TGCF audio drama cover artwork for Season 1, episodes 1-10!
You can purchase and listen to the audio drama here:
There’s also an app you can download!
If you need subtitles, NanaReads27 on twitter is doing a translation. Their pinned post has a link to their discord where links will be available, you just need to provide proof of purchase first.
Do not go gentle into that good night, do not peacefully surrender to extermination.
Earth's magnetic field disappeared, mutated organisms invaded, the end of the world is near. A little mushroom from the Abyss makes its way into a human base on the search for the spore it has lost, and runs into The Arbiter Lu Feng. One human, one not, they meet at the end of the world and get to know each other, and together they walk into a future in which the only thing certain is uncertainty…
Ask anyone who has listened to Little Mushroom's audio drama and it is almost certain that they will tell you that it was one of the best produced audio dramas they have ever had the pleasure to experience.
You can find the whole thing - with English subs even - on 猫耳FM/missevan, so if this piece of media has ever been on your radar (and even if it hasn't!), let this be the sign that you should join this pit.
I haven't seen any translation of the trailer, so I took a stab at it. Excuse the violation of the maximum recommended CPS count, but there wasn’t much I could do about it... you might need to pause the video at times :P
Some notes on this translation under the cut.
.
.
Because I am both lazy and hate articulating my thoughts, this will not so much be me providing much actual insight on translation choices than just some disjointed notes on the back-translation process of Dylan Thomas' poem "Do not go gentle into that good night".
An overly literal back-translation of the Chinese poem:
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night,
我们应在日暮之时燃烧。// We should burn in the hour the sun sets,
怒斥、怒斥光阴的消逝。// Rage, rage at the vanishing of time and light.
尽管智者深知黑暗终将到来。// Even if the wise are fully aware that darkness will inevitably come.
尽管他们的话语无法再迸发出闪电。// Even if their words are unable to make lightning burst forth again.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
在这悲哀的山巅。// Here, on the sorrowful mountaintop.
请用你的眼泪诅咒我、祝福我。// Please curse me, bless me with your tears.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
Notes on the Chinese translation of the poem:
The refrains (“Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”) basically map one to one to the English original, which makes it easily recognizable as Dylan Thomas’ poem
This makes the other changes feel very much like deliberate choices on the author's part, even if they do leave me puzzled
No references to the gendered figures (wise men, my father)
In the second verse, 尽管 is repeated for emphasis where it wasn’t in English
Why is the line 在这悲哀的山巅 so much shorter than all others? The original English poem has 10 syllables per line, but the Chinese one is…just whatever. No discernible structure here, only vibes
山巅 (mountaintop) where in the English it’s an unspecified “height” and can be read metaphorically, while here it is very much a physical location. (I mean, of course it could be read metaphorically as well in Chinese but there are many other words you could have chosen that do not have "mountain" in them.) Might or might not have been a deliberate choice referencing [spoiler] Base
I thought it prudent to back-translate the poem since there are some changes and they aren’t that minor.
Back-Translation process:
Pretended the original didn’t exist and translated it off the Chinese alone
Compared it to the original and modified it so that it still stayed 95% faithful to the Chinese while calling back to the original
Tried to keep the ABA rhyme scheme and felt powerful af when I managed to make the 2nd line in all the tercets rhyme
Squished or stretched the lines into 10 syllables, while still keeping as close to both Chinese and English as possible
Despair. Because at this point I should maybe just have used the original poem or gone for a freer translation, what am I even trying so hard for when this comes nowhere close at all to the original
What I ended up using in the subs of the AD Trailer, ABA ryhme scheme, 10 syllables per line if you squint*
不要温和地走入那个良夜。 // Do not go gentle into that good night.
我们应在日暮之时燃烧。 // We ought to burn the hour nightfall nears.
怒斥、怒斥光阴的消逝。// Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
尽管智者深知黑暗终将到来。 // Though the wise know darkness will bring its blight.
尽管他们的话语无法再迸发出闪电。 // Though their words no longer fork lightning fierce.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。 // Do not go gentle into that good night.
在这悲哀的山巅。// Here, on top of sorrowful mountain's height.
