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Owen
Captain Lancey is a middle-aged British soldier and the cartographer for the Ordnance Survey. He is more at ease with maps than people, and initially address the residents of Baile Beag as if they were children. He asks Owen to translate as he makes a grandiose speech about the importance of the mapping project, which he at first presents as somewhat beneficial for the Irish people. Later, however, when Yolland goes missing, Lancey’s tone changes drastically. He asserts British power over Ireland as he tells locals that the soldiers will kill their livestock and evict residents if Yolland is not found within two days.
Captain Lancey Quotes in Translations
The Translations quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Lancey or refer to Captain Lancey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
Lancey: His Majesty's government has ordered the first ever comprehensive survey of this entire country — a general triangulation which will embrace detailed hydrographic and topographic information and which will be executed to a scale of six inches to the English mile.
Hugh: (pouring a drink) Excellent - excellent.
Lancey looks at Owen.
Owen: A new map is being made of the whole country.
Lancey looks to Owen: Is that all? Owen smiles reassuringly and indicates to proceed.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Manus: And they call you Roland! They both call you Roland!
Owen: Shhhhh. Isn't it ridiculous? They seem to get it wrong from the very beginning — or else they can't pronounce Owen. I was afraid some of you bastards would laugh.
Manus: Aren't you going to tell them?
Owen: Yes - yes - soon - soon.
Manus: But they...
Owen: Easy, man, easy. Owen - Roland - what the hell. It's only a name. It's the same me, isn't it? Well, isn't it?
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Act 3
Quotes
Owen: How are you? Are you all right?
Sarah nods: Yes.
Don't worry. It will come back to you again.
Sarah shakes her head.
It will. You're upset now. He frightened you. That's all's wrong.
Again Sarah shakes her head, slowly, emphatically, and smiles at Owen. Then she leaves.
Get the entire Translations LitChart as a printable PDF.
Captain Lancey Quotes in Translations
The Translations quotes below are all either spoken by Captain Lancey or refer to Captain Lancey. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1
Quotes
Lancey: His Majesty's government has ordered the first ever comprehensive survey of this entire country — a general triangulation which will embrace detailed hydrographic and topographic information and which will be executed to a scale of six inches to the English mile.
Hugh: (pouring a drink) Excellent - excellent.
Lancey looks at Owen.
Owen: A new map is being made of the whole country.
Lancey looks to Owen: Is that all? Owen smiles reassuringly and indicates to proceed.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Manus: And they call you Roland! They both call you Roland!
Owen: Shhhhh. Isn't it ridiculous? They seem to get it wrong from the very beginning — or else they can't pronounce Owen. I was afraid some of you bastards would laugh.
Manus: Aren't you going to tell them?
Owen: Yes - yes - soon - soon.
Manus: But they...
Owen: Easy, man, easy. Owen - Roland - what the hell. It's only a name. It's the same me, isn't it? Well, isn't it?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3
Quotes
Owen: How are you? Are you all right?
Sarah nods: Yes.
Don't worry. It will come back to you again.
Sarah shakes her head.
It will. You're upset now. He frightened you. That's all's wrong.
Again Sarah shakes her head, slowly, emphatically, and smiles at Owen. Then she leaves.
