God bless me, gentle (or it may be plebeian) reader, how eagerly must thou be looking forward to this preface, expecting to find there retaliation, scolding, and abuse against the author of the second Don Quixote — I mean him who was, they say, begotten at Tordesillas and born at Tarragona! —
上帝保佑我，温和的（或者可能是平民）读者，你肯定迫不及待地期待在这篇前言中找到对第二部《堂吉诃德》的作者还击、斥责和谩骂 — 我指的是那位据说是在托德西利亚斯受孕并在塔拉戈纳出生的人！ —

Well then, the truth is, I am not going to give thee that satisfaction; —
那么，事实是，我不打算让你如愿； —

for, though injuries stir up anger in humbler breasts, in mine the rule must admit of an exception. —
因为，虽然伤害会激起较低派性情的愤怒，在我这里，规则必须有个例外。 —

Thou wouldst have me call him ass, fool, and malapert, but I have no such intention; —
你希望我称他为驴子、傻瓜和粗鲁，但我没有那样的意图； —

let his offence be his punishment, with his bread let him eat it, and there’s an end of it. —
让他的罪行就是他的惩罚，让他自食其果，就此作罢。 —

What I cannot help taking amiss is that he charges me with being old and one-handed, as if it had been in my power to keep time from passing over me, or as if the loss of my hand had been brought about in some tavern, and not on the grandest occasion the past or present has seen, or the future can hope to see. —
我无法不不悦的是，他指责我变老和一只手，好像阻止岁月从我身上流逝在我手中，或者好像我失去了手臂是在某个酒馆里发生的，而不是在过去或现在见过、未来或许能见到的最伟大的场合上。 —

If my wounds have no beauty to the beholder’s eye, they are, at least, honourable in the estimation of those who know where they were received; —
如果我的伤痕在旁观者眼中没有美感，至少在知道它们来自何处的人们看来是值得尊重的； —

for the soldier shows to greater advantage dead in battle than alive in flight; —
因为士兵在战场上死去比在逃亡中活着更显威武； —

and so strongly is this my feeling, that if now it were proposed to perform an impossibility for me, I would rather have had my share in that mighty action, than be free from my wounds this minute without having been present at it. —
我的感觉是如此强烈，以至于如果现在有人为我做一个不可能的事情，我宁愿参与那场伟大的行动，而不是在此刻脱离伤病而没有参与其中。 —

Those the soldier shows on his face and breast are stars that direct others to the heaven of honour and ambition of merited praise; —
士兵在脸上和胸前展示的伤疤是引领他人走向荣誉之天和追求应得赞美的星星； —

and moreover it is to be observed that it is not with grey hairs that one writes, but with the understanding, and that commonly improves with years. —
而且还应该注意到，写作不是靠白发，而是靠理解力，而理解力通常随着岁月而增强。 —

I take it amiss, too, that he calls me envious, and explains to me, as if I were ignorant, what envy is; —
我也看不惯他称我为嫉妒，并向我解释嫉妒是什么； —

for really and truly, of the two kinds there are, I only know that which is holy, noble, and high-minded; —
因为实际上，有两种嫉妒，我只了解那种是圣洁、高贵和高尚的； —

and if that be so, as it is, I am not likely to attack a priest, above all if, in addition, he holds the rank of familiar of the Holy Office. —
如果是因为他似乎是为了别人而说这番话，他完全错了； —

And if he said what he did on account of him on whose behalf it seems he spoke, he is entirely mistaken; —
而且如果他说了他所说的话，那是因为他善解人意，他非常错了； —

for I worship the genius of that person, and admire his works and his unceasing and strenuous industry. —
因为我崇拜那个人的天才，钦佩他的作品以及他不懈的勤奋工作。 —

After all, I am grateful to this gentleman, the author, for saying that my novels are more satirical than exemplary, but that they are good; —
毕竟，我感激这位作者先生，他说我的小说更多是讽刺而非示范，但是它们是好的； —

for they could not be that unless there was a little of everything in them.
因为如果没有各种元素的融合，它们就不可能是那样好的。