请用你的眼泪诅咒我、祝福我。 // Please, I ask, curse me, bless me with your tears.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
*and pronounce hour with 2 syllables
Some thoughts on translation choices, apparently:
Actually, the back-translating went quite smoothly and it really is just one line that unexpectedly turned out harder than expected. Or maybe I made it harder than it should have been, who knows. I might be prone to overthinking. It's 尽管智者深知黑暗终将到来 which I ultimately rendered as "Though the wise know darkness will bring its blight." Here, I ended up straying quite far from both Chinese and the original. This is also where I have to thank both @hardwareabstractionlayer and @fwoopersongs for talking translation choices with me.
Some other options here would have been "Though the wise know at last dark will alight" / "Though the wise know dark will come as it might" / "Though the wise know in the end dark is right", but none of them felt fitting. Either the line was not quite proper english, or it failed to convey the the inevitability of 终将到来, or it felt too much like a pale imitation of the original etc etc.
Usually, I am the kind of person who translates rather literally and doesn't take too many liberties. Here though, "blight" simply works absolutely amazing in the context of Little Mushroom. Credit for that suggestion goes to hal, who nailed two major story settings with it, despite not knowing much about the book except for whatever 2am thoughts I fling at her. You see, after the Earth's magnetic field disappeared, humans had to build an artificial magnetic field to protect themselves from deadly cosmic radiation and infected organisms. Due to the magnetic field, an aurora dances all over the globe. The moment that light vanishes, it means the magnetic field did too, which signifies the end of mankind. Dark *does* literally bring its blight. It's brilliant, really.
Just finished: 三嫁咸鱼/Thrice Married to Salted Fish by 比卡比
Okay, not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed -- not to say the novel wasn't good, but my expectations might have been a bit too high due to its immense popularity, especially in the English-speaking fandom.
The story has some very interesting and refreshing ideas:
A transmigration novel told from the POV of an in-universe character rather than the transmigrator
Three separate transmigrations into the same universe
Main characters who unabashedly prioritizes their own interests
And it includes many popular tropes:
A genre-savvy transmigrator intentionally hijacks the plot from the original protagonist
A "feel-good" novel that mercilessly destroys the bad guys and other people standing in the main couple's way
Main characters are very smart and competent (if a bit OP)
The plot is action-packed and tightly-paced
The main couple has believable development and compatible personalities
But on the other hand [unmarked spoilers ahead]
I don't really like with the way the relationship arc has been handled. The gong transmigrates into three different bodies; even though it's the same spirit/personality that Lin Qingyu falls in love with, their dynamic is a bit different in each body and identity. A big part of Lin Qingyu's relationship with Lu Wancheng is them grappling with his declining health and inevitable death, and his relationship with Gu Fuzhou has a period of familiarizing with this new body. They are so distinct that I can't see it like one single relationship.
It is especially jarring to see Lin Qingyu "moving on" literally the night after Gu Fuzhou dies. Because he has been through this before, and this is meant to be Jiang Xing's "true body", there seems to be barely any adjustment. Qingyu becomes intimate with the new body before he is done processing Gu Fuzhou's death, and I feel like it was too abrupt given how deeply he has bonded with Jiang Xing-as-Gu Fuzhou.
The plot also feels more and more implausible as time goes on. The schemes Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng pull off in the Lu Household can be explained away by them being ballsy and smart, but as the scope of the story expands, their egregious interference of imperial politics just seems downright ridiculous. I really enjoyed the first part of the novel, where Lu Wancheng's poor health and Lin Qingyu's awkward political position give them more of an underdog-against-the-power kind of vibe. However, as they gain more political power and the "protagonist halo" , their progress becomes so smooth it can't even be called a conflict anymore.
Overall
I would summarize my impression of novel as "did not live up to the hype". It has many refreshing and enjoyable tropes, a sweet romantic arc and a feel-good kind of plot. It also has good and effective writing -- I was in tears reading about Lu Wancheng's death. Ironically, it starts in a way I really enjoyed, but shifts to a direction I enjoy less towards the end. Not a bad story, but I just hoped for something a bit more spectacular, or at least a bit different.
introducing the candidates for danmei awards 2.0 (2022)
I’m hard at work on (procrastinating on the writing of) this year’s danmei awards, so I figured I’d introduce all of the candidates since I’ve gone pretty far off the map at this point and don’t expect anyone to recognize most of these titles asdlfkads (别问,问就知北极圈的冷)
a table of contents!
