The Rose of Versailles Episode 15 The Countess of Casino translated by GinRei edited by Usagi Grey [] = 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". Gerodere should be spelled with "\" accent grave over the second "e". Orleans should be spelled with "/" accent acute over the "e". deGuemenee is spelled with "/" accent acute over the middle 3 e's. ********************************************************************** VOICES When will you bear the heir?! Where is the heir to the glorious Bourbon Dynasty?! If you can't bear one, go back to Austria. [opening title] [Note: there is no director listed in the opening credits in episodes 14-18.] {Episode 15: The Countess of Casino} [Versailles] GERODERE How does it feel, Ma'am? Now that you've come back on duty after the confinement? OSCAR Everything looks fresh. Just like when I first joined the Royal Guards. [a carriage cuts in] OSCAR How rude! GERODERE Those who are on the rise don't know how to stop, even in carriages. In such hurry. Women only get that excited about men and money. She's probably going to the Casino in Paris. OSCAR Who is that woman? GERODERE Countess Polignac. She captured Her Majesty's heart while you were absent. Come to think, Her Majesty is really unfortunate. If the heir were born, she'd have no trouble. OSCAR I feel sorry for her. [at casino] POLIGNAC Mme. Guilloncaux. (Agg, another French name! This is nothing major, so whatever sounds French is fine. :-p) MME. I'm always losing lately. Please don't tell my husband. POLIGNAC Oh, I sure won't. MME. I've sold (off) two of my diamond necklaces already. The more I try to win back before my husband finds out, the more I lose. POLIGNAC Me, too. I bought back the Bordeaux property, but I've lost (/sold) one of its vineyards. MME. Oh... Is there any way that we can get back our loses? POLIGNAC There is one. I know an easy mark. [at Court] DEGUEMENEE I heard that in the Orient, a wife is divorced after 3 years if she bears no children. ORLEANS That's harsh. DEGUEMENEE Three years! Queen Antoinette already had 5 years! VOICE Presenting Her Majesty! MME NOAILLES Your Majesty! [Antoinette runs away] MME NOAILLES Please wait! MERCY Lady Antoinette! What is the matter?! ANTOINETTE I'm not going to the audience! MME NOAILLES Your Majesty, please wait. Your Majesty! DEGUEMENEE There's no time to relax. A Crown Prince to succeed the throne should be decided on. His Majesty's brothers, Count Provence or Count Artois. Or, Duke Orleans! ORLEANS Oh, no, no...not me. DEGUEMENEE What are you saying! Not only the lineage, but the personality and abilities! You're the most suited for the next King! ORLEANS But that's.... It's not necessary to hurry so much. But poor Lady Antoinette... NOBLES It's not that easy. If His Majesty dies (even) tomorrow...! Yes! It's a crisis for this glorious Bourbon Dynasty! A Civil War might break out for the struggle for the throne. It might spread to Prussia and Austria, and develop into a war in Europe! MERCY Lady Antoinette, please! MME NOAILLES Your Majesty, please open this door. POLIGNAC I'll talk to her. NOAILLES Countess Polignac... MERCY But she won't open this door for anybody. POLIGNAC She'll open it for ME. MME NOAILLES What confidence you have! POLIGNAC Your Majesty, it's me, Polignac. [Antoinette opens the door] POLIGNAC You must hold an audience as the Queen, with pride. ANTOINETTE But... POLIGNAC I understand Your Majesty's concerns. ANTOINETTE Mme. Polignac, you're the only one who understands my feelings. POLIGNAC Your Majesty, there's only one way to get out of (/overcome) this crisis: To become pregnant. ANTOINETTE B-but... POLIGNAC To become pregnant, even if it's a lie. ANTOINETTE A lie?! I can't lie! POLIGNAC There's a story on Sicily. (Without success,) the Queen didn't bear a child. But one day after 3 years and a month, the Queen suddenly died. She was secretly poisoned. ANTOINETTE Poisoned?! POLIGNAC Yes, Your Majesty. If you don't announce that you're pregnant... I'm worried about what will happen in the future. ANTOINETTE But... But I can't lie... POLIGNAC This is a matter of life and death. Let me handle this. Please let me handle this, Your Majesty! POLIGNAC in her mind The Queen is my puppet! (or, literally, I can manipulate the Queen in any way I like!) [outside Antoinette's room] MME NOAILLES Pregnant?! POLIGNAC She confided (it) to