I suspect thou wilt say that I am taking a very humble line, and keeping myself too much within the bounds of my moderation, from a feeling that additional suffering should not be inflicted upon a sufferer, and that what this gentleman has to endure must doubtless be very great, as he does not dare to come out into the open field and broad daylight, but hides his name and disguises his country as if he had been guilty of some lese majesty. —
我怀疑你会说我采取了非常谦卑的态度，过于谦虚，因为我认为不应该给一个受难者造成额外的痛苦，并且这位先生所经历的必定是非常巨大的，因为他不敢走出去，隐藏了自己的名字和国家，仿佛犯了什么伤害国家尊严的罪行。 —

If perchance thou shouldst come to know him, tell him from me that I do not hold myself aggrieved; —
如果你碰巧认识他，告诉他，我并不感到委屈； —

for I know well what the temptations of the devil are, and that one of the greatest is putting it into a man’s head that he can write and print a book by which he will get as much fame as money, and as much money as fame; —
因为我深知魔鬼的诱惑，其中最大的之一就是让一个人相信他能写并出版一本书，从而获得同样多的名誉和金钱，以及名誉和金钱的同等数量； —

and to prove it I will beg of you, in your own sprightly, pleasant way, to tell him this story.
为了证明这一点，我将请求你以你自己的机智和愉快的方式，告诉他这个故事。

There was a madman in Seville who took to one of the drollest absurdities and vagaries that ever madman in the world gave way to. —
塞维利亚有一个疯子，陷入了世界上疯狂的、最滑稽的荒唐和怪癖之一。 —

It was this: he made a tube of reed sharp at one end, and catching a dog in the street, or wherever it might be, he with his foot held one of its legs fast, and with his hand lifted up the other, and as best he could fixed the tube where, by blowing, he made the dog as round as a ball; —
就是这个：他拿一根尖端的芦苇管，抓住街上或其他地方的一只狗，用脚将它的一条腿固定住，用手抬起另一只腿，并尽力将管子插在那里，然后吹气，把狗吹得像球一样圆起来； —

then holding it in this position, he gave it a couple of slaps on the belly, and let it go, saying to the bystanders (and there were always plenty of them): —
接着，他用一个手掌在狗的腹部拍了两下，放开了狗，对旁观者（总是有很多人）说： —

“Do your worships think, now, that it is an easy thing to blow up a dog?” —
“诸位先生们，你们觉得，吹起一只狗容易吗？” —

— Does your worship think now, that it is an easy thing to write a book?
—— 你觉得，写一本书容易吗？

And if this story does not suit him, you may, dear reader, tell him this one, which is likewise of a madman and a dog.
如果这个故事他觉得不适合，你可以，亲爱的读者，告诉他这个故事，同样是关于一个疯子和一只狗。

In Cordova there was another madman, whose way it was to carry a piece of marble slab or a stone, not of the lightest, on his head, and when he came upon any unwary dog he used to draw close to him and let the weight fall right on top of him; —
在科尔多瓦，还有另一个疯子，他的做法是将一块大理石板或石头（可不算轻的）放在头上，当他遇到任何不留神的狗时，他会靠近他，让重物直接砸在狗头上； —

on which the dog in a rage, barking and howling, would run three streets without stopping. —
狗会愤怒地狂吠和嚎叫，跑着穿过三条街而不停下来。 —

It so happened, however, that one of the dogs he discharged his load upon was a cap-maker’s dog, of which his master was very fond. —
然而，他卸下货物的其中一只狗恰好是一位帽匠的狗，其主人非常喜爱。 —

The stone came down hitting it on the head, the dog raised a yell at the blow, the master saw the affair and was wroth, and snatching up a measuring-yard rushed out at the madman and did not leave a sound bone in his body, and at every stroke he gave him he said, “You dog, you thief! —
石头击中了它的头，狗因受到打击而发出一声尖叫，主人看到了这一幕感到发怒，抓起一个测量尺冲出去追那疯子，对他狠狠地殴打，每一击他都说：“你这个畜生，你这个贼！ —

my lurcher! Don’t you see, you brute, that my dog is a lurcher? —
我的猎狗！你这只野兽，难道你看不出，我的狗是猎狗吗？ —

” and so, repeating the word “lurcher” again and again, he sent the madman away beaten to a jelly. —
”并且，一遍又一遍地重复着“猎狗”这个词，将那个疯子打得浑身是伤。 —

The madman took the lesson to heart, and vanished, and for more than a month never once showed himself in public; —
疯子铭记在心，并消失了，有一个多月都没有再出现在公众场合； —

but after that he came out again with his old trick and a heavier load than ever. —
但之后他再次展示他老伎俩的时候，负担比以往更重。 —

