Сто лет одиночества

           Thatprodigiouscreature,saidtopossessthekeysofNostradamus,wasagloomyman,envelopedinasadaura,withanAsiaticlookthatseemedtoknowwhattherewasontheothersideofthings.Heworealargeblackhatthatlookedlikearavenwithwidespreadwings,andavelvetvestacrosswhichthepatinaofthecenturieshadskated.Butinspiteofhisimmensewisdomandhismysteriousbreadth,hehadahumanburden,anearthlyconditionthatkepthiminvolvedinthesmallproblemsofdailylife.Hewouldcomplainoftheailmentsofoldage,hesufferedfromthemostinsignificanteconomicdifficulties,andhehadstoppedlaughingalongtimebackbecausescurvyhadmadehisteethdropout.Onthatsuffocatingnoontimewhenthegypsyrevealedhissecrets,JoseArcadioBuendfahadthecertaintythatitwasthebeginningofagreatfriendship.Thechildrenwerestartledbyhisfantasticstories.Aureliano,whocouldnothavebeenmorethanfiveatthetime,wouldrememberhimfortherestofhislifeashesawhimthatafternoon,sittingagainstthemetallicandquiveringlightfromthewindow,lightingupwithhisdeeporganvoicethedarkestreachesoftheimagination,whiledownoverhistemplesthereflowedthegreasethatwasbeingmeltedbytheheat.JoseArcadio,hisolderbrother,wouldpassonthatwonderfulimageasahereditarymemorytoallofhisdescendants.Orsulaontheotherhand,heldabadmemoryofthatvisit,forshehadenteredtheroomjustasMelqufadeshadcarelesslybrokenaflaskofbichlorideofmercury."It’sthesmellofthedevil,"shesaid.

           "Notatall,"Melqufadescorrectedher."Ithasbeenproventhatthedevilhassulphuricpropertiesandthisisjustalittlecorrosivesublimate."Alwaysdidactic,hewentintoalearnedexpositionofthediabolicalpropertiesofcinnabar,butOrsulapaidnoattentiontohim,althoughshetookthechildrenofftopray.