Monday, June 28, 2010

Amit 阿密特 - Hó Táⁿ Lí Tio̍h Lâi 好膽你就來 Come If You Dare translation



The best song of the past year! According to the Taiwanese Grammys, the Golden Melody Awards, that is. I quite like it.

I had a lot of help with this translation.

The transliteration into POJ comes from here. I do not take any credit for it.

Rex on Lang-8 helped tons, by translating difficult lines into Mandarin for me and talking with me about my translation. Thanks very much.

攏細你啦 攏細你啦 Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我的面來紅紅Lóng sī lí hāi góa ê bīn lâi âng-ângit's all your fault that my face is all red
你的心我的心結結作一伙 Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, kiat-kiat chòe chi̍t-hóe.if your heart and my heart are tied together
是要打算按怎Sī beh phah-sǹg án-chóaⁿ.then what should be done about it?
   
攏細你啦 攏細你啦 Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我整天在茫茫Lóng sī lí hāi góa kui-kang teh bâng-bâng.it's all your fault that I can't sober up all day
你的心我的心現在賣擱假 Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, chit-má mài koh kéyour heart and my heart should stop pretending now
   
#要討我的愛 好膽你就來 #Beh thó góa ê ài, hó-táⁿ lí tio̍h lâi.#if you want my love, come if you dare
賣放底心內 怨嘆沒人知Mài khǹg teh sim-lāi, oàn-thàn bô lâng chai.don't leave complaints in your heart that no one knows about
思念作風颱 心情三溫暖 Su-liām chòe hong-thai, sim-chêng sam-un-loán.thoughts swirling like a typhoon, mood like a sauna
其實我攏知 好膽你就來Kî-si̍t góa lóng chai. Hó-táⁿ lí tio̍h lâi.actually I know it all, so come if you dare
   
攏細你啦 攏細你啦 Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我來氣心魯命Lóng sī lí hāi góa lâi khì-sim ló͘-miāit's all you taking years off my life
你的心我的心結結作一伙 Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, kiat-kiat chòe chi̍t-hóe.if your heart and my heart are tied together
是要打算按怎Sī beh phah-sǹg án-chóaⁿ.then what should be done about it?
   
攏細你啦 攏細你啦 Lóng sī lí lah. Lóng sī lí lah.it's all you, it's all you
攏細你害我整天在火大Lóng sī lí hāi góa kui-kang teh hóe tōa.it's all your fault that I'm furious all day
你的心我的心現在賣擱假Lí ê sim, góa ê sim, chit-má mài koh kéyour heart and my heart should stop pretending now
   
repeat #repeat #repeat #

Sunday, June 27, 2010

A-mei 阿妹 as Amit 阿密特 - Hei Chi Hei 黑吃嘿 Black Eats Black translation

WARNING: This video is not:
1. Work safe for workplaces that frown on BDSM imagery (although no actual nudity).
2. Brain safe for people who don't want to see explicit things being done to tomatoes.
YE BE WARNED.

Part of a series of Golden Melody Award winners! Amei won best album, best artist, and a lot more. I am working with some Taiwanese speakers to translate the song that won best song, so look forward to that, maybe?



你的頭長在哪邊 where's your head?
怎麼不在脖子上面how come it's not on your neck?
我被你晾了一夜 you left me out to dry for a night
早餐配著你的黑輪I ate oden with you in the morning
  
陪你看警匪片 學會以眼還眼I learned "eye for an eye" watching crime films with you
我不還嘴 是正在 醞釀一舉攻堅when I don't talk back it's because an attack is brewing
對你的笑 藏冷箭to your smile, hiding cold arrows
  
你說的 那家店 明明全面禁菸you said that place obviously forbids smoking
你的宵夜 到底在 哪個家裡解決so you decided to get your midnight snack there
沾了一頭 菸臭味enveloped in a cloud of stinking tobacco
  
