堂吉诃德·上卷（英文版）

经典之所以是经典，老堂对中世纪黄金时代淳朴自然生活的赞美和对当下世风日下的批评，呼唤骑士精神的回归和拯救。 那是一个快乐幸福的时代，赋予了黄金时代的美名；那个时代不分你我，和谐共处，彼此友爱；泉水清冽丰盈，大地母亲物产丰富、慷慨共给，养育着快乐生活的子女； 淳朴善良、戴着香柏花冠的牧羊女，轻盈的身影穿峡谷、过草坡，衣带飘飘、身心逍遥无所忧惧。欺诈、恶毒还不曾染指真诚善良；公平正义还没有被贪婪利欲伤害。 我，堂吉诃德，要为那样一种良善正义的回归而战；为骑士精神的回归而战，保护弱女、解救贫孤、救助急难是我从今往后一切历险的职责。 “Happy the age, happy the time, to which the ancients gave the name of golden” In that blessed age all things were in common; Then all was peace, all friendship, all concord; The clear streams and running brooks yielded their savoury limpid waters in noble abundance. the tender bowels of our first mother that without compulsion yielded from every portion of her broad fertile bosom all that could satisfy, sustain, and delight the children that then possessed her the innocent and fair young shepherdess roamed from vale to vale and hill to hill, the wreathed leaves of the green dock and ivy, wherewith they went as bravely and becomingly. wandered at will alone and unattended, without fear of insult from lawlessness or libertine assault, Fraud, deceit, or malice had then not yet mingled with truth and sincerity. Justice held her ground, undisturbed and unassailed by the efforts of favour and of interest, In defence of these, as time advanced and wickedness increased, the order of knights-errant was instituted, to defend maidens, to protect widows and to succour the orphans and the needy.

Through the lens of Don Quixote’s frequently absurd adventure-seeking, Cervantes demonstrates the social realities of the 17th-century Spain. His unwavering belief in a world that is filled with chivalry suggests his unrealistic idealism, leading to the perception of windmills as giants, inns as castles. However, this story reminds us that the pursuit of dreams and fight for what we believe in would make our life more meaningful despite the harsh realities we often encounter .