《小蘑菇》 Xiao Mo Gu by 一十四洲 Yi Shi Si Zhou
《不小心救了江湖公敌》 Bu Xiao Xin Jiu Le Jianghu Gong Di by 六木乔 Liu Muqiao (有声漫画 audiomanhua season 1)
《无双》 Wu Shuang by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi
《问鹿三千》 Wen Lu San Qian by 光合积木 Voicegem, 吼浪文化 Houlang Studio, and 斗木獬编剧工作室 Doumuxie Screenwriting Studio
《师弟还不杀我灭口》 Shidi Hai Bu Sha Wo Mie Kou by 子鹿 Zi Lu
《默读》 Mo Du by priest
《督主有病》 Du Zhu You Bing by 杨溯 Yang Su
《海中爵》 Hai Zhong Jue by 七药 Qi Yao
《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng
《杀破狼》 Sha Po Lang by priest
《金牌助理之弯弯没想到》 Jin Pai Zhu Li zhi Wan Wan Mei Xiang Dao by (nominally) 非天夜翔 Fei Tian Ye Xiang and (mostly) 传奇火箭队 The Legendary Rocket Team
#1: 《小蘑菇》 by 一十四洲 (full length crash course here)
genre(s): apocalyptic science fiction
mediums: original novel on JJWXC, audiodrama by 729声工厂 / 729 Voice Studio on 猫耳FM
in a world where genetic mutations threaten to destroy humankind and a man-made aurora dances across the sky each night, a sentient mushroom goes undercover in a human city to recover a part of himself that was stolen. a book that investigates humanity and personhood, sentience and benevolence, the role of order in a lawless world, how to face despair and the end times with dignity and meaning. also, mushroom-based comedy
#2: 《不小心救了江湖公敌》 Bu Xiao Xin Jiule Jianghu Gong Di by 六木乔 Liu Muqiao (有声漫画 audiomanhua season 1)
genre(s): wuxia
mediums: manhua on bilibili comics, audiomanhua by 回声漫响工作室 Huisheng Manxiang Studio on 猫耳FM. both ongoing
when Liu Jianghe, a feared demonic sect leader, turns up half-dead on Lu Qingyun’s doorstep, the reclusive jianghu doctor reluctantly saves Liu Jianghe’s life. but Liu Jianghe’s enemies are almost as numerous as his secrets, and soon, the two are dragged into the turmoil of jianghu intrigue and conspiracy. Lu Qingyun has his own hidden past, Liu Jianghe his own mysterious motivations, and neither of them are held back by something as silly as moral scruples. an audiomanhua about the vortex of jianghu politics, in which every single character is a villain
#3: 《无双》 Wu Shuang by 梦溪石 Meng Xishi
genre(s): wuxia, political intrigue
mediums: original novel on JJWXC
a few years after the end of 《千秋》 Qian Qiu, unrest returns to the newly-founded Sui Dynasty as domestic intrigue and foreign plots threaten to fracture the hard-won peace. Feng Xiao, an unbelievably handsome government official who moonlights as the sect leader of the demonic Fajing Zong, finds his unexpected match in the frail wandering Daoist Cui Buqu. But beneath Cui Buqu’s waning health are more secrets than Feng Xiao can guess at, and the fate of the Sui Dynasty rests on these two setting aside their rivalry long enough to work together. a book about roasting your rival first, saving your dynasty second, and maybe, just maybe, falling in love in the process
#4: 《问鹿三千》 Wen Lu San Qian by 光合积木 Voicegem, 吼浪文化 Houlang Studio, and 斗木獬编剧工作室 Doumuxie Screenwriting Studio (full length crash course here)
genre(s): wuxia, xuanhuan
mediums: audiodrama on 猫耳FM, ongoing
an intricate, interlocking serial narrative following four intertwining stories: a famous zither master investigating a new, mysterious rival, a cat yao impersonating a prince and the assassin sent to kill him, the obsessive quest of an emperor searching for a lost dao and the person who lived inside it, and two spirits seeking their forgotten pasts. oh, and a former king-turned-talking-rabbit. an audiodrama about fate and loyalty, devotion and trauma, memory and grief, love and loss
#5: 《师弟还不杀我灭口》 Shidi Hai Bu Sha Wo Mie Kou by 子鹿 Zi Lu
genre(s): xianxia, transmigration
mediums: original novel on 长佩 Changpei, audiodrama by 米波文化 Mibo Culture on 猫耳FM. AD trailer 1 translated here, AD trailer 2 translated here.