#黑吃黑 鬼咬鬼 #black eats black, ghost bites ghost
愛演我陪你演you like to play, I'll play with you
是哪個妹 又被騙 it's that girl who's the one getting fooled
躺著給你安慰into lying down to give you comfort
有夠可憐 how pathetic!
我超想見她一面I so wanna take a look at her
黑吃黑 鬼咬鬼 black eats black, ghost bites ghost
愛演我陪你演you like to play, I'll play with you
是我也想 惦一惦 it's me who wants to have a try
我有多少極限and find out how many limits I have
你的謊言 是我的飯後消遣your lies are how I pass the time after dinner
IT'S BULLSHITIT'S BULLSHIT
  
現在是西元幾年 what year is it AD now?
還把劈腿當作表現we're still treating two-timing as something to show off
愛不愛一念之間 to love or not within an instant
不過就是一句再見but it's just a goodbye
  
折磨你 打哈欠 還得陪我上街tormented by yawns you still go shopping with me
然後半夜 摸著黑 上別條船搞鬼later, at midnight, you grope in the dark, to do a number on the other girl1
黑夜白天 都別睡 whether at night or during the day, you won't sleep
  
你放心 我絕對 永遠笑容滿面relax, I'm definitely always gonna be smiling ear to ear
找到一天 跟你說 我的耐心有限but you'll find one day I'm gonna tell you my patience is finite
少在那邊 想挽回cut it out, you'd better pull back
  
repeat #REPEAT #
  
少在那邊 cut it out
你的專業謊言 對我是種表演your professional lies are a kind of performance to me
少在那邊 cut it out
你的專業眼淚 對我是種笑點your professional tears are a kind of joke to me
少在那邊 cut it out
你的專業犯罪 對我是種磨練your professional crimes are a kind of endurance test to me
少在那邊 cut it out
準備滾到一邊or get ready to get knocked to the side
1. In Chinese, one of the slang for "two-timing" is "having a foot each on two boats". The end of this line is literally "getting on your other boat to make some mischief".

Thursday, June 24, 2010

funny old world ain't it

A while ago I did a translation of "Sha Po Lang" by JS and I mentioned that I was putting "translation" in the titles now because Google thought that would be helpful. As a joke, I wrote "CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS CPOP TRANSLATIONS."

I just did a search on Google for "cpop translations", because I wanted to find other websites that were translating cpop. Guess who's little blog is #4? Guess what post it specifically links to?

Yep and yep.

The even funnier thing: The first page also had a link to another page which mentioned a "Sha Po Lang" translation!

Conclusion: Google really likes "Sha Po Lang."

And now, some blatant keyword begging:
Chinese lyrics music translation cpop pinyin Google + Sha Po Lang OTP!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Stefanie Sun Yanzi 孫燕姿 - Shenqi (Mystical) 神奇 translation



就在一瞬間我們兩人眼前 just in a moment before both of our eyesjiu zi yi shunjian women liang ren yan qian
一道光出現到了另個世界a light emerges on another worldyi dao guang chu xiandao le ling ge shijie
眉中間有個紅點 in the middle of the forehead, there's a red dotmei zhongjian you ge hong dian
頭紗遮住臉a head scarf concealing the facetousha zhezhu lian
   
#好像每個人都有特別氣味 #it seems like everyone has a special scent, #haoxiang meigeren dou you tebie qiwei
聞了才發現那是咖哩作祟only after a sniff discover that it's curry making troublewen le cai faxian na shi gali zuosui
恆河水 菩提樹葉 the water of the Ganges, the leaves of the Bodhisattva treehenghe shui, Puli shu ye
古老的情節an ancient festivalgulao de qingjie
   
(時間在倒回 )(time moves in a circle)(shijian zai daohui)
我們倆 穿著布紗 聽著梵樂 we two wear cotton and listen to the Sanskrit music, womenlia chuanzhe busha, tingzhe fan yue
還想著 是幻覺still thinking it's a fantasyhai xiangzhe shi huanjue
(奇怪的語言) (a strange language)(qiguai de yuyan)
催著我 快快起舞 urges me to quickly rise and dance cuizhe wo kuaikuai qi wu
碎碎念啊念chanting on and onsuisui nian a nian
啊...ah....a...
   
