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| CHARLES JARVIS Now Sancho Panza said to his master: "I beseech your worship, good Sir knight-errant, that you forget not your promise concerning that same island; for I shall know how to govern it, be it never so big." |
JOHN
RUTHERFORD Sancho Panza said to his master: "You'll be sure, won't you sir knight, not to forget what you promised me about the island. I'll be up to governing it all right, however big it is." |
You'll probably agree that the second translation, by John Rutherford, gives a modern reader a better sense of who Sancho is. Charles Jarvis's version, which was first published in 1742, uses language that to modern ears sounds very formal -- I beseech your worship -- and word orders that aren't common in conversational English -- forget not your promise, be it never so big. On the other hand, Rutherford's translation, published in 2000, uses a more conversational style, colloquial language -- you'll be sure, won't you -- and contractions -- you'll, won't, I'll -- to make Sancho sound like an ordinary person.
Making Sancho sound ordinary is especially important to emphasize his differences from Don Quixote. This difference becomes immediately apparent when Don Quixote responds to Sancho's query about the island he's been promised. Here are his words in Rutherford's translation:
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In contrast to Sancho's colloquial and informal speech, Don Quixote's response uses formal language -- You must know, I am resolved --, does not contain contractions, and consists of almost 200 words (as in the original version). Thus, the sound of the two characters' speeches, when translated effectively, will reflect their completely different backgrounds, social classes, and values.
Capturing the difference in speech styles between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza at the beginning of the novel is especially important because Cervantes sometimes changes, and even reverses, their speech styles at important moments. He does this at times for humorous effect, at others to emphasize the close friendship that has developed between the two characters. This is especially apparent in the final dialogue between the two characters, in the last chapter, as Don Quixote is dying:
And turning to Sancho, [Don Quixote] said: "Forgive me, my friend, for the opportunity I gave you to seem as mad as I, making you fall into the error into which I fell, thinking that there were and are knights errant in the world." "Oh!" responded Sancho, weeping. "Don't die, Seņor; your grace should take my advice and live for many years, because the greatest madness a man can commit in this life is to let himself die, just like that, without anybody killing him or any other hands ending his life except those of melancholy. Look, don't be lazy, but get up from that bed and let's go to the countryside dressed as shepherds, just like we arranged: maybe behind some bush we'll find Seņora Doņa Dulcinea disenchanted, as pretty as you please. If you're dying of sorrow over being defeated, blame me for that and say you were toppled because I didn't tighten Rocinante's cinches; besides, your grace must have seen in your books of chivalry that it's a very common thing for one knight to topple another, and for the one who's vanquished today to be the victor tomorrow." (Translated by Edith Grossman) |
In this final dialogue there's a complete reversal of the pattern that was evident in the first dialogue between these two characters -- now Don Quixote speaks briefly and concretely while Sancho Panza speaks with eloquence and passion. If the translator successfully captures this shift in styles, the reader will fully grasp what Cervantes is telling us at the end: that although Don Quixote has died, his dream lives on in Sancho Panza and the many other people whose lives have been touched by the gallant knight.
EXERCISE D.
On this page, you've seen how Cervantes characterizes Sancho Panza and Don Quixote through the rhythms of their speech and the words they use in their dialogues.
To get a feeling for how Cervantes did this, write your own version of an imaginary dialogue (a conversation) between two people. You may want to choose people who are different in their interests and backgrounds -- such as, for example, a "rapster" and an English teacher. Or, you can use two people of the same type. Your aim is to give a sense of who these people are and what they're like through the way they speak.
You can choose any two people speaking on any subject;
just try to characterize them through the words they use
and the way they arrange them. Your dialogue can be brief ( a
few sentences) or as
long as you want to make it.
After the dialogue, please provide a brief note with some
background information about who these people are meant to be.
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This is the final exercise in this module. When you've finished the exercise, go to Page 5 for some final words and links to other websites dealing with Don Quixote.
comments to: vpoulakis@nvcc.edu
03/28/05