一身焰火去羅馬 – Bilingual Lyrics Chinese/English

• By: 莫文蔚 Karen Mok & The Masters

Lyrics & Translation

This song offers a vivid and poetic narrative that encourages listeners to embrace life's adventures. Through its evocative lyrics and Karen Mok's distinctive delivery, learners can explore rich Mandarin vocabulary related to emotions, nature, and self-empowerment. The song's blend of pop and Mandopop elements, infused with a rock sensibility, makes it an engaging and inspiring piece for language acquisition.

[English]

She cried many times but still loves flowers

Sea breezes heal her wounds like bandages

The desert fears no extra grains of sand

She underestimated tears' weight in carats

Cloaked in flames, she's bound for Rome

Melting herself, saved or unsaved

Time holds the magic to erase

Gently wiping away half-hearted loves

She boards a fool's ship, riding wild waves

Fervor dangling from danger's mast

Dancing on tilting decks

Tomorrow needs no bravery

Let everything follow nature's course

Nature outshines all romance

Those certain answers

She'll never obey

She fears no reverence, no temperature shifts

Cloaked in flames, she's bound for Rome

Melting herself, saved or unsaved

Time holds the magic to erase

Yet she keeps painting fiercely

Tossing her compass to become wonder

Leaving it for midnight taverns ahead

Spreading legends of ideals

Crafting fascinating chaos

Let everything follow nature's course

Nature outshines all romance

What failed to ignite her isn't her shore

Dancing on tilting decks

Tomorrow needs no bravery

[Chinese]

她 哭了几次还是喜欢花

吹过海风就当做包扎

沙漠不怕再来几粒沙

她 她抵估了眼泪的克拉

一身焰火说要去罗马

有没有救都自己融化

时间有消除的魔法

把不够爱的轻轻擦

她跳上 愚人船与狂浪作伴

一身热烈 悬在危杆

舞踏在 倾斜甲板

明天不需要勇敢

一切 交给自然

自然 比浪漫更浪漫

那些 确定的答案

她不会照办

她 她无所谓敬畏和温差

一身焰火说要去罗马

有没有救 都自己融化

时间有 消除的魔法

可她还 拼命地涂鸦

她想成为奇观 扔掉了罗盘

扔给 未来 午夜酒馆

做个理想的谣传

做个有趣的 破澜

一切 交给自然

自然 比浪漫更浪漫

那些没将她点燃 不是她的岸

舞踏在 倾斜甲板

明天不需要勇敢

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
焰火 /yàn huǒ/ B1	noun - fireworks
罗马 /luó mǎ/ A1	noun - Rome
融化 /róng huà/ B1	verb - to melt
魔法 /mó fǎ/ A2	noun - magic
消除 /yán chú/ B1	verb - to eliminate
热烈 /rè liè/ B1	adjective - passionate
悬 /xuán/ B2	verb - to hang
危杆 /wēi gān/ C1	noun - dangerous pole
舞踏 /wǔ tà/ B2	verb - to dance
倾斜 /qīng xié/ B2	adjective - tilted
甲板 /jià bǎn/ B1	noun - deck
自然 /zì rán/ A2	noun - nature adjective - natural
浪漫 /langen/ A2	adjective - romantic
涂鸦 /tú yā/ B1	verb - to graffiti
奇观 /qí guān/ B2	noun - spectacle
破澜 /pò lán/ C1	verb - to break through waves

Key Grammar Structures

• 她 **哭了几次** 还是喜欢花

  ➔ Past tense verb with a measure word and quantifier for frequency

  ➔ Uses the past tense verb "cry" (*哭*) with the measure word "times" (*次*).

• 一身焰火 **说** 要去罗马

  ➔ Verb of saying/speaking used to introduce a statement/intention.

  ➔ The verb "say" (*说*) acts as a speech verb, directly introducing what the subject is stating.

• 时间 **有** 消除的魔法

  ➔ Existence verb "to have" used to express possession of a quality.

  ➔ The verb "has" (*有*) indicates the attribute of having "erasing magic".

• **把** 不够爱的轻轻擦

  ➔ "Ba" structure: a sentence construction used to move the direct object before the verb, emphasizing the object and the action's effect.

  ➔ The "ba" structure preposes the direct object "not enough love", highlighting the action of erasing it.

• 她 **跳上** 愚人船与狂浪作伴

  ➔ Compound verb with direction or result.

  ➔ "Jump on" (*跳上*) combines the action of jumping with the result of being on the boat.

• **一身** 热烈 悬在危杆

  ➔ Noun phrase as an adjectival phrase. "A whole body (of) passion" modifying something else.

  ➔ "A whole body of" (*一身*) is used to express the passion and its presence.

• **交给** 自然

  ➔ Verb + object construction suggesting entrustment or surrender.

  ➔ The verb “hand over to” (*交给*) indicates surrendering the situation to nature.

• **那些** 确定的答案

  ➔ Demonstrative determiner + noun phrase, pointing out the already decided.

  ➔ "Those" (*那些*) emphasizes the already known answers.

• 她 **不会照办**

  ➔ Modal verb + verb to express a negation of action.

  ➔ "Will not follow" (*不会照办*) expresses that she will not adhere to the certain answers.