when college student Zhong Yan is drawn into the world of the xianxia novel he just finished instead of studying for his exams, his sympathy for the book’s antagonist lands him a near-impossible mission: stop the antagonist from killing more people, or risk the consequences of failure. now, if only he hadn’t transmigrated as the antagonist’s useless shixiong, who is also the witness of his first murder...
a book about how kindness can change the path of fate, often when you aren’t paying attention. also, an audiodrama about 锦鲤 letting loose asldkfajsdf
#6: 《默读》 Mo Du by priest
genre(s): crime fiction, detective fiction
mediums: original novel on JJWXC, audiodrama by 729声工厂 on 猫耳FM (currently banned), donghua and live action adaptations in progress that will never see the light of day because this book contains trenchant commentary about social issues and cycles of violence perpetuated by wealth and power (and therefore too transgressive for the censors rip)
ETA 12/23/22: the 《默读》 AD has returned! more of it has likely been censored, but I’ll take what we can get.
when a series of complex cases begins to shake Yan City, police inspector Luo Wenzhou must team up with Fei Du, the cryptic heir of a business empire, to uncover what may be a larger, decades-spanning conspiracy tying the crimes together. at the same time, a mysterious radio station releases reviews of classic novels in Western literature that all feature plots, events, themes, and crimes that bear uncanny resonances to the cases they are investigating. a book about the dark side of modern society, and the slow, grueling path out of the abyss and toward the light
#7: 《督主有病》 Du Zhu You Bing by 杨溯 Yang Su
genre(s): wuxia, political intrigue
mediums: original novel on 长佩 Changpei, audiodrama by 米波文化 Mibo Culture on 猫耳FM
the unlikely childhood friendship of a court official and an assassin must weather the rise and fall of regimes as well as grasping reach of their own backgrounds if they are to reach a distant, elusive happy ending. a book where the question “can things get worse?” is responded to with a hearty “always!”
#8: 《海中爵》 Hai Zhong Jue by 七药 Qi Yao (full crash course here)
genre(s): PIRATES, secondary world fantasy, political intrigue
mediums: original novel on 长佩 Changpei, (free!) audiodrama by 株木琅玛工作室 Zhumulangma Studio on 猫耳FM, audiodrama ongoing
when a smooth-talking, deep-pocketed rival ship’s captain offers him a deal he can’t refuse, Hailian reluctantly agrees to assassinate someone for the mysterious Fang Tinglan. drawn into the complex tangle of Fang Tinglan’s schemes, Hailian must navigate intrigue, betrayal, and his own lost past to find his way to some place he can call home. a book about fighting and falling in love at the same time
#9: 《哏儿》 Gen’er by 南北逐风 Nan Bei Zhu Feng
genre(s): contemporary, entertainment industry
mediums: original novel on 长佩 Changpei, audiodrama by 音熊联萌 VoiceBear Alliance on 猫耳FM
in a few days, Ye Ling will graduate from the illustrious Tsinghua University with a master’s degree in thermal engineering, so in a few days, he’ll no longer have the time to pursue his extracurricular dreams of performing 相声 xiangsheng / crosstalk, a form of traditional Chinese stand-up comedy. but when the brash, bold, and charismatic Xie Shuangchen barges into his life, Ye Ling’s heart is swayed — and what if he decides to pursue his dreams? what if this is what he’s meant to do? a book about making it as working artists in Beijing while falling in love. also book about 相声 xiangsheng and Chinese opera, and adapting classical forms to the modern era
#10: 《杀破狼》 Sha Po Lang by priest
