Enchantments, loves, and all sorts of impossible nonsense －魔法、愛、あり得もしない荒唐無稽の数々－

This week it was announced that archaeologists had found the bones of the writer Miguel de Cervantes in Madrid.  He is famous for writing the novel “Don Quixote”, which is regarded as one of the greatest works of literature ever written. 

The first part was published in Spanish in 1605, and tells the story of a man who reads too many fictional books about romance and chivalry and loses his sanity.  He decides to become a knight himself and adventures throughout Spain, trying to rescue maidens, attack giants and right wrongs. 

 

Unfortunately, because he is mad, the maidens he tries to rescue are not really in need of help, the giants he tries to attack are actually windmills, and he causes trouble for himself and everyone else rather than righting wrongs. 
 

I have heavily edited the opening to make it simpler and easier to follow.  I will also include an explanation of difficult vocabulary at the end.  This is how Don Quixote decided to become a heroic knight...


An edited version of the opening to “Don Quixote”, part 1 (1605) by Miguel de Cervantes:

 

In the village of La Mancha, there lived a gentleman. He was used to eating rather more beef than mutton, a salad on most nights, scraps on Saturdays, lentils on Fridays, and a pigeon or so extra on Sundays.
 

The age of this gentleman of ours was bordering on fifty; he was hardy, a very early riser and a great sportsman.
 

The gentleman whenever he was at leisure (which was mostly all the year round) gave himself up to reading books of chivalry with such passion and concentration that he almost entirely neglected sports, and even the management of his property; and to such an extent did his eagerness and infatuation go that he sold much land to buy books of chivalry to read, and brought home as many of them as he could get. 
 

Over such fantasies the poor gentleman lost his wits, and used to lie awake at night, thinking about them. 
 

In short, he became so absorbed in his books that he spent his nights from sunset to sunrise, and his days from dawn to dark, poring over them; and what with little sleep and much reading he lost his wits. His fancy grew full of what he used to read about in his books, enchantments, quarrels, battles, challenges, wounds, loves, agonies, and all sorts of impossible nonsense. To him, all he read of was true, no history in the world had more reality in it.
 

His wits being quite gone, he hit upon the strangest idea that ever madman in this world considered. He fancied it was right that he should become a knight, roaming the world in full armour and on horseback in quest of adventures. 

Vocabulary:
 

an archaeologist – Someone who searches for old items, buildings etc., often by digging in historical sites
 

chivalry – The system of polite and honourable behaviour which was regarded as ideal for knights in the Middle Ages in Europe
 

sanity – The opposite of madness; reason; a clear mind
 

a maiden – A young, unmarried woman (old-fashioned)
 

to right a wrong – to correct an injustice
 

scraps – Very small pieces; left-overs
 

“bordering on fifty” – nearly fifty
 

hardy – tough
 

to be at leisure – to be free; to have free time
 

infatuation – obsession; strong love and desire for something
 

to lose one’s wits – to go mad; to lose one’s sanity.
 

to pore over something - to study something at great length
 

to hit upon an idea – to think of an idea
 

to roam – to wander; to journey in many directions at length

“in quest of” - in search of