百年孤独(英文版)-第54部分

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d　brought　them　off　without　any　intermediate　exasperation。　If　Aureliano　Segundo　had　something　of　his　greatgrandfather　in　him　and　lacked　something　of　Colonel　Aureliano　Buendía；　it　was　an　absolute　indifference　to　mockery；　and　he　gave　the　money　to　bring　the　railroad　with　the　same　lighthearted　air　with　which　he　had　given　it　for　his　brother’s　absurd　navigation　project。　Aureliano　Triste　consulted　the　calendar　and　left　the　following　Wednesday；　planning　to　return　after　the　rains　had　passed。　There　was　no　more　news　of　him。　Aureliano　Centeno；　overwhelmed　by　the　abundance　of　the　factory；　had　already　begun　to　experiment　with　the　production　of　ice　with　a　base　of　fruit　juices　instead　of　water；　and　without　knowing　it　or　thinking　about　it；　he　conceived　the　essential　fundamentals　for　the　invention　of　sherbet。　In　that　way　he　planned　to　diversify　the　production　of　an　enterprise　he　considered　his　own；　because　his　brother　showed　no　signs　of　returning　after　the　rains　had　passed　and　a　whole　summer　had　gone　by　with　no　news　of　him。　At　the　start　of　another　winter；　however；　a　woman　who　was　washing　clothes　in　the　river　during　the　hottest　time　of　the　day　ran　screaming　down　the　main　street　in　an　alarming　state　of　motion。
　　　“It’s　ing；？she　finally　explained。　“Something　frightful；　like　a　kitchen　dragging　a　village　behind　it。？
　　　At　that　moment　the　town　was　shaken　by　a　whistle　with　a　fearful　echo　and　a　loud；　panting　respiration。　During　the　previous　weeks　they　had　seen　the　gangs　who　were　laying　ties　and　tracks　and　no　one　paid　attention　to　them　because　they　thought　it　was　some　new　trick　of　the　gypsies；　ing　back　with　whistles　and　tambourines　and　their　ageold　and　discredited　song　and　dance　about　the　qualities　of　some　concoction　put　together　by　journeyman　geniuses　of　Jerusalem。　But　when　they　recovered　from　the　noise　of　the　whistles　and　the　snorting；　all　the　inhabitants　ran　out　into　the　street　and　saw　Aureliano　Triste　waving　from　the　lootive；　and　in　a　trance　they　saw　the　flowerbedecked　train　which　was　arriving　for　the　first　time　eight　months　late。　The　innocent　yellow　train　that　was　to　bring　so　many　ambiguities　and　certainties；　so　many　pleasant　and　unpleasant　moments；　so　many　changes；　calamities；　and　feelings　of　nostalgia　to　Macondo。

Chapter　12
DAZZLED　BY　SO　MANY　and　such　marvelous　inventions；　the　people　of　Macondo　did　not　know　where　their　amazement　began。　They　stayed　up　all　night　looking　at　the　pale　electric　bulbs　fed　by　the　plant　that　Aureliano　Triste　had　brought　back　when　the　train　made　its　second　trip；　and　it　took　time　and　effort　for　them　to　grow　accustomed　to　its　obsessive　toomtoom。　They　be。　came　indignant　over　the　living　images　that　the　prosperous　merchant　Bruno　Crespi　projected　in　the　theater　with　the　lionhead　ticket　windows；　for　the　character　who　had　died　and　was　buried　in　one　film　and　for　whose　misfortune　tears　of　affliction　had　been　shed　would　reappear　alive　and　transformed　into　an　Arab　in　the　next　one。　The　audience；　who　paid　two　cents　apiece　to　share　the　difficulties　of　the　actors；　would　not　tolerate　that　outlandish　fraud　and　they　broke　up　the　seats。　The　mayor；　at　the　urging　of　Bruno　Crespi；　explained　in　a　proclamation　that　the　cinema　was　a　machine　of　illusions　that　did　not　merit　the　emotional　outbursts　of　the　audience。　With　that　discouraging　explanation　many　felt　that　they　had　been　the　victims　of　some　new　and　showy　gypsy　business　and　they　decided　not　to　return　to　the　movies；　considering　that　they　already　had　too　many　troubles　of　their　own　to　weep　over　the　actedout　misfortunes　of　imaginary　beings。　Something　similar　happened　with　the　cylinder　phonographs　that　the　merry　matrons　from　France　brought　with　them　as　a　substitute　for　the　antiquated　hand　ans　and　that　for　a　time　had　serious　effects　on　the　livelihood　of　the　band　of　musicians。　At　first　curiosity　increased　the　clientele　on　the　forbidden　street　and　there　was　even　word　of　respectable　ladies　who　disguised　themselves　as　workers　in　order　to　observe　the　novelty　of　the　phonograph　from　first　hand；　but　from　so　much　and　such　close　observation　they　soon　reached　the　conclusion　that　it　was　not　an　enchanted　mill　as　everyone　had　thought　and　as　the　matrons　had　said；　but　a　mechanical　trick　that　could　not　be　pared　with　something　so　moving；　so　human；　and　so　full　of　everyday　truth　as　a　band　of　musicians。　It　was　such　a　serious　disappointment　that　when　phonographs　became　so　popular　that　there　was　one　in　every　house　they　were　not　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　steelrimmed　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　captiveballoon　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　tigerstriped　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　ha