
The Rose of Versailles

Episode 16

"(My) Mother, Her Name is...?"

translated by GinRei

 [] = description of the scenes
 () = alternative translations (feel free to put them or drop them), and
      sometimes my comments or explanations
 {} = translation of what it says on the screen

**********************************************************************
 notes on names:
 Andre should be spelled with "/" accent acute over the "e"
 Francois should be spelled with a cedilla (like "5") under the "c".
 Molier is spelled with  "\" accent grave over the "e".
**********************************************************************

 notes on language
 Because it's significant to the plot, it should be noted that Rosalie
 speaks with very informal / lower class language.  The exact
translatioin of these nuances is impossible.

{Rosalie and Oscar fencing}

OSCAR
Here!
And here, and here!
Come on!

I'm right (over) here! (or, Right here, right here!)

I said I'm right here!

Are you blind with those incredibly big eyes?
Imagine that I'm the killer of your mother!
Try again!

ROSALIE
The killer...

OSCAR
Who told you to stab a tree?
Here.
You'll never be able to avenge your mother like this.

NARRATION
Rosalie, a poor girl from the slums of Paris, became an orphan
when her mother was run over by the carriage of a blond lady.
Thanks to Oscar's mercy, she is now adopted by the Jarjeyes family
and is training in swordsmanship.

OSCAR
Here it comes!
There! Right, left, shoulder!
You're still wide open (to attack).
You'll be skewered!

Watch out!

[Rosalie falls into a fountain]

OSCAR
Stick with it.
I said I'd teach you how to fight with a sword, not how to swim.
Come.
Are you all right, Rosalie?

ROSALIE
I'm angry!
You're enjoying making a fool of me everyday like this!
My sincere feelings are just a laughingstock for you!

OSCAR
You'll catch a cold if you stay soaked. You should change your clothes.

[Oscar picks Rosalie up in her arms]

OSCAR
You've got it wrong.

ROSALIE
Lady Oscar...
I'm sorry
I...

[It was really hard for me to translate the above scene, since sports
psychology is a little different in Japan from the States. Like "emptying your
mind" instead of saying "concentrate!" ]

[opening title]
[Note: there is no director listed in the opening credits in episodes 14-18.]

{Episode 16: "(My) Mother, Her Name is...?"}

ANDRE
Do you really think that you can find the woman who killed Rosalie's mother?

OSCAR
To be honest, I don't really have much confidence (in it)...

ANDRE
Rosalie is desperate.
If you can't find her, she will be greatly disappointed.

OSCAR
I know.
Andre, I have a favor to ask you.

ANDRE
Me?

OSCAR
For the next week, devote your time to Rosalie.

[Oscar's room]

ROSALIE
She's not here ?
(Please) Excuse me.

ROSALIE finds Oscar's uniform
It's Lady Oscar's smell...
How can such a person (exist)...?
How can such a person exist in this world?
I'm so happy that I can be by the side of Lady Oscar.
But I have to avenge my mother.
That's why Lady Oscar sympathized (pitied) me.
But I...
I feel strange. What's wrong with me?

[Rosalie embraces Oscar's uniform]

ROSALIE
Why (is it), Lady Oscar?
Why were you born as a woman?
Lady Oscar...

OSCAR
What are you doing in my room?

ROSALIE
(Please) Excuse me!

OSCAR
Wait!

ROSALIE
I'm sorry, Nanny told me to put the shirt in the drawer.
I...I have to go.
[She literally says "Please excuse me"]

OSCAR
Wait.
At the beginning of next week, there will be a ball at Mme. Elizabeth's.
I'll take you there.

ROSALIE
I... ain't learned how to dance at all!
And, I ain't learned how to behave...

OSCAR
Not "ain't". Say "haven't".

[This line is difficult. Since Oscar is correcting Rosalie in the manner of
speech.  Rosalie refers to herself as "Atashi" instead of "Watashi". Oscar
corrects her, 'Not "Atashi". Say "Watashi".') "Atashi" sounds rather immature
and informal.]

ROSALIE
Yes...

OSCAR
How about this?  You're a distant relative of my elder sister's husband.

ROSALIE
But..!

