The Rose of Versailles Episode 32 "The Prelude to the Storm" 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". ********************************************************************** ALAIN Draw (your sword)! There's no way I can forgive you! OSCAR All right. I guess it's useless to say anything (/talk). ANDRE Oscar... [swordfight] NARRATION There was a man who sold his gun. A man under Oscar's command in the French Guards Company B sold his gun to a pawn shop. A soldier who sold a gun provided by the country would be shot, regardless of the reason. MILITARY POLICE This is Military Police! Is there a man named LaSalle Dressel? NARRATION The companymen believed it was their commander's fault. They thought Oscar sold him out to the authorities. [sabre breaks] [opening title] OSCAR Give up. You can't win with your sword broken. ALAIN Nonsense. For men, this is where the real fight always begins! OSCAR in her mind He's an able man! I've never met someone this able before! He's confident even after he broke his sword! [The word Oscar used to describe Alian ("able") is "tsukaeru" in Japanese. I t means "useful". Or, if you stretch it a bit, Alain can be called a good "ken no tsukaite" (lit. sword user), meaning "experienced swordsman" or something similar. Anyway, Oscar was really impressed with Alain as a real soldier.] [Oscar drops her sword] COMPANYMAN Now, Alain! Alain, get her! [Alain kicks the sword back to Oscar] COMPANYMEN Idiot! Alain, you've wasted (ruined) your chance! Do it! Her right hand must be still numb!! What's wrong, Alain?! Alain, you could almost... ALAIN SHUT UP!! Stop rattling! The fight is over. Unfortunately, I lost. [Alain wounded under his jacket] ALAIN I don't want to say this after I lost but... Please! Think a bit about a man who'll be shot just for selling his gun (would ya?) To tell the truth, I've sold my gun as well. And it wasn't just once or twice! Unlike Lassar, not in a way that the Military Police would find out. It's the same with all of us here. Not only sabres, but some even sold off their uniforms! You know why?! For a noble like you? We've all got families. Hungry brothers and sisters are waiting at home! Some of us save the meat and bread from the dinner here and hand them to the families on the visitor's days. Do you get it?! Even if we work, risking our lives, we can't feed our families!! So take that into consideration while your nobles play at being a soldier. BOUILLE That's impossible. OSCAR Please... BOUILLE He was already arrested by the Military Police... OSCAR That's why I ask for your help, General Bouille. BOUILLE Hmm... OSCAR Please, excuse him because of Company B's performance when they protected Duke Ardelos. BOUILLE Hmm... OSCAR Then, my subordinate's misconduct is his superior's responsibility... BOUILLE Wait, wait. It's no good. You're short tempered (just) like your Father. DIANE Brother! ALAIN Diane! COMPANYMEN Hey, Alain's younger sister is here! Really?! ALAIN Diane, your eyes are sparkling today. What is it? DIANE I'm getting married, Brother. I'm going to marry! ALAIN I see. Geez! Where did you get such a nice bastard?! DIANE He's tall like you. ALAIN How sassy! DIANE And...and he's really kind, too. Thank you, Brother. For everything you've done for me. ALAIN Silly, no need to say that. DIANE I...I'll be so happy. ALAIN Of course, you will! Hey, I'm going home on my next dayoff. Make sure to show me your outrageous dude! OK? DIANE Yes, I promise. DIANE See you, Brother! [poor guys, all broken hearted] OSCAR Did you see your Brother? DIANE Yes, I did. DIANE My Brother said, "Oscar" means "God and Sword" in Hebrew. God and Sword... and a beautiful blond... like the gods in the fresco paintings. DIANE What am I saying? I'm sorry. Please excuse me. Good-bye! ANDRE Congratulations, Alain! I heard your sister is getting married. Everyone seemed was heartbroken. So she was everyone's favorite idol among