思考题 Posted January 6, 2011 at 01:49 AM Report Posted January 6, 2011 at 01:49 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. ===================================================================================================================================================== The follow on with another popular Chinese song, especially within the expat community: 对面的女孩看过来. (咳!)对面的女孩看过来 Hey babe, come check it out, 看过来,看过来 Check it out, come check it out, 这里的表演很精彩 Here is something you're sure to like 请不要假装不理不睬 So please don't be coy, please don't front. 对面的女孩看过来Hey babe, come check it out, 看过来,看过来Check it out, come check it out, 不要被我的样子吓坏Don’t be scared, 其实我很可爱I know that I'm cute, 寂寞男孩的悲哀My loneliness is tragedy, 说出来,谁明白If you know what I mean, shout it out! 求求你抛个媚眼过来Even a knowing glance will do, 哄哄我Come on! 逗我乐开怀I’m just joking around, (嘿嘿嘿,没人理我,嘿!)(honestly people, nothing?) 我左看右看,上看下看Left clap, right clap, look up and look down, 原来每个女孩都不简单who'd have thought, girls are so complex, 我想了又想,我猜了又猜I think it through, I try to guess 女孩们的心事还真奇怪But Girls are the strangest thing! 寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍What can break my curse? 左拍拍,右拍拍Right clap-clap, Left clap-clap 为什么还是没人来爱Why won’t anyone pay me some attention? 无人问津哪,真无奈Not even a little, I'm such a lost cause! 对面的女孩看过来Hey babe, come check it out, 看过来,看过来Check it out, come check it out, 寂寞男孩情窦初开You can't experience first love, 需要你给我一点爱Without first experiecing some loving! (嗨----嗨----!)Ready? Again! 我左看右看,上看下看Right clap, left clap, look up and look down, 原来每个女孩都不简单Geeze, girls are complicated 我想了又想,我猜了又猜I think it over, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪But girls are the strangest thing, 我左看右看,上看下看Right clap, left clap, look up and look down, 原来每个女孩都不简单Geeze, girls are complicated 我想了又想,我猜了又猜I think it over, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪But girls are the strangest thing, 爱真奇怪!IT'S ALL OVER MY HEAD! （回家吧!）(ALRIGHT, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE) Quote
semantic nuance Posted January 6, 2011 at 08:46 AM Report Posted January 6, 2011 at 08:46 AM 寂寞男孩的悲哀My loneliness is tragedy,说出来,谁明白If you know what I mean, shout it out! don't think the translation is the meaning of the original lyircs. 媚眼 is different from 'knowing eyes'. It means 'to make eyes at somebody'. 我左看右看,上看下看Left clap, right clap, look up and look down, I think 左看右看 still means 'look', not 'clap'. 逗我乐开怀I’m just joking around, 逗我樂開懷 to make me so happy, literally, if you insist. But 'i'm just joking around' does not show that 'I' is to be pleased but to please or make fun of others. Quote
jlin Posted January 6, 2011 at 11:47 AM Report Posted January 6, 2011 at 11:47 AM Here's my take on it. I used to sing this song in a choir, and there is a counterpart for the girls (guys over there, look this way). I think in spirit, it's a bit more flippant and frustrated than anything else - this song would be for a boy who likes girls to initiate, and is exasperated that women aren't checking him out that much. I think the original translation is almost there, but missing the "begging" and "sexy" component of the song. It really is a bit pathetic when you think about it ... (but all boys are a bit pathetic in the throes of love ...) (咳!)对面的女孩看过来 Hey girl, look this way 看过来,看过来 look this way, look this way 这里的表演很精彩 my show here is the bomb, 请不要假装不理不睬 you know you want it, so don't be coy. 对面的女孩看过来 Hey girl, look this way, 看过来,看过来 look this way, look this way 不要被我的样子吓坏 don't be scared by what you see 其实我很可爱 I'm really kinda cute! 寂寞男孩的悲哀 Sadness of the lonely boy, 说出来,谁明白 even if I say it no one will really know 求求你抛个媚眼过来 Give me a chance! Blow me a kiss! 哄哄我 Tease me a bit, 逗我乐开怀 make me happy (嘿嘿嘿,没人理我,嘿!) (well, no one else will notice me!) 我左看右看,上看下看 I've looked left and right, searched up and down (can also be "looked far and wide ...") 原来每个女孩都不简单 who'd have thought, girls are so complex, 我想了又想,我猜了又猜 I think it through, I try to guess 女孩们的心事还真奇怪 Girls think about the strangest things! 寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍 Lonely boys and idle hands (ok this is a bit liberal in translation - but it basically means he has nothing really to do other than to try to scare up some flys in the bushes - ie try to find a date - there can also be another connotation for dirty minds - it's euphemisms all the way with this song ... ) 左拍拍,右拍拍 Beating around in the bushes, left and right 为什么还是没人来爱 Why does no one love me? 