Lost in translation (Part 6)
Hi there, how are you all? As many of you know, it’s summertime where I live, and the temperature is really high lately. Too bad I don’t have the leisure to go near any waterbodies to cool down, and due to my current work load, I haven’t been able to update my blog either.
That being said, here I am, trying to continue the series of Lost in translation. If you haven’t yet read the previous posts of this series, please do so now. If you have, then you probably know what’s next. Yes, you bet. This post is about Albert’s reply to Candy’s long letter, which in my opinion is a love letter no less, and I have explained why in the last few posts.
Before I go on, I’d like to point out that many readers have only focused on Albert’s detailed descriptions of his growing pain and his isolated life as a youth. Yet, do you know that the beginning of this letter is worth a post of its own? Hence, let me begin. 🙂
Needless to say, the recipient of this letter was Candy, and he addressed her as
キャンディ・魔法使いさま
Literally, it means Candy, the person who uses magic (magical powers). In other words, we can translate it to Miss Wizardess or Miss Sorceress, and those of you who have read the spoilers provided by a Japanese reader might remember that she picked the latter one. If you recall how Candy ended her letter to her prince, then you will understand why Albert responded like this. 😛 I find their interaction very cute; first, Candy was honest and direct about her birthday wish — Prince on the Hill would take a holiday to come to Pony’s Home on her birthday to spend time with her. In case he wouldn’t oblige her, she even cast a spell on him. However, they were both aware that she had no magical powers, so she was essentially flirting. Don’t you think?
I’ve said this many times, but I don’t mind repeating myself again here about Candy acting like Albert’s significant other, if not his girlfriend. Think of it this way — now that he had let her know he was her prince, he should try his best to please her.
Hence, in his reply, he playfully gave her the title “sorceress”, and then he began his letter:
キャンディ、
そんなへんなおまじないを唱えなくても、誰かさんの誕生日はもちろん、しっかり覚えているよ!
それもずっと前からプレゼントを探し回っていたんだ。汗と涙の結晶。キャンディが絶対に喜ぶプレゼントを!
だから、きみの魔法にかからなくても許してくれ。
The direct translation of the above is (with a bit of paraphrasing):
Candy,
Even if you don’t chant such a queer spell, I firmly remember the birthday of a certain somebody, without a doubt.
In addition, before this I’ve been searching for a present for a long time. The product of sweat and tears, a present that will make Candy utterly overjoyed!
For this reason, please forgive me even if your magic doesn’t work.
The adjective he used to describe her spell has several meanings, such as strange, odd, queer, curious, peculiar, or weird. I remember when Fay translated Candy’s letter, Fay asked me about Candy’s spell, and I told Fay that was just bunch of sounds without real meanings. 😛 No wonder Albert joked about it. 😀
As you can see, he didn’t need a reminder from her at all, and he supported his claim with evidence — that he had been planning to find a present that pleased her (made her jump for joy?) and by the time he wrote his reply he was confident the present would definitely make her happy. How could he be so sure? Because he knew her better than anyone, and Candy was fully aware of that too. ❤
Besides, how long had he been searching? What he said could be literally translated to “all along, forever, all this time”, so that means that he was serious about it, not a whim or a casual idea. To make sure Candy didn’t miss this point, Albert further added that the present was the product of sweat and tears. 💟 Guess what? The word for ‘product’ can be translated to ‘fruit’ or ‘crystal’. For example, the same term, when used in the context of a family, can refer to the children of the loving couple (the fruits of a loving couple).
Anyway, when Candy read that Prince on the Hill said her spell didn’t work, how would she react? Perhaps she hadn’t seen it coming, and even though he had found her something special for her birthday, she would feel let down nonetheless. As if Albert could predict Candy’s disappointment, he explained that although he would like to take a holiday more than anyone else, his loyal assistant says with a serious face that “It seems you have already taken the lifetime supply of holidays”.
…と真面目くさって言う。確かだ。
Note that Albert not only quoted Georges’ words in present tense, he also used present tense about Georges’ saying this. Albert even affirmed his words, saying, “This is absolutely true.”
What does this mean? Could it be that Albert had asked Georges before and when he was writing the letter, he asked again, just to be sure? 🤔
Another interesting aspect is how Albert regarded Georges. If you belong to the workforce or work under a manager or a supervisor, then you see my point. Why couldn’t Albert take his holiday? Why did he ask Georges as though he needed his permission? After all, who was in charge? Apparently, Albert respected Georges and valued his opinions, despite being the boss and the son of Georges’ benefactor.
