Origins

Her given name is Jeanne, and Venator will call her nothing else. The name Geist came from her husband’s family: Ivy once asked why, if Geist is German, she sounds French. Her answer was brisk. She is French; her husband wasn’t.

“I am french, my husband wasn't.”

“我是法国人，我丈夫不是。”TL

That husband was Johann Geist, a German artist, now deceased. The New York Oracle reports that the Museum of Modern Art recently announced a special gallery showcasing his work.

“The Museum of Modern art recently announced a special gallery showcasing the work of late german artist Johann Geist.”

“现代艺术博物馆近日宣布将开设一个特别展厅，展出已故德国艺术家约翰·盖斯特的作品”

Graves once wrote a paper about him in humanities. Hearing this, she said only that it was nice to know his work still resonates with the youth; when Graves mangled the “Stille” in a painting’s title, she corrected her on the spot, then allowed that it was one of her favorites as well.

“He was really talented. I wrote a paper about him in humanities.”

“他才华横溢。我在人文课上写过一篇关于他的论文。”TL

In those years Johann dragged her to hundreds of fundraisers and social gatherings, and she long ago mastered the art of pleasing every side of a room. McGinnis has watched her work the room at the parties of Fairfax Industries, and marveled at it. She waved it away: it’s second nature. When McGinnis asked in passing, “That your husband?”, she answered with a single word: “Was.”

“Oh, Johann dragged me to hundreds of those before, it's second nature.”

“哦，约翰以前拉着我去过几百次这样的活动了，这对我来说已经成了习惯。”

She has a son who is a doctor, also named Johann; to hear her tell it, Dr. Johann Geist is one of the best in New York. When Infernus asked what Johann was up to, she said that at the moment his two favorite hobbies are medicine and being sanctimonious. Infernus called him a good kid, and she replied that she’ll keep him for now. Her tone carries a mother’s exacting eye.

“Your condition is only going to worsen without someone to maintain you, and Johann is one of the best in New York. I'll introduce you when this ritual business is concluded.”

“没人照顾你，你的病情只会越来越严重，而约翰是纽约最好的医生之一。等这次仪式办完，我会介绍你们认识”

She was a generous benefactor, too. In years past the Geist Foundation paraded street children around for good press, and Pocket was one of them. Once she had recognized him, she added, “You’re welcome by the way,” in the lofty tone of one bestowing a favor and fishing for thanks. Kelvin's Arctic Expedition, too, set out on her money.

“You're welcome by the way.”

“顺便说一句，欢迎你”

But time spares no one. Her beauty faded little by little, until at last she was a frail old woman in a nursing home, telling stories of her glorious past all day long; and that was when Oathkeeper appeared. Knowing full well that murder was ghoulish business and that Oathkeeper could not be trusted, she made the pact all the same, then found a way to bind him, so that he could feed only on her terms. Decades have passed, and the ward grows weaker by the day. She says she will never be forgotten.

“I will never be forgotten.”

“我永远不会被遗忘。”TL

Old Friends and Foes

Drifter: The Man Who Came for Oathkeeper

Drifter said “Been a while” to her arm, and told her that he and Oathkeeper go back a long ways. Taken aback, she asked how he knew Oathkeeper.

When she struck him down, she told him he was not freeing Oathkeeper.

“You're not freeing Oathkeeper, Drifter.”

“你休想解放守誓者，孤猎”

Grey Talon: The Old Hunter Who Sees Through Her

Grey Talon told her flatly that she was a fool to make a deal with that thing. She said she was in control, and he gave her no quarter: if she were, she wouldn’t be risking her life right now. He reminded her, too, that if the Baxter Society knew of her arrangement, they would probably put her in the ground.

“Please, I'm in control.”

“放心，一切尽在掌握”

He also asked who had made the Binding Ward. She hesitated, then said the man had died. Mo & Krill once praised its maker as an artist at their craft, and she answered that he really was.

“Oh, he… he died.”

“哦，他…他倒下了”

Venator: The Man Who Has Known Her Too Long

Venator calls her “Jeanne”; she calls him “Rourke.” Venators only hunt the wicked, he once said: what could she possibly have done to be worried about someone like him?

“Jeanne. Venator's only hunt the wicked… what could you possibly have done to be worried about someone like me?”

“珍妮。诛邪者只猎杀邪恶之人……你到底做过什么，会担心像我这样的人？”TL

Paradox: The Thief Who Took the Painting

Hearing that Paradox had one of her husband’s paintings, she demanded it back; Paradox laughed that they had already robbed her, and that if she wanted it back, she should try to find it. Of this old grudge she says that she has waited fifty years.

“I've waited 50 years for this.”

“我等了50年才完成这个”

Kelvin: A Withdrawn Investment

Kelvin thanked her sincerely for her patronage: the expedition obviously didn’t go as planned, he said, but without her funding they would never have had the opportunity. When it came to blows, she changed her tune: that was for squandering her investment.

“I'm serious. Obviously the expedition didn't go as planned, but we wouldn't have had the opportunity were it not for your funding.”

“我是认真的。显然，远征没有按计划进行，但如果不是你的资金，我们就没有机会了”

“That's for squandering my investment.”

“这是为了弥补我浪费投资的损失”

Victor: Her Rare Kindness

In her eyes Victor is nothing but a shambling mass of flesh, and she says so, making no secret of her disgust. Yet another time she mentioned that her son is a doctor, and that once the ritual was concluded she could introduce them. Puzzled, he asked why she was being so nice to him; she said she didn’t know, and told him only to speak of it to no one, for she has a reputation to uphold.