OSCAR
We'll teach you dancing and conversation starting today.
Andre will be your partner.
Most of the Court ladies are invited to that ball.

ROSALIE
A ball that most of the Ladies go to...
Yes!
Perhaps that woman will come, too!
That face I'll never forget!

OSCAR
All right?

ROSALIE
Yes!

NICOLAS
A captain of the Royal Guard Regiment?!

JEANNE
Yup. (/Yes?)

NICOLAS
No kidding.
How can someone like me...
[He's actually talking about his social standing (class). It seems like he's
from a lower nobility. Of course, Royal Guards are from the higher nobility.]

JEANNE
It's for real.
Cardinal Rohan will take care of it (/you).

NICOLAS
Cardinal Rohan is that guy that Queen Antoinette hates? Why?

JEANNE
I told him that you're a Count.

NICOLAS
A Count?!

JEANNE
Yes.
Listen. You're Count Nicolas de la Motte.
And I'm Countess Jeanne Valois de la Motte.

NICOLAS
How can we!?
Without paying the tax, what'll happen if the military police learns that I'm
calling myself a Count (without permission?) ?!

JEANNE
Yes, it'll be dangerous for us to stay here.

NICOLAS
What are we going to do then?!

JEANNE
I borrowed money and rented a big mansion in Nouveau Saint-Gil
We'll move in there right away.

NICOLAS
Jeanne, what a woman you're...

JEANNE
There'll be a ball at Madame Elizabeth's next week.
If you have a mansion and wear the proper uniform of the Royal Guard,
we can act out something interesting.

[ball]
VOICE
Presenting Lady Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes!

LADIES
Lady Oscar?! Really?!
THAT Lady Oscar who is known for detesting balls?
Why did she come to Mme. Elizabeth's ball suddenly?

[Oscar enters escorting Rosalie]

NO! This must be a dream! It cannot be true!
Who is that mademoiselle?  I've never seen her before.

ANDRE
See? By escorting a woman, they went nuts.
[he actually says "taking a woman's hand"]
If you dance with her, they'll all have convulsions.

OSCAR
I'll leave the dancing to you.

ELIZABETH
Good evening, Oscar.

OSCAR
Mme. Elizabeth, good evening.

ELIZABETH
Who is this charming, angelic mademoiselle?

OSCAR
This is Rosalie la Molier, a distant relative of my elder sister's husband.
Come, Rosalie, greet her.

LADIES
Lady Oscar took the girl's hands again!
I can't stand it!
NO! Lady Oscar is ours!
She can't have her all to herself.

ROSALIE
I'm Rosalie. How do you do.

ELIZABETH
Please have a good time tonight.

ROSALIE in her mind
Can I go back home safely tonight?
I didn't expect Lady Oscar to be this popular...

[Rosalie notices Charlotte]

ROSALIE
How gorgeous!
She's wearing such a dazzling dress!
Who is she?
Is she also an admirer of Lady Oscar?

OSCAR
Mademoiselle Charlotte is here tonight.

ROSALIE
Charlotte?
A daughter of a Count...
She's different from me. She's a genuine noble.

ANDRE
Mademoiselle Rosalie,  may I dance with you.
[Rosalie dances with Andre]

ANDRE
You seem to take a note of Mademoiselle Charlotte.
She came alone since her mother, Mme. Polignac, has a cold and stayed home.

ROSALIE
Mme. Polignac?

ANDRE
Queen Antoinette's favorite lady.
Well, she's the most powerful woman except for the Queen at Versailles now,
so to say.

ROSALIE
Oh, Andre, you sound as if you dislike Mme. Polignac.

ANDRE
Sort of.

ROSALIE
But Miss Charlotte is amazingly charming.

MAID
Madame!
A lady has collapsed in the anteroom!

ELIZABETH
Keep on dancing please, everyone.
It's probably nothing serious.
Please excuse me.

ELIZABETH
Are you all right?

NICOLAS
I'm Nicolas de la Motte, a Royal Guard Regiment Captain.
My wife...she has become weak like this after long years of malnutrition.
Just because my salary is so meager.
So...

ELIZABETH
Oh...

