新地球 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 林俊傑
• Album: GENESIS

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with JJ Lin's "新地球" (Brave New World), a powerful and emotionally rich song that offers a unique window into contemporary Mandopop and thought-provoking themes. Through its poignant lyrics, you can explore advanced vocabulary related to societal reflection and human emotion, while its sophisticated musical arrangements provide an excellent opportunity to appreciate the nuances of modern Chinese music production. This song is special not only for its artistic merit and JJ Lin's vocal prowess but also for its profound message that encourages a deeper understanding of our world and human nature.

[English]

It's a kind of blue sorrow

I wake up on a desolate earth

New York in the corner of the sea

Sunlight turns the land into a desert

Only when the taste changes do people start to mourn

Ironically, the air is quite good

Chimneys sway silently in the water

Without romance, people run for their meals

All the love and hate are just self-inflicted troubles

New Earth, that's what they call it

No smiles on their faces, speaking in a strange accent

New Earth, they are very proud

Only their eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, escape

New Earth, the stars shine brightly

The distant horizon is always a straight line, monotonous

New Earth can never return to that year

That year, the forgotten little island

...

The gray land is very dull

...

People's entertainment is so boring

Spinning around, endlessly spinning, then falling down

The horizon, gazing at the horizon

Silently praying, hoping there are no hurricanes

New Earth, they can't escape

Like a trap, they can only live a mundane life until old

New Earth, their prison

Only their eyes are sad, hard to shake off

New Earth, starting over again

Past mistakes can't keep replaying the old tune

New Earth, yet I want to return to that year

That year, the forgotten little island

...

New Earth, that's what they call it

No smiles on their faces, speaking in a strange accent

New Earth, they are very proud

Only their eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, escape

New Earth, the stars shine brightly

The distant horizon is always a straight line, monotonous

New Earth can never return to that year

That year, the forgotten little island

...

[Chinese]

是一種藍色的哀愁

我醒在荒涼的地球

紐約在海底的角落

陽光把大地變沙漠

變了味道 人們才開始哀掉

諷刺的是空氣很好

煙囪在水裡無聲飄搖

沒了情調 人們為三餐奔跑

一切的愛恨 都在自尋煩惱

新地球 他們這麼叫

臉上沒有笑 說著一口陌生腔調

新地球 他們很驕傲

只是眼神 有意無意的逃

新地球 星星很閃耀

遙遠海平面 總是一條直線 單調

新地球 永遠回不到 那一年

那年 被遺忘的小島

灰色的土地很枯燥

人們的娛樂好無聊

轉圈圈 不停轉圈圈 然後摔倒

地平線 眺望地平線

默默祈禱 沒有颶風就好

新地球 他們跑不了

像是個圈套 只能庸庸碌碌到老

新地球 他們的監牢

只是眼神悲傷 難以去掉

新地球 從頭來一遭

過去的錯誤 不能一直重彈老調

新地球 我卻想回到 那一年

那年 被遺忘的小島

新地球 他們這麼叫

臉上沒有笑 說著一口陌生腔調

新地球 他們很驕傲

只是眼神 有意無意的逃

新地球 星星很閃耀

遙遠海平面 總是一條直線 單調

新地球 永遠回不到 那一年

那年 被遺忘的小島

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
哀愁 /aìchóu/ B2	noun - melancholy; sadness
荒涼 /huāngliáng/ C1	adjective - desolate; barren
角落 /jiǎoluò/ B2	noun - corner; nook
陽光 /yángguāng/ A2	noun - sunlight
沙漠 /shāmòc/ A2	noun - desert
變 /biàn/ A2	verb - to change
味道 /wèidào/ B1	noun - taste; flavor
哀掉 /āidiào/ C1	verb - to grieve; to lament
空氣 /kōngqì/ A2	noun - air; atmosphere
水裡 /shuǐ lǐ/ A2	noun - water
無聲 /wúshēng/ B2	adjective - silent; soundless
情調 /qíngdiào/ C1	noun - mood; atmosphere; tone
奔跑 /bēnpǎo/ A2	verb - to run; to race
愛恨 /àihèn/ B2	noun - love and hatred

Key Grammar Structures

• 是一種藍色的哀愁

  ➔ Subject + 是 + Adjective + 的 + Noun: This structure emphasizes the adjectival quality of the noun.

  ➔ The sentence structure “是…的” emphasizes that the “哀愁 (sorrow)” is of a “藍色的 (blue)” quality. It's not just sorrow, it's *blue* sorrow.

• 變了味道 人們才開始哀掉

  ➔ 了 (le) to indicate a change of state + 才 (cái) meaning 'only then'.

  ➔ The sentence means 'Only when the taste changed did people start to lament.' '了' indicates the change (the taste changing) and '才' indicates that the lamenting happened only after that change.

• 有意無意的逃

  ➔ AABB structure: This structure often describes a repeated or emphasized action or state. It implies some indecision or struggle with action.

  ➔ “有意無意” (yǒuyì wúyì) means 'intentionally or unintentionally'. It suggests that the escaping/avoiding is happening sometimes consciously and sometimes subconsciously, hinting at internal conflict.

• 像是個圈套 只能庸庸碌碌到老

  ➔ 像是 (xiàng shì) + Noun: 'like/resembles' + 只能 (zhǐ néng) + verb phrase: 'can only' + 到 (dào) + time/age: 'until' indicating duration or endpoint.

  ➔ The sentence translates to 'It's like a trap; one can only live a mediocre life until old age.' 像是 compares the situation to a trap. 只能 restricts the possibilities, and 到老 indicates the duration.

• 過去的錯誤 不能一直重彈老調

  ➔ 不能 (bù néng) + Verb Phrase: 'Cannot' + 一直 (yīzhí) + Verb: expressing continuous action + 重彈老調 (chóng tán lǎo diào) - idiom 'repeat the same old tune'

  ➔ This means 'Past mistakes cannot always be repeated' or 'We can't keep repeating the same old mistakes'. '一直' implies the action is ongoing. The idiom reinforces the avoidance of repeating old errors.