思考题 Posted January 5, 2011 at 03:55 AM Report Posted January 5, 2011 at 03:55 AM Over the past 6 months I've taken an avid interest in Chinese language songs as a productive means of studying and supplementing my Mandarin. With friends' encouragement, I have undertaken the posting of English translations of both widespread classics and some of my personal favorites. My interest does not lie in literal, word for word translation. Certain words and phrases, though poignant in their native Mandarin context, sound ambiguous or halting in English. Rather I aim to express the feeling of each song -- as if the lyrics were as natural to sing in translated English as they were in the original Chinese. I am not avoiding literal interpretation, so much not allowing it to interfere with the tone or underlying concepts of each song. While I encourage any questions, 'quires and qualms, my hope is that rather than simple criticism, we instead make constructive suggestions with specific examples. My initial words are not the end all, but rather the instigation of further creation. ===================================================================================================================================================== To start with a classic: 月亮代表我的心 ×NB Does anybody know how to do rich formatting? I would like side by side columns as the original translations are done in Microsoft word。 Tangentially, formatting will not allow for spacing between the Chinese and corresponding English lyrics. 你问我爱你有多深 You ask, how deep is my love？ 我爱你有几分 How much do I love you？ 我的情也真 My love is real， 我的爱也真 My love is true， 月亮代表我的心 My heart waxes and wanes。 你问我爱你有多深 You ask how deep is my love？ 我爱你有几分 How much do I love you？ 我的情不移 You are the one I love, 我的爱不变 My love for you will not change， 月亮代表我的心 My heart waxes and wanes。 轻轻的一个吻 A soft kiss， 已经打动我的心 Was all it took， 深深的一段情 A deep moment of passion， 叫我思念到如今 Feels like yesterday。 你问我爱你有多深 You ask, how deep is my love？ 我爱你有几分 How much do I love you？ 你去想一想 Consider a little， 你去看一看 Explore a little， 月亮代表我的心 My heart waxes and wanes. 轻轻的一个吻 A soft kiss， 已经打动我的心 Was all it took， 深深的一段情 A deep moment of passion， 叫我思念到如今 Feels like yesterday。 你问我爱你有多深 You ask, how deep is my love？ 我爱你有几分 How much do I love you？ 你去想一想 Consider a little， 你去看一看 Explore a little， 月亮代表我的心 My heart waxes and wanes。 你去想一想 Consider a little， 你去看一看 Explore a little， 月亮代表我的心 My heart waxes and wanes。 A key interpretation is the idea that the singer's love, like the moon, is not static. Love rises in falls in intensity, from moment to moment, even if the essessence or object of love remains intact throughout. Hence the the notion of "waxing" and "waning" as opposed to a more literal interpretaion of the moon being a metaphorical representation of a heart. Consider also the lines "You are the one I love, my love for you will not change" which once again demonstrate that the constant is love itself, though how and when it manifests itself is in frequent flux. Quote
skylee Posted January 5, 2011 at 11:08 AM Report Posted January 5, 2011 at 11:08 AM semantic nuances, one of the members here, has a blog with her translation of song lyrics from western languages to Chinese. She posts lovely music and I like her works a lot, and I've asked her to translate songs for me a couple of times. You might wish to take a look at her blog. just a thought. Quote
kellys Posted January 5, 2011 at 02:48 PM Report Posted January 5, 2011 at 02:48 PM this is a very beautiful song. and almost every Chinese can sing this song. many foreign students have learned to sing this song in Fudan mandarin class. very funny Quote
内森 Posted January 5, 2011 at 11:46 PM Report Posted January 5, 2011 at 11:46 PM I might change 你问我爱你有多深 from "You ask how deep is my love?" to "You ask the depth of my love" Also, 你去想一想 "Consider a little" ------> Look a little deeper 你去看一看 "Explore a little" --------> You will see 月亮代表我的心 -------------------------> My heart waxes and wanes Quote
semantic nuance Posted January 6, 2011 at 04:01 AM Report Posted January 6, 2011 at 04:01 AM @ skylee: Thanks for your comment. @ 思考題: First by your concept of understanding 月亮代表我的心，and then by your alias, it reminds me of someone I knew way back then whose argument about love / promise is antithetical to Nietzschean promise. (Please look at Point 58 Page 42) . It truly rings a bell! Quote
思考题 Posted January 7, 2011 at 04:39 AM Author Report Posted January 7, 2011 at 04:39 AM Semantic nuance; Thank you for your reply, unfortunately I could not open your link, could you please paste the paragraph as a new response? 思考题 Quote
semantic nuance Posted January 7, 2011 at 05:38 AM Report Posted January 7, 2011 at 05:38 AM Sorry, 思考題. The link I posted cannot be patsted because it is a pdf format which I don't know how to paste. It begins with "What one can promise.--One can promise actions, not feelings...", you may google that sentence, then I'm sure a lot of pages will show up to take you there. Sorry. Quote
思考题 Posted January 10, 2011 at 01:46 AM Author Report Posted January 10, 2011 at 01:46 AM Thank you yeodda3 for your comments, I like your suggestions and being true to open source information I have altered the translation. Your suggestions sound more eloquent in English while staying true to the Chinese meaning. 你问我爱你有多深 ...........You ask the depth of my love？ 我爱你有几分 ........... How much do I love you？ 我的情也真 ........... My love is real， 我的爱也真 ........... My love is true， 月亮代表我的心 ........... My heart waxes and wanes。 你问我爱你有多深 ...........You ask the depth of my love？ 我爱你有几分 ........... How much do I love you？ 我的情不移 ........... You are the one I love, 我的爱不变 ........... My love for you will not change， 月亮代表我的心 ........... My heart waxes and wanes。 轻轻的一个吻 ........... A soft kiss， 已经打动我的心 ........... Was all it took， 深深的一段情 ...........A deep moment of passion， 叫我思念到如今 ........... Feels like yesterday。 你问我爱你有多深 ...........You ask the depth of my love？ 我爱你有几分 ........... How much do I love you？ 你去想一想 ...........Look a little deeper， 你去看一看 ........... You will see， 月亮代表我的心 ...........My heart waxes and wanes. 轻轻的一个吻 ........... A soft kiss， 已经打动我的心 ........... Was all it took， 深深的一段情 ........... A deep moment of passion， 叫我思念到如今 ........... Feels like yesterday。 你问我爱你有多深 ........... You ask the depth of my love？ 我爱你有几分 ........... How much do I love you？ 你去想一想 ...........Look a little deeper， 你去看一看 ........... You will see， 月亮代表我的心 ........... My heart waxes and wanes。 你去想一想 ........... Look a little deeper， 你去看一看 ........... And you will see， 月亮代表我的心 ........... My heart waxes and wanes。 I really appreciate constructive comments like this, by constructive I mean that you created and constructed an alternative to the translation as opposed to just criticising my translation. Thank you Quote
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