无人问津哪,真无奈 No one cares, no one answers, how frustrated I am! 对面的女孩看过来 Hey girl, look this way 看过来,看过来 Look this way, look this way 寂寞男孩情窦初开 Lonely boy's first crush 需要你给我一点爱 needs you to give me a bit of loving (嗨----嗨----!) hey 我左看右看,上看下看 I've looked left and right, searched up and down 原来每个女孩都不简单 who'd have thought, girls are so complex, 我想了又想,我猜了又猜 I think it through, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪 Girls sure think about the strangest things 我左看右看,上看下看 I've looked left and right, searched up and down 原来每个女孩都不简单 who'd have thought, girls are so complex, 我想了又想,我猜了又猜I think it over, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪 Girls think about the strangest things 爱真奇怪 love sure is strange! （回家吧!）(let's just go home and forget it all). So the kid wants to find a girl, gets a deep crush on a girl who doesn't really give a damn for him, he gets frustrated, decides it's all too weird, and just goes home ... Maybe I'm just too jaded ... or too old for these songs. Sure brings back some good memories though - I had a crush on the soprano when we were singing this song. She had a boyfriend and it was never meant to be ... Quote
内森 Posted January 7, 2011 at 05:09 AM Report Posted January 7, 2011 at 05:09 AM Semantic: I like what 思考题 has done with the line "我左看右看,上看下看..............Left clap, right clap, look up and look down" My take is, while the literal difference between the lyrics "look" and "clap" diverge considerably from one another, in the English contest "clap" gives off a vibe more resonant with the original audience-inclusive, playfulness of the song. I understand your point concerning 逗我乐开怀, and I'm wondering how you personally might translate it, in this song's English context? A final tangent: How NOT TO TRANSLATE this song. Listen and laugh (or weep; or weep with laughter)... Quote
creamyhorror Posted January 8, 2011 at 12:34 AM Report Posted January 8, 2011 at 12:34 AM My take is, while the literal difference between the lyrics "look" and "clap" diverge considerably from one another, in the English contest "clap" gives off a vibe more resonant with the original audience-inclusive, playfulness of the song. But the point of that line is that the guy is looking everywhere, trying to find a girl who isn't complex, not getting the audience to clap along with him. That's why jlin has it as "looked far and wide". There's no reason to use clap. Quote
Mugi Posted January 8, 2011 at 03:04 AM Report Posted January 8, 2011 at 03:04 AM And when 拍 is used, it's not "clap" at all (despite the actions or background sound in some of the music videos), but rather "swat" (although as jlin has suggested, this is probably a metaphor for something else!). I understand the OP wanting to avoid a literal translation, but sometimes if you are a little too liberal in your translation early on, it can stuff things up later. Quote
思考题 Posted January 10, 2011 at 05:12 AM Author Report Posted January 10, 2011 at 05:12 AM Thank you semantic neuance, jilin, jeodda3, creamyhorror and Mugi for your responses. I appreciate your criticism, although I would prefer you to offer alternative solutions, otherwise the translation does not improve. After all, this is what open source information is all about. Lilin obviously took this to the extreme. After jilin's translation of the line: 寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍 Lonely boys and idle hands (ok this is a bit liberal in translation - but it basically means he has nothing really to do other than to try to scare up some flys in the bushes - ie try to find a date - there can also be another connotation for dirty minds - it's euphemisms all the way with this song ... ) And Mugi's understanding of the word clap: And when 拍 is used, it's not "clap" at all (despite the actions or background sound in some of the music videos), but rather "swat" (although as jlin has suggested, this is probably a metaphor for something else!). I understand the OP wanting to avoid a literal translation, but sometimes if you are a little too liberal in your translation early on, it can stuff things up later. I emailed my Chinese teacher for his understanding of the line, the following is his response: 没有任何其他的含义，仅仅是字面意思“寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍，左拍拍，右拍拍，可是没人来爱”。苍蝇拍是我们儿时的用于击打苍蝇的工具，在这首歌曲里出现，给人一种亲切的感觉，而且歌词的整体效果是淘气的青春基调，所以苍蝇拍就给人一种突兀的淘气的感觉。 Comments? Quote
