Friday, July 10, 2009

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza speak Spanglish


If you have ever visited Gibraltar, Puerto Rico or Mexico, you may have heard something like:"Juan, come here now, que vas a coger frío y luego get a cold". It's a mixture between Spanish and English known as Spanglish. In United States, many Latin Americans include English words to their mother tongue.
Professor Ilan Stavans knows this reality and he has finished the translation of the first part of The Quixote. This piece of news has not been welcomed by Spanish Academicians who are considered old-fashioned scholars anchored in strict laws. Stavans has declared English has not liked it either, although from his viewpoint "it's the best way to fight against Washington authoritarism".Anyway, to cut a long story short, here you are. This is the beginning of the first book. Stavans' work won't be published until the translation of the second volume, so you can have your own opinion by reading this fragment meanwhile.

In un placete de la Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler antigua, a skinny caballo y un grayhound para el chase. A cazuela with más beef than mutón, carne choppeada para la dinner, un omelet pa' los sábados, lentil pa' los viernes, y algún pigeon como delicacy especial pa' los domingos.

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