New Chinese TV Show Recommendation

This new ancient-China costume comedy called 龙门镖局 is very good and can be watched from the US on Le TV's website by following this link.  It is from the same writer that helped create the show 武林外传, reruns of which are very common on Chinese television and is already somewhat of a classic.

Song Fifteen 错过了缘分错过了你

Despite of, or perhaps because of, a total mismatch between the upbeat melody and the downbeat lyrics about lost romance, this song is quite catchy and was popular in China earlier this year. The link to where you can stream the song and the lyrics with selected words translated into English can be found below.


错过了缘分错过了你
http://www.xiami.com/song/1770398065?spm=a1z1s.3521865.23309997.43.mbyXO4


街上满是拥挤的人群


为何看不见你的身影   wei4he2 - why

茫茫人海真爱难寻  mang2mang2 - vast


我的心痛由谁来抚平  fu3ping2 - calm somebody down


老天为何要造物弄人

突然没有了你的音讯  yin1xun4 - correspondence


孤单时刻无人爱怜  ai4lian2 - to dote on


留下我这个痴情的人  chi1qing2 - infatuated


多想回到我们的昨天


我会爱你一如从前 yi1ru2cong2qian2 - just like before


想起我们不再有明天


我的泪水在枕边蔓延  man4yan2 - to spread over



(chorus)


我错过了缘份错过了你


你的温柔从此在我梦里 cong2ci3 - from now on


是与非 笑和泪


如今都变成飘散的记忆  ru2jin1 - nowadays    piao1san4 - to drift or float


我错过了缘份错过了你


只好偷偷躲进无人角落里  zhi3hao3 - to have no better choice but to   jiao3luo4 - nook, corner


心伤了 情断了

漫漫长夜里我一个人哭泣  ku1qi4 - to cry




The rest of the song basically repeats after this point.

Song Fourteen - 陈慧琳 Kelly Chen - 记事本

Link to the song:http://www.xiami.com/song/89445

演唱：陈慧琳 Chen2 Hui4lin2  (from Hong Kong, born in 1972, career: 1997-present)

翻开随身携带的记事本   fan1kai1 – to open   xie2dai4 – to carry
写着许多事都是关于你
你讨厌被冷落  leng3luo4 – to snub
习惯被守候  shou3hou4 – to wait for, to watch over
寂寞才找我  ji4mo4 – lonesome(ness)

我看见自己写下的心情
把自己放在卑微的后头  bi1wei1 – petty and low  hou4tou – in the back
等你等太久
想你泪会流
而幸福快乐是什么

爱得痛了 痛得哭了
哭得累了 
日记本里页页执着  zhi2zhuo2 – stubborn, persistent
记载着你的好   ji4zai3 – to record (in writing)
像上瘾的毒药  shang4yin3 – to become addicted to   du2yao4 - poison
它反复骗着我   fan3fu4 – over and over

爱得痛了 痛得哭了
哭得累了 
矛盾心里总是强求  qiang3qiu2 – to demand insistently
劝自己要放手
闭上眼让你走
烧掉日记重新来过  shao1diao4 – to incinerate

我看见自己写下的心情
把自己放在卑微的后头  bi1wei1 – petty and low  hou4tou – in the back
等你等太久
想你泪会流
而幸福快乐是什么

爱得痛了 痛得哭了
哭得累了 
日记本里页页执着  zhi2zhuo2 – stubborn, persistent
记载着你的好   ji4zai3 – to record (in writing)
像上瘾的毒药  shang4yin3 – to become addicted to   du2yao4 - poison
它反复骗着我   fan3fu4 – over and over

爱得痛了 痛得哭了
哭得累了 
矛盾心里总是强求  qiang3qiu2 – to demand insistently
劝自己要放手
闭上眼让你走
烧掉日记重新来过  shao1diao4 – to incinerate

爱得痛了 痛得哭了
哭得累了 
矛盾心里总是强求  qiang3qiu2 – to demand insistently
劝自己要放手
闭上眼让你走
烧掉日记重新来过  shao1diao4 – to incinerate

Song Thirteen - 曲婉婷 Qu Wanting - 我的歌声里

Song thirteen is the first in this blog by a female singer.  Here name is 曲婉婷 Qu1 Wan3ting2, and this song in particular, 我的歌声里, was chosen since it is the song that made her famous.  The song was extremely popular in 2012 after it was released in April, and propelled Qu Wanting to perform at  CCTV's 2013 Spring Festival Eve Gala in February .  This has  maintained interest in the song so that now, in April of 2013, the song is still in the top ten songs played on Baidu's music channel.  The link

to listen to the song is here:http://www.xiami.com/song/1769902385 and the lyrics to the song with some of the more difficult words translated are below. 

