Posted by Mark on January 12, 1998 at 19:34:34:
Back in late November, Peter told us that Dr Jingu, the translator of
the Arthur Ransome books in Japan, needing to refer to Captain Flint
as a younger or older brother of Mrs Blackett, had chosen younger.
I have just been rereading Swallowdale, and I think he made the right
choice.
When Roger finds the box in the cairn on Kangenjunga, the paper inside
is signed Molly Turner, James Turner, and Bob Blackett. I've noticed
elsewhere that Arthur Ransome usually refers to his characters in order
of age.
Later in the same scene When the Swallows and Amazons write their names
on the back of the Matterhorn paper, Nancy, the oldest, signs first,
then John, then the mates, then the ableseaman and then the ships boy.
Notice that this is NOT by ship's crew. We know that Nancy is older
than John from Swallows and Amazons, and that Peggy is about the same
size as John. I don't think that we ever know if Peggy is older than
Susan, but the sizes mentioned in Swallows and Amazons would suggest
that she is.
It seems unusual at first that Peggy doesn't sign after Nancy - after
all, it is her mother, uncle and father's note. One would expect the
Amazons to sign, then the Swallows. But since their note follows the same
descriptive format as the text from 30 years before, it would seem that
they are following the signature style too, in order of age. I don't
think anything else would account for not grouping the names under
Amazons and Swallows.
Of course we won't know for sure why Dr Jingu chose younger brother
unless someone asks him, but for me the circumstantial evidence seems
to indicate that he was correct.