NICOLAS
(My) Poor Jeanne! Please forgive me!
Just because I'm good for nothing!

ELIZABETH
Oh...poor thing.
Don't feel so discouraged.
My carriage will take her (/your wife) home.
And...it's not much, but I'll send you some money, too.

NICOLAS
Oh...what merciful words!
Thank you very much!!
I, Captain Nicolas de la Motte, will never forget your kindness!!

ELIZABETH
Captain la Motte, (please) don't worry. I'll ask Her Majesty to raise your
salary.

NICOLAS
Thank you very much again!

JEANNE in her mind
Nicolas' acting is pretty good (/impressive?).
Noble ladies are all so naive that they can be tricked so easily.

LADIES
How do you do.
We were all just talking about you.
Are you living (in the same house) with Lady Oscar?

ROSALIE
Yes.

LADIES
I envy you. Is Lady Oscar always with you?
Do you dine together?
What does Lady Oscar's hand feel like?
Please be our friend, Mademoiselle Rosalie.
Except for Her Majesty, she never...

ROSALIE in her mind (overlapping with the last lady)
The lady who killed my mom is not here!
The killer...

ANDRE
Wow, (it seems like) Rosalie has become really popular.

OSCAR
Yeah. She said she's an orphan born in the slums of Paris.
....yet an interesting girl.
She is timid, (but observing her now), she
sometimes shows an amazingly dignified expression (on her face).

ANDRE
Yeah.
Nobody will doubt if told that she's an aristocrat.

CHARLOTTE
Everyone!
How long are you going to make a fuss?

LADIES
Lady (/Mademoiselle?) Charlotte...
("Mademoiselle," I would think, for one so young.)

CHARLOTTE
A Minuet is next.
Mademoiselle Rosalie, aren't you going to dance?

ROSALIE
Uh...Minuet?

CHARLOTTE
Oh, you don't even know what a Minuet is?
Astounding!
Miss Rosalie, don't be elated even if everyone flatters you.
Everyone is just curious about (/interested in) your embarrassing rusticity
and Lady Oscar!
Come, let's go! (or, just "Come!"?)

LADIES
How unpleasant! She's the one who's most excited about Lady Oscar!
Miss Rosalie. Don't mind her. By the way, what is your mother like?

ROSALIE
Uh...my Ma?

CHARLOTTE
"Ma"?
You said "MA"?!

CHARLOTTE
How indecent!
I'll tell my Mother!
That Lady Oscar has brought a girl who's not a noble to a ball of nobles!!

CHARLOTTE
Are you really a distant relative of Lady Oscar?
Now, Miss Rosalie, answer me!

[Rosalie throws a fan at Charlotte]

CHARLOTTE
How dare you!!

ROSALIE
I'm a noble!
I'm a noble!!
The name of my mother is...
Her name is...
I'm a noble...
Martine Gabrielle...

[flashback]

MOTHER
Martine Gabrielle...
Your mother's name is Martine Gabrielle...

ROSALIE
Mom!
Who is Martine Gabrielle?!
Tell me, Mom! Who's child am I?!
Where can I meet her, Mom?!
Tell me!

[Rosalie runs out of the room]

OSCAR
Rosalie!
Andre...

[hallway]

JEANNE
We did it!
Nicolas, wasn't it a piece of cake?

NICOLAS
You're a sly fox!

JEANNE
Next thing, Nicolas...

NICOLAS
What (is it)?

JEANNE
Is to approach the Queen at the Palace.

[Rosalie bumps into them]

ROSALIE
I'm sorr...

JEANNE
Y-YOU!!

ROSALIE
(My sister) Jeanne!!

NICOLAS
Hey, what's wrong?

JEANNE
Uh...nothing, Nicolas.
She just resembled someone I know a little.
But I was wrong. Let's go.

ROSALIE
Jeanne!

JEANNE
Aren't you mistaken (me for someone else)?
I've never seen you before.

[Rosalie takes Jeanne's hand]

JEANNE
What are you doing?!

ROSALIE whispers
Listen, Jeanne.
Mom is dead. She was run over by the carriage of a noble.

ROSALIE in her mind
Jeanne, how can you look so cold (like that)?
Is my sister (that I know/ from the past) really dead?

