Chinese lyrics: 痴痴的等

Xah Lee

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Jul 30, 2005, 4:33:01 PM7/30/05

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my latest translation rapture.

痴痴的等
曲:王福龄
词:陶秦
英文翻译: 李杀 | English translation: Xah Lee

不知道是早晨 | not knowing if it is morning
不知道是黄昏 | not knowing if it is dusk
看不到天上的云 | cannot see the clouds in the sky
见不到街边的灯 | cannot see the lights on the street

黑漆漆 | dark
阴沉沉 | grim
你让我在这里痴痴的等 | you had me waiting here

想的是你的爱 | on my mind is your love
想的是你的吻 | on my mind is your kiss
流不尽相思的泪 | endless tears of memory
熬不完离别的恨 | unbearable hatred of separation

梦悠悠 | dreamy
昏沉沉 | dizzy
你让我在这里痴痴的等 | you had me waiting here

也曾听到走近的足声 | i have heard nearing footsteps
撩起我多少兴奋 | firing up my excitement
也曾低呼你的名字 | i have also called out
盼着你向我飞奔 | expecting you running toward me

爱越深 | the deeper the love
恨越深 | the deeper the hate
你让我在这里痴痴的等 | you had me waiting here

我还是在这里 | i'm still here
痴痴的等 | waiting

comments & improvements welcome.

song here:
痴痴的等梅艳芳
http://music.nowok.com:83/aacad/female/a/anita/2004011/13.rm

痴痴的等黄江琴
http://vip.club.fadmy.com/yueguang_gequku/02chichidedeng.mp3

Xah
x...@xahlee.org
∑ http://xahlee.org/

Xah Lee

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Jul 30, 2005, 5:15:02 PM7/30/05

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for those who's computer cannot display Chinese, see
http://xahlee.org/Periodic_dosage_dir/sanga_pemci/chi1chi1de3deng3.html

better mp3 source:
http://tc.seu.edu.cn/tc/music/chinese/%C3%B7%D1%DE%B7%BC/%B3%D5%B3%D5%B5%C4%B5%C8.mp3

Xah
x...@xahlee.org
∑ http://xahlee.org/

Joy Yourcenir

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Jul 30, 2005, 5:21:42 PM7/30/05

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prefer you just fuck off, but whatever.

"Xah Lee" <x...@xahlee.org> wrote in message news:1122758102.7...@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

Xah
x...@xahlee.org
? http://xahlee.org/

Troy Steadman

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Jul 31, 2005, 6:21:37 AM7/31/05

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This bit isn't quite there:

看清楚掠过的影子 | when it became clear of the passing shadow
才知道是一个陌生的人 | then i realized its a stranger

When the passing shadow had cleared
I realized it was a stranger . [?]

会不会你再来 | whether you would come
要不要我再等 | must i keep waiting

Will you come?
Must I keep waiting?

Without punctuation it isn't possible to read lines like these.

Xah Lee

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Jul 31, 2005, 8:21:48 AM7/31/05

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Troy Steadman wrote:
> This bit isn't quite there:
>
> 看清楚掠过的影子 | when it became clear of the passing shadow
> 才知道是一个陌生的人 | then i realized its a stranger
>
> When the passing shadow had cleared
> I realized it was a stranger . [?]

Yes, that's the meaning of the Chinese lyrics, but literal translation
may not be a good fit for these lines.
i try to keep the translation in the spirit of the lyrics, though it
probably can be improved in other ways.

> 会不会你再来 | whether you would come
> 要不要我再等 | must i keep waiting
>
> Will you come?
> Must I keep waiting?

Yes. I used “ whether you would come” to keep in-line with the
original, in that the girl is wondering (to herself) whether her beau
would be coming. (as expressed in that Chinese line) While “Will you
come” might be a question directed at someone. The distinction here
is important, because the gist in these lines is the mentality of
lovelorn indecisiveness. i.e. that of a girl worrying herself out.

----

> Without punctuation it isn't possible to read lines like these.

of the dozen or so translations of lyrics i started to do amateuarishly
this year, i got the feeling that in Chinese the punctuation often are
not used, but in English it's more necessary.

Xah
x...@xahlee.org
∑ http://xahlee.org/