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?