龍的傳人 long2 de5 chuan2 ren2
Heirs of the Dragon
作詞：侯德健 作曲：侯德健
Music and Lyrics by Hou Dejian
遙遠的東方有一條江
它的名字就叫長江
遙遠的東方有一條河
它的名字就叫黃河
In the Far East there is a river,
its name is the Yangtze River
In the Far East there is a river,
its name is the Yellow River
雖不曾看見長江美
夢裡常神遊長江水
雖不曾聽見黃河壯
澎湃洶湧在夢裡
Although I’ve never seen the beauty of the Yangtze,
in my dreams I miraculously travel the Yangtze’s waters
Although I’ve never heard the strength of the Yellow River,
the rushing and surging waters are in my dreams
古老的東方有一條龍
她的名字就叫中國
古老的東方有一群人
他們全都是龍的傳人
In the Ancient East there is a dragon,
her name is China
In the Ancient East there is a people,
they are all the heirs of the dragon
巨龍腳底下我成長
長成以後是龍的傳人
黑眼睛黑頭髮黃皮膚
永永遠遠是龍的傳人
I grew up under the claw of the dragon,
after I grew up I became an heir of the dragon
Black eyes, black hair, yellow skin,
forever and ever an heir of the dragon
百年前寧靜的一個夜
巨變前夕的深夜裡
槍砲聲敲碎了寧靜夜
四面楚歌是姑息的劍
One hundred years ago on a tranquil night,
in the deep of the night before enormous changes
Gun and cannon fire destroyed the tranquil night,
surrounded on all sides by the appeasers’ swords
多少年砲聲仍隆隆
多少年又是多少年
巨龍巨龍你擦亮眼
永永遠遠的擦亮眼
How many years have gone by with the gunshots still ringing out,
how many years followed by how many years
Mighty dragon, mighty dragon open your eyes,
forever and ever open your eyes
Lyrics with pinyin
遥远的东方有一条江,
[yao2][yuan3][de5][dong1][fang1][you3][yi1][tiao2][jiang1],
它的名字就叫长江.
[ta1][de5][ming2][zi4][jiu4][jiao4][chang2, zhang3][jiang1].
遥远的东方有一条河,
[yao2][yuan3][de5][dong1][fang1][you3][yi1][tiao2][he2],
它的名字就叫黄河.
[ta1][de5][ming2][zi4][jiu4][jiao4][huang2][he2].
虽不曾看见长江美,
[sui1][bu4][zeng1, ceng2][kan4][jian4][chang2, zhang3][jiang1][mei3],
梦里常神游长江水.
[meng4][li3][chang2][shen2][you2][chang2, zhang3][jiang1][shui3].
虽不曾听见黄河壮,
[sui1][bu4][zeng1, ceng2][ting1][jian4][huang2][he2][zhuang4],
澎湃汹涌在梦里.
[peng1][pai4][xiong1][yong3][zai4][meng4][li3].
古老的东方有一条龙,
[gu3][lao3][de5][dong1][fang1][you3][yi1][tiao2][long2],
它的名字就叫中国.
[ta1][de5][ming2][zi4][jiu4][jiao4][zhong4, zhong1][guo2].
古老的东方有一群人,
[gu3][lao3][de5][dong1][fang1][you3][yi1][qun2][ren2],
他们全都是龙的传人.
[ta1][men5][quan2][dou1, du1][shi4][long2][de5][zhuan4, chuan2][ren2].
巨龙脚底下我成长,
[ju4][long2][jiao3][di3][xia4][wo3][cheng2][chang2, zhang3],
长成以后是龙的传人.
[chang2, zhang3][cheng2][yi3][hou4][shi4][long2][de5][zhuan4, chuan2][ren2].
黑眼睛黑头发黄皮肤,
[hei1][yan3][jing1][hei1][tou2][fa1, fa4][huang2][pi2][fu1],
永永远远是龙的传人.
[yong3][yong3][yuan3][yuan3][shi4][long2][de5][zhuan4, chuan2][ren2].
百年前宁静的一个夜,
[bai3][nian2][qian2][ning2, ning4][jing4][de5][yi1][ge4][ye4],
巨变前夕的深夜里,
[ju4][bian4][qian2][xi1][de5][shen1][ye4][li3],
枪炮声敲碎了宁静夜.
[qiang1][pao4][sheng1][qiao1][sui4][le5][ning2, ning4][jing4][ye4].
四面楚歌是姑息的剑.
[si4][mian4][chu3][ge1][shi4][gu1][xi1][de5][jian4].