ふくれるな、キャンディ。
Right then, Albert added the above, which means, Don’t get sulky (angry), Candy.
Then he suggested her come to Chicago instead to celebrate her birthday with Annie. From what he wrote, I guess the patriarch had remained close to his nephew and his girlfriend Annie. Do you think the two knew that Albert wanted a holiday (because of Candy)? Were they aware of his trip to Pony’s Home a while ago? Or did Albert bring up the topic of Candy’s birthday? Why on earth would Annie tell Albert that she wanted to hold a party with Candy? If not, how else did Albert find out about Annie’s intentions?
Anyway, after adding that it would be more convenient for him in Chicago, he wrote:
さあ、ふくれっ面がなおって、きみが受け入れてくれるなら、すぐに迎えの車の手配をしよう。
Literally, this means
Now, fix your sulky look, and if I receive your acceptance, I will immediately arrange cars to pick you up.
The first phrase is often translated to “quit pouting” or “cheer up”. Note that Albert wrote the rest with politeness and respect, and no doubt Candy was very important to him. Can’t you sense that he felt bad for turning down her invitation to Pony’s Home on her big day? Since her expectations would not be realized, he proposed an alternative in attempt to alleviate her feeling of dissatisfaction.
Those who have read the spoilers or going to read Fay’s translation will know that Albert actually extended his invitation to everyone at Pony’s Home, and he continued to sell his ideas and explain the benefits of the kids and teachers coming to Chicago, etc. After all that, he added,
それでも、まだ機嫌が直らない?
でも、僕のプレゼントを見たら、きっと、とびきりの笑顔を見せてくれるだろう!
Even then, (are you) still in unrepairable mood?
But when you see my present, sure enough you will show me your brightest smile, I hope!
Only then he decided to change the topic, which I will discuss in my next post. 🙂
How easy it is to overlook the significance of Albert’s attempts to cheer her up! The author Nagita couldn’t have written these paragraphs with no particular reason. It reminds me of the time when Candy stood in the street looking dejected because of the same guy. Maybe her weary, dispirited visage kept intruding in his thoughts that he couldn’t help asking about her mood again and again. 😀 Do you know that he used the same verb “repair / heal” with regards to her mood? The first time he urged her to fix it (see the above direct translation), and this time he questioned if her mood was unrepairable (unrecoverable). 😉 😛
If you were Candy, how would you feel reading this reply from the man you called your prince? Remember, she had thought her spell would work, because she supposed he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him. Regrettably, her hopes were dashed, because as much as her prince wanted, he could not take a day off. This outcome must have seemed like a setback to her.
At the same time, his evidently apologetic tone couldn’t go unnoticed. He undeniably cared about her feelings. Not to mention that not only he had not forgotten her birthday, but he had already prepared a present ahead of time. What’s more, the word he used to describe her smile has such meanings as extraordinary, exceptional, out of this world, finest, super-fine, extra bright, etc. So you see? He had spent some considerable effort trying to find something surprising that would bring out her とびきりの笑顔! 😍
By the time Candy read this, one can imagine how a smile crept up on her face, her sullen mood lifted. More likely than not, this would remind her of the words from her childhood prince about her looking prettier when smiling. She should also understand that her Prince on the Hill was the president of a business enterprise, so he had to fulfill his commitments and would always be occupied in his work.
Everything considered, this makes his sudden visit to Pony’s Home (he claimed he had intended to stay and spend a long time with her) all the more precious. 💘 I guess Candy could hardly wait to visit Albert in Chicago. Since he had emphasized more than once that he had anticipated her joyful response upon seeing the product of his sweat and tears, how could she not wonder what kind of unpredictable present he had in store for her?
Greetings!
Dear Interstellar, your message finally got posted.. six times, LOL. The same has happened to me as well and Ms Puddles was kind enough to delete all those multiple posts. I think there’s some glitch in WordPress and that’s why the messages don’t come through or they suddenly come out all at once. Who knows?