genre(s): political intrigue, alternate history, steampunk wuxia
mediums: original novel on JJWXC, audiodrama by 729声工厂 on 猫耳FM, live action adaptation trapped in censorship hell
from the moment the powerful fuel 紫流金 ziliujin was dug out of the ground, the path of history was destined to change. in an aging and weakening Liang Dynasty, two young men come of age as the kingdom’s foremost general and the court’s most capable minister. but malevolent forces both external and internal, domestic and foreign threaten to destroy them before they can save the dynasty they inherited. a book about saving your kingdom while extremely burnt out by the traumatic events of your youth. also, steampunk mechas and navigating the industrial revolution in the middle of war
#11: 《金牌助理之弯弯没想到》 Jin Pai Zhu Li zhi Wan Wan Mei Xiang Dao by (ostensibly) 非天夜翔 Fei Tian Ye Xiang and (mostly) 传奇火箭队 The Legendary Rocket Team, aka Fuck the Rocket according to their subtitles
genre(s): contemporary, entertainment industry
mediums: original novel on JJWXC, (free!) audiodrama by the 传奇火箭队 The Legendary Rocket Team on 猫耳FM
so full disclosure, I never read the original novel, and the 《弯弯》 audiodrama should be considered a lot of things but a faithful adaptation? lol absolutely not (their own words)
this is actually a 网配 wangpei audiodrama from 2015, and the energy on it is utterly unhinged. it is simultaneously a love letter to and satire of 非天夜翔 Fei Tian Ye Xiang’s novel 《金牌助理》 Jin Pai Zhu Li, a novel that follows the misadventures of hapless aspiring musician Xiao Yi as he finds a day job to pay the bills while struggling to make it in Beijing. said day job? working as a personal assistant to the extremely frosty, extremely handsome superstar actor Lu Zhou. absolute hijinks ensue
this audiodrama is far ahead of its time, and also completely upends traditional adaptation by rewriting the script satirically and cranking up the speed. I screamed; I laughed; I definitely missed a turn while driving. words can’t really describe this production for its sheer insanity, so I’ll just link it above and call it a day
The Earth Is Online Audio Drama || Theme Song, "Ravens in the Dark"
出品:猫耳FM
监制:瞬心文化 贰哲-Xu1 Studio
音乐制作:杭州乐馨文化艺术有限公司
演唱:白翎@正版白翎酱丶 大C@大C爱唱歌
作词:贰哲@贰哲
作曲:徐一/HJLL-Xu1 Studio
编曲:HJLL-Xu1 Studio
吉他:洪施锐-Xu1 Studio
制作人:徐一-Xu1 Studio @徐一_
混音、母带:HJLL-Xu1 Studio
封面设计:时论@时论发电机
Oh, right! Forgot to mention, but I recently saw the trailer for Jianghu Name Da AD on twitter, and finally went to check it out today. Apparently its been out for a while now! The theme song is so cute 🥹
I only listened to PV and trailer this far, but I love the voice they picked for Zhu Yanyin - the VA clearly pulls off both the naive young master vibe and the clever little fox vibe :3c For Li Sui, I think they could do a lil more to lean into the whole 'scariest mf in the entire jianghu' setting for the early scenes, but the later scenes are 😘🤌
Anyway, you can check it out here - the first 3 episodes are free!
Oh, and the cover is very pretty! and its the flowers scene ofc lol
[ official art ]
the artist should be @烛非鱼 on weibo, if I'm reading the credits right
I was listening to the audio drama for Thousand Autumns on 猫耳FM Maoer FM and came to this very meaningful description of Shen Qiao by Yan Wushi.
The arrogant, mercurial, shameless and selfish Yan Wushi finally meets his match. Our clueless little sheep Shen Qiao didn’t realise this was a major confession by Yan Wushi. I cut this video to capture that moment.
If you’re interested, it is in Chapter 90 of the novel and in Season II, episode 8 of the audio drama.