He came up to where there was a dog, and examining it very carefully without venturing to let the stone fall, he said: —
他走到一处狗的旁边，仔细检查着，但没有放下石头，他说： —

“This is a lurcher; ware!” In short, all the dogs he came across, be they mastiffs or terriers, he said were lurchers; —
“这是一只猎狗；小心！” 总之，他遇到的所有狗，无论是獒犬还是梗犬，他都说是猎狗； —

and he discharged no more stones. Maybe it will be the same with this historian; —
他再也没有扔石头了。或许这位史家会有同样的经历； —

that he will not venture another time to discharge the weight of his wit in books, which, being bad, are harder than stones. —
他也许再也不敢在书中发泄他的机智之言，那些糟糕的书比石头还硬。 —

Tell him, too, that I do not care a farthing for the threat he holds out to me of depriving me of my profit by means of his book; —
告诉他，我对他威胁要通过他的书剥夺我的利润一点也不在乎； —

for, to borrow from the famous interlude of “The Perendenga,” I say in answer to him, “Long life to my lord the Veintiquatro, and Christ be with us all. —
因为，借用著名的短剧《Perendenga》中的话来回答他，“长命百岁我尊贵的Veintiquatro大人，愿基督与我们同在。 —

” Long life to the great Conde de Lemos, whose Christian charity and well-known generosity support me against all the strokes of my curst fortune; —
”祝愿伟大的莱莫斯伯爵长命百岁，他的基督教慈善和著名的慷慨支持着我抵抗命运的一切打击； —

and long life to the supreme benevolence of His Eminence of Toledo, Don Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas; —
愿托莱多大主教圣贝纳多•德•桑多瓦尔•伊•罗哈斯长命百岁； —

and what matter if there be no printing-presses in the world, or if they print more books against me than there are letters in the verses of Mingo Revulgo! —
世界上是否没有印刷机又或者对我发行的书比Mingo Revulgo的诗歌中的字母还多又有什么关系！ —

These two princes, unsought by any adulation or flattery of mine, of their own goodness alone, have taken it upon them to show me kindness and protect me, and in this I consider myself happier and richer than if Fortune had raised me to her greatest height in the ordinary way. —
这两位王子，不求我任何奉承或谄媚，仅凭他们自身的善良，已经选择善待我并保护我，因此我觉得自己比起命运以常规方式将我提升到最高位置还要更幸福更富有。 —

The poor man may retain honour, but not the vicious; —
穷人可能保留荣誉，但邪恶者不行； —

poverty may cast a cloud over nobility, but cannot hide it altogether; —
贫穷可能遮蔽贵族的光芒，但无法完全掩盖； —

and as virtue of itself sheds a certain light, even though it be through the straits and chinks of penury, it wins the esteem of lofty and noble spirits, and in consequence their protection. —
因为美德本身会散发一种特定光芒，即使是通过贫困的困窘和裂缝，也会赢得高尚和贵族精神的尊敬，从而得到他们的保护。 —

Thou needst say no more to him, nor will I say anything more to thee, save to tell thee to bear in mind that this Second Part of “Don Quixote” which I offer thee is cut by the same craftsman and from the same cloth as the First, and that in it I present thee Don Quixote continued, and at length dead and buried, so that no one may dare to bring forward any further evidence against him, for that already produced is sufficient; —
你不需要再向他多说，我也不会再对你说什么，只想告诉你要记住，我向你提供的《堂吉诃德》第二部，与第一部由同一工匠剪裁，用同一块布制成，其中我展示了续集，最后将他描绘成死去和埋葬，这样就没有人敢再针对他提出任何证据，因为已经足够了； —

and suffice it, too, that some reputable person should have given an account of all these shrewd lunacies of his without going into the matter again; —
而且有些可靠的人已经对他的所有这些聪明的疯狂行为作出了解释，无需再深入讨论这些事； —

for abundance, even of good things, prevents them from being valued; —
因为充足，即使是好事物，也会导致它们不被珍视； —

and scarcity, even in the case of what is bad, confers a certain value. —
即使是坏事物，稀缺也赋予了一定的价值。 —

I was forgetting to tell thee that thou mayest expect the “Persiles,” which I am now finishing, and also the Second Part of “Galatea.”
我忘了告诉你，你可以期待“佩尔西莱斯”，我正在写作中，还有《伽拉泰亚》的第二部分。