M-Pop Song Spotlight: 外人 (Outsider) by 黃俊焰 (Jean)

I first encountered the song, “Outsider,” from a Facebook posting. One of my Facebook friends had published it on her timeline so I watched the entire video. My Mandarin comprehension skills are still bad, but I was able to follow the story through the video. There were two guys and one girl who were friends. The girl ends up liking one of them, but the odd man out, our main character and singer, Jean, is the one friend left to suffer even though he cares so much for her. Hence, he is the “outsider” in his crush’s world. The ending of the video really confused me because the girl says, “We are forever, good friends.” Does this mean there is a happy ending where not only does Jean end up with the girl, but they are best friends and lovers or is this a painful ending where after the girl kisses him, she tells him the painstaking truth, wanting to remain friends? I choose to believe in love. Why kiss Jean when she is not in love with him? She could have looked at it in two ways: One. Jean is a stalker, taking so many photos of her and hanging them up on his wall. Two. He is a romantic person who is worthy of her love even though the song’s lyrics state otherwise. The female actress is played by Stephy Chang 鄭意文 and the other male actor is played by Kevin Chin 曾錦盛.

Originally, I thought nothing of the song since I don’t understand Mandarin that well, but eventually, my curiosity grew and I wanted to understand the song’s contents. Not only will I translate the song into English, I will share my translation on Wehaiyo!. This will be my first Malaysian Mandarin Pop song translation.

Favorite Lines:

It’s hard to say what would be my favorite lines. I actually love the entire chorus section.

I especially liked:

再怎麼做　(What to do again?)

我也是個外人　(I am also an outsider)

分不到你愛的靈魂 ([I] cannot share the soul of your love)

Jean sings this part with such emotion that I do feel his pain.

像隨傳隨到的超人 (Like your beck and call Superman)

I like this line because it shows how devoted the singer is towards his crush.

再怎麼說 (What to say again?)　

也只是個外人　([I’m] also merely an outsider)

永遠都得不到滿分 ([Eternally, [I] even cannot [can never] obtain [a] full [perfect] score [from you])

Again, I feel Jean’s pain. His crush will never see him as a potential lover or more than a friend. There is no perfect ten out of ten score for him.

別說我是個好心人　(Do not say I am a kind-hearted person)

我會痛恨這個角色 (I can [would] detest this [type of] role)

and

既然只是個好心人　(Since [I’m] merely a kind-hearted person)

任我毀掉這個角色 (Allow me to destroy off this role)

也許　才能脫身　(Perhaps, I should free myself [from this] talent)

稱職的外人 (to competently become an outsider)

These lyrics are interesting. As a result of being called a kind-hearted person by the one he loves, Jean contemplates destroying this type of image to become a cold and uncaring person, a true outsider, in order to free himself from the pain. Being called a kind-hearted person ordinarily does not have a negative connotation, but the phrase can be used by a person, the receiver, to interpret the giver’s actions for the receiver as kindness rather than love, which is a painful feeling for the giver. I want you all, my loyal Wehaiyo! readers, to realize that what I am blogging is not for charity, but because I love you all! Does that make sense? Exaggeration? I do have a genuine interest to not only learn a language by myself, but to spread this beautiful knowledge to others (with the hopes that I am accurate.) Okay, that was an awkward example, though I think you catch my drift. If you do, please take some time to click on some advertisements on this website! If you really, really like Wehaiyo!, please consider making a donation to this website (see bottom of website). Thank you so much! I would feel your love and not just kindness!

While I am in a translating mode, I might as well translate the video dialogue as well. I’m sure non-Mandarin speakers would appreciate it. Now that I am paying attention to the video, Stephy and Yean sure do like eating ice cream. There are three ice cream-eating scenes.

Beginning/Ice Cream Scene:

Stephy/鄭意文: 喂. (Hey.)

                            我吃完了. (I finished eating.)

Kevin/曾錦盛: 然後呢? (And then?)

Stephy/鄭意文: 還是你瞭解我. (Nevertheless, you understand me.)

                            難怪我們是好朋友. (No wonder we are good friends.)

 看到沒? (Did you not see?)

                            這才是真正的好朋友. (This, only then, is [a] true, good friend.)

Café Scene:

Yean/黃俊焰: 甚麼啦. (What now.)

                         發了什麼財? (Emitted what riches? [Did you get rich?])

                         居然請我吃飯 (Unexpectedly treating me [to] eat [a] meal.)

Stephy/鄭意文: 我問你噢. ([I [want to] ask you,])

                            男生會喜歡怎麼樣的生女生啊?   (Young guys would like what kind of appearance [in] girls?)

Yean/黃俊焰: 這…不是在表白吧. (This…is not to be in [a] confession, right?)

  難不成…你喜歡上我了? (Is it possible that...You like upon me? [You like me?])

Stephy/鄭意文: 是凱文啦. ([He] Is Kevin.)

           你覺得他會喜歡我嗎? (Do you think Kevin can [would] like me?)

Milk Tea Scene:

Yean/黃俊焰: 你們要喝什麼? 我去買. (What do you all want to drink? I [will] go buy.)