時空換換換 (space-time shifts shifts shifts)shikong huan huan huan
分割的畫面a broken picturefenge de huamian
輪迴轉轉轉 (samsara spins spins spins)(lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan)
有一樣的信念there is the same beliefyou yiyang de xinnian
我的愛 從古代 和你回來my love, from ancient times, comes back with youwo de ai, cong gudai, he ni huilai
時空換換換 (space-time shifts shifts shifts)(shikong huan huan huan)
你回到過去you return to the pastni huidao guoqu
輪迴轉轉轉 (samsara spins spins spins)(lunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan)
我經歷了悲喜 I go through sorrow and joywo jingli le bei xi
好神奇so mysticalhao shenqi
   
Repeat from #Repeat from #REPEAT FROM #
Repeat chorusRepeat chorusREPEAT CHORUS
時空換換換 the time shifts shifts shifts shikong huan huan huan
輪迴轉轉轉 啊...the wheel spins spins spins, ahlunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan
時空換換換 the time shifts shifts shiftsshikong huan huan huan
你回到過去you return to the pastni huidao guoqu
輪迴轉轉轉 the wheel spins spins spinslunhui zhuan zhuan zhuan
又回到了這裡 and arrive back hereyou huidao le zheli
好神奇 so mysticalhao shenqi

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Lisa*Djaati - 烏雲 Wuyun Black Cloud translation



Pinyin is done by hand and I tend to make typos when I do it that way. I just caught myself making the typo "wuhui" for "wuyun", which doesn't make any sense, but is kind of hilarious, because "wuhui" could be 誤會, which means "to mistake, to misunderstand". Appropriate for a typo!

You can buy this album here. Remember when Taiwanese albums were cheap? I miss those days.

A truly beautiful song.

似乎有另外一個我there seems to be another mesihu you lingwai yi ge wo
看我衝向黑色的雨中watching me rush towards the center of a black rainkan wo chongxiang heise de yu zhong
人海中呼吸著愛與恨和痛in a sea of people, breathing love and hate and painrenhai zhong huxizhe ai yu hen he tong
我偶而會盼望晴空every so often I'll hope for a clear skywo ou'er hui panwang qingkong
   
忘記我名字那些人they forgot my name, those peoplewangji wo mingzi na xie ren
烏雲下的寂寞誰想看who would want to look at the lonely under a black cloud?wuyun xia de jimo shei xiang kan?
我不要回憶它卻放不過我I don't want to remember but it won't let me gowo bu yao huiyi ta que fangbuguo wo
我的夢在等著北風my dream is waiting for the north windwo de meng zai dengzhe bei feng
   
我走的太遠了 x4I went too far (x4)wo zou de tai yuan le (x4)
   
屋頂飛過去的雲朵the cloud floating past the roofwuding feiguo qu de yunduo
一眨眼就消失不見了disappeared in the blink of an eye and couldn't be seenyi zha yan jiu xiaoshi bu jian le
聽不見聲音但是它吸引我no sound could be heard, but it attracted meting bu jian shengyin danshi ta xiyin wo
因為它代表了我because it represented meyinwei ta daibiao le wo
   
人生路上 誰愛我on the road of life, who loves me?rensheng lu shang, shei ai wo?
哭不出一滴淚的人是我a person who can't cry a single tear, that's meku bu chu yi di lei de ren shi wo
不要害怕 沒有用don't be afraid, it's uselessbu yao haipa, mei you yong
往前走不回頭go forward without turning backwang qian zou bu huitou
   
喜怒悲歡 沒什麼joys, angers and sorrows (it's nothing)xinubeihuan (mei shenme)
哭不出一滴淚的人是我a person who can't cry a single tear, that's meku bu chu yi di lei de ren shi wo
永恆流浪 沒話說an eternal nomad (nothing to say)yongheng liulang (mei hua shuo)
往前走不回頭go forward without turning backwang qian zou bu huitou
(repeat entire verse)(repeat entire verse)(repeat entire verse)
   
我走的太遠了 x4I went too far (x4)wo zou de tai yuan le (x4)
   

Kelly Pan Jia Li - Second Life translation



I still don't know what the dude means by "changing into a second mami". Music is super catchy, lyrics are just meh.