Company B. I don't think I've heard such cheerful news in such a long time. What's wrong? You look as if your lover was stolen by another man. ALAIN Exactly. Frankly speaking, I don't know what to say. It's so strange... I thought she was only a kid. But she was a grown up before I knew it. ANDRE I see. Even the bravest man in Company B has a soft spot, eh? COMPANYMAN Hey, Alain! Alain!! LaSalle has come back!! ALAIN What?! COMPANYMAN He's back! He was found innocent and acquitted from the Military Police! LASSAR I'm back! It's been a while! COMPANYMEN Lassar! My goodness! You're the first one ever to return after being arrested by the Military Police! LASSAR The inqury was intense and a bit exhausting... ALAIN Lassar! LASSAR Squad Leader! I've just returned (/got here?)! ALAIN Were you really acquitted? LASSAR For real. I'm not lying. That woman commander settled the matter with the Military Police through General Bouille. COMPANYMEN That woman commander? So, it wasn't that woman who sold you to the Military Police? I see. I didn't know that. OSCAR What is it? ALAIN Lassar came back. OSCAR I see... ALAIN Thank you. And I'm sorry. OSCAR Don't be. ALAIN Now I can sell my gun openly. Take care of me when I get caught, would ya? OSCAR What?! ALAIN Just a joke! See ya! OSCAR Andre! ANDRE Yes, Ma'am! OSCAR You have tonight off, don't you? ANDRE Yes. OSCAR Then come with me. I'm going to thank General Bouille for today. Dress in proper uniform. You'll be representing the Company. ANDRE Aye! OSCAR Take us to Paris. ANDRE Why Paris? General Bouille's estate is... OSCAR He's at the Opera House tonight. ALAIN I don't see Andre. Where's he? COMPANYMEN He went to Paris with the Commander. Yeah, showing off by riding in a noble's gaudy carriage. ALAIN Going to Paris in a noble's carriage? That's dangerous. There are plenty of Mobs roaming around in Paris attacking nobles wherever they find them. All right. I'm in! (or, I'm finished! ?) COMPANYMEN (You've done it) Again! All right! It's for Diane's wedding gift! Moron! We're collecting it separately (from this). What?! You can't do that! What's the big deal? MAN Did you see that? It's a noble's carriage! [riot] MAN They're nobles! Drag them out!! MAN Come out!! OSCAR Wait! Andre is not a noble!! OSCAR Andre!! ANDRE Oscar!! OSCAR Andre is not a noble! Don't harm that man!! {Opera House} OFFICER Your Excellency (Bouille). OFFICER A report just came in saying there's a riot in the St. Antoine District. It might be better for you to cut it short and to come back to Versailles to avoid risks any danger. BOUILLE All right, I will. Colonel, you brought your platoon, didn't you? FERSEN Yes, Sir. BOUILLE Then you don't have to guard me anymore. Go suppress the riot. FERSEN Understood, Sir! Give me more detail about the situation. OFFICER About 200 people armed with clubs attacked a noble's carriage in the St. Antoine District. The report said the crest on the carriage was a blue lion holding a sword. FERSEN What?! A blue lion holding a sword? OFFICER Yes, Colonel Fersen! FERSEN in his mind That's the crest of the Jarjeyes Family. Could it be... Oscar?! FERSEN Army Cavalry Division, the 105th Platoon! Advance to the St.Antoine District! MAN One escaped!! CROWDS Don't let him escape!! Kill him!! Get him!! FERSEN Back off, rabble! MAN Shit, the army is here! FERSEN Oscar!! [Fersen takes Oscar to a alley] FERSEN Oscar! Hang on, Oscar!! OSCAR Fersen...! FERSEN Good... at least, you're safe. OSCAR Andre... Where is Andre?! ANDRE!! FERSEN Wait, Oscar! They'll get you if you go out again! OSCAR Let me go! Andre is... My Andre is in danger!! FERSEN What? "MY Andre"? All right. You stay here. I'll rescue your... YOUR Andre. OSCAR My...Andre...? FERSEN Andre! Andre!! MAN Hang him! Hang the noble! [gun shot] FERSEN Listen mobs, with your ears cleared! My name is Hans Axel von Fersen! MOBS Hans Axel von Fersen? Fersen...Oh!! He's Antoinette's