Tobias Smollett, in the preface to his first novel, "The
Adventures of Roderick Random "(1748), acknowledges the influence
of Alain Rene Le Sage's "L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane"
(1715-35 in four volumes) on his work. By far the most successful
of "useful and entertaining" romances, Smollett writes, "Gil Blas"
describes "the knavery and foibles of life, with infinite humour
and sagacity." "The following sheets," he adds significantly, "I
have modeled on his plan." Smollett's translation of "Gil Blas"
appeared nine months after the publication of "Roderick Random."
This chronicle of a merry, philosophical young man whose adventures
lead him into all levels of society from the highest to the lowest,
presents special problems for a translator. Smollett, without
always adhering to the literal expression of the novel's language,
is true to its style, spirit, and ideas. After two and a half
centuries, his remains the finest translation of this humorous,
satiric, and classic French novel. In his early years in London,
Smollett struggled to find a way to distinguish himself through his
medical practice, medical writings, poetry, and plays. None of
these attempts, however, allowed him to demonstrate the full range
of his personality and talents. Only when he combined his own
boundless imagination with the skills he had learned from
translating "Gil Blas" was he able to create energetic narratives
filled with vivid and original characters.
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