最近很难找到你it's been hard to find you latelyzui4jin4 hen3 nan2 zhao3dao4 ni3
原来你又去了第二个CITYand it turns out the whole time you were in a second cityyuan2lai2 ni3 you4 qu4 le di4er4 ge CITY
打电话问你和谁一起I called to ask you who you were withda3 dian4hua4 wen4 ni3 he2 shei2 yi4qi3
可是你又转第二个话题but you just changed to a second subjectke3shi4 ni3 you4 zhuan3 di4er4 ge hua4ti
我担心我放的是感情I worry about giving up my affectionwo3 dan1xin1 wo3 fang4 de shi4 gan3qing2
你却玩着第二种游戏whereas you're playing the second kind of gameni3 que4 wan2zhe di4er4 zhong4 you2xi4
我最怕爱着唯一的你I'm so afraid you, the only one I love,wo3 zui4 pa4 ai4zhe wei2yi1 de ni3
你已经开始第二生命you've already started a second lifeni3 yi3jing1 kai1shi3 di4er4 sheng1ming4
   
可以跑东又跑西you can run to the east or run to the westkeyi pao dong you pao xi
不要说东又说西but don't try to say east and west at the same timebu yao shuo dong you shuo xi
是我对你不放心it's me not trusting youshi wo dui ni bu fangxin
是你对我不着急it's you not caring for meshi ni dui wo bu zhaoji
快要灰了我的心soon my heart's gonna turn to ashkuai yao hui le wo de xin
快要忘了你的姓soon your name's gonna be forgottenkuai yao wang le ni de xing
如果再不加点劲if you don't put in any more effortruguo zai bu jia dian jing
我就去找第二个你I'm gonna look for a second you!wo jiu qu zhao di er ge ni
   
Talk to me boy (oh oh)talk to me boy(OH OH)TALK TO ME BOY
where did you go (oh oh)where did you go(OH OH)WHERE DID YOU GO
Just let me know (oh oh)just let me know(OH OH)JUST LET ME KNOW
快点告诉我hurry up and tell mekuai dian gaosu wo
x2x2x2
   
[男声][male voice][male voice]
不要怪我说我在逃避don't blame me or say I'm running awaybu2 yao4 guai4 wo3, shuo1 wo3 zai4 tao2bi4
是我去了第二个CITYI've gone to a second cityshi4 wo3 qu4le di4er4 ge CITY
不是怕你问我去了哪里it isn't that I'm afraid of you asking where I've gonebu2 shi4 pa4 ni3 wen4 wo3 qu4 le na3li
怕你变了第二个MAMIafraid you've become a second mamipa4 ni3 bian4 le di4er4 ge MAMI
男生女生总是这样子boys and girls are always like thisnan2sheng1 nv3sheng1 zong3 shi4 zhe4yang4zi
男生说自由女生说自私the boy says it's freedom, the girl says it's selfishnessnan2sheng1 shuo1 zi4you2, nv3sheng1 shuo1 zi4si1
虽然你是我的唯一even though you're my only onesui1ran2 ni3 shi4 wo3 de wei2yi1
我也想有第二生命I want to have a second life toowo3 ye3 xiang3 you3 di4er4 sheng1ming4
   
最近常常问自己been asking myself latelyzui4jin4 chang2chang2 wen4 zi4ji3
我们能不能够多一点亲密can we get intimate enough?wo3men neng2 bu4 neng2 gou4 duo1 yi4dian3 qin1mi4
打电话问你现在什么心情calling to ask you how you're feeling nowda3 dian4hua4 wen4 ni3 xian4zai4 shen2me xin1qing1
也是为了大家少点距离would make the distance less for everyoneye3shi4 wei4le da4jia1 shao3dian3 qu1li2
我担心我放的是感情I worry about giving up my affectionwo3 dan1xin1 wo3 fang4 de shi4 gan3qing2
你却玩着第二种游戏whereas you're playing another kind of gameni3 que4 wan2zhe di4er4 zhong4 you2xi4
我最怕爱着唯一的你I'm so afraid that you, the only one I love,wo3 zui4 pa4 ai4zhe wei2yi1 de ni3
你已经开始第二生命you've already started another lifeni3 yi3jing1 kai1shi3 di4er4 sheng1ming4
   
(repeat bridge and chorus)(repeat bridge and chorus)(repeat bridge and chorus)
   
