Simon curses a lot during Carry On.
Another thing I've realized is a language barrier is cursing. As someone who's second language is English, curses (and just words in general) lose their meaning. It's a very common experience. That's also why a lot of people write smut in their second language.
My family and I, as Mexicans, we curse a lot in English because they don't mean that much. We're constantly saying what the fuck, because it's less mean than saying qué pedo.
I never noticed how vulgar (in a sense) Simon is until now. For me, reading him in English and having him curse was normal, an part of the way he talks to emphasize his words or even to just express himself, but in Spanish, his words are rough and even heartbreaking.
When he mentions the chimera incident, Simon curses twice to offend Baz, but also to express himself, whereas Baz looks like he curses because it slipped him, it's not something his character would do. The words the book uses for Simon here are "maldita sea" and "mierda", which are strong words, especially "mierda" which is not that common in Spanish, especially Mexican Spanish, however, Baz uses "carajo", which I'm surprised because it's more of an Spain Spanish word, and it's such a telling thing because it's a more first world word, at least to me, and having Baz saying it... truly interesting.
When Simon mentions Baz used to threaten him with a viking funeral, Baz's dialogue makes fun of Simon, and Simon answers with "vete a la mierda". That's a fifteen year old talking. It sets a funny moment, because it's funny to read and say that because it's a curse you have to wait until the end for its delivery, and it also indicates who Simon is. He truly did hate Baz, or at least, until now, it's pretty clear where his confusion will come when they get together.
These little snippets you get from his trauma and how little he gets to be himself as a normal child get right to the point since the beginning. Simon becomes even difficult to read because he's tired and in constant pain. Naturally, I already know this, but in Spanish it's so obvious.
There are a couple moments that stuck with me:
At the very first beginning, when Simon is talking about how they won't let him go to Tesco. That in English sounds fine, like another fact he throws at you, but in Spanish, that word even sound traumatizing. He says "ni siquiera me dejan ir al supermecado Tesco sin un acompañante", in a way that means he's guarded and he isn't free. The "ni siquiera" is such a strong word, it has a negative phrasing on itself. Simon saying this in the beginning tells you how negative and pessimistic he is, even though we also learn he's funny.
This is possibly my favorite, and it's when he's listing things he misses about Watford, and mentions not being on the team because he's on missions, or doing something else, and then comment on the Humdrum. He says "no se puede defender la portería con confiaza cuando el maldito Humdrum de mierda […]". WOW. The boy is traumatized, tired and even helpless. Simon is sick of it all, of not being able to be a kid who plays football because he's got this tiny responsibility of saving the world. We can even tell he's also jealous of Baz because he's able to be normal and play whatever he wants.
When he calls out on Baz's gracefulness on the chimera incident, he says the things about his eyebrows. “Baz plays for our school. Of course. The tosser", but these are just words to me, I don't even know what tosser really means, I just know the vibes and the subtext there is, but in Spanish Simon says "Obvio, el muy cabrón", and I think that beautiful hahaha. I think it's very telling for both their personalities, but specially for Simon. It's a totally unprompted curse and the comma makes it funny.
Starting this book in Spanish knowing everything I know about it, it's so much fun. I love Simon's voice in Spanish so much. He's not only charming and funny, but he's also so much more relatable (and a true tragedy tbh, give him a break).
