十年一刻 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 蘇打綠
• Album: 十年一刻

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the richness of the Mandarin language through Sodagreen's '十年一刻'. This song is special because it's built around a classic Chinese idiom, offering a window into cultural values of perseverance and dedication. Learning its poetic lyrics, which describe traditional arts, can help you appreciate the beauty of metaphorical expression in Mandarin and understand a story of passion that transcends any language barrier.

[English]

That girl, half made-up, graceful hands, wandering with yellow skin and a crooked smile

Those two say they’re causing a commotion, singing and dancing, flowers flying in the air

The river of time has flowed three hundred times, its waters sweep through every street and alley

Whether it’s Shengdan, Jing, or Chou roles, even playing minor parts can stir your passion

I’d rather skip a meal than not listen to your singing

Maybe busy again and again, maybe hurt again and again

Perhaps countless tears, tasted over and over at night

But it’s growth, and it’s hope we’ve gained

Now I stand on stage, sharing this moment with you

The pearls bloom in the East, exotic fragrance, swaying on the swan’s head

That culture lives in everyday life, heroes and brave men, fighting in the drum percussion

Painting the mask of the soul, these characters cross time and space

No matter snow and frost or wind and rain, whoever is heartbreakingly far away by the water

Enduring all this, I’ll face the challenges with you

Maybe busy again and again, maybe hurt again and again

Perhaps countless tears, tasted over and over at night

But it’s growth, and it’s hope we’ve gained

Now I stand on stage, speaking to you

A decade’s effort has become radiant, a minute’s worth of dream

Those who shine on life’s stage are not just talkers

Maybe busy again and again, maybe hurt again and again

Perhaps countless tears, tasted over and over at night

But it’s growth, and it’s hope we’ve gained

Now I stand on stage

Maybe exhausted my strength, maybe gone through hardships

Maybe my craziness, temporarily forgive me

But I know, I understand

It’s my persistence that’s making me sing in front of you

Singing my dreams, singing my absurdity

Sharing with you, opening our window

...

[Chinese]

那姑娘半頂著妝 身手漂亮 皮黃嘴上流浪

那兩人說帶著鬧 歌舞齊發 百花手上飛揚

年歲的河已三百趟 那江水走遍大街小巷

不管是生旦淨末丑 跑龍套也能讓你激昂

寧願捨一頓飯也聽你唱

可能忙了又忙 可能傷了又傷

可能無數眼淚 在夜晚嚐了又嚐

可是換來成長 可是換來希望

如今我站在台上 和你一起分享

那珍珠開在東方 異國芬芳 天鵝頂上蕩漾

那文化活在日常 英雄好漢 梆子曲上爭仗

將心靈的面具塗畫 那角色穿越時空長廊

不管是冰雪與風霜 哪個斷腸人在水一方

消磨這一身魂也陪你闖

可能忙了又忙 可能傷了又傷

可能無數眼淚 在夜晚嚐了又嚐

可是換來成長 可是換來希望

如今我站在台上 這麼對你講

十年的功聚成燦爛 那一分鐘的夢

生命舞台發光的人 絕不是只會說

可能忙了又忙 可能傷了又傷

可能無數眼淚 在夜晚嚐了又嚐

可是換來成長 可是換來希望

如今我站在台上

可能耗盡堅強 可能歷經滄桑

可能我的瘋狂 暫時不得到原諒

可是我知道啊 可是我明白啊

是我的執著搏來 在你面前歌唱

唱著我的幻想 唱著我的荒唐

唱著與你分享 打通我們的窗

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
姑娘 /kʊn.tɕjoʊn/ A2	noun - young woman
妝 /tɕwɑn/ B2	noun - makeup, cosmetics
身手 /ʂenˋʃou/ B1	noun - skill, dexterity
漂亮 /piɑo liɑn/ A2	adjective - beautiful, pretty
流浪 /liú làng/ B2	verb - to wander, roam
百花 /bǎi huā/ B1	noun - hundred flowers, a metaphor for diversity
江水 /jiāng shuǐ/ B1	noun - river water
成長 /chéng zhǎng/ B2	noun/verb - growth, to grow up
希望 /xī wàng/ A2	noun - hope
台上 /tái shàng/ A2	noun - on stage
珍珠 /zhēn zhū/ B1	noun - pearl
芬芳 /fēn fāng/ B2	adjective - fragrant, aromatic
舞台 /wǔ tái/ A2	noun - stage
回憶 /huí yì/ B2	noun - recollection, memory

Key Grammar Structures

• 那姑娘半頂著妝 身手漂亮 皮黃嘴上流浪

  ➔ Using '半' to indicate 'half' or 'partially' + verb or verb phrase

  ➔ '半' indicates that the action is only partial or halfway done.

• 年歲的河已三百趟 那江水走遍大街小巷

  ➔ Using '已' to indicate completed action or state; '已' + verb to show that something has already happened

  ➔ '已' means 'already' and shows that the action has been completed.

• 不管是生旦淨末丑 跑龍套也能讓你激昂

  ➔ Using '不管...也' to express 'no matter... still' or 'regardless of... still'

  ➔ '不管...也' means 'regardless of... still,' indicating that something is true despite circumstances.

• 如今我站在台上 和你一起分享

  ➔ Using '現在' (如今) to indicate 'nowadays' or 'at present'

  ➔ '如今' means 'nowadays' or 'at present,' emphasizing the current moment.

• 可能忙了又忙 可能傷了又傷

  ➔ Using '可能...了又...' to express 'possibly... again...' indicating repeated or uncertain actions

  ➔ '可能...了又...' means 'possibly... again...' showing uncertainty or repetition.

• 可是我知道啊 可是我明白啊

  ➔ Repeating '可是' to emphasize contrast or contradiction, often used for reinforcing statements

  ➔ '可是' means 'but' or 'however', and repeating it emphasizes contrast or contradiction.