你想要第二种假期you want a second kind of vacationni xiangyao di'er zhong jiaqi
我不要第二场爱情I don't want a second romancewo bu yao di'er chang aiqing
你想做第二个自己you want to be a second selfni xiang zuo di'er ge ziji
我只想永远做第一I only want to always be the firstwo zhi xiang yongyuan zuo diyi
你想有第二种空气you want to have a second kind of airni xiang you di'er zhong kongqi
我不要第二场爱情I don't want a second romancewo bu yao di'er chang aiqing
你想做第二个自己you want to be a second selfni xiang zuo di'er ge ziji
我只想永远做第一I only want to always be the firstwo zhi xiang yongyuan zuo diyi

Saturday, May 22, 2010

David Tao Zhe - Wang Bu Liao (Can't Forget) translation

I love, love, LOVE the contrast in David's voice in this song during the rap when he goes from saying "BIG STRONG HE-MAN NO NEED WOMAN" to sniffling that women are just so cruel to sensitive guys. It's very subtle, and totally on purpose. Oh David. If I weren't married I'd heart you right up.

This song borrows heavily, musically and lyrically, from a classic 60s song of the same name by Taiwanese singer Carrie Koo Mei. That's probably why David sings that he's going to take us back... all the way back... old school style. XD

Chinese and translation, with some notes, under the cut. The rap has some nice slang in it, if you like learning such things.

Some kind of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind going on in the video. What computer!David says at the end of the video is basically "Do you have an unforgettable love, [yet] is there something you can't recall? Welcome to Unforgettable Love Memory Co."


忘不了 忘不了can't forget, can't forgetwangbuliao, wangbuliao
(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)(I can't get you outta my mind no no yeah yeah)
x4x4x4
   
忘不了 忘不了 can't forget, can't forgetwangbuliao, wangbuliao
忘不了你的錯 can't forget your faultswangbuliao ni de cuo
忘不了你的好 can't forget your goodnesswangbuliao ni de hao
忘不了雨中的散步 can't forget taking a stroll in the rainwangbuliao yu zhong de sanbu
也忘不了那風裏的擁抱*and can't forget the embrace in that windye wangbuliao na feng li de yongbao
   
在寂寞的長巷 in a long lonely alley zai jimo de chang xiang
我們見了最後一面 where we saw each other the last timewomen jian le zuihou yi mian
你說散就散 you wanted to break up so we didni shuo san jiu san
我也不想再和你爭辯 I don't want to fight with you eitherwo ye bu xiang zai he ni zhengbian
誰能阻擋 誰能Move on Yeahwho's gonna resist? who's gonna move on, yeah?shei neng zudang? shei neng MOVE ON, YEAH?
   
*忘不了你的好 *can't forget your goodnesswangbuliao ni de hao
忘不了你的淚 can't forget your tearswangbuliao ni de lei
忘不了你的SMILE can't forget your smilewangbuliao ni de SMILE
我以為忘了 可我忘不了  No NoI thought I could forget, but I can't forget, no nowo yiwei wangliao, ke wo wangbuliao, NO NO
忘不了你的錯 can't forget your faultswangbuliao ni de cuo
忘不了你的愛 can't forget your lovewangbuliao ni de ai
(I can't get you outta my mind)(I can't get you outta my mind)(I CAN'T GET YOU OUTTA MY MIND)
我都忘不了 怎麼能忘了 I can't forget at all, how can I forget?wo dou wangbuliao, zenme neng wangliao
(I can't forget you)(I can't forget you)(I CAN'T FORGET YOU)
   
BADABA~ Come onBADABA~ Come onBADABA~ COME ON
BADABA~ That's right BADABA~ That's rightBADABA~ THAT'S RIGHT
BADABA~ Uh Uh 忘不了 忘不了 忘不了BADABA~ Uh uh, can't forget, can't forget, can't forgetBADABA~ UH UH wangbuliao wangbuliao wangbuliao
   
