Since earlier 2012 started translating "Set Fire To The Rain" (to Chinese), then getting into more Adele lyrics in last couple months, finally done 12 songs based on her "Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2011)" DVD (There is no BlueRay edition yet and the DVD quality is not the best, although it includes a bonus CD). Left a few songs (e.g. "Love Song") not translated, this project has come to close.
In general, Adele songs are great music to listen (specially due to her voice). But the lyrics (in original English) are not very poetic (in the sense of poetry prospect of Chinese literature). Without liking the performance so much, it would be hard to complete the translation for so many of her songs. Now Adele has become another great accomplishment in my Chinese lyrics collection after ABBA and Boney M.
阿黛儿的词曲和唱功确有其实力，以如此年轻成就乐坛，更不知有多少人翻唱或重新演绎过她的歌曲。从翻译的角度，若仅以歌词而论，虽不乏佳句，但其诗境绝非上品。这里固然有语言和文化方面的差异，可能与其社会生活背景有极大关系。就像『皇家艾伯厅演唱会』上，即使身处高雅乐堂，阿黛儿仍是掩不住频频的『口头禅』。好在为人性情直白，率真自然，加之其歌唱入情入戏，又和观众有良好的互动，纵有微瑕不能掩瑜。
说到此次歌词的转释，诚所未有之挑战。初时叹其歌意，似有神传，惟难入中文诗韵。余乏乐理，仅随曲而吟，以自然口语入词，又求文字工整，暗合音律。古人诗歌有『比、赋、兴』之说，先辈翻译追『信、达、雅』之则。自宋以来，曲词的发展虽依托乐律，但词之本身独咏成长短句。那么今天结合流行歌曲传唱广泛的要求，个人以为最佳之境在於守古法而出新词，重曲调而随原韵。以下数例正是这种追求原韵和节奏，即可依调而歌，又能读行成诗的尝试：
| 沒留下一词，你如此地绝情， No final kiss to seal anything, 在爱与恨之间我分不出输赢。 I had no idea of the state we were in 若非兩情成永愛（有時兩情終成愛）， Sometimes it lasts in love but 惟余傷心和無奈（有時只剩下傷害）。 Sometimes it hurts instead 你的愛还有没有， There's a side to you 譲我猜不透、猜不透； That I never knew, never knew 你所有的安慰， All the things you'd say 從来難信守、難信守。 They were never true, never true 你的机会，再给我一次 So come on and give me the chance 来证明我注定伴你一世 To prove that I'm the one who can 和你厮守直到轮回复始 Walk that mile until the end starts |
In order to enjoy the songs or the live concert, all lyrics have been converted to *.srt subtitile files and uploaded to skydrive (see link at the bottom). The subtitles are in both English and Chinese (UTF-8 encoded). At the same time, for poetic reading, visit Divertida LZ's blog where most such translated lyrics are posted. Wish this entertains to cover Adele songs in Chinese poetic way!
★阿黛儿《皇家艾伯厅演唱会》曲目：
00:00:39 - Hometown Glory ／《故国荣光》＃
00:06:05 - I Will Be Waiting ／《我会一直等候》＃
00:10:58 - Don't You Remember ／《無愛的挽歌》＃
00:17:16 - Turning Tables ／《旋转之桌》＃
00:21:23 - Set The Fire To The Rain ／《雨落情逝心已焚》＃
00:27:49 - If It Hadn t Been For Love ／《如果不是为了爱》＃
00:33:28 - My Same ／《依然是朋友》＃
00:38:40 - Take It All ／《让一切都带走》＃
00:43:47 - Rumour Has It ／《流言无忌》＃
00:47:39 - Right As Rain
00:52:46 - One & Only ／《爱的唯一》＃
01:00:55 - Lovesong ／《爱之歌》
01:07:25 - Chasing Pavements ／《追逐》
01:12:03 - I Can't Make You Love Me ／《无能为力》
01:17:55 - Make You Feel My Love ／《让你感到我的爱》
01:26:39 - Someone Like You ／《此情依旧／如你一样》＃
01:33:08 - Rolling In The Deep ／《沦陷回忆里》＃
＃加注：十二首为舟山填词，其他仍保留原碟字幕。
★视频：天碟目录 (to download video and *.srt subtitle files)
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