我的歌声里
词曲：曲婉婷 Qu1 Wan3ting2
演唱：曲婉婷

没有一点点防备   fang2bei4 – to guard against
也没有一丝顾虑   gu4lv - misgiving
你就这样出现在我的世界里
带给我惊喜 情不自已

可是你偏又这样
在我不知不觉中 悄悄的消失
从我的世界里 没有音讯  yin1xun4 – letters, news, correspondence
剩下的只是回忆
你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里

你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里

还记得我们曾经
肩并肩一起走过 那段繁华巷口   jian1bing4jian1 – shoulder to shoulder  fan2hua2 – bustling, flourishing  xiang4 - alley
尽管你我是陌生人 是过路人
但彼此还是感觉到了对方的
一个眼神 一个心跳
一种意想不到的快乐   yi4xiang3bu4dao4 – previously unimagined
好像是一场梦境 命中注定  ming4zhong1zhu4ding4 – decreed by fate
你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里
你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里

世界之大为何我们相遇  xiang1yu4 – to come across one another  
难道是缘分 难道是天意  yuan2fen4 – fate (specifically that brings two people together)    tian1yi4 – Will of Heaven

你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里
你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里

你存在 我深深的脑海里
我的梦里 我的心里 我的歌声里

Song Twelve - Beyond - 无悔这一生 （A Whole Life Without Regret)

This song is by Beyond, a four person Hong Kong band that was very famous in the 80s and early 90s.  They sing in Cantonese, so, from a Mandarin language learning perspective, this song is not that useful, but culturally speaking, Beyond is very important, and musically speaking, very talented.  The band's success reached a tragic end when one of their members had a fatal accident during a performance in Japan in 1993 during which a section of a stage collapsed.  The lyrics to one of their songs are below and a link to the song is here: http://www.xiami.com/song/174937

Beyond - 无悔这一生

阳光历次消散别去
无理冲击我心绪
前景没法打算怎么
谁会偷生远方里
每次记忆哭笑
将心意再变改一分一秒
无意对一切话别
无意却远走他方
没有泪光风里劲闯
怀着心中新希望
能冲一次多一次
不息自强
没有泪光风里劲闯
重植根于小岛岸
如天可变风可转
不息自强
这方向

无奈静听不舍心声
和我偏偏正呼应
前方或会一生奔波
无悔这一生经过
纵有冷风飘过
将心绪再痛逼
紧守不变
无意对一切话别
无意再远走他方
没有泪光风里劲闯
怀着心中新希望
能冲一次多一次
不息自强
没有泪光风里劲闯
重植根于小岛岸
如天可变风可转
不息自强
没有泪光风里劲闯
怀着心中新希望
能冲一次多一次
不息自强
没有泪光风里劲闯
重植根于小岛岸
如天可变风可转
不息自强
这方向

Song Eleven - 东方之珠 （Pearl of the Orient）- 罗大佑

This song could be described as a love song, but not for a person. The song is an ode to the city of Hong Kong and was released in the 90s when the city was getting ready to be handed over by the British to China. The lyrics with some of the difficult words translated are below and the link to the song is here: http://www.xiami.com/song/381683

东方之珠 – Pearl of the Orient (a term for Hong Kong)      歌手(singer)：罗大佑

小河弯弯向南流
流到香江去看一看
东方之珠 我的爱人
你的风采是否浪漫依然   feng1cai3 – elegant bearing
月儿弯弯的海港
夜色深深灯火闪亮   ye4se4 – nightscape    shan3liang4 – to twinkle
东方之珠整夜未眠
守着沧海桑田变幻的诺言   cang1hai3sang1tian2 – time brings great changes  bian4huan4 – change irregularly    nuo4yan2 - promise
让海风吹拂了五千年    chui1fu2 – to brush (like as a breeze)
每一滴泪珠仿佛都说出你的尊严   zun1yan2 – dignity, sanctity
让海潮伴我来保佑你    hai3chao2 – tide     bao3you4 – to bless and protect
请别忘记我永远不变黄色的脸
船儿弯弯入海港
回头望望 沧海茫茫   cang1 – azure   mang2mang2 – boundless
东方之珠 拥抱着我
让我温暖你那苍凉的胸膛   cang1liang2 – desolate   xiong1tang2 - chest

