For more than three centuries readers in all countries have been delighted by the adventures of an absurd① gentleman named Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza. The masterpiece② of Miguel de Cervantes， a Spanish contemporary③ of Shakespear， Don Quixote tells of a poor gentleman who tries to relive the heroic days of old by seeking adventure in the manner of the knight errant of medieval romance.
Don Quixote’s popularity is not caused merely by his being delightfully nonsense④， a comical nuisance⑤， an absurd figure apt to get into trouble wherever he goes. Beneath his humorous surface Don Quixote is the embodiment⑥， even though he is also the exaggeration， of a great idea—that life holds more than the humdrum⑦ routine of everyday affairs， that true greatness is to be found only in the spirit of service to an ideal.
That for Don Quixote the ideal is an illusion does not detract from its fascination， though it does make him a pathetic⑧ figure. To attempt the impossible for the sake of honor， to add to the store of human greatness by risking everything without the hope of material gain， to endure danger and hardship because endurance itself is noble—this is the quixotic⑨ ideal； this is the secret of Don Quixote’s universal appeal.
We must laugh at this absurdity， but we are moved by it as well； if there is any chivalry or generosity⑩ in us， we cannot help being on his side， however， innocent his victims. We know he cannot win， but his misguided valor excites our pity with our laughter.
① absurdadj. 不合理的，荒谬的；可笑的，愚蠢的
② masterpiecen. (个人或团体的)最杰出的作品
③ contemporaryadj. 当代的
④ nonsensen. 胡说；胡闹，愚蠢的举动
⑤ nuisancen. 讨厌的人(或事物)；麻烦事[C]
⑥ embodimentn. 具体化；化身
⑦ humdrumadj. 单调的；无聊的
⑧ patheticadj. 引起怜悯的；可怜的；可悲的
⑨ quixoticadj. 堂吉诃德式的；狂想的；不能实现的
⑩ generosityn. 宽宏大量；慷慨[U]
堂·吉诃德魅力的奥秘
三个多世纪以来，堂·吉诃德这位荒唐可笑的绅士和他的仆从桑丘·潘沙的冒险故事，一直使世界各国的读者沉浸在喜悦之中。与莎士比亚同时代的一位西班牙人米盖尔·德·塞万提斯的《堂·吉诃德》这部杰作，讲述了一位贫穷绅士的故事，他仿照中世纪骑士小说中游侠骑士的行事方式，追求冒险，企图重新生活在古老的英雄时代。
堂·吉诃德之所以深受欢迎，并非单纯因为他荒唐可笑，令人捧腹，举止滑稽而又令人厌恶，也并非仅仅因为他是无论去何处都易陷入困境的荒唐角色。在他的幽默的表面下，堂·吉诃德是一个伟大思想的象征，尽管他也是一个伟大思想的夸张体现——这一伟大思想是：生活比单调乏味、一成不变的日常琐事含有更多的内容，而真正的伟大只有在为某一种理想服务的精神中才能找到。
对于堂·吉诃德来说，这个理想是一种幻想，这一点并没有减损这个理想的魅力，纵然这一理想也确实使他成为一个可悲的人物。为了荣誉去尝试不可能做的事；为了给人的伟大性增添瑰宝，去从事各种冒险而不谋求物质的报偿；甘愿忍受危险和艰难，因为忍受本身是高尚的——这就是吉诃德式的理想。堂·吉诃德具有感染千万人的魅力奥秘就在于此。
我们会对他的荒唐付之一笑，然而我们同时也为其所感动。如果我们身上还有任何骑士精神和慷慨大度的气质，我们就难免会站在他的一边，不管他的受害者是多么清白无辜。我们明知他不会获胜，但是他那迷失方向的勇敢却在我们的朗朗笑声中激起我们的怜悯之情。