特倫斯夢遊仙境 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 林家謙

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic and imaginative journey with Terence Lam's '特倫斯夢遊仙境' (Terence's Wonderland). This song is a fantastic way to learn Cantonese through its playful and descriptive lyrics that paint a vivid picture of a magical world. The song's celebration of escaping reality through imagination makes it a unique and enchanting piece in the Cantopop scene.

[English]

Too real bad news lingers

Too solid a barrier surrounds

Why is a too tense brain troubled again?

Do you know that on this earth

There are a billion strange appearances?

Quickly go out and observe the psychedelic, bid farewell to sorrow

In the snow country, that snow beast exudes a strange fragrance

In the oblique angle, I discovered a Muggle playing a show

I secretly laugh at myself, at this age, still loving fantasy

But you've turned into a stubborn stone, your heart feeling nothing

Accompany me to be fascinated by the absurd

Cross over the ever-changing hills

Pick up a piece of wood, reach out and learn to cast a small magic spell

Travel all over countless stars

Drink sake outside the clouds and rain

Forget the mundane world's many trivial struggles

Doo doo doo

Climb into the hourglass of time

See spring and autumn in ten seconds

So free

I don't want to say "and then" anymore

...

There's a flying carpet parked on the road

There's a fairy standing blankly on the railway

There's a witch sitting in silence on the sofa, for whom?

Wait and wait, a lifetime without winning the lottery

Wait and wait, many lifetimes and you'll be frozen

At this moment, tear off the old appearance with me

The strange bird said it will take me to see the sunflower

The ant said it wants to run wild, galloping on my lap

I asked you out, but you said you wanted to go home

Clearly, there are still so many surprises to travel through

Accompany me to be fascinated by the absurd

Cross over the ever-changing hills

Pick up a piece of wood, reach out and learn to cast a small magic spell

Travel all over countless stars

Drink sake outside the clouds and rain

Forget the mundane world's many trivial struggles

Doo doo doo

Climb into the hourglass of time

See spring and autumn in ten seconds

So free

I don't want to say "and then" anymore

Doo doo doo

How do you know what's fake is fake? How do you tell?

Doo doo doo

If you can't figure it out at all, then don't seek divine confirmation again

Accompany me to be fascinated by the absurd

A white horse meets a tengu

Running in the barren land, the reason isn't deeply investigated

Use my tattered sleeve

To encompass the entire universe

Forget the mundane world's many trivial struggles

Doo doo doo

Climb into the hourglass of time

See spring and autumn in ten seconds

So free

I don't want to say "and then" anymore

In my eyes, there are towering mountains and vast seas

I saw it, went there, and will never return

I love to go everywhere and stir up dust

I believe the bizarre world is still lovely after all

Doo doo doo

Use my tattered sleeve

To encompass the entire universe

So free

I don't want to say "and then" anymore

...

[Chinese]