多少年炮声仍隆隆,
[duo1][shao3, shao4][nian2][pao4][sheng1][reng2][long2][long2],
多少年又是多少年,
[duo1][shao3, shao4][nian2][you4][shi4][duo1][shao3, shao4][nian2],
巨龙巨龙你擦亮眼
[ju4][long2][ju4][long2][ni3][ca1][liang4][yan3]
永永远远地擦亮眼,
[yong3][yong3][yuan3][yuan3][de5, di4][ca1][liang4][yan3],
巨龙巨龙你擦亮眼,
[ju4][long2][ju4][long2][ni3][ca1][liang4][yan3],
永永远远地擦亮眼.
[yong3][yong3][yuan3][yuan3][de5, di4][ca1][liang4][yan3].
The lyrics translation comes from: http://www.onedayinmay.net/Other/Leehom/HeirsDragon.html
The meaning of dragon for Chinese people:
Chinese people use the term “Descendants of the Dragon” (simplified Chinese: 龙的传人; traditional Chinese: 龍的傳人; pinyin: lóng de chuán rén) as a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s when different Asian nationalities were looking for animal symbols for representations. The wolf was used among the Mongols, the monkey among Tibetans.
In Chinese culture today, the dragon is mostly used for decorative purposes. It is a taboo to disfigure a depiction of a dragon; for example, an advertisement campaign commissioned by Nike, which featured the American basketball player LeBron James slaying a dragon (as well as beating up an old Kung Fu master), was immediately banned by the Chinese government after public outcry over disrespect.
This paragraph comes from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon
In Chinese mythology, the Dragon King has nine children: Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Pulao, Suanni, Bixi, Bi’an, Fuxi and Pixiu. Dragons are believed to have supernatural power in changing weather and ruling the oceans and that is very naturally that its sons are all powerful. In Chinese people’s minds, dragons are a symbol of power and dignity, and that is also one reason why the Chinese call themselves “descendants of the dragon.”
The above paragraph comes from: http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/210Traditions6421.html
What does it mean to be Chinese?
Seems like a simple enough question. Actually… while the question of what it means to be Chinese is very simple, it is all of the numerous, equally valid answers that make the issue complicated. We have to accept that there are different answers for different people.
Here is one answer, translated from a post written by an American-raised Chinese on MITBBS (原贴):
I was eating lunch with a good friend (both a colleague and a classmate) a few days ago. He’s a true Englishman, having lived in England from birth through university. Although he’s now attending school with me in the United States, he naturally does so with the identity of an Englishman. Whereas I, as an ethnic Chinese person raised in the United States, have in his eyes been categorized as an “American”. And I will often correct him by saying “I’m Chinese”. This time, when the topic popped up again, he laughed and asked: “From your point of view, what is a Chinese person?”
I believe “Chinese” has three different meanings.
1) From a superficial point of view, it would mean the legal definition. If you are a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, if you use a Chinese passport outside of China’s borders, then this person from a legal point of view is Chinese. Based on China’s constitution, if a Chinese citizen acquires foreign citizenship and a foreign passport, they automatically relinquish their Chinese citizenship. So, with this definition, you can only choose one between the identities “Chinese” and “foreigner”. So, if you acquire American citizenship, you’re no longer Chinese. But I don’t believe the definition of “Chinese” is limited to this.
2) “Chinese” can also be defined on the basis of race and blood. If we talk a little loosely, all of the descendants of Yan and Yellow Emperors, all of the heirs of the dragon are Chinese. Just like the song goes, “always an heir of the dragon“.
If we talk a little more tightly, if your bloodlines are 100% Chinese, then using this definition, you are Chinese, and this will never change. It doesn’t matter what passport you hold, it doesn’t matter what citizenship you hold, even if you grow up or are born in a different country and can’t speak Chinese, you’re still Chinese. But I believe that even this definition isn’t the most important.
3) I believe the most important definition is understanding of China’s language, history, and culture. Understanding of China’s way of life. These people, even if they don’t have Chinese citizenship, even if they don’t have Chinese blood-lines, they can also be called Chinese. For example, let’s talk about Dashan (ed: aka Mark Henry Rowswell). He’s completely fluent in all things “China”; even if he doesn’t have a drop of Chinese blood, when compared to those with Chinese blood but can’t speak Hanyu, he’s more Chinese. And from that point of view, someone can both be Chinese and a foreigner. And I believe that because I grew up in the United States and understand American culture, I am Chinese, and also American.
Continue reading the article and its interesting comments at: http://blog.foolsmountain.com/2008/07/03/what-does-it-mean-to-be-chinese/