InterstelIar, I couldn’t agree with you more about Albert’s condition. Your posts are always so keen and witty (love your sense of humour). But I’ll just remind everyone here that even in the anime Albert didn’t simply say that he hit his head and remembers nothing. Instead, the medical staff reported that Albert kept on reiterating “America..” “Chicago” and some other blurted out pieces of data he kept on mumbling in his delirium. It was thanks to these small pieces of info that Albert was taken back to the States. Otherwise, he would have probably perished at the awful makeshift hospital in Italy. And you’re right.. His memory didn’t just come back on like a light switch. It took him years to recover with lots of love and care from Candy, Dr Martin, and her friends.
My personal take on this though is that Albert’s so-called amnesia may have also been the result of him subconsciously wanting to let go of his past. He always wanted to leave the Ardlays and be his alter ego-Albert. His past was overwhelmingly painful to him. He felt trapped and enslaved within his own family name. Maybe his subconscious along with his almost deadly accident played important roles in his brain disorder. I agree with you that his condition resembles a post-traumatic stress disorder. Such cases are typical amongst victims of rape, military veterans who had fought in war-stricken areas, and people who suffered the shock of the death of a loved one.
But I’ll stop here for now..
Dear Ms Puddles, I’ve so enjoyed reading your recent posts and I’m eagerly waiting for your next ones whenever convenient for you. I’ll post my thoughts and response to some of your findings at a later date if you would like.
Take Care,
Myra
Thanks for your kind words, Myra!
Your comment on Albert’s trauma speaks volumes about his escapism. Terry fans keep on moping about Terry being a victim and “poor Terry this” and “poor Terry that” but the guy who really had it rough was Albert. He lost his mother, his father was alienated from him, and then his father dies too, and then his most beloved person in the world-his sister- dies in her beauty and youth. Add all the pressure and emotional stress the Ardlay elders had put on him even further and one could easily wonder how the man managed to overcome all this. Sure, he was wealthy but his personal and emotional life was in severe poverty, especially after the death of his sister. By crossing paths with Candy, his life bore meaning and a glimmer of hope once again.
To reiterate, I’m not saying that Albert’s amnesia was self-induced trauma. However, one could debate that it came at the right time for him because it ironically kept him within the healthy love of Candy and away from those sick-minded and ludicrous Ardlay elders.
You Take Care Too,
Interstellar
It’s happened to me too, Myra, and not just on this blog. It has to do with algorithms. Some words, phrases, and links are documented as spam and prevent access/publishing.
It’s interesting you say that Albert may have subconsciously wanted to be or remain an amnesiac. In the anime as well as the manga he actually thinks about this and he’s scared of what will happen when he regains his memory because he doesn’t want to leave Candy. It’s clear that he had already fallen for her even before she left for New York to see Terry.
There’s so much going on with Albert and I don’t blame everyone regarding him as such a fascinating character. I’ve always been a Terry-enthusiast but as I’m getting older, I can see why all the support for Albert exists. He’s such a complex and profound character. It’s such a pity that Nagita didn’t want to work on the CC story anymore. There’s so much uncharted territory. I would have really wanted to know about his past, including his university years, his past love interests and his character. Nagita is “mean” and she gives us only snippets of information about him.
See you around,
Avon
Yes, Avon, there’s no doubt Albert had already been charmed by Candy and didn’t want to leave her side. He couldn’t help it, even though he was aware of Terry’s significance in her heart.
Even after his recovery, he had rather keep it a secret and continued living with her. Therefore, I wonder why some people insist he had no romantic feelings for her or that she was merely a sister to him.
I think both Terry and Albert are complex characters, each deserves a bit more from the author Nagita. I read somewhere that her manuscripts were longer than what the manga showed or something like that. Don’t remember the details now.
Hello Myra and Interstellar, the plugin I have installed to filter spam messages deems comments with multiple links suspicious. Since I have approved your comments before, they would not be regarded as junk but will be added to the queue of comments pending approval. Make sense to you?
Yesterday I just approved those comments from Interstellar all at once without reading every one of them. My bad. 😅
My knowledge in memory, trauma or how our brains work is basically zero, but I must say Interstellar’s analyses of Albert’s conditions and potential causes of amnesia are convincing.
Myra, what you said about Albert subconsciously wanting to forget his past sounds totally plausible too.
Bravo, you two! 💪👏👍
Myra, thank you so much for following the series, and your support means a lot to me. Hopefully you will find my new post somewhat interesting. Yes, please feel free to share your thoughts, anytime.
You take care too 😘