me just now. MERCY Lady Antoinette will have a baby... What a blessed event! POLIGNAC Please be more careful from now on. I'll be attending her closely. (or, literally, I'll be taking care of her close needs) MME NOAILLES What?! POLIGNAC Those who were backbiting will be ashamed of their mistakes. A beautiful heir will be born by next fall! MME NOAILLES Well...! MAID Is that proper? Mme. Polignac is acting as if she were the head of the ladies-in-waiting. MME NOAILLES You're talking nonsense. Well! We'll be busy from now on. This is what we've been waiting for! [at workshop] GRAND CHAMBERLAIN Your Majesty! LOUIS I told you not to bother me while I'm working. GRAND CHAMBERLAIN Well, but it's such a good news that I wanted to congratulate you. The Queen is pregnant! NARRATION The news of the Queen's pregnancy spread immediately in the Court and to the People. People celebrated and cities were flooded with joy. DEGUEMENEE How irritating! To hell with gifts! Those who were saying, "Duke Orleans for the Crown Prince," are now turning away and saying "Lady Antoinette, Lady Antoinette"! ORLEANS Shut up! [at Court] OSCAR Congratulations, Your Majesty. ANTOINETTE Oscar... OSCAR Your Majesty, my mother made these baby clothes. If you'd like... [Antoinette leaves] OSCAR Your Majesty! POLIGNAC Your Majesty! Everyone, Her Majesty seems (to be) tired. Please come back later (for the audience). [Antoinette cries] ANTOINETTE I cannot lie anymore!! POLIGNAC We cannot go back now! The bulge of a skirt will hide the truth till the end. We'll have a doctor from the Polignac family. He knows how to keep a secret. When the time comes, I'll bring a baby! [flashback] VOICES Congratulations! OSCAR Congratulations, Your Majesty. POLIGNAC Oh, my poor Queen! Come, don't think about gloomy things,but something... fun. ANTOINETTE Something fun? Mme. Polignac, is there any such thing? What is there for me now? POLIGNAC Let me see. For example... Yes! Gambling! That will make you forget all your worries. ANTOINETTE Gambling?! I can't! His Majesty forbid gambling by the law. POLIGNAC So Your Majesty should ask him for a special favor. It's exciting. It will make time pass quickly. POLIGNAC It's fun. You'll forget everything. LOUIS No! Gambling is forbidden by the law. ANTOINETTE But Your Majesty... LOUIS Think a little. If someone else gambles, he is using his own money. But in the case of you or me,... we use tax money, that is, someone else's money. ANTOINETTE But please, just once. Just once is enough, Your Majesty. I beg you. LOUIS I-if it's only once then... ANTOINETTE Sure! LADY Number 12. POLIGNAC Oh, You Majesty, you've won! ANTOINETTE Did I win? POLIGNAC Of course. You have such good luck. Ah, I shouldn't have asked you to play (/invited you/introduced (how to play/ the game/gambling)). [It sounds rather rude in English, but she's obviously flattering Antoinette.] NARRATION Antoinette became infatuated with gambling. While she was playing, she was relieved from the agony of lying. But the gambling was carefully set up by Countess Polignac, and it was obvious that the Queen would keep losing ANDRE Hey, Oscar. ANDRE I bet Mme. Polignac and the others are gathered in the Queen's salon and gambling. OSCAR Yeah... Her Majesty promised to the King (/His Majesty) that she'd play only once. But now she's addicted. ANDRE That's how gambling goes. Of course, the big loser is Her Majesty. So, an enormous amount of money (is set up to ) roll(s) into Countess Polignac's purse every night. [Oscar kicks Andre's chair] ANDRE Why me, Oscar?! [Not exactly what he says in Japanese. But the context is obvious that Oscar had to take that out on somebody.] Oscar! ANDRE Oscar! Oscar! Where are you going?! LADY Ah, I can buy back the diamonds! Let's do the same again next time. POLIGNAC in her mind There is no need to worry about money any more. I was a noble, but only in name. My life used to be miserable with endless debts. I don't want to live like that ever again! I learned it too well. That I cannot survive in this world, by just being a too good-natured like my husband. But from now on, I can get anything I want. [Oscar comes in] POLIGNAC Lady Oscar! How rude of you to come in to someone's room like that! OSCAR How dare you swindle Lady Antoinette with fraudulent gambling! Come with me. Tell the truth in front of the others! [not exactly what