跟那满屋子的金银财宝相比 即使它只是一块石头。 也是一块万中无一的石头
Compared to the room full of gold and silver treasures. Even if it's just a stone, it's a one in a million kind of stone.
天下虽大 也只有怎么一个沈峤
Although the world is vast, there is only one Shen Qiao.
BGM: 我读三千遍你 I Have Read You Three Thousand Times • 小魂 Xiǎo Hún
Voice: Yan Wushi - 吴磊 Wú lěi
All audio from ‘千秋Thousand Autumns’ Audio Drama by Maoer FM produced by音熊联萌 Voice Bear Studio)
Hello :3 About mdzs, it's so nice you've tried all adaptations :) I'm curious but do you have a favorite moment in the book? also if I may ask again, between drama/anime/dramaCD, what is your favorite version of the wangxian song? :D sorry for all the questions, you can ignore if you want~ have a nice day, and thank you so much for offer us amazing mdzs content!!!
AHHH!! Thank you for all the questions heheheheh I love talking about MDZS sldfkj. Thank you so much!! And you read MDZS too!!!!!!!! <3333333
Spoiler warning!
Favorite version of the WangXian song:
Definitely the Chinese Drama CD's WangXian!!!! It's the MOST BEAUTIFUL THING EVER!!!!
I've repeated it 10 billion times.
Random favorite moment:
When Wei Wuxian was making drunk and dirty Lan Wangji take a bath to clean himself up after the chickens and vandalism and Lan Wangji also swiftly took off Wei Wuxian's clothing's tie and Wei Wuxian was like "No, no!? I'm not gonna go in with you!?"
It's the time Wei Wuxian wanted to ask drunk Lan Wangji how he felt about him (and kept telling himself that's all his motive). It's so cute how embarrassed Wei Wuxian was about the bath scene, even while he already saw nekkid Lan Wangji in the past. You can really see how conscious he is of Lan Wangji as a romantic interest and I think this kind of "first time" -ness of Wei Wuxian was really cute, even while he was actively trying to know Lan Wangji's feelings for him.
Meaningful favorite moment:
This is difficult!!! I love so many things.
I loved when Wei Wuxian was showing Lan Wangji around Yunmeng/Lotus Pier. Lan Wangji always overtly "rejected" Wei Wuxian's insistent invitations before, he "appeared" in Yunmeng before but it was never an "official visitation" and Wei Wuxian didn't think it was him Lan Wangji was looking for, and it ended in an argument when Lan Wangji insisted on Wei Wuxian to come back to Gusu with him again.
So when Wei Wuxian finally got the chance to have Lan Wangji in Yunmeng to show around, it was so cute (while also sad because of all the memories of his childhood he can't have back, but I am so happy that he got to actually go back, with Lan Wangji - he doesn't have to be alone).
It's like doing everything he wanted to do with Lan Wangji before, and more. He showed all his childhood trails, made Lan Wangji eat the foods he liked, visited the memorial of his foster parents to let them meet Lan Wangji no matter what (and did the two bows with him while holding off on the third bow for a hopeful some day ;o; ), climbed the tree he was stuck in (but didn't tell him the real reason ofc ;w; ), and of course, the moment he jumped straight into Lan Wangji's arms and he caught him (;-; ). It's so cute the way Wei Wuxian slowly realized his own feelings secretly and it was so nice seeing him just....... having a date with Lan Zhan (before he was only 3 year old Xian Xian asking his sister what it's like to like someone... but now he is... at least 10 year old Xian Xian XDDD), and then later slowly moved to know Lan Wangji's feelings as well. (;o; )
*****
Wei Wuxian to Wen Chao
"Oh, can you remind me again what punishment awaits those who humiliate a Wen cultivator? How are they punished again? If I remember correctly, I think they are cut down and killed on the spot. Is that correct? Yeah... That's nice.
So you can go die now"
******
"I have to make sure to repay the debt they have granted me"
"Nonesense! Why do you make other people pay the price for the debt that you owe!"
******
I also liked, in the cave, when Lan Wangji saved Wei Wuxian and got his foot bit by Xuanwu, and while he was being dragged away Wei Wuxian saved Lan Wangji then carried him away.