semantic nuance Posted January 10, 2011 at 08:21 AM Report Posted January 10, 2011 at 08:21 AM 蒼蠅可以指的是到處追女孩的男生。Perhaps, 蒼蠅拍 connotes that this lonely boy wants to swat the flies (guys) off the girls and win their love. Even though, no girls look at him at all. Quote
Guoke Posted January 11, 2011 at 06:54 AM Report Posted January 11, 2011 at 06:54 AM "寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍，左拍拍,右拍拍" It's saying that the lonely boys, being unpopular with girls and unable to get a date, are so bored or frustrated that they spend the day swatting flies. “拍苍蝇” is a slang that is commonly used in everyday conversation among the Chinese community in South East Asia, especially Malaysia and Singapore. It simply means "nothing is happening and it's boring". And of course you don't need to be swatting flies to say that. A:你在干嘛？ B:在拍苍蝇。 A:生意好吗？ B:没什么生意，拍苍蝇过日子。 Bearing in mind that this song was originally written by a Chinese Malaysian, it's not a surprise that even the Chinese from mainland China or Taiwan may not fully grasp the underlying meaning of this line. 3 Quote
skylee Posted January 11, 2011 at 10:35 AM Report Posted January 11, 2011 at 10:35 AM I agree with Guoke's interpretation of 拍蒼蠅. We say the same here in HK, but the words are a little different, i.e. 拍烏蠅, meaning there is nothing to do. Quote
creamyhorror Posted January 11, 2011 at 03:15 PM Report Posted January 11, 2011 at 03:15 PM Mystery solved! I totally understand why 拍苍蝇 means 闲着没事做 in certain areas, because I have a mental image of a coffeeshop owner swatting flies in his empty stall beside a dusty Malaysian road under the burning sun. Quote
思考题 Posted January 17, 2011 at 11:50 AM Author Report Posted January 17, 2011 at 11:50 AM Gouke, thank you very much for your contribution! I have tried to amend the translation using everyones comments, let me know how you feel. (咳!)对面的女孩看过来............Hey girl, look this way, 看过来,看过来 ..................look this way, look over here, 这里的表演很精彩.................Here is something you're sure to like 请不要假装不理不睬...............Please be honest, don't be coy. (咳!)对面的女孩看过来............Hey girl, look this way, 看过来,看过来 ..................look this way, look over here, 不要被我的样子吓坏...............Don’t be scared, 其实我很可爱....................I’m really kind of cute, 寂寞男孩的悲哀..................Oh the tragic life of a bachelor, 说出来,谁明白...................If you know what I mean, shout it out! 求求你抛个媚眼过来...............Please, could you just give me a glance? 哄哄我........................Come on! 逗我乐开怀.....................Show me some love! (嘿嘿嘿,没人理我,嘿!)............(Honestly people, nothing?) 我左看右看,上看下看..............I have looked up and down, searched far and wide, 原来每个女孩都不简单..............who'd have thought, girls are so complex, 我想了又想,我猜了又猜.............I think it over, I try to guess 女孩们的心事还真奇怪..............But Girls are the strangest thing! 寂寞男孩的苍蝇拍................I’m so bored I’m twiddling my thumbs, 左拍拍,右拍拍..................Right clap-clap, Left clap-clap 为什么还是没人来爱..............Why won’t anyone pay me some attention? 无人问津哪,真无奈...............Not even a little, I'm such a lost cause! (咳!)对面的女孩看过来...........Hey girl, look this way, 看过来,看过来..................look this way, look over here, 寂寞男孩情窦初开................You can't experience first love, 需要你给我一点爱................Without first experiencing some loving! (嗨----嗨----!)...............Ready? Again! 我左看右看,上看下看.............I have looked up and down, searched far and wide,, 原来每个女孩都不简单.............Geeze, girls are complicated 我想了又想,我猜了又猜............I think it over, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪.............But girls are the strangest thing, 我左看右看,上看下看.............Right clap, left clap, look up and look down, 原来每个女孩都不简单............Geeze, girls are complicated 我想了又想,我猜了又猜...........I think it over, I try to guess, 女孩们的心事还真奇怪............But girls are the strangest thing, 爱真奇怪!....................It’ all over my head! （回家吧!）....................(alright, lets get out of here) Note: I took out the words: 'babe', 'front', 'the bomb' and the phrase 'check it out' as I consider this to be American English, and as such it is not suitable for an international translation. Quote
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