she says in Japanese, but it wouldn't make sense otherwise] POLIGNAC You don't care about bringing disgrace to Her Majesty? OSCAR What? POLIGNAC It is Her Majesty who will be disgraced if it becomes known (/if others learn) that she gambles despite the law. POLIGNAC Loyal (not Royal, but literally, "loyal to the Queen") Commander Oscar, what will you do? OSCAR What a hypocrite! NARRATION Antoinette ran up a debt of over 500,000 Livres. That's roughly 6 billion yen now. (about 7 million dollars) ANTOINETTE Five hundred thousand Livres?! MERCY That's not all. Accessories, clothing, etc.... the expenses for Countess Polignac is about 250,000 Livres. You must have realized by now, Lady Antoinette. She's exploiting you! ANTOINETTE Please summon Countess Polignac. [Polignac cries] POLIGNAC Y-Your Majesty! Yes, I know. I know that the entire Court envies my friendship with Your Majesty. Everyone is waiting for a chance to torment me! ANTOINETTE Countess Polignac... POLIGNAC But I didn't think Your Majesty would believe such slander. I'll withdraw from the Court! I can hardly say good-bye (to you), but better now than later... But please believe in my sincerity. ANTOINETTE Countess Polignac, forgive me. Please forgive me! Even for a bit (/little?) I doubted your sincerity! POLIGNAC Your Majesty... ANTOINETTE You're the only one that I can depend! [Oscar and Andre practicing swords] ANDRE I know that (/how?) your mind is bothered. I know that you feel frustrated. But if you make a wrong move, Her Majesty will suffer! [Actually, Andre says "Her Majesty will be dishonored." The concept of "dishonor" here is the respectability of the Queen. Maybe it's too much of a Japanese concept of trying to maintain the dignity (the "face") of a royalty. But I assume it was pretty much the same in the Ancient Regime. If the Queen disregards the rule that the King had made, neither the King nor the Queen can hold the absolute respect from the People any longer.] We can only stand by and watch (for a while)! [at Court] ANTOINETTE Oscar, why are you being so formal? [Oscar probably asked for an audience for the Queen even though it is not necessary for her, since Oscar is Antoinette's bodyguard and her good friend. But Oscar probably thought she should do it in the proper way to show how serious she was.] OSCAR I came here to make a request for which I offer my life. [Oscar draws her sword] OSCAR Please, please quit gambling. ANTOINETTE Oscar...! ANTOINETTE Sheath (/Put back) your sword, Oscar. I already quit gambling. ANTOINETTE I forgot my promise to His Majesty to only gamble once, and got infatuated. I made you worry, but I will never gamble again. OSCAR Please forgive me. POLIGNAC Even if you didn't ask (for it), she already had made up her mind. Now, Your Majesty, please take (good) care of yourself. You have to rest for a while... [Polignac literally says, "your body is precious", meaning she has to take a good care of her body because she's "pregnant".] POLIGNAC Your Majesty, is something wrong? Are you feeling well? (or, You are not feeling well?) Oh, you look pale... ANTOINETTE I'm just a little tired. POLIGNAC You look exhausted. Probably because you're lying that you're pregnant. But it will be over soon. ANTOINETTE Countess Polignac... POLIGNAC There is a good chance that we can end it (all). MERCY Countess Polignac, why did you want us to gather? POLIGNAC Her Majesty had a miscarriage. MERCY What?! MAIDS whispering A miscarriage?! MERCY It can't be!! POLIGNAC (Because) Commander Oscar drew her sword in front of her! How dare she! [Oscar is looked coldly by the nobles] NOBLES How cruel! ANTOINETTE How could you?! Oscar is innocent!! POLIGNAC I'm (very) sorry. But (I thought) Lady Oscar would help us out. I was going to tell her all (about it) later. ANTOINETTE Ah, how horrible! It was my mistake to tell a lie in the first place! POLIGNAC No! There wasn't any other way. We've certainly overcome the crisis anyhow. [ending title] NEXT EPISODE: Oscar teaches Rosalie to become a fine lady. But from a small incident at a ball, Charlotte learns Rosalie's origin and mocks her. Rosalie tries to call out the name of her mother that she heard is a noble, but... Next Episode on The Rose of Versailles: "Mother, her name is...?" END - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruce Carlson carlson@indirect.com Phoenix, AZ