Oh and any image of Lan Wangi, Wei Wuxian and A-yuan.
(T.T )
******
"I REALLY WANTED TO SLEEP WITH YOU!!!"
******
And when Wei Wuxian lets Lan Wangji save him hehe in Guanyin Temple hehe.
I think there are so much more but I just can't remember right now but ahhhh everything is perfect. I love Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. Times were so rough and sad before but everything is paid off in the end and they are happy husbands (;o; )!!!
Again, thank you so much!!! Hehehe I might edit if I remember more...
#i am very willing to sacrifice hours of sleep for an opportunity to talk to her the way she's sacrificed work hours but like 这也真不是个办法
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
一把刀而已 // he's just a sword, nothing more
22 notes - Posted November 23, 2022
#4
burrito mei changsu for @ineedarendezvous
[ID: A digital, colored drawing of Mei Changsu's head peeking out of a burrito. He wears his hair up in a bun with a green jade guan to fix it and a deadpan expression. His fluffy, white coat collar resembles rice spilling out of the burrito. (He looks positively warm and bundled up.) End ID]
64 notes - Posted October 16, 2022
#3
Little Mushroom Audio Drama Trailer [ENG SUB]
Synposis from 猫耳FM:
Do not go gentle into that good night, do not peacefully surrender to extermination.
Earth's magnetic field disappeared, mutated organisms invaded, the end of the world is near. A little mushroom from the Abyss makes its way into a human base on the search for the spore it has lost, and runs into The Arbiter Lu Feng. One human, one not, they meet at the end of the world and get to know each other, and together they walk into a future in which the only thing certain is uncertainty…
Ask anyone who has listened to Little Mushroom's audio drama and it is almost certain that they will tell you that it was one of the best produced audio dramas they have ever had the pleasure to experience.
You can find the whole thing - with English subs even - on 猫耳FM/missevan, so if this piece of media has ever been on your radar (and even if it hasn't!), let this be the sign that you should join this pit.
I haven't seen any translation of the trailer, so I took a stab at it. Excuse the violation of the maximum recommended CPS count, but there wasn’t much I could do about it... you might need to pause the video at times :P
Some notes on this translation under the cut.
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Because I am both lazy and hate articulating my thoughts, this will not so much be me providing much actual insight on translation choices than just some disjointed notes on the back-translation process of Dylan Thomas' poem "Do not go gentle into that good night".
An overly literal back-translation of the Chinese poem:
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night,
我们应在日暮之时燃烧。// We should burn in the hour the sun sets,
怒斥、怒斥光阴的消逝。// Rage, rage at the vanishing of time and light.
尽管智者深知黑暗终将到来。// Even if the wise are fully aware that darkness will inevitably come.
尽管他们的话语无法再迸发出闪电。// Even if their words are unable to make lightning burst forth again.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
在这悲哀的山巅。// Here, on the sorrowful mountaintop.
请用你的眼泪诅咒我、祝福我。// Please curse me, bless me with your tears.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
Notes on the Chinese translation of the poem:
The refrains (“Do not go gentle into that good night” and “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”) basically map one to one to the English original, which makes it easily recognizable as Dylan Thomas’ poem
This makes the other changes feel very much like deliberate choices on the author's part, even if they do leave me puzzled
No references to the gendered figures (wise men, my father)
In the second verse, 尽管 is repeated for emphasis where it wasn’t in English
Why is the line 在这悲哀的山巅 so much shorter than all others? The original English poem has 10 syllables per line, but the Chinese one is…just whatever. No discernible structure here, only vibes
山巅 (mountaintop) where in the English it’s an unspecified “height” and can be read metaphorically, while here it is very much a physical location. (I mean, of course it could be read metaphorically as well in Chinese but there are many other words you could have chosen that do not have "mountain" in them.) Might or might not have been a deliberate choice referencing [spoiler] Base
I thought it prudent to back-translate the poem since there are some changes and they aren’t that minor.
