1.1.24
Don Quixote 1.1.24 · Righting every wrong1.1.24Righting every wrong
The sentence goes on: what a knight errant does, and what he hopes to gain.
· · ·
y1
y
and
a2
a
to
ejercitarse3
e·jer·ci·TAR·se
to train himselfto exercise himself
en4
en
in
todo5
TO·do
all
aquello6
a·QUE·llo
that
que7
que
which
él8
él
he
había9
ha·BÍ·a
had
leído10
le·Í·do
read
que11
que
that
los12
los
the
caballeros13
ca·ba·LLE·ros
knights
andantes14
an·DAN·tes
errant
se15
se
themselves
ejercitaban16
e·jer·ci·TA·ban
trainedexercised
, deshaciendo17
des·ha·CIEN·do
rightingundoing
todo18
TO·do
every
género19
GÉ·ne·ro
kind
de20
de
of
agravio21
a·GRA·vio
wronggrievance
, y22
y
and
poniéndose23
po·NIÉN·do·se
putting himself
en24
en
in
ocasiones25
o·ca·SIO·nes
hazardsoccasions
y26
y
and
peligros27
pe·LI·gros
dangers
donde28
DON·de
where
, acabándolos29
a·ca·BÁN·do·los
seeing them throughfinishing them
, cobrase30
co·BRA·se
might winmight collect
eterno31
e·TER·no
eternal
nombre32
NOM·bre
name
y33
y
and
fama34
FA·ma
fame
. and to train himself in all that which he had read that knights errant trained themselves in, righting every kind of wrong, and putting himself in hazards and dangers where, by seeing them through, he might win an eternal name and fame.
and to train himself in all that which he had read that knights errant trained themselves in, righting every kind of wrong, and putting himself in hazards and dangers where, by seeing them through, he might win an eternal name and fame.
Interpretation
and to practise everything he had read that knights errant practised, righting every kind of wrong and putting himself in risky situations and dangers where, by carrying them through, he would win eternal name and fame.
This is the program of the romances in one breath, and Cervantes lists it the way a manual would. Deshacer agravios, “to undo wrongs”, was the knight’s formula, and the romances spelled it desfacer, with the old f that later became h.
Two words look easier than they are. Ocasiones beside peligros means chances of harm, the risky situations a knight goes looking for. Cobrar fama, “to win fame”, is still said today, though the verb cobrar is now mostly what a shop does when it charges you.
1.1.25
Don Quixote 1.1.25 · Emperor of Trebizond, at least1.1.25Emperor of Trebizond, at least
The new knight already sees the reward, and he hurries to begin.
· · ·
The poor fellow imagined himself already crowned by the valor of his arm, at least, of the empire of Trebizond; and so, with these so pleasant thoughts, carried away by the strange pleasure he felt in them, he hurried to put into effect what he longed for.