins　and　intelligent　hands；　whose　dances　and　music　sowed　a　panic　of　uproarious　joy　through　the　streets；　with　parrots　painted　all　colors　reciting　Italian　arias；　and　a　hen　who　laid　a　hundred　golden　eggs　to　the　sound　of　a　tambourine；　and　a　trained　monkey　who　read　minds；　and　the　multi…use　machine　that　could　be　used　at　the　same　time　to　sew　on　buttons　and　reduce　fevers；　and　the　apparatus　to　make　a　person　forget　his　bad　memories；　and　a　poultice　to　lose　time；　and　a　thousand　more　inventions　so　ingenious　and　unusual　that　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　must　have　wanted　to　invent　a　memory　machine　so　that　he　could　remember　them　all。　In　an　instant　they　transformed　the　village。　The　inhabitants　of　Macondo　found　themselves　lost　is　their　own　streets；　confused　by　the　crowded　fair。
　　　Holding　a　child　by　each　hand　so　as　not　to　lose　them　in　the　tumult；　bumping　into　acrobats　with　gold…capped　teeth　and　jugglers　with　six　arms；　suffocated　by　the　mingled　breath　of　manure　and　sandals　that　the　crowd　exhaled；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　went　about　everywhere　like　a　madman；　looking　for　Melquíades　so　that　he　could　reveal　to　him　the　infinite　secrets　of　that　fabulous　nightmare。　He　asked　several　gypsies；　who　did　not　understand　his　language。　Finally　he　reached　the　place　where　Melquíades　used　to　set　up　his　tent　and　he　found　a　taciturn　Armenian　who　in　Spanish　was　hawking　a　syrup　to　make　oneself　invisible。　He　had　drunk　down　a　glass　of　the　amber　substance　in　one　gulp　as　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　elbowed　his　way　through　the　absorbed　group　that　was　witnessing　the　spectacle；　and　was　able　to　ask　his　question。　The　gypsy　wrapped　him　in　the　frightful　climate　of　his　look　before　he　turned　into　a　puddle　of　pestilential　and　smoking　pitch　over　which　the　echo　of　his　reply　still　floated：　“Melquíades　is　dead。？Upset　by　the　news；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　stood　motionless；　trying　to　rise　above　his　affliction；　until　the　group　dispersed；　called　away　by　other　artifices；　and　the　puddle　of　the　taciturn　Armenian　evaporated　pletely。　Other　gypsies　confirmed　later　on　that　Melquíades　had　in　fact　succumbed　to　the　fever　on　the　beach　at　Singapore　and　that　his　body　had　been　thrown　into　the　deepest　part　of　the　Java　Sea。　The　children　had　no　interest　in　the　news。　They　insisted　that　their　father　take　them　to　see　the　overwhelming　novelty　of　the　sages　of　Memphis　that　was　being　advertised　at　the　entrance　of　a　tent　that；　according　to　what　was　said；　had　belonged　to　King　Solomon。　They　insisted　so　much　that　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　paid　the　thirty　reales　and　led　them　into　the　center　of　the　tent；　where　there　was　a　giant　with　a　hairy　torso　and　a　shaved　head；　with　a　copper　ring　in　his　nose　and　a　heavy　iron　chain　on　his　ankle；　watching　over　a　pirate　chest。　When　it　was　opened　by　the　giant；　the　chest　gave　off　a　glacial　exhalation。　Inside　there　was　only　an　enormous；　transparent　block　with　infinite　internal　needles　in　which　the　light　of　the　sunset　was　broken　up　into　colored　stars。　Disconcerted；　knowing　that　the　children　were　waiting　for　an　immediate　explanation；　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　ventured　a　murmur：
　　　“It’s　the　largest　diamond　in　the　world。？
　　　“No；？the　gypsy　countered。　“It’s　ice。？
　　　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía；　without　understanding；　stretched　out　his　hand　toward　the　cake；　but　the　giant　moved　it　away。　“Five　reales　more　to　touch　it；？he　said。　Jos？Arcadio　Buendía　paid　them　and　put　his　hand　on　the　ice　and　held　it　there　for　several　minutes　as　his　heart　filled　with　fear　and　jubilation　at　the　contact　with　mystery。　Without　knowing　what　to　say；　he　paid　ten　reales　more　so　that　his　sons　could　have　that　prodigious　experience。　Little　Jos？Arcadio　refused　to　touch　it。　Aureliano；　on　the　other　hand；　took　a　step　forward　and　put　his　hand　on　it；　withdrawing　it　immediately。　“It’s　boiling；？he　exclaimed；　startled。　But　his　father　paid　no　attention　to　him。　Intoxicated　by　the　evidence　of　the　miracle；　he　forgot　at　that　moment　about　the　frustration　of　his　delirious　undertakings　and　Melquíades？body；　abandoned　to　the　appetite　of　the　squids。　He　paid　another　five　reales　and　with　his　hand　on　the　cake；　as　if　giving　testimony　on　the　holy　scriptures；　he　exclaimed：
　　　“This　is　the　great　invention　of　our　time。？

Chapter　2
WHEN　THE　PIRATE　Sir　Francis　Drake　attacked　Riohacha　in　the　sixteenth　century；　？rsula　Iguarán’s　great…great…grandmother　became　so　frightened　with　the　ringing　of　alarm　bells　and　the　firing　of　cannons　that　she　lost　control　of　her　nerves　an