Don Quixote · Chapter
Translator's Preface explained
The translator provides an introduction to the work, discussing the challenges and philosophy of translating Cervantes' classic, and setting the stage for the reader's engagement with the text.
What happens
The translator provides an introduction to the work, discussing the challenges and philosophy of translating Cervantes' classic, and setting the stage for the reader's engagement with the text.
Themes in this chapter
Literature and Metafiction
The preface itself is a metafictional commentary on the act of translation and the nature of the text, blurring the lines between author, translator, and reader.
Characters to notice
- Miguel de Cervantes
The original author of Don Quixote, whose work is being translated and introduced.
- Cide Hamete Benengeli
The fictional Moorish historian whose manuscript Cervantes claims to have translated, referenced in the preface as part of the metafictional framing.
Key passages
“The translator's preface serves as a bridge between the original Spanish text and the English reader, acknowledging the inherent difficulties in capturing Cervantes' wit and irony.”
The translator explains that this introduction helps English readers understand the original Spanish work, admitting it is hard to convey Cervantes' clever humor and sarcasm.
This paraphrase captures the translator's acknowledgment of the challenges in translation.