JEANNE
Nicolas, hurry up!

NICOLAS
Yeah...

OSCAR
Rosalie, are you all right?

NICOLAS
Hey, that girl...I thought I've seen her somewhere before.

JEANNE
Shut up!
There should be no one that we know in a place like this!

ROSALIE in her mind
Jeanne...I missed you.
I missed you so much that my heart was almost torn apart...
No matter how you treated me, you're my only sister.

JEANNE in her mind
Mom is dead...Mom...
But why is Rosalie here?
I don't understand at all.
She became beautiful, wearing much better clothes than I do...
I don't understand, I don't...

[at Jarjeyes']

[Rosalie is combing Oscar's hair]

OSCAR
Rosalie, you did very well at Mme. Elizabeth's ball (party).

ROSALIE
Do you really think so?
But I...

OSCAR
If you didn't claim that you're a noble, everyone around you would have
figured (find) out that you're from the slum.

ROSALIE
Yes.

OSCAR
If they did figure (/find) out you'd have lost the opportunity to find the
killer forever.

ROSALIE
Yes.
[in her mind]
Lady Oscar, don't stare at me like that.
I feel as if the mirror broke into million pieces and pierced me through!

OSCAR
Are you cold, Rosalie?

ROSALIE
N-No, Ma'am.

OSCAR
Your hand is trembling.
I'll do the rest myself.

ROSALIE
Yes, Ma'am.

OSCAR
Please prepare my (military) uniform.
Today is the day I visit the Court (/Palace).

[at Court]

ANTOINETTE
Oscar, I've completely quit the gambling that you worried about.
So, please feel at ease.

OSCAR
I feel really glad (with all my heart), Your Majesty.

POLIGNAC in her mind
Oscar, too bad that you couldn't trap me in.

ANTOINETTE
By the way, Oscar, I heard that you have a very charming lady at your house.
It's quite a rumor (/famous?).

OSCAR
With all due respect, she is my distant relative.

ANTOINETTE
I see.
Please bring her to the Court next time!

POLIGNAC
Oh...Your Majesty, not her.
[She literally says "Someone as "high?" as Queen (meets} a
girl like that (low)?!"]
I heard that at the last ball, while I was sick and absent, that girl was very
rude to my daughter.

OSCAR
"Rude"?

POLIGNAC
She threw a fan (at my daughter)!

OSCAR
That was Mademoiselle Charlotte's fault, Mme. Polignac.

POLIGNAC
What?! My daughter's fault?!

OSCAR
That's right. Your daughter insulted Rosalie first. Next time they meet, I
hope Mademoiselle Charlotte will apologize.

POLIGNAC
How dare you...!  [the sentence continues to her inner voice]
(in her mind)
To (someone like) me...!
[Polignac is upset that Oscar tell her such thing.
She's absolutely sure about her power,
so she never imagined that someone would challenge her about "who's
right and who's wrong." ]
Oscar is dangerous.
Like in the case of gambling, I thought she was just an ordinary Royal Guard.
If I don't take care of her right now, (I feel) it'll be fatal (for me/ or,
I'm finished?).
[she's talking about either assassinating Oscar or exiling her from the Court,
and otherwise, she felt, Oscar will end her dominance over Antoinette by
perhaps proving to Antoinette what Polignac is really like.]
I'll be able to do anything I want then. I can!
I am doing (whatever I want)!
[The last sentence was a bit hard to hear.]

[Andre trains Rosalie]

ANDRE
Concentrate harder!

ANDRE
Thrust!

What's wrong, Rosalie? Can't you concentrate if your partner is not Oscar?!
If you're like that, you'll never be able to avenge your mother.

ROSALIE
Avenge my Mom...!

[ending title]

NEXT EPISODE:
Rosalie finally meets the woman who killed her mother under her carriage wheels.
She was proud and arrogant in the waves of people at a ball.
Holding a knife with all her anger and hatred, Rosalie stepped forward...
Next Episode in The Rose of Versailles: 
"Now The Time of Encounter"

END

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  Bruce Carlson     carlson@indirect.com     Phoenix, AZ