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EL INGENIOSO CABALLERO - CAPITULO 1/6:
La historia de Don Quijote en seis capítulos con audio para nivel intermedio de inglés. Para tu comodidad, a lo largo del texto hemos intercalado un vocabulario bilingüe. Descarga el audio a tu reproductor portátil y practica inglés mientras viajas.
Pulsa la palabra "AUDIO" de color rojo para escuchar. Para descargar el audio, acerca la flecha del ratón a esa palabra y con
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THE INGENIOUS KNIGHT |
AUDIO |
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DON QUIXOTE BEGINS HIS LIFE OF
ADVENTURE.
He wanted to be one of the men in his books. He wanted to be a knight. He
wanted to leave his home and have adventures.
Mr Alonso Quixada lived quietly for many years in a village in La Mancha in the
middle of Spain. He was a tall, thin man, nearly fifty years old. He didn't have
a lot of money, but he had friends, a nice house, an old horse, a good dog and
food on his table.
But Mr Quixada also loved to read books about knights. When he read these books,
he was in another world. He forgot about his work and his everyday problems. The
books gave him a picture in his head of a more exciting time in more interesting
places. |
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ingenious: ingenioso; knight: caballero; adventures: aventuras; he wanted to be one: él quería convertirse en uno; in his books: de sus libros; |
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He read all day and all night. He talked for hours and hours to his two oldest friends, Pero and Nicolás, about the stories in these books. But Mr Quixada was different from his friends. He wanted more than books and conversation. After many years he thought, 'I don't want to sit here. I want to be a knight. I'll leave this village and have adventures.'
Mr Quixada got ready for his new life. He found an old suit of armour, and he made a helmet. Then he thought about his dear old horse: A knight's horse has to have a good name. I'll call my horse Rocinante because he isn't a tired old horse now. He, too, is ready for adventures. He and I will find a new, exciting life.' |
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suit of armour: armadura (vestidura de piezas metálicas); helmet: casco, yelmo; |
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He thought for eight more days about his new name before an idea came to him. 'I will be Don Quixote de la Mancha!' he said excitedly.
Every knight in the old stories also had a lovely young woman at the centre of his life. The knight told the world about her, and he fought for her. So Don Quixote had to find the right woman. |
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excitedly: con mucho entusiasmo o ilusión; he fought for her: peleaba, luchaba por ella; the right woman: la mujer ideal; |
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Aldonza Lorenzo lived in El
Toboso, near his village. She was a happy, fat girl - nice, but not really
clever or beautiful. But to Don Quixote she was the loveliest woman in the world.
He gave her a fine new name too: Dulcinea del Toboso.
'There is music in the name', thought Don Quixote. 'I'll fight bad men, and then
I'll send them to my love. They'll tell her about my great adventures, and that
will make her happy. Then they'll sing songs and write stories about the lovely
Dulcinea and her knight, Don Quixote.' |
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the loveliest: la más encantadora; a fine new name: un nuevo y refinado nombre; |
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Now this man of big ideas was ready for his great journey. Early one July morning, before the sun was too hot, Rocinante carried Don Quixote, in his helmet and suit of armour, away from his village and into his new life. Don Quixote wanted to make the world a better place. He smiled happily at the idea of the famous Don Quixote de la Mancha.
'But wait!' he said to Rocinante and to the sky. 'I can't fight other knights! First, somebody has to knight me!' This was a big problem for Don Quixote, but then he remembered stories from his old books. 'Somebody on the road can knight me,' he remembered. He felt happy again. |
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to knight me: convertirme en caballero; |
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After a long day without food, drink or adventures, Don Quixote and Rocinante came to an old building. Rocinante saw a small inn, but in Don Quixote's eyes it was a great castle.
'Look at this, Rocinante!' shouted Don Quixote. 'This is a good place for knights and their horses. We'll find important people here. Let's wait. Somebody will come out and invite us inside.'
But nobody came out and Rocinante was very tired and hungry. Rocinante walked slowly to the hotel door. Two bored young country women stood there. When they saw a strange old man in a suit of armour, with a dirty face and a lance in his hand, they started to run into the inn. |
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inn: posada, hostería; a great castle: un castillo colosal; invite us inside: nos invitará a entrar; bored: aburridas; lance: lanza; |
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'Don't be afraid!' Don Quixote said quickly. 'You're fine women. I want to help. Tell me your problems, and I'll fight for you!'
But they weren't fine women and people didn't usually speak to them in that way. When they laughed at him, Don Quixote started to feel angry. But the innkeeper heard the noise and came outside.
'Good day, sir,' he said in a loud, friendly way. He didn't want to laugh, but this man at his door looked very strange.
'Sir,' Don Quixote said, 'you have a fine castle here. Perhaps it is the finest in this country. Now, please take my horse. Give him good food and water because he worked hard for me today.' |
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in that way: de esa manera; laughed at him: se rieron de él; innkeeper: posadero, mesonero; heard the noise: escuchó el ruido; loud: en voz alta; the finest: el más elegante; he worked hard: trabajó mucho; |
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The innkeeper looked at Don Quixote's old suit of armour and asked, with a small smile, 'Sir, are you a knight?'
'I am not,' Don Quixote said sadly through his helmet. 'But perhaps you can help me with that problem. Can you knight me?'
The innkeeper didn't know anything about knights, but he wanted happy customers.
'Sir, I'm the right man for the job,' he answered.
'We'll do it in the morning,' said Don Quixote excitedly. 'And tonight I'll wait with my lance and my suit of armour in the church.'
'That's an interesting plan,' the innkeeper said, 'but there isn't a church near here. You can wait out here and I'll bring you food. Have you got any money?'
'Not a penny,' said Don Quixote. 'I know everything about knights. I know that they never carry money' |
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sadly: apenado; can you knight me?: ¿me puede convertir en caballero?; not a penny: ni un céntimo; they never carry money: ellos nunca llevan dinero consigo; |
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'That's a mistake, my friend,' said the innkeeper. 'Most knights go on journeys with a squire. The squire carries the knight's money and clean clothes. You have to get a squire. And always take money with you on your journeys.'
'Thank you. I'll remember that. And now I'll get ready for tomorrow. It's a very important day for me.'
Don Quixote put his suit of armour down in front of the inn. Then he walked up and down. Sometimes he stopped and looked at his suit of armour. Then he started to walk again. Visitors to the hotel watched out of their windows and laughed at him.
After some time, a man arrived at the inn with his donkeys. The animals were tired, hungry and thirsty after a long journey, so the man moved Don Quixote's suit of armour. |
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squire: escudero (acompañante de un caballero); watched out: observaban; donkeys: burros, asnos, borricos; hungry and thirsty: famélicos y sedientos; |
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'Stop! Why are you moving a
brother knight's armour? Don't you know that is wrong?' Don Quixote called
angrily.
'What's happening here?' the man with the donkeys asked. Are you trying to be
funny?' He kicked the armour away from the door.
'Help me, Dulcinea del Toboso!' Don Quixote shouted.
Then he ran at the man with his lance and hit him on the head very hard. The man
fell to the ground and didn't move. Don Quixote put his suit of armour next to
the door again and watched it carefully. |
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a brother knight's armour: la armadura de un colega caballero; kicked ... away: apartó de un puntapié; shouted: gritó; hit him: lo golpeó; fell to the ground: cayó al suelo; |
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But half an hour later, another man arrived with his donkeys. Without a word, Don Quixote ran at that man with his lance. He hit the man very hard on his head three or four times. Everybody in the hotel heard the noise and ran outside. They shouted and threw things at Don Quixote.
Don Quixote was very excited. 'This is the life of a knight,' he thought happily. I'll fight every man in this castle!'
The innkeeper ran out too, and spoke to Don Quixote. |
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threw things: le arrojaron objetos; |
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'Listen, sir,' he said quietly. 'I looked at my books about knights. You don't have to wait for the morning. I can knight you now. Stand here, next to your armour.'
He took Don Quixote's lance, and hit him on the back with it.
'And now you're a knight, and you can leave – tonight!'
Don Quixote smiled happily, and he and Rocinante left the hotel. The innkeeper was happy too. Don Quixote didn't pay for his food, but nobody was dead. |
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tonight: esta misma noche; didn't pay: no pagó; nobody was dead: nadie murió; |
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The next day, Don Quixote was
very excited because now he was really a knight. He didn't have to wait a long
time for an adventure. He was near some trees and heard the cry of somebody with
a problem.
'Listen, Rocinante,' said the knight very quietly. 'Somebody wants my help. I'm
ready because now I'm a knight.'
