This translation project is a labor of love from a Rose of Versailles fan.   I started translating pieces of the manga on a whim, then decided to do the whole series for myself and the English-speaking fans.   My goal is introduce the manga to those who can read English but do not have access to a translation in their native languages.

Just a few points before we begin ...

In translating, I try to preserve as much of the original flavor as possible.   This means nearly all words, including sound effects and author's notes, are translated.   Most of the cultural references and more obscure expressions are retained in respect to the author.   For ease of reading, I have added explanations of the words or symbolisms whenever appropriate.

Yet, there are some cases where the Japanese just does not translate well into English.   For these expressions I have taken the meaning and modified the text into something sensible in English.   Often I have re-arranged words to reflect the author's style, especially in the more poetic passages.

To give you an idea ...

Original text: a ... a!   aoi hitomi   sono sugata wa ... sanagara ten ni hoyuru pegasasu no kokoro furuwasu tsubasa ni mo nite burondo no kami hirugaeshi hirugaeshi ...
Literal translation: oh!   blue eyes, that figure, as if quaking the heart of Pegasus, who is roaring at the sky also like wings blond hair fluttering, fluttering	Revised translation: Oh, those blue eyes, that figure ... soars through the sky as if it were a roaring Pegasus, heart trembling on wings of desire. Blond hair fluttering, fluttering in the wind ...

Aside from the linguistic details, I try to match the manga's historical characters and events with their actual counterparts.   As far as I know, all the names, titles, and quotes are correct at the time of post.   Please let me know if you see an error.

Enjoy!   Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions or comments.
 

Amy J. Lai (arayaland@hotmail.com)
Oct. 2001