Lost in translation (Part 8)

Many thanks to those who have been following this series Lost in translation! I’ve finally come to terms with my lack of spare time. I won’t be able to go through the letters in the epilogue line by line anymore. Thanks for your understanding! Therefore, this time I’ll mainly discuss the highlights in Albert’s long reply to Candy and/or the notable differences between Candy Candy Final Story (CCFS) and Fay’s translation. You might want to read my post side by side with a version that you have.

Before I start, I recently found out that Albert addressed Candy as the ‘little enchantress’ in the aforementioned translation. Is it the same in the Italian version? 🤔 As explained in Lost in translation (Part 6), Albert addressed Candy as

魔法使いさま

There’s nothing about “little” in her title. One may translate this to Miss Sorceress (or Miss Enchantress if you prefer).

Now, let me continue where I left off in Part 6. Note that in Japanese version Albert left a blank line before changing his subject. In CCFS, both narratives, letters and what not, Nagita liked using a blank line here and there to serve as a break from the previous topic or theme, which in this case was Albert’s explanation of why he had to turn down Candy but invited her and the entire Pony’s Home to come to Chicago for her upcoming birthday.

The extreme case of using blanks is before and after Terry’s ambiguous letter in CCFS. Many of you know that it is the very last letter before the epilogue. Oddly, though this letter follows Susanna’s obituary, an entire blank page separates the two. It is another blank page separating this brief letter from T.G. from the epilogue.

Because of this, someone joked that if this letter were to be removed from CCFS, the story would have remained unchanged (pun intended). 🙂

Enough of that. In Albert’s reply, he began the new topic by mentioning Candy’s spell again, that it might have some effects on him (note in the original wording he didn’t sound too certain) — he thought nothing but what happened in his past since then (あれから). This is vague because it isn’t clear whether he meant since he finished reading her letter or since she cast the spell while ending her letter.

Nonetheless, the timing is not that important, unlike Terry’s ambiguous letter to Candy mentioned above. There Terry also wrote あれから — a year since then, but I guess nobody except Candy (and Nagita) knew which particular incident he referred to. 😛

Anyway, Albert explained to Candy that

あの頃ーーーというよりもっと子供の頃から僕は勝手に外出するのはもちろん、人前に出るのさえ固く禁じられていた。

This is my humble attempt to translate the above (it is a paraphrase to make it sound more natural in English):

Back then — actually since childhood when I was much younger, it was an absolute certainty that going out at my own will was strictly forbidden, not even appearing before people (in public).

Right after that, he added:

僕が幼くしてアードレー家の大総長を継いだことはキャンディも知っていると思う。

Again, I’ve tried to paraphrase it:

I succeeded as the patriarch of the Ardlay’s family at a tender age, which Candy you also know, I think.

Apparently, prior to this, Candy had heard of his story from someone else, not directly from Albert himself. Perhaps an authoritative figure like Madam Elroy had introduced her nephew by giving a summary during his first public appearance as William A. Ardlay. What do you think?

Albert then continued to unveil the mysteries associated with his solemn name, and you can read Fay’s translation for details. Interestingly, Albert found it incredible how Aunt Elroy and the elders in the clan could successfully erase the memories of his peers — none of those whom he had played with remembered his existence.

As a digression, some fanfics that I’ve read indicated that Albert, way before his debut, could casually appear in some family gatherings or some relatives could recognize him right away as William. These fanfic writers probably weren’t aware of how poor Albert had been imprisoned in his youth. For example, Sarah Lagan near the end of the manga was just as shocked as her spoiled kids when Albert identified himself as the enigmatic patriarch during the engagement party.

Back to this letter, I’d like to point out that when Albert mentioned someone else in the clan wanted to take his coveted position to be the head of the family, there was only one such person, not more than one. Is it plural in the Italian version too?

Also, Albert described himself as a lonely marionette (孤独な操り人形) 😔. I think this word is closer to the original meaning than the word puppet, which may mean other things too.

Partly because he was brought up surrounded by many grave adults (厳しい大人どもに囲まれて僕は育った), including a fine selection (選りすぐり) of private tutors and tight-lipped servants (口の堅い召使たち). He said a number of such adults, but in some contexts this could mean “some” or even “thousands”, so I picked “many”. Imagine how many tutors he had back then, learning from business admins to law…

Albert said he could bear all these as long as he had Rosemary. Not only she was the only person who understood him (ローズマリーは唯ひとりの僕の理解者), she wanted to switch places with him (another notable difference in the translation), and more than anyone else, she grieved to see him in such situation and worried about him (存在をすりかえられた僕の立場を誰よりも憂い、心配してくれていた).

But ever since his beloved sister had passed away… Albert could not finish his sentence. It looks like this in the Japanese version:

しかし、ローズマリーが亡くなってからはーーー。
キャンディ……、

However, since Rosemary passed away—-
Candy…,

We readers can tell Albert was emotional when writing about Rosemary, remembering how her death had been a blow to his feelings. She had been his sole support, being a lot older and like a mother figure to him. That being said, I gather Georges might be old enough to be Albert’s father. Do you think so too?

