黑暗騎士 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 林俊傑, 阿信
• Album: 因你 而在 Stories Untold

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and emotional journey with “黑暗騎士” (The Dark Knight). This song, a powerful collaboration between Mandopop superstars JJ Lin and Ashin of Mayday, offers a unique opportunity to learn Mandarin through its poetic and thought-provoking lyrics. The song's exploration of complex themes like justice, societal critique, and inner strength provides a rich context for language learners to engage with deeper vocabulary and metaphorical expressions. What makes this song special is its blend of intense rock and electronic soundscapes with lyrics that challenge you to think, making the process of learning both exciting and meaningful.

[English]

In the darkness, who is still awake? A black mood and a cloak of disguise.

The darkness of night isn't the darkest; it's the greed that has no bottom line.

Beneath my feet lies a humble street; I stand alone at the city's skyline.

Don't ask me about good or evil; I just long to fly like a mammal.

The boundary between good and evil is not an opposition.

It's every person’s last pure defense line that cannot escape the test.

Is there a kind of trial? Is there a moment of tempering?

Saving the world is like a hero in a movie plot.

Is there a kind of belief? Is there a vow?

Calling for the dawn to appear, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Calling for the dawn to appear, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Calling for the dawn to appear.

...

Why have we caught all the thieves, yet have not witnessed a robbery in years?

While poverty still floods people's dignity like a tide.

On the peak of civilization one day, people and bats return to caves.

Those crimes can no longer be seen, hiding behind laws and deals.

The boundary between good and evil is not hard to distinguish.

What’s frightening is that everyone closes their ears and eyes, afraid to change.

Is there a kind of change? Is there a heroic moment?

The perfection of the ending is like a hero in a movie plot.

Is there a kind of belief? Is there a vow?

Calling for the dawn to appear, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Calling for the dawn to appear, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Calling for the dawn to appear, calling for the dawn to appear.

The rain is getting more toxic, and disasters are increasing.

The past is getting further away, like a hero in a movie plot.

Lawyers collude with clowns, representatives sign contracts with corporations.

Goodness and evil compromise.

The corporations are getting bigger, while parks are getting smaller.

Disillusionment is getting deeper, like a hero in a movie plot.

Who is the person behind the mask? Or rather, no matter who it is,

No one can escape unscathed, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

No one can escape unscathed, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

No one can escape unscathed.

...

When we all take to the streets, when we embrace our beliefs,

When we personally play the role of a hero in a movie plot.

You are a kind of belief; you are a vow.

The world is waiting for your appearance, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

The world is waiting for your appearance, yeah yeah yeah yeah.

Oh yeah yeah.

...

[Chinese]

黑暗裡誰還不睡 黑色的心情和斗篷假面

黑夜的黑不是最黑 而在於貪婪找不到底線

腳下是卑微的街 我孤獨站在城市天際線

別問我惡類或善類 我只是渴望飛的哺乳類

善惡的分界 不是對立面

而是每個人 那最後純潔的防線 都逃不過考驗

有沒有一種考驗 有沒有一次淬煉

拯救了世界就像 英雄 電影 情節

有沒有一種信念 有沒有一句誓言

呼喚黎明的出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

呼喚黎明的出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

呼喚黎明的出現

為什麼抓光了賊 多年來更沒目擊過搶匪

而貧窮還是像潮水 淹沒了人們生存的尊嚴

文明最顛峰某天 人們和蝙蝠卻住回洞穴

那罪行再也看不見 都躲在法律和交易後面

善惡的分界 不怕難分辨

只怕每個人 都關上雙耳和雙眼 都害怕去改變

有沒有一種改變 有沒有一次壯烈

結局的完美就像 英雄 電影 情節

有沒有一種信念 有沒有一句誓言

呼喚黎明的出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

呼喚黎明的出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

呼喚黎明的出現 呼喚黎明的出現

越來越毒的雨水 越來越多的災變

越來越遠的從前 英雄 電影 情節

律師和小丑勾結 民代和財團簽約

善良和罪惡妥協

越來越大的企業 越來越小的公園

越來越深的幻滅 英雄 電影 情節

面具下的人是誰 或者說不管是誰

都無法全身而退 yeah yeah yeah yeah

都無法全身而退 yeah yeah yeah yeah

都無法全身而退

當我們都走上街 當我們懷抱信念

當我們親身扮演 英雄 電影 情節

你就是一種信念 你就是一句誓言

世界正等你出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

世界正等你出現 yeah yeah yeah yeah

Oh yeah yeah

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
黑暗 /hēi àn/ B2	noun - darkness
心情 /xīn qíng/ B1	noun - mood
貪婪 /tān lán/ B2	adjective - greedy
孤獨 /gū dú/ B1	adjective - lonely
渴望 /kě wàng/ B2	verb - to desire
考驗 /kǎo yàn/ B2	noun - test
信念 /xìn niàn/ B2	noun - belief
誓言 /shì yán/ B2	noun - oath
英雄 /yīng xióng/ A2	noun - hero
電影 /diàn yǐng/ A1	noun - movie
災變 /zāi biàn/ B2	noun - disaster
尊嚴 /zūn yán/ B2	noun - dignity
改變 /gǎi biàn/ B1	verb - to change
企業 /qǐ yè/ B2	noun - enterprise
幻滅 /huàn miè/ B2	noun - disillusionment

Key Grammar Structures

• 黑暗裡誰還不睡

  ➔ Interrogative Pronoun + 不 (bù) + Verb: Expressing surprise or doubt.

  ➔ Here, "誰 (shuí)" (who) is used with "不 (bù)" and "睡 (shuì)" (sleep) to express the speaker's surprise that someone is still awake in the darkness.

• 黑夜的黑不是最黑 而在於貪婪找不到底線

  ➔ "不是…而是… (bùshì…érshì…)": Not… but…

  ➔ This sentence uses the structure "不是…而是… (bùshì…érshì…)" to emphasize that the darkness of night is not the deepest darkness; instead, it's the bottomless greed that is the true darkness.

• 有沒有一種考驗 有沒有一次淬煉

  ➔ 有沒有 (yǒu méi yǒu): Is there / Are there (a rhetorical question expressing a desire or hope).

  ➔ "有沒有 (yǒu méi yǒu)" is used to rhetorically ask if there is a trial or a refinement process, expressing a longing for something that can bring positive change.

• 拯救了世界就像 英雄 電影 情節

  ➔ 就像 (jiù xiàng): Just like, similar to. Used for comparisons.

  ➔ "就像 (jiù xiàng)" is used to compare saving the world to the plot of a hero movie, highlighting the dramatic and idealized nature of the concept.

• 而貧窮還是像潮水 淹沒了人們生存的尊嚴

  ➔ 像 (xiàng) + Noun: Like, similar to. Used for similes.

  ➔ "像 (xiàng)" is used to create a simile, comparing poverty to a tide that overwhelms people's dignity.

• 都躲在法律和交易後面

  ➔ 在...後面 (zài...hòumiàn): behind, at the back of. Locative prepositional phrase.

  ➔ Here, "在...後面 (zài...hòumiàn)" indicates that crimes are hidden behind the law and transactions, suggesting they are obscured or made less visible by these systems.

• 或者說不管是誰 都無法全身而退

  ➔ 不管 (bù guǎn) + Question word: No matter (who/what/where/how). Indicates a condition that doesn't affect the outcome.

  ➔ "不管 (bù guǎn) + 誰 (shuí)" (no matter who) is used to emphasize that regardless of the person's identity, they cannot escape unscathed. This conveys a sense of inevitability.