《贝隆夫人》的另一首金曲
这几个月有不少读者来信说喜欢我介绍过的两首《贝隆夫人》(Evita)歌曲---"You must love me "t "Don't cry
for me , Argentina!",希望我在这里再多谈一首"I'll be surprisiingly good ofr you".
前两首歌曲已收录在“银幕英语纵横谈“ 第一集里。这一首"I'll be surprisingly good for you"旋律与歌词也很优美,就和Elton
John唱的Can-del in the Wind 一并收录在“银幕英语纵横谈“第二集里吧。
听名曲学英语也是个很好的办法,寓学习于娱乐,饶富趣味。这一首歌是麦当娜与另一位男歌手合唱的,你可以找一位兄弟妹妹或志同道合的朋友跟着两位歌星一起哼。你俩各自扮演一个角色,自然会提高学习语言的兴趣,
"I'll be surprisingly good for you"是音乐剧作曲家安德鲁莱韦伯(Andrew Loyd Webber)与著名作词人添韦斯(Tim
Rice)的心血结晶之一。香港的电影版本与歌词翻译则由笔者担任。笔者也侥幸因此接受了香港《东周刊》与美国《亚洲华尔街日报》的访问,然后我又在《明报》写专栏,一连串的因缘际会,都非始料所及。
你们想知道笔者《贝隆夫人》的翻译,可租影碟带看看。下文我将为你们介绍第三首金曲。
"I'll be surprisingly good for you"
这首歌是影片《贝隆夫人》(Evita)的插曲,写的是麦当娜饰演的伊娃在宴会邂逅贝隆,以身相许。
伊娃:Colonel Peron?(贝隆上校?)
贝隆:Evat Duarte?(伊娃杜华?)
合唱:I've heard so much about you.(素慕大名/久仰芳名。)
伊娃:I am amazed for I'm only an actress.
贝隆:I am amazed for I'm only a soldier.
合唱:(我只是个女伶/我只是个军人。)
伊娃:Nothing to shout about only a girl on air.
贝隆:One of the thousands defending the country he loves.
合唱:(我只懂得演戏/我只懂得护国。)
伊娃: But when you act you take us awsy from the squalor of the real world.(你的一举一动,令我们乐融融。)
贝隆:Are you here on your own?(你是独自而来的吗?)
伊娃:So am I . What a frturnate coincidence.
Maybe, you're my reward for my efforts here tonight. (我也是,真是天意!我今晚有奖赏,上天赐你给我。)
伊娃:It seems crazy , but you must believe there's nothing calculated, nothing
planned. (听上去不合理,但你得相信,你我的邂逅绝对无预谋。)
Please forgive me if I seem naive.(我纯真爽快,请你别见怪。)
I would never want to force your hand, but please understand I'll be good
for you。(我并非存心催促你,只想你明白我适合你。)
I don't always rush in like this... twenty seconds after saying hello.(相识只有二十秒钟,我并不习惯于行事匆匆。)
Telling strangers I'm too good to miss.(你我初次见面,我竟毛遂自荐。)
If I'm wrong I hope you tell me so.(我若说得不好,请你坦然相告。)
But you really should know I'd be good for you, I'll be surprisingly good
for you。(但你该明白我很适合你,我会好到令你啧啧称奇。)
I won't go on if I'm boring you... but do you understand my point of view?(你如何不陶醉,我不必说下去!我的美意,你知不知道?)
Do you like what you hear...what you see?
(我的言谈举止,你满意不满意?)And would you be good for me too?(你是否想做到...我也觉得你好?)
伊娃:I'm not talking of a hurried night.(我并赞成匆匆一夜情。)
A frantic tumble then a shy good-bye.(一夕苦缠绵,腼腆说再见。)
Creeping home before it gets too light.(天色还未亮,偷偷返家乡。)
That's not the reason that I caught your eye.
(我令你注意,目的非在此。)
Which has to imply I'd be good for you, I'd be surprisingly good for you,(只求让明白我很适合你,
我会好到令你啧啧称奇。)
贝隆:Please go on you enthrall me !(请你继续倾诉,我已神魂颠倒!)
I can understand you perfectly and like what I hear, what I see , (你非常坦白,我完全明白;你言谈举止,我十分满意。)
And knowing me ....I would be good for you too.(我尽力做到...你也觉得好。)
伊娃:I'm not talking of a hurried night.(我并不赞成匆匆一夜情。)
A frantic tumble then a shy good-bye.(一夕苦缠绵,腼腆说再见。)
Creeping home before it gets too light.(天色还未亮,偷偷返家乡。)
That's not the reason that I caught your eye.
(我令你注意,目的非在此。)
Which has to imply I'd be good for you, I'd be surprisingly good for you,(只求让明白我很适合你,
我会好到令你啧啧称奇。)
日本作家谈命案(一)
1997年3月中旬,我在“银幕英语纵横谈“专栏写了一篇“一字之误,一命呜呼“,谈的是误解"freeze"一字竟在美国害了一条人命:
"几年前的万圣节,一位在美国的日本留学生误闯别人的私家重地,屋言误以为是贼,手持长枪,喝令这位留学生时说了一句:'Freeze!'(意思是不准动)。这位日本留学生可能不明白这个字的意思,还急步上前。当时天色昏暗,屋主误以为对方向前袭击自己,立即开枪。这位日本留学生当场中弹死亡。“
昨天收到台湾朋友寄给我的一本书,是日本名作家西森一原著,宝岛翻译名家郑清清女士译中文,名为Freeze枪击案的教训》。为了让大家在国外时对此有所警觉,谨抄录一部分供大家参考:
“由于枪枝泛滥,枪击案在美国人的眼中早就成为家常便饭的事了。不仅双方一言不和动辄拔枪相对,就连某些‘动物’引起误解时,即使开枪打伤,甚至打死对方,他照样可依‘正当防卫’的借口获判无罪。
“谈到此,不禁让我回忆起当年发生的一桩著名的枪击案,死者在误闯入他入屋舍后,又不明主人所喊‘Freeze!(不许动)’警示,因此成为枪下冤魂。“
日本作家谈命案(二)
现在继续抄录日本名作家西森一女士谈当年枪击命案的篇章:
“这实在是件令人遗憾的事情。大家都知道Freeze是‘冷藏库’,而freeze则是‘冻结、结冰’之意。正因为freeze表面的意思是如此,故对他人喊‘Freeze!’,意指‘命令你如冻结般地站住,停止行动!’
“这桩枪击案之所以发生,原因固然在于死者未能意会‘freeze’的字义。但是想想看,除了freeze之外,类似这种含有言外之意的词句,我们尚未理解的是何其多啊!为了确保我们自身的生命安全,有关对这类词句的认识是极有必要的,现在就让我们来认识它们吧!“
然后,作者列举了美国警方常用的一些短句,意思同样是叫人“不要动“的:
Stop! Don't move! Don't move a muscle!
Halt! Hold it!
Hands up! Hands in the air!
Stick'em up ! Reach for the sky!
Hands in front of you!
Keep your hands out of your pockets!
Lie on the ground/floor! Out flat!
笔者还想起另外一句经常在银幕上听到的句子:
"Stay where you are!"
;nbsp;before it gets too light.(天色还未亮,偷偷返家乡。)
That's not the reason that I caught your eye.
(我令你注意,目的非在此。)
Which has to imply&n
