五月天 (May Day) – “而我知道” (And I Know) Translation

Colloquially translated, because it does sound so very poetic (and I’m in a lyrical mood):

冰块
还没融化
你在看表
我笑的尴尬
你说
最近很忙
改天聊吧

那天
我在楼下
想了很久
想你说的话
你说
爱情很窄
世界很大
(而我们应该长大)

就这样吧
就这样吧
我想我听懂你话中的话

而我知道那真爱不一定能白头到老
而我直到有一天你可能就这么走掉
而我知道我知道这一切我全都知道
我就是受不了

而我知道我们曾天真的一起哭和笑
而我知道放开手当不知道怎么忘掉
而我知道你走了以后的每一分一秒
却还是这么难熬

微笑
紧紧咬牙
给你祝福
你自由飞吧
你说
温室没有
灿烂的花
(你总是很有想法)

就这样吧
就这样吧
我同意 可是我 泪如雨下

而我知道那真爱不一定能白头到老
而我直到有一天你可能就怎么忘掉
而我知道我知道这一切我全都知道
我就是受不了

而我知道我们曾天真的一起哭和笑
而我知道放开手当不知道怎么忘掉
而我知道你走了以后的每一分一秒
却还是这么难熬
却还是这么难熬

而我知道我们曾天真的一起哭和笑
而我知道放开手当不知道这么忘掉
而我知道你走了以后的每一分一秒
却还是这么难熬 (而我知道那真爱不一定能白头到老)
却还是这么难熬 (而我直到有一天你可能就这么走掉)
却还是这么难熬 (而我知道我知道这一切我全都知道)

The pieces of ice
Still haven’t melted away
You’re looking at your watch
I laugh awkwardly
You said
Lately you’ve been busy
We’ll chat some other day

That day
I was downstairs
I thought for a long time
Thinking about what you said
You said
Love is very narrow(-minded)
The world is very big
(Besides, we should grow up)

Just let it be this way, I guess
Just let it be this way, I guess
I think I understood the meaning inside your words

And I know that real love isn’t necessarily able to last until white-haired old age
And I know that one day you could just leave like this
And I know that, knowing this much, I know it all
I just can’t bear it

And I know that once, we really cried and laughed together
And I know to let go of your hand but I don’t know how to forget it all
And I know that after you leave, every minute and every second
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure

My small smile
With teeth clenched tightly
Wishes you luck
You should probably fly free
You said
The greenhouse doesn’t have
So splendid of flowers
(You always did have a lot of opinions/thoughts)

Just let it be this way, I guess
Just let it be this way, I guess
I agreed but my tears fall like the rain

And I know that real love isn’t necessarily able to last until white-haired old age
And I know that one day you could just leave like this
And I know that, knowing this much, I know it all
I just can’t bear it

And I know that once, we really cried and laughed together
And I know to let go of your hand but I don’t know how to forget it all
And I know that after you leave, every minute and every second
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure

And I know that once, we really cried and laughed together
And I know to let go of your hand but I don’t know how to forget it all
And I know that after you leave, every minute and every second
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure (And I know that real love isn’t necessarily able to last until white-haired old age)
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure (And I know that one day you could just leave like this)
Nevertheless will still be this hard to endure (And I know that, knowing this much, I know it all)

Also, I should note that the name of the band is literally “five” “month” “day”, not in the sense of a five-month-long day, but in the sense of “a day in the fifth month”, or “a day in May.”

Language Classes Update #4

(I realized that I was starting to ramble to the ether of my zephyr class, so I’m writing here instead; after all, that’s what we started iron-blogger for, right?)

I’ve updated the website tonight so that it’s all-inclusive of conversations, audio, and vocabulary through last weekend’s class, minus the vocabulary list for last weekend’s class, which I’m not going to worry about posting right away because I want everyone to be studying the vocabulary from the previous classes. Once you start buckling down the vocab, I will try to come up with written homework in the form of grammar exercises, which won’t be as effective if you don’t know the vocabulary that you’re applying the grammar rules to. So learn the vocabulary, and we’ll progress to worksheets in the near future.

This upcoming class, I’m planning on plowing through and finishing up the lesson on time words, and then we will have 1-2 classes to review what we’re covered so far, which is a lot! Seriously, guys, we’ve made it through a lot of material so far. You just need to study it, learn it, and keep it fresh. (Hey, I could recruit TAs for “Introduction to Japanese” for IAP…anyone interested?)

Anyway, I just want to say that we are going to reach the conclusion of a substantial amount of material soon, so just hold on! You’ve made it this far, which is awesome — give yourselves a pat on the back.

Study, study, study, and I’ll see everyone on Sunday.

