中英双语新闻——201 Trying a new approach

 　　If you’ve ever listened to Sodagreen’s music, you are likely to be impressed by at least two things: the distinct and unique vocal¹ style of lead singer Wu Tsing-fong, and poetic² yet obscure lyrics³.

 

　　如果你听过苏打绿的音乐，那么至少有两样东西会给你留下深刻印象：一是主唱吴青峰那独一无二的声线，二是那如诗般朦胧的歌词。

 

　　Almost eight years after emerging from the indie music scene, the six-member band from Taiwan, which has since gone mainstream⁴, makes music through a synthesis of styles and influences, blending folk, rock and pop.

 

　　从独立音乐圈出道近八年后，这支台湾六人团体已然成为主流乐团，他们融合了民歌、摇滚和流行音乐，通过将风格与影响力相结合的方式来进行音乐创作。

 

　　With the eighth studio album What’s Troubling You released last November, Sodagreen is now touring in major cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.

 

　　随着第八张录音室专辑《你在烦恼什么》于去年11月份正式发行，苏打绿现正在北京、上海和成都等中国内地大城市进行巡演。

 

　　While on this album Wu tries a lower vocal range, the lyrical style is similar throughout. At times it is perhaps even more mopy than usual, in sharp contrast to more playful tracks in previous albums such as Summer/Fever and Daylight of Spring.

 

　　虽然在本张专辑中，吴青峰尝试了较低的音域，但抒情风格还是贯穿始终。有时甚至比以往更加忧伤，这与之前推出的《夏/狂热》和《春?日光》等专辑中的那些愉悦的歌曲形成了强烈对比。

 

　　“You can’t have a happy album when you’re asking someone what their troubles are… We literary youths are sentimental⁵ and can sometimes be very solemn too,” Wu, who wrote most of the lyrics, told reporters during the band’s new album release.

 

　　在新专辑发布会上，几乎包办全部歌词的吴青峰表示：“当你询问别人的烦恼是什么时，你不可能打造出一张愉悦的专辑。作为文艺青年的我们多愁善感，有时也很严肃认真。”

 

　　According to Wu, Sodagreen is making the music of the literary youth. Having graduated as a literature major from the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, Wu certainly has a knack⁶ for writing. However, to write lyrics that deliberately⁷ confuse people is not Wu’s purpose.

 

　　据吴青峰介绍，苏打绿正在打造专属文艺青年的音乐。吴青峰毕业于台湾政治大学文学专业，自然对写作很在行。然而，创作这些晦涩难懂的歌词并非吴青峰的本意。

 

　　“It’s probably because I’m a born pessimist⁸ that sadness comes through naturally in my lyrics, especially in this album,” Wu told InSing.com. “But the emotions in the lyrics are straightforward⁹ and pure, irrespective of any happiness or sadness.”

 

　　吴青峰在接受网站InSing.com采访时表示：“或许因为我生来就是个悲观主义者。我的歌词中自然流露出一种悲伤，尤其是这张专辑。但是歌词所传达出的情感不论快乐还是悲伤，都是坦率且真诚的。”

 

　　Lyrical Interpretations¹⁰

 

　　歌词解读

 

　　Sodagreen’s music may be difficult to understand, but Taiwanese folk singer Deserts Chang seems to take the literary lyrical style to another level.

 

　　苏打绿的音乐可能有些难懂。但是台湾民歌歌手张悬似乎把文字抒情的方式提升至另一个境界。

 

　　On August 11, Chang released her latest album, Game We Play, following a three-year hiatus. As always, Chang single-handedly took on the lyrics and musical composition, arrangements, and production duties for her fourth album. This album presents her poetic examination of the theme of “God”, or rather, the collective destiny that binds¹¹ all lives and things together.

 

　　在经历三年的沉寂过后，张悬于8月11日发布了个人最新专辑《神的游戏》，同往常一样，张悬包办了她个人第四张专辑的词曲、改编以及制作工作。这张专辑也是她本人交对神”这一主题的探寻，更确切地说，对世间万物关联的共同命运的探究。

 

　　In the first single, the folk rock-flavored love song Pyrojewel, Chang writes: “We stare at each other, smiling/ We jump into fire, with nothing to say/ And what’s unsaid is true…”

 

　　在第一首单曲——摇滚民谣情歌《艳火》中，张悬写道：“我们相视 笑着扑火 什么都不说不说的 是真的……”。

 

　　“I love poetry. I love its simple format¹², yet it has such profound meanings,” Chang told MTV.com.tw. “So I hope what I write in my lyrics can deliver that much.”

 

　　张悬在接受MTV音乐频道记者采访时说：“我喜欢诗歌，我喜欢它格式简单，却寓意深刻。所以我希望自己的歌词也能够传递更多东西。”

 

　　Maybe that’s how Chang has earned the title of “urban poet” since her debut¹³ album My Life Will… in 2006.

 

　　也许这就是为何张悬自从06年发布个人首张专辑《My Life Will…》之后赢得“城市诗人”这一头衔的原因吧。

 

　　Wu Tsing-fong from Sodagreen, who is good friends with Chang, also contributes to the lyrics of Significant Others in her new album.

 

　　作为张悬的好友，苏打绿成员吴青峰亦有份参与新专辑中歌曲《两者》的歌词创作。

 

　　“She’s too stubborn to accept others’ composition,” Wu joked at Chang’s new album release party. “What I wrote for her is harder to understand. So Sodagreen fans should stop complaining.”

 

　　“她太固执，不愿接受别人的创作。”吴青峰在张悬的新专辑发布会上开玩笑说。“我为她写的词更加难懂。所以苏打绿的粉丝们不应再抱怨了。”

 

　　Chang agrees with Wu about the importance of not confusing listeners when writing poetic lyrics. “Deep meaning can have an upside if you think the other way round,” Chang told reporters at the new album release. “We have the freedom to express what we want to express, and the listeners can understand the lyrics in their own ways, which gives the song more possibilities.”

 

　　创作诗化歌词时最重要的是，不要令听众迷惑不解。在这一点上，张悬赞同吴青峰的观点。“如果你换个角度考虑的话，歌词中的深层寓意也有好处。我们可以自由表达心中所想，听众们也可以用自己的方式去理解歌词，这便赋予歌曲更多的想象空间。”张悬在新专辑发布会上如是说。

1 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

2 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

3 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

4 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

5 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

6 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

7 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

8 pessimist   

n.悲观者；悲观主义者；厌世

参考例句：

• An optimist laughs to forget.A pessimist forgets to laugh.乐观者笑着忘却，悲观者忘记怎样笑。
• The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity.The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.悲观者在每个机会中都看到困难，乐观者在每个困难中都看到机会。

9 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

10 interpretations   

n.解释( interpretation的名词复数 )；表演；演绎；理解

参考例句：

• This passage is open to a variety of interpretations. 这篇文章可以有各种不同的解释。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The involved and abstruse passage makes several interpretations possible. 这段艰涩的文字可以作出好几种解释。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

13 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。