“You're a shambling mass of flesh, why wouldn't I be.”

“你不过是一团蹒跚的血肉之躯，我又怎能不如此？”

“I don't know, but speak of it to no one I have a reputation to uphold.”

“我不知道，但不要跟任何人提起这件事，我还要维护我的名誉”

Haze: The One Who Should Not Interfere

Haze came speaking in the voice of the OSIC: if the Oathkeeper issue is not resolved, the OSIC will have to intervene. Striking Haze down, Geist said that Oathkeeper is not the OSIC’s concern, and that the government needs to stay out of her business.

“Good. If it's not the OSIC will have to intervene.”

“很好。如果不是，OSIC就不得不介入了”

“The government needs to stay out of my business.”

“政府不应该干涉我的事”

Vindicta: Another Future at Stake

Vindicta stands beside her in this ritual, yet there is little love lost between them. Vindicta says she was killed because people thought she was someone like Geist, while the actual monster gets to run around like the belle of the ball; Geist’s answer was that this is because she is the belle of the ball. When it mattered, she wanted to be sure the other would actually support her and not just fly away, and she added that both of their futures are at stake.

“It's unbelievable... I was killed because people thought I was someone like you, meanwhile you're an actual monster and you get to run around like the belle of the ball.”

“真是难以置信……我被害是因为人们以为我和你一样，而你明明是个真正的怪物，却还能像舞会上的焦点一样到处招摇”

Mina: The Girl Who Would Be Her

Mina says she hopes to work with her, because she is an icon. Geist, for her part, minces no words: the girl has her ambition, but not her talent, she’s afraid.

“I hope I get to work with Lady Geist, she's an icon.”

“希望我能跟盖斯特夫人共事，她可是个偶像。”TL

“She has my ambition, but not my talent, I'm afraid.”

“她有我的抱负，但恐怕没有我的天赋”

Graves: The Student With Such Nice Parents

Graves, of all people, can hear Oathkeeper, and can even say his name. Startled, Geist asked whether she could really hear him, and then said only that they would talk about this later.

“You can hear him?”

“你听得到他？”TL

Deadman Danny: The Test Pilot Selling Flight

The first thing Deadman Danny did on meeting her was make a pitch: would she like to soar on the wings of the Chimera Mark 1? What she said in reply can no longer be heard; he came straight back that she looked like someone who could afford it. And he left her with a parting word: if she changed her mind, the miracle of flight awaited at a very reasonable price. To him she was, first and foremost, a well-heeled customer. Whether she was tempted, no one knows.

“If you change your mind, the miracle of flight awaits at a very reasonable price.”

“您若改了主意，飞行的奇迹正以极其公道的价格等着您。”TL

Violet: The Painter Who Asked About Johann

Violet asked her what Johann Geist was like, and having heard, said he sounded like an amazing person. Then she asked whether Geist had seen the Upstart Gallery, adding that as an art lover, she’d thought Geist would want to go. How Geist answered, no one heard; all that remains is the painter’s own flat “Oh,” and a little later a “Yeah,” as if the conversation simply broke off there.

“As an art lover I'd thought you'd want to go.”

“作为艺术爱好者，我还以为你会想去呢。”TL

Anecdotes

Class. She grades people by their clothes and their breeding. Calico, she sniffs, reeked of new money, and over Wraith she remarked that new money is so predictable.

“Ugh, she reeked of new money.”

“呃，她身上散发着一股暴发户的味道”

“New money is so predictable.”

“暴发户是如此容易预测”

Tips. She treats killing as a social occasion. Of Infernus she says that at least she doesn’t have to tip him anymore; to the Doorman she says that if he were more pleasant, maybe she would have given him a tip.

“At least I don't have to tip him anymore…”

“至少我不用再给他小费了…”

“If you were more pleasant, maybe I would have given you a tip...”

“如果你态度更和善一些，或许我会给你小费……”

Hotels and Bars. She has plenty of complaints about the service at the Baroness Hotel, which she calls a shell of its past glory.

“The Baroness is a shell of its past glory.”

“巴隆妮斯已不复往日辉煌”

The Arm. Abrams complimented her arm; Yamato offered to cut it off for her. She said she was good; Yamato said she really didn’t mind; and Geist replied that she was sure she didn’t.

“It's a malevolent spirit. Nice book.”

“这是一种善解人意的精神。好书。”

“I really don't mind.”

“我真的不嫌麻烦”

Donations. Ivy asked her to donate to the campaign of Carlos Arroyo, of the Arroyos. She said she had rarely found politicians worth the investment, but once she had heard Ivy’s story, she answered that if they survived, she would write her a check.

“If we survive I'll write you a check.”

“如果我们能活下来，我给你开张支票。”TL

A Graceful Exit. To those who would humiliate her, her words hide a blade: she will suffer the indignity quietly, and when misfortune falls upon them, they will always wonder whether that was fate, or Lady Geist.

“I will suffer this indignity quietly… and when misfortune falls upon you, you will always wonder... Was that fate? Or was that Lady Geist?”

“我会默默承受这份屈辱…而当厄运降临到你身上时，你总会想：那是命运吗？还是盖斯特夫人干的？”TL

Open Questions