When Albert finally got to answer Candy’s question about why he had come to Pony’s Hill that particular day, he revealed the runaway incident, writing,

笑うなよ。
たった一日足らずでも家出は家出だ。

Don’t laugh.
Even though a bit less than a day, a runaway is a runaway.

As I said before, in CCFS, the sentences in the letters are typically short, each of which occupies one line by itself, like these two lines for example. I can easily imagine Albert writing this with a straight face. How about you? 😉 After all, what he was going to say next was a dreadful account of a young man being pushed beyond his limits.

Some of you already know why he decided to escape the Lakewood mansion that day during a party. Albert could hear the laughter and the sounds of bagpipes. On the other hand, he was in a spacious room all by himself, studying the subjects already assigned.

僕は広い部屋で、与えられた課題を学んでいた。

The term implies he had to study in depth. He then told Candy that he was a proficient bagpipe player —

I had the confidence that I could play the bagpipe more skillfully than anyone else.

僕は誰よりもバグパイプがうまいという自信があった。

I don’t think he meant to brag. Maybe the bagpipe sounds had got on his nerves because he could play a lot better yet without audience all these years? Read what he said next in the same paragraph:

Despite this, when listening to my playing, Aunt Elroy was able to pull a stunt (芸当) by praising me with a look that could kill, and Georges, he would give me nothing but ordinary remarks. I had no friends my age either.

Literally, Albert described his aunt’s strict look as keeping her eyebrows raised, but it can also be translated to “look daggers at somebody, or give somebody a look that could kill” (眉をつり上げたまま). 😀 😂

Perhaps the only enthusiastic feedback he could get was from his music teacher? Otherwise how did he know his skills were better than others?

So, being trapped in a room, Albert could probably visualize how the young people in his generation were having fun with one another. No wonder he decided to dress like them, bringing his own bagpipe and telling himself he wouldn’t be discovered when he was lost in the crowd (紛れこんでも分からないだろう).

Unfortunately, an elder spotted him. Needless to say, the teenager was severely reprimanded for his disobedience (きつく叱責された).

Albert described his anger: “… never before had I felt like this, I was extremely furious that day…”

今までにないほど、その日は無性に腹が立った。

Sorry to say maybe he could have beaten someone up, but instead he slipped away.

僕はそのまま、屋敷を抜け出したんだ。

Hence, he sneaked out of the mansion just like that, knowing that he couldn’t help being conspicuous dressed in a Scottish formal attire (あんな格好のまま家出したら目立ってしょうがない). He didn’t take this into consideration as he had been driven into a corner (僕は追いつめられていたんだね)… he didn’t bring money with him either.

If you’re reading the letter at the same time, you will see that Albert had never been this free. He wrote to Candy the following:

どうだ！？
ぼくがウィリアム・アルバート・アードレーだ！文句あるか！

Now what!?
I am William Albert Ardlay! Have a complaint?

Again, if you remember what I said about the particle が in the previous post, here Albert used it to identify himself as WAA. Usually, when one introduces himself as WAA, one will likely say,

ぼくはウィリアム・アルバート・アードレーだ。

The English translation is exactly the same, but the nuance that “I am the one!” in the original text is lost. He essentially said that there shouldn’t be another guy with the same identity. Sadly, this was an ironic remark because his aunt and the elders had been using the name WAA behind his back.

Also, “Have a complaint?” is a direct translation. One may interpret that as “Any complaint?” or “Any problem?” in a talk-back manner. When writing this, Albert had some doubts if he had indeed spoken his mind out loud, sitting behind the wheel (実際、運転しながらそう叫んだかもしれない). Nonetheless, this passage conveyed his frustrations. One can imagine his face when he felt free for the first time, driving around aimlessly (あちこちを車で走った).

Though he wasn’t entirely sure how he had ended up on the hill, the reason he gave Candy might have hit her hard, I figure. He said the size and height of the hill precisely matched the image in his mind (“丘”という僕のイメージにぴったりだった。). Does it mean he had never gone outdoors or rarely spent time outside the mansions? Compared to him, Candy had been the more fortunate one as a child.

At any rate, one was a poorly raised orphan girl with unknown origin and the other could easily be the most well-educated in the world, equipped to be the president of a family business enterprise. They belonged to two utterly different worlds with no overlapping, but it was fate (Nagita) that made them meet each other, imprinting unforgettable memories on their minds.

Before that special moment, Albert realized that as much as he wanted freedom, he could not abandon the Ardlays. Yet, he had made up his mind not to let others dictate his path (けれど、どう生きるか、もう誰にも指図はされたくない). He would make his own judgement, and with these thoughts he suddenly felt relieved or at ease (これからは自分で判断し、自分で決めていくんだーーーそう思ったら、急に気が軽くなった). It was at this moment that little Candy appeared, climbing　up the hill fast like a bullet, her mouth forming the shape of the Japanese alphabet ‘へ’ (口をへの字). 🙂

With his perceptive observation, he understood the little girl’s intentions and resolve not to cry (きみは泣きたいのを必死でこらえていたね) until she was up on the hill all by herself, and such a sight struck his heart.

