Сто лет одиночества
Chapter 1
Heaskedseveralgypsies,whodidnotunderstandhislanguage.FinallyhereachedtheplacewhereMelqufadesusedtosetuphistentandhefoundataciturnArmenianwhoinSpanishwashawkingasyruptomakeoneselfinvisible.HehaddrunkdownaglassoftheambersubstanceinonegulpasJoseArcadioBuendfaelbowedhiswaythroughtheabsorbedgroupthatwaswitnessingthespectacle,andwasabletoaskhisquestion.Thegypsywrappedhiminthefrightfulclimateofhislookbeforeheturnedintoapuddleofpestilentialandsmokingpitchoverwhichtheechoofhisreplystillfloated:"Melqufadesisdead."Upsetbythenews,JoseArcadioBuendfastoodmotionless,tryingtoriseabovehisaffliction,untilthegroupdis-persed,calledawaybyotherartifices,andthepuddleofthetaciturnArmenianevaporatedcompletely.OthergypsiesconfirmedlateronthatMelqufadeshadinfactsuccumbedtothefeveronthebeachatSingaporeandthathisbodyhadbeenthrownintothedeepestpartoftheJavaSea.Thechildrenhadnointerestinthenews.TheyinsistedthattheirfathertakethemtoseetheoverwhelmingnoveltyofthesagesofMemphisthatwasbeingadvertisedattheentranceofatentthat,accordingtowhatwassaid,hadbelongedtoKingSolomon.TheyinsistedsomuchthatJoseArcadioBuendfapaidthethirtyrealesandledthemintothecenterofthetent,wheretherewasagiantwithahairytorsoandashavedhead,withacopperringinhisnoseandaheavyironchainonhisankle,watchingoverapiratechest.Whenitwasopenedbythegiant,thechestgaveoffaglacialexhalation.Insidetherewasonlyanenor-mous,transparentblockwithinfiniteinternalneedlesinwhichthelightofthesunsetwasbrokenupintocoloredstars.Disconcerted,knowingthatthechildrenwerewait-ingforanimmediateexplanation,JoseArcadioBuendfaventuredamurmur:
