The reception of Don Quixote in China

Abstract

Don Quixote did not enter Chinese culture until the intellectual revolution of the early 20th century, when the empire collapsed. From that momento onward, various translations of Cervantes's novel appeared, although they were incomplete and were not made directly from Spanish. Even so, it was very well received by the Chinese population, since the story of Don Quixote transcends languages due to its universality, timelessness and immortality. Other works by Cervantes were translated from the 1950s and 1960s, and in 1982 a new translation of Don Quixote was created that had a huge impact in China, because, since then, there have been more profound interpretations of the novel, and the protagonist's name spread and was used as a nickname for fearless and brave people. Cervantes's story penetrated so deeply in the eastern country that, at the end of the 20th century, a Cervantine Center was created at the University of Nanjing.