今天的這段對話,在討論塞萬提斯,
塞萬提斯的名作《堂吉訶德》講的是什么
來聽今天的講解:
A: I just found a book in the library, a Spanish one. Is but I'm sure I've heard of the author.
我剛從圖書館找到一本關(guān)于西班牙的書。它有名嗎?書名我不熟悉,但我確實聽說過這本書的作
B: Let's see. Hmm .. . Cervantes? He's a very famous. But nowadays, we spell it "Quijote" in Spanish.
我看看。嗯……塞萬提斯?他可是一位非常著名的作家,這本書叫《堂吉訶德》。不過現(xiàn)在,在我們西班牙語中拼成Quijote。
A: Oh. so " Quixote" is old fashioned. Yes, I knew I'd heard of Cervantes, but I've never read this book.
噢,那么說堂吉訶德是一個過時的名字了。是的,我聽說過塞萬提斯,可是從來沒讀過這本書。
B: Well, I guess it's pretty heavy going. but if you can finish it, it's really worth it. It's a masterpiece !
不過,我認(rèn)為這本書很不好讀,但是如果你能讀完,應(yīng)該還是很值的。這是一部杰作。
A: Really? It says here that the first part was published in 1605 and the second in 1615. That's a long time ago.
真的嗎?書上說第一部分在1605年出版,第二部分在1615年出版。時間距我們很遙遠(yuǎn)。
B: But. it's one of the earliest written novels in a modem European language and is one of the most influential works of Spanish literature.
但是這本書是最早用歐洲現(xiàn)代語言寫出的小說之一,是西班牙文學(xué)中最有影響的作品之一。
A: I see. So he must have been an excellent writer, perhaps well ahead of his time.
我知道。那他一定是個優(yōu)秀的作家,也許遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)走在了他那個時代的前面。
B: His full name was Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and most people believe him to be brilliant. I've read the book before, but as I say, it can be challenging.
他的全名叫米蓋爾·德·塞萬提斯-薩阿維德拉,多數(shù)人認(rèn)為他非常出色。我以前讀過這本書,但就像我剛才說的,這本書很不好讀。
A: What's it about? I mean, Don Quixote was a bit crazy, wasn't he?
這本書是講什么的?我是說,堂吉訶德有點瘋瘋癲癲的,對不對?
B: The book tells the story of Alonso Quixano, a man who has read so many stories about brave knights that, he goes mad and, renames himself Don Quixote de La Mancha.
這本書講述的是阿倫索·吉哈諾的故事,他讀了很多有關(guān)勇敢騎十的故事,然后變得瘋瘋癲癲,給自己超了個新名字叫堂吉訶德·德·拉·曼恰。
A: So, he thinks he really is a knight? OK, and what does he do? Where does he go?
那樣,他就認(rèn)為自己成了真正的騎士了?好了,那他都做些什么事?去了哪些地方?
B:Well, he sets out to fight injustice in the name of his beloved maiden Aldonsa, or as he knows her in Ius mind, Dulcinea del Toboso.
他愛著一個叫阿爾東薩的姑娘,或者說他在心里叫她達(dá)西妮亞·托博索.他就是為了她出發(fā)去與所有的不平之事做斗爭。
A: So, it's a love story. then. But, I think nowadays we have words in English based on him. For example, the adjective "quixotic" , which means "idealistic and impractical", derives from his name.
那么說這是個愛情故事了。不過,現(xiàn)在根據(jù)他的故事出現(xiàn)了很多英語詞匯。例如.形容詞“堂吉訶德式的”,意思是“理想主義的,不切實際的”,這來源于他的名字。
B: Oh, really? You use his name in English? I never knew that
哦,真的嗎?你們英語中也用他的名字?我怎么就從來不知道這些。
A: Yes, we do. So, I think he wasn't just famous in Spain, he's famous throughout the whole English speaking world.
沒錯,我們在用。所以我想他不只是著名的西班牙人物,在所有講英語的國家中也是個名人。
B: If I were you, I'd read it. You may even find some more words or phrases we use in English.
我要是你的話,就好好讀讀這本小說。在我們英語中你還會找到很多這樣的詞或詞組。