Don Quixote·Reading.8

Author: Hai Qing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Lang Lang Reading Essentials Series is a fine gift presented by the Foreign Languages Press to the. It offers a wide range of topics and diverse styles; combines difficulty levels with precise annotations; and features innovative and lively layouts with numerous sections. Reading it will immerse you in the vibrant world of English, allowing you to fully enjoy the charm and appeal of English culture while quickly improving your English skills in a relaxed and enjoyable way. Don Quixote is one of the greatest literary works in Western literature. Its author, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1564–1616), lived a life of hardship and extraordinary experiences. At the age of 21, he was sentenced to have his right hand cut off after being involved in a brawl at the Royal Court in Salamanca. To avoid the sentence, Cervantes fled his hometown for Italy. There, he first joined the Roman army and later fought for the Spanish Holy Legion. In numerous battles against the Turks, he charged into the fray and was wounded multiple times, leaving him with a disabled left hand. Seven years later, he returned home with medals and recommendations, only to be captured by the Algiers and sentenced to forced labor. His several attempts at escape failed, and it was only after five years that his family and friends paid a hefty ransom to secure his release. By then, he was 33 years old, disabled, and faced family debts and unemployment. His two marriages were unhappy, and to support his family, he found a job as a tax collector. However, due to his poor performance in tax collection and disorganized accounts, he was imprisoned. Don Quixote was born from his life of hardship and poverty, naturally reflecting the author's own experiences and emotions. While struggling to survive, Cervantes devoted himself to writing. He spent eight years completing the first part of the novel, which was published in 1605 and was beloved by readers. The two characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, became almost household names. Yet, this did not improve Cervantes' financial situation. After 1605, he began writing the second part of the novel. In 1614, as he was about to finish it, he learned that someone had published a sequel to Don Quixote, which infuriated him. He exposed the fake work in his book and ended the story of Don Quixote. The second part of Cervantes' Don Quixote was published in 1615, and the public's enthusiasm and love for it remained strong. However, the following year, the impoverished Cervantes died in Madrid. Don Quixote is a satirical novel about chivalric tales. The protagonist, Don Quixote, becomes obsessed with chivalric novels and decides to go on adventures as a knight errant. He recruits a farmer from his village, Sancho Panza, as his squire, and takes a peasant girl from a neighboring village, Dulcinea, as his beloved. He embarks on three adventures, doing many absurd things. In the end, he is defeated by the friend of the White Knight, gives up his quest for knightly adventures, and soon falls ill. On his deathbed, he realizes the folly of his obsession with chivalric novels. Through the story of Don Quixote, Cervantes satirizes the popular chivalric tales of the time, pointing out that they both deviate from the truth of reality and lack artistic authenticity. As a result, chivalric tales never recovered in Spain and Europe. The significance of Don Quixote also lies in how the author uses a comedic approach to profoundly reveal the conflict between people's ideals and reality. Don Quixote and Sancho are a pair of characters who are both interconnected and complementary. The former embodies humanity's pursuit of ideals, while the latter reflects humanity's focus on practical life. They influence each other, and over time, Don Quixote gradually sees the illusory nature of his ideals, while Sancho comes to appreciate the beauty of his master's spiritual world. Their witty and humorous dialogues, along with the novel's vivid depiction of Spanish real life, allow readers to see the contradictions within themselves in their characters. The tragic undertones in Don Quixote's comedic image also resonate with readers. While portraying human nature and social reality, the novel also reflects the author's thoughts on literary creation. The second part of the novel describes the reactions and criticisms of people to the first part, and through the different attitudes characters have toward Don Quixote, it portrays the images of people from various social strata. Thus, the novel reveals the influence of literary works on readers, the interrelationship between the author, the work, and the characters, and the author's strong self-awareness of literary creation. This book is particularly suitable for reading the first part.