“还珠哥哥” 主题曲 (”Princess Pearl” Theme Song) – “不能和你分手” (Unable To Part Ways From You) Translation

当山峰没有稜角的时候
当河水不再流
当时间停住 日夜不分
当天地万物 化为虚有
我还是不能和你分手
不能和你分手
你的温柔是我今生 最大的守候

当太阳不再上昇的时候
当地球不再转动
当春夏秋冬 不再变换
当花草树木 全部凋残
我还是不能和你分散
不能和你分散
你的笑容是我今生 最大的眷恋

让我们红尘作伴 活得潇潇洒洒
策马奔腾 共享人世繁华
对酒当歌 唱出心中喜悦
轰轰烈烈 把握青春年华

At the time when mountain peaks no longer have peaks
When river waters no longer flow
When time stops, and day and night become one
When the ten thousand (multitude of) things of the heavens and earth become nothing
I still won’t be able to part ways from you
Unable to part ways from you
Your warmth is the greatest thing I have to wait for in this life of mine

At the time when the sun no longer rises
When the Earth no longer rotates
When spring, summer, autumn, and winter no longer exchange places
When the flowers and plants and trees all wither and die
I still won’t be able to separate myself from you
Unable to separate myself from you
Your smile is what I am most attached to in this life of mine

Let us keep each other company in this mortal world, living freely (as the wind and rain)
Urge our horses to gallop, together enjoying the bustle of the human world
Allow wine to act as song, singing out the joy in our hearts
Strongly, hold on to the years of our youth

Thoughts on Language Learning (Part 4 of ?)

I realized this a little while ago, but am only getting around to writing it down now: the reason why people are so confused about this idea of Chinese grammar is because there isn’t any. At least, not in the conventional expected sense as with other languages. You know those rules that you have to learn in other languages about conjugating verbs, so on and so forth? Chinese doesn’t have rules like that. It’s so simple, especially if you’re coming from another SVO-language, which, fortunately, English is. Actually, a significant portion of the day-to-day stuff that gets picked up in language classes are subtler (less widespread, and thus less explicitly taught) grammar patterns that involve very specific vocabulary. For example, how do you use words like “ぜんぜん” or” はず”/”つもり” in Japanese, or words like “because” or “not only…but also” in English, or words like “lo” or “estar”/”ser” in Spanish, or words like “ni” or “manquer” in French. The broadness of applicability varies among these terms, but the point is that the grammar points fall between the extremes: between applicability across the language (e.g. “this is how you conjugate all verbs ending in…”) and very narrow applicability (e.g. “蜻蜓 means ‘dragonfly’ [in Chinese]“).

Indeed, Chinese is full of such grammar points. Most of what is usefully learned in Chinese classes, besides vocabulary, are what I will refer to as “common/useful phrase constructions.” As the examples in the preceding paragraph demonstrate, most languages have these kinds of grammar points, but most other languages also have more widely applicable and necessary grammar points, including, but not limited to, things like verb conjugations, rules for noun-adjective gender/count agreement, etc.

So all this while, I’ve been slightly mystified as to why all I seem to be able to teach are these sorts of “common/useful phrase constructions” in my Chinese class sessions and worrying slightly that information is being imparted more slowly because there’s not more widely applicable grammar information that I can provide. But now that I’ve realized that all languages have this type of information (and in fact, Japanese has both vast tracts of widely applicable stuff to keep in mind and lots of these applicable-to-a-mid-range-of-the-language grammar points, which does make it slightly more annoying to teach), I will continue to teach Chinese as I have been, because this is, in fact, the way to teach this language, in my humble opinion.

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!

So for the past four nights I’ve been one of the backstage hands for MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Players’ production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (two were dress rehearsals and two were performances). I am a fan of the show, and this production has got me totally excited, and I’ve only listened to it (I’m planning to see it next weekend)! The cast is amazing; we’ve got some amazing singers in the group, and the acting ability points have been distributed properly. (I do, in fact, feel confident in making such comments about the show despite having not seen it with my own eyes, because I’ve hung around the cast and been there for enough of the tech work that I can tell. Really.) The lighting design is impressive, the set is spectacular (my, Sweeney’s chair…mm, mm, good), the costumes are lovely … what more can I say? I am incredibly psyched to see it, and y’all should be, too! I am very glad that I’ve been able to be a part of the production. We even have delicious meat pies during intermission, made from priest, fop, or vegetarians.

If you’re not familiar with the story, let’s just say that it’s  the furthest from the standard G&S repertoire as we’ve gotten since my time with the group. This is totally a production that I would recommend for a first viewing, though the version with Angela Lansbury and George Hearn (which you can find on youtube or in the MIT music library) is amazing (it was my first).

Anyway, I should stop rambling and tell y’all when the remaining performances are:

  • Thursday, August 12, 8:00 PM (*free* for MIT Students)
  • Friday, August 13, 8:00 PM
  • Saturday, August 14, 2:00 PM

I should note that the lights are more dramatic when viewed at night (meaning Thursday/Friday), and that next Friday is, in fact, Friday the 13th….

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