思考题 Posted February 5, 2011 at 01:29 AM Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 at 01:29 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 《洪湖水浪打浪》 - The waters of Honghu. For an online recording of the song click &cat=0&gate=1&ct=134217728&tn=baidumt,%BA%E9%BA%FE%CB%AE%C0%CB%B4%F2%C0%CB++&si=%BA%E9%BA%FE%CB%AE%C0%CB%B4%F2%C0%CB;;%CB%CE%D7%E6%D3%A2;;74100;;74100&lm=-1&mtid=2&d=8&size=5557452&attr=0,0&titlekey=1006481896,700887869&mtype=1"]HERE The waters of Honghu is a Folk song that also promotes 'harmony', all in one. 洪湖水呀浪呀嘛浪打浪啊.................Behold the waters of Honghu 洪湖岸边是呀嘛是家乡啊.................My home is on the banks 清早船儿去呀去撒网....................Early in the morn, fishermen cast off 晚上回来鱼满舱啊 啊..................Late in the eve, the haul is brought in. 四处野鸭和菱藕.......................A paradise of Geese and Lotus, 秋收满帆稻谷香.......................Autumn has brought a bountiful harvest, 人人都说天堂美.......................Paradise is beautiful, 怎比我洪湖鱼米乡啊 啊~...............Honghu is heaven on earth, 洪湖水呀长呀嘛长又长啊................The water glitters , 太阳一出闪呀嘛闪金光啊................The sun is resplendent, 共产党的恩情........................The Party is benevolent, 比那东海深..........................Deeply magnanimous, 渔民的光景..........................For the common people, 一年更比一年强 啊~..................Each year improves on the next. This song Romanticises the beauty of Honghu, culminating with the inclusion of the Chinese Communist Party. TRANSLATORS NOTE (from nicku): 洪湖 [Hónghú] 1. 1. 洪湖市 Honghu City, lying in Jiingzhou and the south of Hubei Province, linked with Linxiang City of Hunan Province on the southwest by Changjiang River Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qin3wen4 Posted February 5, 2011 at 10:46 PM Report Share Posted February 5, 2011 at 10:46 PM 共产党的恩情........................The Party is benevolent, 比那东海深..........................Deeply magnanimous, 渔民的光景..........................For the common people, 一年更比一年强 啊~..................Each year improves on the next. The whole poem is about water (no wonder, 毕竟 it's 洪湖), often in metaphorical ways, a pity that it's difficult to translate - but maybe not difficult enough to justify a complete omission in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meng Lelan Posted February 6, 2011 at 12:05 AM Report Share Posted February 6, 2011 at 12:05 AM This song brings back such nice memories. This is one of the first songs I ever learned when I started studying Chinese in 1983, but the version we learned, I don't think it had the last four lines you have. I think the music and lyrics were printed in back of one of the textbooks, but don't remember the title of the textbook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
思考题 Posted February 9, 2011 at 12:47 AM Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 at 12:47 AM Thank you qing3wen4 and Meng Lelan for your comments, I have considered your comments and tried to improve the translation. Meng Lelan, I would be particularly interested in your alternative translation if you can find it. 共产党的恩情........................The Party is benevolent, 比那东海深..........................DEEP AND magnanimous, 渔民的光景..........................A SPRING OF HOPE FOR THE PEOPLE 一年更比一年强 啊~...................THAT FLOWS STRONGER WITH EACH YEAR Let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meng Lelan Posted February 9, 2011 at 03:34 AM Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 at 03:34 AM The textbook printed the song in Chinese, somewhere near the end of the book. There was pinyin over the characters but no English translation. The textbook was from over 20 years ago. I don't know if I can find it. Magnanimous is a pretty heavy word to be in a song lyric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
思考题 Posted February 13, 2011 at 12:38 AM Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 at 12:38 AM Hi Megan Lelan, I altered the translation again, I think it keeps on improving. 共产党的恩情........................The Party's benevolence, 比那东海深..........................IS DEEPER THAN THE SEA, 渔民的光景..........................LIKE A SPRING OF HOPE 一年更比一年强 啊~...................THAT FLOWS STRONGER WITH EACH YEAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meng Lelan Posted February 13, 2011 at 03:36 AM Report Share Posted February 13, 2011 at 03:36 AM Quite nice now, what are your plans with the translated lyrics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
思考题 Posted February 14, 2011 at 12:37 AM Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2011 at 12:37 AM Hi Meng Lelan, For now, my plan is to keep posting my translations, and to keep gathering feedback. After which, I will publish them in some format, most likely a website or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
内森 Posted April 23, 2011 at 07:21 PM Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 at 07:21 PM 洪湖水呀浪呀嘛浪打浪啊.................Behold the waters of Honghu, THE EVER-LAPPING WAVES 洪湖岸边是呀嘛是家乡啊.................My home is on the banks 清早船儿去呀去撒网.......................Early in the morn, THE fishermen cast off 晚上回来鱼满舱啊 啊......................Late in the eve, THEY RETURN WITH NETS FULL 四处野鸭和菱藕............................A paradise of DUCK and lotus, 秋收满帆稻谷香...........................Autumn has brought a bountiful harvest, 人人都说天堂美...........................EVERYONE AGREES IT IS HEAVE ON EARTH 怎比我洪湖鱼米乡啊 啊~..............But HOW COULD HEAVEN COMPARE? 洪湖水呀长呀嘛长又长啊..............BEHOLD THE WATERS OF HONGHU, EVER ROLLING 太阳一出闪呀嘛闪金光啊..............The sun, HOW IT SHIMMERS LIKE GOLD 共产党的恩情..............................The Communist Party’s KINDNESS 比那东海深.................................RUNS DEEP AS OCEAN CURRENTS 渔民的光景.................................THE COMMON PEOPLE’S FORTUNES 一年更比一年强 啊~....................FLOW FASTER EACH YEAR I wanted to keep the lyrics as plain and straightforward as possible. Simple people, simple pleasures, simple wants, simple words. Love the water motif; would have missed it if not for Qin3Wen4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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