lover!! Right, he's the playboy-Fersen!! MAN Everyone, get him! Hang him first!! MAN Don't let him escape!! [Jarjeyes'] NANNY Mademoiselle, I've brought you a hot chocolat. OSCAR Merci. NANNY What an awful experience it must have been. I'm too scared and can no longer go shopping alone in Paris. OSCAR How is Andre's injury? NANNY He got 36 bruises all over his body! But he says he wants to return to the barracks within 3 days. OSCAR I see... But I'm glad that his injury was lighter than I expected. Really... NANNY It's been quite a while since you last had a vacation day off. OSCAR Oh, yeah. What wound shall I get for my next vacation? NANNY Mademoiselle, you, too, had 12 bruises! How can you joke like that... Excuse me! OSCAR Nanny, your chocolat is delicous... tres bien... [flashback] OSCAR Let me go! Andre is... My Andre is in danger!! My Andre is in danger!! ANDRE I just received a message, saying Count Fersen returned to the army barracks safely last night. (or, I just received a message: Count Fersen returned to the army barracks safely last night.) OSCAR I see. How about a chocolat? ANDRE No, thanks. OSCAR in her mind If this was before, I'd definitely have gone to rescue Fersen from the mob. [knocks] COMPANYMEN Isn't it odd? Something must have happened. OSCAR Alain? DAGOUR Yes, he took a leave to attend his sister's wedding about a week ago. But he hasn't come back since. He's never been absent without leave before. COMPANYMEN But it's strange. He didn't even come to get his pay check. Wasn't his mother sick? He said her medicine cost a lot. Hmm, I wonder what happened. ANDRE Oscar, could you give me a pass? I want to take Alain's pay to him. OSCAR Wait, Andre. I'll go, too. ANDRE #26 Bourbon Street. It's around here. WOMAN Are you going to Alain's room? ANDRE Yes, we are. WOMAN Then tell Alain to do something about this smell! ANDRE Smell? WOMAN Right. He probably bought too much cheap meat! If he'd let it rot, he could have shared it with his neighbors, for God's sake! ANDRE I do kind of smell something weird. ANDRE knocks Alain! It's Andre! I came to hand you your salary. Alain, I'm coming in. [Have you ever smelled a rotten flesh?] ANDRE Are you Alain's mother? MOM Yes... ANDRE Alain...Where is Alain? MOM He's by Diane's side since.... There's no caring brother like Alain... [Diane's dead body on her bed] MOM Diane was betrayed by the man. He was a poor noble. But the day before the wedding, he suddenly got a proposal from a rich man's daughter, and he jilted my daughter! My daughter loved him, believed in him, and dedicated everything she had (to him). He dumped her as if he's throwing out cold coffee that was left over. It must have been painful, when she hung herself!! ALAIN Sorry, but I can't return to the French Guards for a while. Her tender smile and cheeful voice are forever gone. Until I can convince myself, I'll stay here. I'll stay by her side!! CROWD The Estates-General! The Estates-General! The Estates-General to Our Hands! The Estates-General! Send Our Comrades to the State-General! NARRATION The Estates-General to Our Hands... The Estates-General... It was the movement to send delegates from the Third Estate to the Assembly, commoners who were neither nobles nor clergy. The death of Diane, Alain's sister, didn't seem to be related to the change of era. But Oscar had foreboding cross her mind: Those who are beloved, beautiful, and should stay alive, suddenly become lost f orever one day. Perhaps the new age is such a tragic era... [ending title] NEXT EPISODE: The Estate-General was about to convene. It was the twilight of one era. The Crown Prince Louis-Joseph had only short time left for him. Oscar was concerned about him, and she wishes for his one last happy occasion. Next time on Rose of Versailles: "A Funeral Bell Tolls in the Twilight". - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bruce Carlson carlsn1@ix.netcom.com Phoenix, AZ