The adventure of the translation of names in Don Quixote

Quixote; Iribu - iribuilustracion.blogspot.com 
400 years after the death of Cervantes, his immortal Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance trouble continues to for translators and editors (transmitters of cultures and literatures in the world), when faced with the precious treasure of Cervantine place and personal names. In this important 2016 anniversary, we continue to argue about whether the proper names should be translated ... or not.

We want to take advantage of this year that is full of events in honour of Cervantes, and also pay our small tribute to this great master of language that gave so much importance to the invention of proper names and their meanings:

       ¨ ... and it seemed to him that neither the Bucéfalo de Alejandro nor Babieca el del Cid equalled him.Four days were spent on thinking what name to choose..."
       ¨ ... and so, after many names that he formed, erased and removed, added, unmade , and remade in his memory and imagination, he finally came to call him Rocinante, his name seemed high, resonant and meaningful "
       Once named, a name he was most pleased with, he decided to choose one for himself, and in this thought he spent eight days, and afterwards he came to be called Don Quixote

Those are the giants translators have to face, to convert into their language this motley crowd of names of characters and places in Don Quixote. The fantastic inventions of extraordinary semantic and symbolic value, converted into windmills for conscious and meticulous translators.

We invite our readers from all corners of the world to share the translation of the 10 most powerful names of Don Quixote (second most translated book in the world):

1.            Caballero de la Triste Figura
2.            Caballero de la Ardiente Espada
3.            Caraculiabro
4.            Alifanfarón, señor de la grande isla Trapobana
5.            Miaulina, hija del duque Alfeñiquén de Algarve
6.            Brandabarbarán de Boliche, señor de las tres Arabias
7.            Pentapolín del Arremangado Brazo
8.            La doncella Placerdemivida
9.            Quirieleison de Moltalbán
10.          Espartafilardo del bosque (Rastreamisuerte)


Now we're really in the thick of it!

Manuel José González - Guest blogger
Katie Lovell - Translator

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