Kevin/曾錦盛: 照常啊. 奶茶. (As usual. Milk tea.)

Stephy/鄭意文: 那我也奶茶. (Then, I [will] also [have] milk tea.)

Kevin/曾錦盛: 你不是都不喝奶茶吧. (You are not at all not [don’t usually] drink milk tea .)

                              為什麼… (Why…)

Stephy/鄭意文: 因為我喜歡你. (Because I like you.)

Ice Cream Conversation Scene:

Yean/黃俊焰: 你…你真的那麼喜歡他嗎? (You…You truly like him so much?)

Stephy/鄭意文: 嗯. (Uh-huh.)

   那你呢? 有喜歡誰嗎? (And you? Is there [someone] whom [you] like?)

Yean/黃俊焰: 有啊. (There is.)

Stephy/鄭意文: 誰啊? (Who?)

Yean/黃俊焰: 不告訴你! (Not telling!)

Stephy/鄭意文: 喂! (Hey!)

For all the new Wehaiyo! readers out there, I try to translate in a way that is closest to the actual meaning of the lyrics. Therefore, you will not see perfect English translations. I want to translate in a way that allows you to learn the lyrics from an educational standpoint. I always believe that a person would enjoy something more if he or she knew how it worked. If there are translated English lyrics available on the internet, I will be sure to post a link to it. I could post perfect English lyrics, but in the end, I don’t think you would learn as much from the experience. Therefore, I inserted a lot of implied meanings in brackets. If you find translated lyrics of any of the songs featured on Wehaiyo!, please shoot me an email including the URL so I can share it with all Wehaiyo! readers. All lyrics are in traditional Chinese characters. If you need simplified characters, this website seems to be an awesome tool for conversion: http://www.khngai.com/chinese/tools/convert.php

If you need pinyin romanization, check out: http://chinese.globallyrics.com/archives/1094

And now, the lyrics!

外人(Outsider)

填詞/Lyricist：郭正權
作曲/Composer：黃俊焰 (Yean)

就這樣沉淪　(To engage in this type of sink-into-bad-habit)

借用劣等身份　(To borrow [an] inferior rank [of] identity)

感動著 (To emotionally touch)
一個人　(One person)

一個不懂我的人  (One [who] doesn’t understand me [type] of person)
當你的戀人　(To act as your lover)

我怎能勝任 (How can I qualify?)
所有情感 (All feelings)

都往心裡吞 (All go towards [my] heart [to] swallow)

CHORUS:

再怎麼做　(What to do again?)

我也是個外人　(I am also an outsider)

分不到你愛的靈魂 ([I] cannot share the soul of your love)
只能在你寂寞時分　([I] can only exist [during] your lonely period of the day)

像隨傳隨到的超人 (Like your beck and call Superman)
注定　只當陪襯 (To be destined, merely acting as a complement)

再怎麼說 (What to say again?)　

也只是個外人　([I’m] also merely an outsider)

永遠都得不到滿分 ([Eternally, [I] even cannot [can never] obtain [a] full [perfect] score [from you])
別說我是個好心人　(Do not say I am a kind-hearted person)

我會痛恨這個角色 (I can [would] detest this [type of] role)
卻又　重蹈覆轍　(But yet again, to “repeat the steps of an overturned cart” [going back to my disastrous ways])

誰能更愚蠢 (Who can possibly be more stupid?)

END CHORUS

想你想多了　(Thinking of you, thought too much)

一不小心分神　(As soon as [I’m] not careful, get distracted)

失了魂  (Lost spirit [lost [my] wits])
震醒了　(Shake-woken up)

還在冬眠的傷痕 (Still in the scar of hibernation)
漂浮的眼神　(Drifting eye expressions)

你不要過問 (You don’t [have to]  get involved with [question] it)
讓這點疼　(Allow this point of pain)

藏一世一生 (to be concealed: one life, one lifetime [forever])

CHORUS

縱使不值得　(Even if it’s not worth it)

又有多少人　(And yet, there are a lot of people)

能說轉身就撤 (Who can say to turn around and retreat)

再怎麼做　(What to do again?)

我也是個外人　(I am also an outsider)

分不到你愛的靈魂 ([I] cannot share the soul of your love)
只能在你寂寞時分　([I] can only exist [during] your lonely period of the day)

像隨傳隨到的超人 (Like your beck and call Superman)
注定　只當陪襯 (To be destined [to] merely act as a complement)

再怎麼說 (What to say again?)　

也只是個外人　([I’m] also merely an outsider)

外人怎能奢求滿分 (How can [an] outsider extravagantly request [unreasonably ask for a] full [perfect] score?)
既然只是個好心人　(Since [I’m] merely a kind-hearted person)

任我毀掉這個角色 (Allow me to destroy off this role)
也許　才能脫身　(Perhaps, I should free myself [from this] talent)

稱職的外人 (to competently become an outsider)

Sorry, I can't find a site that sells Jean's music. If you know of any site, please let me know!

Credits:
http://music-z.org/%E9%BB%83%E4%BF%8A%E7%84%B0-%E5%A4%96%E4%BA%BA