让海风吹拂了五千年
每一滴泪珠仿佛都说出你的尊严
让海潮伴我来保佑你
请别忘记我永远不变黄色的脸

船儿弯弯入海港
回头望望 沧海茫茫
东方之珠 拥抱着我
让我温暖你那苍凉的胸膛

让海风吹拂了五千年
每一滴泪珠仿佛都说出你的尊严
让海潮伴我来保佑你
请别忘记我永远不变黄色的脸

让海风吹拂了五千年
每一滴泪珠仿佛都说出你的尊严
让海潮伴我来保佑你
请别忘记我永远不变黄色的脸

请别忘记我永远不变黄色的脸

Song Ten - 李建 - 传奇

Artist: 李建 Li3jian4
Song: 传奇 chuan2qi2
This is the link to the version written and sung by 李建:http://www.xiami.com/song/378775
He is the original writer of the song, but there is also a popular version that is sung by the very famous Hong Kong musician and actress named 王菲 （wang2fei1). The lyrics for that version are the same as the 李建 version below and here is the link to it: http://www.xiami.com/song/1769378719
Lyrics with key words translated:

只是因为在人群中多看了你一眼 ren2qun2 – a crowd (of people) yi1yan3 – a glance
再也没能忘掉你的容颜 wang4diao4 – to forget rong2yan2 - appearance
梦想着偶然能有一天再相见 meng4xiang3 – to dream ou3ran2 – by chance xiang1jian4 – to seen one another
从此我开始孤单思念 cong2ci3 – from then si1nian4 – to long for

想你时你在天边 tian1bian1 – horizon; remotest part of earth
想你时你在眼前 yan3qian2 – before one’s eyes
想你时你在脑海 nao3hai3 – the mind, brain
想你时你在心田 xin1tian2 – heart and mind

宁愿相信我们前世有约 ning4yuan4 – would rather (used like an adverb, the action that follows it can be something that is not desirable but is preferable to something worse, the something worse can be followed by 也不) qian2shi4 – in a previous life
今生的爱情故事不会再改变 jin1sheng1 – this life
宁愿用这一生等你发现 yi1sheng1 – entire life
我一直在你身旁 从未走远 cong2wei4 – never

只是因为在人群中多看了你一眼 ren2qun2 – a crowd (of people) yi1yan3 – a glance
再也没能忘掉你的容颜 wang4diao4 – to forget rong2yan2 - appearance
梦想着偶然能有一天再相见 meng4xiang3 – to dream ou3ran2 – by chance xiang1jian4 – to seen one another
从此我开始孤单思念 cong2ci3 – from then si1nian4 – to long for

想你时你在天边 tian1bian1 – horizon; remotest part of earth
想你时你在眼前 yan3qian2 – before one’s eyes
想你时你在脑海 nao3hai3 – the mind, brain
想你时你在心田 xin1tian2 – heart and mind

宁愿相信我们前世有约 ning4yuan4 – would rather (used like an adverb, the action that follows it can be something that is not desirable but is preferable to something worse, the something worse can be followed by 也不) qian2shi4 – in a previous life
今生的爱情故事不会再改变 jin1sheng1 – this life
宁愿用这一生等你发现 yi1sheng1 – entire life
我一直在你身旁 从未走远 cong2wei4 – never

宁愿相信我们前世有约 ning4yuan4 – would rather (used like an adverb, the action that follows it can be something that is not desirable but is preferable to something worse, the something worse can be followed by 也不) qian2shi4 – in a previous life
今生的爱情故事不会再改变 jin1sheng1 – this life
宁愿用这一生等你发现 yi1sheng1 – entire life
我一直在你身旁 从未走远 cong2wei4 – never

只是因为在人群中多看了你一眼 ren2qun2 – a crowd (of people) yi1yan3 – a glance