Don Quixote followed the cries and found a fifteen-year-old boy without a shirt
and with his arms round a tree. An angry man stood next to the tree and shouted
at the boy. 'I'll teach you a lesson. You'll open your eyes and shut your mouth
at work. Do you understand?' Then he hit the boy on his back. |
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cry: llanto, lamento; fifteen-year-old: quinceañero; |
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'Stop, sir! Why are you hitting this child?' shouted Don Quixote loudly. 'You're a man, and he's a young boy. Fight with me, your brother knight, and I'll teach you a lesson about a good knight's life.'
The man saw Don Quixote's lance and felt afraid. 'Sir, the boy is a bad worker. He doesn't always watch my animals. He falls asleep on the job. I lose sheep every day. What can I do with him?'
You can pay him and send him home. Or I'll put my lance in your stomach, Don Quixote said. 'Boy, what's your name? Are you a good worker?'
Sir, my name is Andrés. I work very hard, and he doesn't pay me,' the boy said. |
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hitting: pegándole; loudly: en voz muy alta; watch: vigilar, controlar; he falls asleep: se queda dormido; on the job: en el trabajo; I lose sheep: pierdo ovejas; stomach: estómago; |
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'Pay Andrés his money you dog, or I'll kill you!' Don Quixote shouted at the man.
'Sir, you're making a mistake,' the man tried to say. But he saw a strange and perhaps dangerous man in front of him. 'I haven't got any money with me. But I'll take Andrés to my house and pay him every penny for his work.'
'Sir,' shouted Andrés, 'I can't go with him. He'll hit me again.'
Don Quixote spoke to the man. 'Brother Knight, you have to listen to me. Do the right thing or I'll come back. Then I'll kill you. I hope that you remember this.'
'I understand,' said the man. 'I was wrong. The boy and I are going to go to my house, and I'm going to pay him.'
'Very good,' Don Quixote said happily. 'Now the world is a better place.' Then he and Rocinante turned and left. |
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perhaps: posiblemente; do the right thing: haga lo que corresponde; I was wrong: estuve mal, me equivoqué; turned and left: dieron media vuelta y partieron; |
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The man and Andrés watched the
knight and his horse go down the road. Then the man said, 'Andrés, I'm going to
teach you a lesson.'
'But don't hurt me,' the boy said. 'Remember the knight's words.'
'I won't forget. Come here!' Then he caught the boy and hit him many more times.
'Now go and find your good, strong knight. Perhaps he'll pay you for your bad
work!' |
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don't hurt me: no me lastime; strong knight: fuerte caballero; |
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Three or four kilometres down the
road, Don Quixote saw six very rich, important men on horses. They bought and
sold fruit and flowers, meat and vegetables. Seven of their workers walked
behind the horses.
'Here are some knights and their squires,' Don Quixote told Rocinante. 'And now
I too am a knight.' He stopped in the middle of the road. No person or horse
could walk past him.
'Stop!' Don Quixote shouted. 'Is Dulcinea del Toboso not the most beautiful, the
most wonderful woman in the world? Tell everybody that, and you can use this
road.'
The rich men smiled at the strange man in front of them.
'Sorry, old man,' one of them said with a laugh. 'We don't know this woman. How
can we tell anybody about her?' |
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bought and sold: compraban y vendían; behind: detrás de; could walk past him: podria pasar caminando; with a laugh: con una carcajada; |
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'What?!' shouted Don Quixote
angrily. 'Are you saying that she is not beautiful?'
And suddenly, with his lance in his hand, Don Quixote kicked Rocinante and they
ran at the men. But Rocinante fell over something in the road, and Don Quixote
fell on top of him.
In his heavy suit of armour, Don Quixote couldn't move, but he shouted at the
men from the ground.
'Stop, you dogs! Don't try to run away! You'll pay for this!'
The men on foot heard Don Quixote's words and one of them took his lance from
him. He hit the knight many times and broke the lance. They left Don Quixote on
the ground. After a long time, a man from his village found the knight. He put
his friend on his donkey and took him home. |
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fell over: cayó sobre; to run away: de escaparse; on foot: de a pie; broke: rompió; |
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The rich men were in the next big
city that night. At dinner everybody enjoyed the story of their adventure with a
strange knight. |
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everybody enjoyed: todos disfrutaron de; a strange knight: un extraño caballero. |
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COMING SOON! CHAPTER 2/6 |
