"That Titanic song"

[tangofiction]

As requested by Stronny, my translation of "Titanic" by Nautilus Pompilius. Not to be confused with Celine Dion.



I'm sorry, I could not keep the original rhythm intact -- but I hope this is okay.





TITANIC



I've looked at the charts marked "secret",

I know where we'll end up;

Captain, I've come to say farewell

To you and to your ship.

I've been down to the hold,

I have talked at some length

With His Eminence Master of Rats;

The rats will be leaving as soon as we dock,

Hoping they will be saved.



Above, on the deck, the orchestra plays

And couples dance the foxtrot,

While the waiter pours fire into glasses of crystal

And watches the meltdown of ice.

He looks at the dancers who cannot recall

That their fate is the watery grave...

But nobody wishes to be concerned

While yet the Titanic sails.



Our sailors have sold the turbine

To an Eskimo for a barrell of ale;

Now a judge and a priest argue all through the night

The question of who is to blame.

The judge tries to prove that it is the Law,

While the priest claims the issue is Love,

But in the flash of lightning it's blindingly clear:

Each one's hands are covered in blood.



But nobody wishes to be concerned

With where the Titanic sails

Nobody wishes to be concerned

With where the Titanic sails



I have seen the sharks overboard,

The sharks were licking their chops,

Captain, the sharks have been well informed:

They know that we're going down.



Up ahead of us rears the cold

Sheer wall of Arctic ice,

But nobody wishes to be concerned

With where the Titanic sails...

Nobody wishes to be concerned

With where the Titanic sails.





Lyrics (c) Nautilus Pompilius, tranlsation by Tango

Comments

Thanks. Not bad, really. Ж:)

[tangofiction]

Not bad, really



Ha, thanks. I hope you know that phrase is ... a little cold, in English. Just in case you didn't mean it how it sounded.



Well, I tried. Actually I haven't heard this song -- I have it on MP3, but it's on my old computer, have to get it fixed to grab the files off it. So I'm not sure how it sounds, but I like the lyrics anyway.



Tango

I hope you know that phrase is ... a little cold, in English. Just in case you didn't mean it how it sounded.

Yeah, I didn't mean any offense. I just meant it isn't, well, GREAT, but I like it anyway.



BTW: what "language saturation" does "thanks a lot" have (if any)?

[tangofiction]

Yeah, I know what you mean, don't worry. I don't think it's great either, but it has a lot of stuff I'm quite pleased with -- the "meltdown of ice" for example (because in English you can't convey the same impression of molten metal with the word 'melt', since 'melt' is what ice normally does - whereas a meltdown in a nuclear power plant is a pretty strong image). Stuff like that.



BTW: what "language saturation" does "thanks a lot" have (if any)?

You mean, language connotation? I think it's in how you say it, but often in writing it is meant in a sarcastic way. Same as "gee, thanks". Normally "thanks so much" is better. (I didn't mean my 'thanks' as sarcastic, btw. )



Tango

I meant "языковая окраска". (Bah, I always mix up hue with saturation an vice versa. Hue. It was "language hue". But as far as I can see it just gets worse. Just forget it.) Is that "language connotation"? Well, live and learn or something like that. Ж:)



And yeah, thanks so much for these free English lessons. Ж:)

[tangofiction]

thanks so much for these free English lessons

You catch on fast. And you're welcome.



Re "Language hue" -- yeah, that's "connotation" in English (the impression you get from a word or phrase that goes beyond its defined meaning).



Tango

[CryBaby]

Что-то определенно неуловимо изменилось!..

Мне тоже очень даже нравится. )