思考题 Posted January 26, 2011 at 05:32 AM Report Posted January 26, 2011 at 05:32 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. ===================================================================================================================================================== Chinese Song Translation 《青春舞曲》 - Faded Beauty. For an online recording of the song click &cat=0&gate=1&ct=134217728&tn=baidumt,%C7%E0%B4%BA%CE%E8%C7%FA++&si=%C7%E0%B4%BA%CE%E8%C7%FA;;-;;0;;0&lm=-1&mtid=1&d=8&size=4613734&attr=0,0&titlekey=203603511,2205660936&mtype=1"]HERE Another Classic folk song. This song also features in the intermediate 北京大学口语 text books. 太阳下山明早依旧爬上来..................The Sun sets but will rise again 花儿谢了明天还是一样的开................Flowers wither but will blossom again 我的青春一去无影踪.....................My youthful beauty has faded 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................My youth has faded never to return 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................My youth has faded never to return 别的那样呦............................I wish it wasn’t so 别的那样呦............................I wish it wasn’t so 我的青春小鸟一去不回来 .................My youth has faded never to return This folk song uses a bird that has flown away as a metaphor for a woman’s faded beauty. It is melancholic yet cheerfully fatalistic. Quote
skylee Posted January 26, 2011 at 08:45 AM Report Posted January 26, 2011 at 08:45 AM 花儿谢了明天还是一样的开 - shouldn't 明天 be 明年 instead? 我的青春一去无影踪 - as I remember it, this line should be 美麗小鳥飛去無影蹤. But perhaps there are different versions. Quote
zhwj Posted January 26, 2011 at 01:15 PM Report Posted January 26, 2011 at 01:15 PM Lo Ta-yu's version, which was my first encounter with the song, has both 明天 and 我的青春一去无影踪. Quote
martin_r Posted January 27, 2011 at 02:07 AM Report Posted January 27, 2011 at 02:07 AM The third line (on this recording) sounds to me like : 美小鳥一去無蹤影 and I'm not sure about the line 我的青春小鸟一去不回来 - it doesn't sound like 我的 at the start - sounds like "qi you" but my chinese is too limited to suggest characters. and could it be 一又不回来 ？ doesn't sound like 去. It's not easy making out lyrics even in English sometimes. I recorded this on Audacity - it lets you play individual segments and also slow down the tempo. Thanks 思考题 , do you have any more? Quote
思考题 Posted January 27, 2011 at 02:36 AM Author Report Posted January 27, 2011 at 02:36 AM Thank you skylee, zhwj and martin_r for you comments, I have just done a www.baidu.com search for the lyrics, and I found the most common version of the song is by 王洛宾. http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/146311666.html The lyrics that I posted are a variation of 王洛宾's version. http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/370191.html I have to admit, I did a quick search without realising that there were versions, and variations on versions. I suppose with folk songs there is not definitive answer. You guys have a good ear and a keen eye. Thanks Quote
内森 Posted April 23, 2011 at 08:14 PM Report Posted April 23, 2011 at 08:14 PM 太阳下山明早依旧爬上来...................THE SUN NIGHTLY SETTING, THE NEXT MORNING DOES CLIMB 花儿谢了明天还是一样的开................FLOWERS THAT NIGHTLY WITHER, REEMERGE EQUALLY SUBLIME 我的青春一去无影踪.........................My youthful beauty has faded 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................HAS FLUTTERED AWAY 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................AS A BIRD, NE’ER RETURNED TO A OPEN CAGE 别的那样呦......................................WERE IT NOT SO 别的那样呦......................................WERE IT ANY OTHER WAY 我的青春小鸟一去不回来 .................My youth, IT has faded, HAS FLUTTERED AWAY 太阳下山明早依旧爬上来...................The sun NIGHTLY SETTING, IN THE MORNING WILL RISE 花儿谢了明天还是一样的开................Flowers NIGHTLY wither, YET HEED THE DAWN’S CRIES 我的青春一去无影踪.........................My youthful beauty has faded 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................HAS FLUTTERED AWAY 我的青春小鸟一去不回来..................AS A BIRD, NE’ER RETURNED TO A OPEN CAGE 别的那样呦......................................WERE IT NOT SO 别的那样呦......................................WERE IT ANY OTHER WAY 我的青春小鸟一去不回来 .................My youth, IT has faded, HAS FLUTTERED AWAY Quote
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