丘にのぼるまでは、一人になるまでは、と、こらえていたね。
その姿に心を打たれた。

Then he wrote her name, Candy, in one line by itself. Throughout this letter, he had written her name at least ten times, sometimes just like this below. I can almost feel his tenderness (this reminds me of Candy’s ending song about Anohito calling her name). ❤️

キャンディ、

Right after her name, he continued in a new line,

あんなに気持ちのいい泣きっぷりははじめて見た。あんなに素直な泣き声もはじめて聞いた。
そして、あんなチャーミングな笑顔も。
ーーー僕は、つい、声をかけていた。

For the first time I saw such a pleasant style of crying. Also the first time I heard such an honest crying.
And also, such a charming smile.
ーーーI unconsciously called out to you.

Later in this letter Albert revealed to Candy that he found his way of living (生き方を見つけた) on the hill that day. Not only that, he said “never have I forgotten about the girl I met on that hill. (あの丘で会った女の子のことは、僕だって忘れたことはない。)

Does this sound somewhat familiar to you?

You betcha. Candy said the same thing to Albert in her first letter to her prince (also similar to the words on the poster above)! 😍

丘の上の王子さまのことは、忘れたことはありません。

She just said it in a slightly more polite way. Sigh…
So neither of them had forgotten that particular moment on Pony’s Hill. No wonder Albert decided to pick a nice Spring day to confess. His action itself was the proof that he had remembered just as well.

Then Albert went on telling about recognizing her after his rescue by the waterfall, “That’s why I immediately realized it.” (だからすぐにわかった). He added another reason — “you hadn’t changed your looks much (don’t get mad).” 😛

きみはあの頃とそんなに変わっていなかったからね（怒るなよ）

Note that Albert then disclosed he had desired to make her happy (幸せになってほしい). (This is the word that means the long term happiness discussed in the previous post, and here Albert meant to give Candy much better prospects in life and a promising future.) Then he repeated immediately afterwards, this time emphasizing that he wanted to make this child (この子) happy. He was aware he should be able to do that.

幸せになってほしい、と思ったんだ。
この子には幸せになってほしい、と。
それが僕にはできるはずだーーー。

Thus, she was merely a child to him back then, being younger than his nephews. Is it the same at their reunion in London? I think so, because Albert was fully aware of his legal responsibility and his original decision to watch over Candy from afar. Amnesia was the author’s tactic to make him completely forget about his guardianship.

Do you realize Albert had always cared about Candy’s happiness? 💖

Albert made a request in the postscript, asking if Candy could stop calling him “Prince on the Hill”. It’s funny that he wrote this

背中がムズムズしてくるんだ……。

Literally, it means he feels itchy on his back. However, this can also be translated to “I have a creepy-crawly feeling…” or “it’s creepy”, etc. Sometimes people use this adjective to describe their discomfort of itchiness. Anyway, I think you get the idea. 🙂

Before I end this loooong post (no worries, I’m not under any spell… lol, but please ignore my typos or grammatical mistakes 😀 ), I like to bring up how Albert ended his letter before the funny postscript:

シカゴで待っている。

The direct translation is “Waiting in Chicago.”

I don’t think he meant waiting for Candy’s reply, so he meant “waiting for you”. The fact that he displayed his confidence that she would accept his invitation to Chicago is worth mentioning. First, he knew her so well. She was a reasonable person after all, and he already explained he could not take a holiday to celebrate her birthday at Pony’s Home. Moreover, he had prepared a special birthday present — a product of sweat and blood, and how could she not be curious about it? Last but not the least (drum rolling sound effects 🥁), I figure he was more than convinced she missed him a lot, so she would not say no to him. 😉😆

Before wrapping up, he again wondered if her spell had actually affected him, surprised at how much he had written to her. I think Nagita deliberately wrote this through her main character Albert, because Candy’s spell was mentioned not only in the beginning, but also just before his story and at the end to wrap it up. Remember what her spell was for? It was to make sure her prince would do what she had wished for her upcoming birthday — that he would spend a day with her and talk to her a lot.

Though Albert in this letter initially told her that the magic had not worked, he later admitted twice that perhaps it had some effects on him after all. Come to think of it, because of Candy’s questions, he had reflected upon his growing pain for days and possibly saw their brief encounter with new light as a result. His rebellious act had brought him to Pony’s Hill, and the moment he had approached the little girl, their lives had been tied by an invisible thread (his badge). Some years later, some unknown force (Nagita) caused Candy to cross Albert’s path more than once, and gradually but definitely, they had fallen in love with each other, so much so she would cast a spell on him just because she wanted his presence as her birthday present 🎁💝.

In short, he had been enchanted all these years. Just my two cents, of course. 😉🙂 Thank you so much for reading❣️