*忘不了 忘不了 can't forget, can't forgetwangbuliao, wangbuliao
忘不了妳的淚 can't forget your tearswangbuliao ni de lei
忘不了妳的笑 can't forget your smilewangbuliao ni de xiao
忘不了葉落的惆悵 can't forget the melancholy of the fallen leaveswangbuliao ye luo de chouchang
也忘不了那花開的煩惱*and can't forget the distress of the flowers bloomingye wangbuliao na huakai de fannao
   
那寂寞的長巷 in a long lonely alleyna jimo de chang xiang
景色依然就在眼前 the scene is still before my eyesjingse yiran jiu zai yanqian
情人換又換 lovers change and change againqingren huan you huan
我已不心酸不再想念 I'm no longer heartbroken nor nostalgicwo yi bu xinsuan, bu zai xiangnian
時間讓一切都Move on Yeah Yeahtime makes everything move on, yeah yeahshijian rang yiqie dou MOVE ON YEAH YEAH
   
repeat * but last 2 lines change to:repeat * but last 2 lines change to:repeat * but last 2 lines change to:
妳早就忘了 是我忘不了 you've long forgotten, it's me who can't forgetni zao jiu wangliao, shi wo wangbuliao
(I can't forget you)(I can't forget you)(I CAN'T FORGET YOU)
   
BADABA~ Ah Ah, That's rightBADABA~ Ah Ah, That's rightBADABA~ AH AH THAT'S RIGHT
BADABA~ 忘不了 忘不了 BADABA~ can't forget, can't forgetBADABA~ wangbuliao wangbuliao
忘不了 忘不了 Come oncan't forget, can't forget, come onwangbuliao wangbuliao COME ON
   
RAP:RAP:RAP:
什麼都「嗯」什麼都「嗯」everything unh, everything unhshen2me dou1 hng, shen2me dou1 hng
什麼都只會「嗯」 everything will only unhshen2me dou1 zhi3 hui4 hng
你到底要做濫好人 do you really want to be a loser nice guy?[1]ni3 dao4di3 yao4 zuo4 lan4 hao3 ren2
被她擺佈到什麼時候呢how long are you gonna let her order you around?bei4 ta1 bai3bu4dao4 shen2me shi2hou ne?
你不要繼續坐在那裡一直可憐自己 don't just sit there always pitying yourselfni3 bu2 yao4 ji4xu4 zuo4 zai4 na4li yi4zhi2 ke3lian2 zi4ji3
忘了她 可以的 你是個帶種的男人的forget her! it's possible! you're a powerful man![2]wang4le ta1! ke3yi3 de! ni3 shi4 ge dai4zhong3 de nan2ren2 de!
反正妳對我們的愛從不看重 anyway, you women[3] never even consider our lovefan3zheng4, ni3 dui4 wo3men de ai4 cong2 bu2 kan4zhong4
付出那麼多但妳卻都不感動 we invest so much and your heart isn't even touchedfu2chu1 na4me duo1 dan4 ni3 que4 dou1 bu4 gan3dong3
現在隨便妳要怎樣我都不傷痛you can do whatever you want now, it doesn't hurt mexian4zai4 sui2bian4 ni3 yao4 zen3yang4, wo3 dou1 bu4 shang1tong3
我忘了 我忘了 我忘了I've forgotten! I've forgotten! I've forgotten!wo3 wang4le, wo3 wang4le, wo3 wang4le
我忘不了I can't forget...wo3 wang4bu4liao3...
1. Modern Taiwanese culture has a whole set of lingo around 好人, literally means "good person", but you'll understand when I tell you it's equivalent to the sentiment in "You're a nice guy, but...". IE that you're being dumped because she thinks you're a boring loser but you're not actually offensive. For example, literally "sending a good person card" has the colloquial meaning "dump" because of this.
2. I want to use something slangy to translate 帶種 here, because it's slangy in Chinese. I thought about "you're a macho man" but I can't hear "macho man" without going into the Village People song. 帶種 means... willful, gutsy, bold, fierce, daring. A lot of those in combination with "man" sound kind of camp in English, which is not the connotation in Chinese. Any suggestions?
3. In the first part of this wrap he was using the masculine second person 你. Here he switches to 妳, the feminine, pronounced exactly the same; this is only different in writing. So I translated it as "you women" but it's just "you" and the "you" is specifically addressing a female.