Back-Translation process:
Pretended the original didn’t exist and translated it off the Chinese alone
Compared it to the original and modified it so that it still stayed 95% faithful to the Chinese while calling back to the original
Tried to keep the ABA rhyme scheme and felt powerful af when I managed to make the 2nd line in all the tercets rhyme
Squished or stretched the lines into 10 syllables, while still keeping as close to both Chinese and English as possible
Despair. Because at this point I should maybe just have used the original poem or gone for a freer translation, what am I even trying so hard for when this comes nowhere close at all to the original
What I ended up using in the subs of the AD Trailer, ABA ryhme scheme, 10 syllables per line if you squint*
不要温和地走入那个良夜。 // Do not go gentle into that good night.
我们应在日暮之时燃烧。 // We ought to burn the hour nightfall nears.
怒斥、怒斥光阴的消逝。// Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
尽管智者深知黑暗终将到来。 // Though the wise know darkness will bring its blight.
尽管他们的话语无法再迸发出闪电。 // Though their words no longer fork lightning fierce.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。 // Do not go gentle into that good night.
在这悲哀的山巅。// Here, on top of sorrowful mountain's height.
请用你的眼泪诅咒我、祝福我。 // Please, I ask, curse me, bless me with your tears.
不要温和地走入那个良夜。// Do not go gentle into that good night.
(^ω^)the music we got for Spring/Summer 2023 audiodrama season has been amazing
相思续续入梦来/"Thoughts and memories entering my dreams" by 远皓ZIL
[三嫁咸鱼/Thrice Married to Salted Fish , Season 1]
The music and lyrics of this song perfectly balances the blend of humor and heart in this story. The verse starts off kind of cheeky, but the emotions mount as we build towards the chorus. That line about Lin Qingyu donning his wedding robes again -- a scene that made me weep while reading the novel -- is like a punch to the gut. Thankfully the song and the story ends on a happy note.
山月随舟/"The world that follows" by 大C
[残疾战神嫁我为妾后/After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine]
This is supposed to be about a maimed war hero biding his time to take revenge on the unscrupulous enemy prince he is forced to marry, but thankfully the real story is better represented by this sweet ballad. Despite the trials and chaos of the main characters' circumstances, they find a kindred spirit in each other and a promise to build a peaceful life together after the war is over.
真情错给/ "True love given in error" by 匀子, 漆柚
[泾渭无间/Clear and Muddy Loss of Love, Season 1]
This heartbreaking duet is attempting the impossible: to capture the emotional devastation of this epic novel in just a few minutes. "Love/ falls into a drop of tear, there is no one to blame, but me who has given my true love in error." A heartfelt love has crumbled into the cruelest betrayal, but instead of anger, there is just sadness, longing, and helplessness.
随月/"Follow the moon" by 海疼er
[游龙随月/You Long Sui Yue (both seasons) ]
I love this song so much that every time I hear it I instantly forgive the parts of the audiodrama that I enjoyed less. The lyrics tell a story of meeting and getting to know someone with whom you can share the rest of your journeys and your life. It sounds like a theme song for a wuxia drama, the song that should be playing while they ride off onto their next adventure together.
直到黎明/"Until Dawn" by 文森
[诟病/Morbid Attachment]
I'm still torn between feeling like this song is a bit too raw and under-produced, or breathtakingly intimate with its focus on the main vocals. It's written for a lost lover whose name is hidden in the lyrics and melody, a lover who doesn't know or believe in this, even though a part of him desperately wants to. This song is filled with the regret and yearning that comes out of such a relationship, vulnerable but hopeful.
心眼 (主役版) /"Eye of the mind" (cast version) by 陈张太康, 文森
[心眼/Eye of the Mind, Season 2]
This duet featuring two of my favorite voice actors is basically fulfilling one of my CV fandom dreams. Their voices work so well together! The calm, modern sound of the song perfectly sets the mood for the journeys of (relatively) ordinary people who manage to have some incredible drama.
Recently, I'm into listening radio drama. Both MC and ML are kinda cute in this.
It's about a cold and aloof (actually he's just socially awkward) popular author x his fan
I've only listened to 2 EPs so far but I really wish MC to be happy. His mother is too cruel to him (tho I gotta say the CV for his crazy mum is real good.)
And the way ML just switch his tone when he's talking to the MC and to others is just so good. Kudos to the CV.