"I first read Cervantes' 'Don Quixote', penned in 1605, when I was 20. After graduating from Chulalongkorn, I continued my study of Spanish and Latin American literature and earned a master's degree from New York University's campus in Madrid in 1988," Swangwan, 41, said. "When I was younger, I liked [the book] because of its sense of humour. When I got older, I found its message to be very substantial. Most importantly, Don Quixote highlights the ethical values of human beings."

She later joined Ramkhamhaeng University as a lecturer and helped set up the university's Spanish-language unit. She was also involved in the compilation of the first Thai-Spanish dictionary.

A gifted translator, she has also produced Thai versions of several notable foreign literary works so that they are accessible to a wider local readership.

Most importantly, Swangwan was commissioned in 2004 to translate "Don Quixote", one of the world's greatest literary masterpieces, into Thai. For 18 months she was on loan from Ramkhamhaeng University to undertake this monumental project under the Spanish Embassy's sponsorship.

Originally the Thai "Don Quixote" was supposed to be completed in 2005 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the book's authorship.

The story is about a Spanish hero who is sometimes dubbed an impractical idealist, as well as several other less charitable monikers. "This masterpiece essentially reflects Spain's way of life in the 17th century. Yet it remains relevant today because of its universal values.

"It's outstanding in the sense of being humorous, idealistic and realistic. All these elements are superbly and seamlessly interwoven throughout the work," Swangwan said.

"We used to conduct a survey asking respondents which books they would like to have if they happened to get stuck on a remote, uninhabited island and they were allowed to choose only five books. 'Don Quixote' was often cited.

"I think Thai readers will enjoy Cervantes' work. Besides humour, idealism and realism, readers can always find something new in the work. For instance, the main characters can serve as models of perseverance showing that we can overcome obstacles in real life," Swangwan said.

Currently advancing her education in the field by pursuing a doctoral degree in Spanish and Latin American literature at the Autonomous University in Madrid, Swangwan noted that Cervantes was a contemporary of William Shakespeare, both dying on the same day.

The original "Don Quixote" comprises two volumes, the first of which contains 52 chapters and the second 74, each volume containing more than 600 pages.

Only the first volume is now available in Thai, representing the 85th translation of the classic text, including all the major European, Middle Eastern and African languages as well as Hindi, Mandarin, Malay, Korean and Urdu.

The first copies of the Thai translation were presented to King Juan Carlos, the Spanish monarch, at a ceremony in Bangkok last Wednesday also attended by HRH Princess Sirindhorn.

According to Juan Manuel Lopez Nadal, the Spanish ambassador to Thailand, the Thai-language project will deepen cultural relations. In his opinion, the novel reflects fairly ironically the world view of 17th-century Spain. Universally, it reflects humanity's aspirations and efforts to adapt to the real world, the envoy said.

"Don Quixote" has been adapted worldwide in film, as a musical and on the straight stage.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

nop1122@yahoo.com