中译英｜《罗刹海市》：归来的刀郎，你已经听不懂
After more than a decade away from the spotlight, the singer Dao Lang made a comeback in 2023 with his latest album Shan Ge Liao Zai, or Ballads of a Lonely Studio. “Luo Cha Hai Shi”, one of thesongs in the record, displays a unique style with clever yet elusive lyrics, provoking numerous interpretations on social media. As many words in the song are seen as ironic remarks about Na Ying, Yang Kun, Wang Feng and Gao Xiaosong, all of whom are pop music stars in China, farfetched speculations went viral instantly, without getting any response from the singer himself so far.
Dao Lang’s debut album The First Snow in 2002, released some 20 years ago, remains a legend in China’s music business with estimated sales of more than ten million copies, counting pirated ones. “A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing”, a song he wrote back then for Alan Tam, a famous singer, added another milestone to the latter’s career.
Dao Lang is truly an unconventional figure over the last two decades of China’s pop music history.
He was the first to raise people’s attention to grassroots singers as a trade, lead the trend of creating catchy hits out of folk songs, and bring the lower class’s demand for music tothe notice of mainstream society. And now he is turning to Chinese classical literature such as Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio and Classic of Mountains and Rivers for inspiration and brought out his concept album combining traditional text with folk qupai, or names of the tunes to which Chinese traditional songs (qu) are composed. His unorthodoxy is shocking, as much as his genius is awed.
Very，男，电气民工，经济学人资浅爱好者
Iris，博物馆小可爱
Cece，经济学人粉丝
Iris，博物馆小可爱
1. “沉寂”是指刀郎在过去十几年很少进入大众视野，故译为“away from the spotlight”。
2. “玄妙”结合上下文是指歌词写得巧妙，而内涵又难以捉摸，故译为“smart yet elusive”。
3. “牵强附会，猜测横生”可拆解为“牵强的猜测到处肆虐”，故译为“far-fetched speculations went viral”；“本人无言”以为刀郎本人没有回应这些猜测，故译为“without getting any response from…”
4. “为‘谭校长’的事业创造了一个小高峰”可理解为为谭咏麟的事业锦上添花。
5. “行当”指“草根歌手”这个群体，译为“trade”（同业）。
6. “民歌通俗化的‘神曲’”，包含几个要素：由民歌改编而来，独特甚至“雷人”，易于记忆，流传广等。译文“catchy”意为attractive and easy to remember，“hit”意为a successful pop song。
7. 原文涉及的除刀郎以外的中国歌手名字，外国读者可能并不熟悉，因此需要补充说明他们是著名流行歌手。同理，需补充说明《聊斋志异》《山海经》是中国古典文学作品；需解释“曲牌”是什么。
8. “他走的野路子让乐坛为之震动，又不得不服气。”意为人们对他的离经叛道感到震惊，但又不得不佩服他的才华。故译为“His unorthodoxy is shocking, as much as his genius is awed.”
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