太逼真的惡耗纏著

太堅穩的隔膜圍著

太崩緊的腦部何事又煩惱著

你可知這個地球上

有千億種怪異模樣

快出走觀照著迷幻 告別惆悵

雪國裡 那雪獸 滲奇香

斜角裡 發覺有 麻瓜演奏一場

暗笑我 這歲數 愛幻想

你卻變作頑石 心不知癢

陪我迷上荒謬

越過幻變山丘

拾塊木碎伸手學施小魔咒

踏遍無數星斗

雲雨外喝清酒

忘記俗世幾多繁瑣的爭鬥

Doo doo doo

爬進時間沙漏

十秒內看春秋

如此自由

再不想說然後

有飛毯於馬路停著

有妖精於鐵道呆著

有魔女沙發上沉默為誰坐著

再等等一世未中獎

再等等多世就結霜

當刻 跟我 撕去舊模樣

怪鳥說帶我看 太陽花

螞蟻說要放肆 馳騁於我膝下

我約你 你卻說 要回家

明明還能遊歷 幾多驚訝

陪我迷上荒謬

越過幻變山丘

拾塊木碎伸手學施小魔咒

踏遍無數星斗

雲雨外喝清酒

忘記俗世幾多繁瑣的爭鬥

Doo doo doo

爬進時間沙漏

十秒內看春秋

如此自由

再不想說然後

Doo doo doo

假的怎麼知假的 到底怎樣辯明

Doo doo doo

假使根本搞不清 就別要再求神確認

陪我迷上荒謬

白馬遇上天狗

在赤地裡奔走原因不深究

用我殘破衣䄂

囊括全個宇宙

忘記俗世幾多繁瑣的爭鬥

Doo doo doo

爬進時間沙漏

十秒內看春秋

如此自由

再不想說然後

我眼裡 有峻嶺 有大海

看到了 去到了 從此不再歸來

我最愛 處處去 惹塵埃

我信怪誕世間 始終可愛

Doo doo doo

用我殘破衣䄂

囊括全個宇宙

如此自由

再不想說然後

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
惡耗 (è hào) /ɤ̂ xâʊ/ B2	noun - bad news, sad news
地球 (dì qiú) /tì tɕʰjóu/ A1	noun - earth, globe
怪異 (guài yì) /kwài ì/ B2	adjective - strange, odd, weird
模樣 (mó yàng) /mwǒ jâŋ/ A2	noun - appearance, form, look
迷幻 (mí huàn) /mǐ xwân/ C1	adjective - psychedelic, hallucinatory
雪獸 (xuě shòu) /ɕɥɛ̀ ʂoʊ/ B2	noun - snow beast
奇香 (qí xiāng) /t͡ɕʰǐ ɕjáŋ/ C1	noun - exotic fragrance, peculiar aroma
麻瓜 (má guā) /mǎ kwá/ C2	noun - Muggle (non-magical person)
幻想 (huàn xiǎng) /xwân ɕjǎŋ/ B2	verb - to imagine, to fantasize noun - illusion, fantasy
荒謬 (huāng miù) /xwáŋ mjôʊ/ C1	adjective - absurd, ridiculous
幻變 (huàn biàn) /xwân piɛ̂n/ C1	adjective - illusory and changing, metamorphic
魔咒 (mó zhòu) /mwǒ ʈ͡ʂôʊ/ B2	noun - spell, incantation
星斗 (xīng dǒu) /ɕíŋ toʊ/ B2	noun - stars
沙漏 (shā lòu) /ʂá lôʊ/ B1	noun - hourglass
春秋 (chūn qiū) /t͡ʂʰwə́n t͡ɕʰjoʊ/ B2	noun - spring and autumn, years
妖精 (yāo jīng) /jɑʊ t͡ɕíŋ/ B1	noun - goblin, spirit, fairy
魔女 (mó nǚ) /mwǒ ny̌/ B2	noun - witch
撕 (sī) /sɨ/ A2	verb - to tear, to rip
太阳花 (tài yáng huā) /tâɪ jǎŋ xwā/ A2	noun - sunflower
驰骋 (chí chěng) /t͡ʂʰǐ t͡ʂʰɤ̌ŋ/ B2	verb - to gallop; to roam freely
衣袖 (yī xiù) /í ɕjôʊ/ B1	noun - sleeve
宇宙 (yǔ zhòu) /y̌ ʈ͡ʂôʊ/ A2	noun - universe, cosmos
峻嶺 (jùn lǐng) /t͡ɕŷn lɨ̌ŋ/ B2	noun - high mountain
大海 (dà hǎi) /tâ xài/ A1	noun - sea, ocean
塵埃 (chén āi) /t͡ʂʰə̌n ái/ B2	noun - dust
怪誕 (guài dàn) /kwài tân/ C1	adjective - grotesque, bizarre
可愛 (kě ài) /kʰɤ̀ âɪ/ A1	adjective - cute, lovely

Key Grammar Structures

• 太逼真的惡耗“纏著”

  ➔ Aspect marker '著' (zhe) indicating a continuous or ongoing state.

  ➔ The '著' after '纏' (chán, entangle) indicates that the bad news is persistently entangling or affecting someone. It emphasizes the continuation of the action. At a B2-C1 level, one would understand this conveys more than just a single instance; it's a persistent problem.

• 有千億種怪異“模樣”

  ➔ Use of '模樣' (múyàng) - Noun/ Adjective Suffix, Meaning: appearance; shape.

  ➔ '模樣' adds a sense of a concrete form to the variety of strange things. It's not just that there are a billion strange *things*, but they each have a different *appearance* or *form* to them. Advanced learners should be able to discern the subtlety of this word choice.

• 暗笑我 這“歲數” 愛幻想

  ➔ Noun: 歲數 (suìshù) - age (referring to years)

  ➔ Understanding 歲數 allows for comprehension that they are mocking him due to his *age* and still having fantasies. The phrase signifies a certain level of maturity being assumed, contrasted with the childlike nature of fantasizing.

• 你卻“變作”頑石 心不知癢

  ➔ Verb: 變作 (biànzuò) - to change into, to transform into

  ➔ The use of 變作 here emphasizes the transformation. It suggests more than simply *becoming*; it's a distinct and complete change into something else – a stubborn stone. Understanding this verb adds depth to the meaning. The listener is no longer reacting and becoming stagnant.

• 越過幻變山丘 拾“塊”木碎

  ➔ Measure Word: 塊 (kuài) - Used for pieces, lumps, chunks, sums of money, etc.

  ➔ The use of the measure word 塊 indicates a physical piece of wood, adding detail to the action of picking it up. Advanced learners will understand that it specifies the kind of 'wood' object being referred to.

• 假使根本搞不清 就“別要”再求神確認

  ➔ Adverbial Phrase: 別要 (bié yào) - Strong suggestion to not do something, stronger than '不要' (bù yào).

  ➔ 別要 adds forcefulness, conveying not just a simple request not to seek divine confirmation, but a stronger dissuasion. At an advanced level, understanding the nuance between 別要 and 不要 shows mastery of the language.