I revised this post by adding annotations as well as tone marks. It is a classic Chinese song, enjoy!
罗大佑
Luo da you
童年
Tong nian
Childhood
(noun phrase, child years, childhood)
池塘边的榕树上, 知了在声声叫着夏天
chi2 tang2 bian1 de5 rong2 shu4 shang4, zhi1 liao3 zai4 sheng1 sheng1 jiao4 zhe5 xia4 tian1
High up the banyan trees along the side of ponds, cicadas were calling the summer with every sound
池塘 (noun, pound) 边 (preposition, side of) 的 (connecting particle) 榕树(noun, banyan tree) 上(preposition, on top of) 知了(noun, cicada) 在 （particle, indicating an action is in progress) 声声 (noun, sound or every sound) 叫 (verb, call) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )夏天 (noun, summer)
操场边的秋千上, 只有蝴蝶还停在上面
cao1 chang3 bian1 de5 qiu1 qian1 shang4, zhi3 you3 hu2 die2 huai2 ting2 zai4 shang4 mian4
On the swing sets along the exercise field, only butterflies still rested on the top of them
操场 (noun, sports field) 边 (side) 的 (connecting particle) 秋千 (noun, swing)上 (upon)只 (only) 有 (have) 蝴蝶 (noun, butterfly)还 (still) 停 (stop / park) 在 (preposition, on) 上面 (on top of)
黑板上老师的粉笔还在拼命唧唧喳喳写个不停
hei1 ban3 shang4 lao3 shi1 de5 fen3 bi3 huai2 zai4 pin1 ming4 ji1 ji1 zha1 zha1 xie3 ge5 bu4 ting2
On the blackboard, teacher’s chalk was still desperately writing a non-stop chatter
黑板 (blackboard) 上 (on top, above) 老师 (teacher) 的 (connecting particle) 粉笔 (chalk)还 (still) 在 (particle to indicate an action is in progress) 拼命 (to do one’s utmost) 唧唧喳喳 (chattering or giggling )写 (write) 个 (particle, no meanings here) 不停 (incessant )
等待着下课, 等待着放学, 等待游戏的童年
deng3 dai4 zhe5 xia4 ke4, deng3 dai4 zhe5 fang4 xue2, deng3 dai4 you2 xi4 de5 tong2 nian2
The childhood of Waiting for the class dismiss, waiting for the end of school day, waiting for playing
等待 (to wait) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )下课(to finish class) 等待 (to wait) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )放学 (to dismiss students at the end of the school day ) 等待 (to wait) 游戏 (to play) 的 (connecting particle) 童年 (childhood)
福利社里面什么都有, 就是口袋里没有半毛钱
fu2 li4 she4 li3 mian4 shen2 me5 dou1 you3, jiu4 shi4 kou3 dai4 li3 mei2 you3 ban4 mao2 qian2
School’s store had everything, but there wasn’t 50 cents in the pocket
福利社 (school shop) 里面 (inside) 什么 (what / anything) 都 (all) 有 (have) 就是 (just) 口袋 (pocket) 里 (inside)没有 (don’t have) 半 (half) 毛 (cent) 钱 (money)
诸葛四郎和魔鬼党, 到底谁抢了那支宝剑
zhu1 ge3 si4 lang2 he2 mo2 gui3 dang3, dao4 di3 shei2 qiang3 le5 na4 zhi1 bao3 jian4
The four Zhu Ge lads and the Monster Gang, at the end who did grab that precious sword?
诸葛四郎 (a famous figure in Taiwanese comics) 和 (and) 魔鬼党 (A gang in TV cartoon) 到底 (what’s on earth) 谁 (who) 抢 (rob) 了(particle to show action completed) 那 (that) 支 (measure word for sword) 宝 (treasured) 剑(sword)
隔壁班的那个女孩, 怎么还没经过我的窗前
ge2 bi4 ban1 de5 na4 ge5 nv3 hai2, zen3 me5 hai2 mei2 jing1 guo4 wo3 de5 chuang1 qian2
That girl of next classroom why still had not passed the front of my window?
隔壁 (next door) 班 (class) 的 (connecting particle) 那 (that) 个(measure word) 女孩 (girl) 怎么 (how come) 还 (still)没(did not) 经过 (pass) 我的 (my) 窗 (window) 前 (the front)
嘴里的零食, 手里的漫画, 心里初恋的童年
zui3 li3 de5 ling2 shi2, shou3 li3 de5 man4 hua4, xin1 li3 chu1 lian4 de5 tong2 nian2
The snack in the mouth, the comic book in the hands, the childhood of first romance in the heart
嘴 (mouth) 里 (inside)的(connecting particle) 零食 (snacks) 手 (hand) 里 (inside)的 (connecting particle) 漫画 (comics) 心 (heart) 里 (inside)初 (first) 恋 (love) 的 (connecting particle)童年(childhood)
总是要等到睡觉前,才知道功课只做了一点点
zong3 shi4 yao4 deng3 dao4 shui4 jiao4 qian2, cai2 zhi1 dao4 gong1 ke4 zhi3 zuo4 le5 yi4 dian3 dian3
Always had to wait till before bedtime to know that the homework was just done a bit
总是 (always) 要 (have to) 等 (wait) 到 (till) 睡觉 (sleep) 前(before) 才 (then) 知道 (know) 功课 (homework) 只 (only) 做 (do) 了(completed action marker) 一点点 (a bit, yì means one, diǎn means dot)
总是要待到考试以后, 才知道该念的书都没有念
zong3 shi4 yao4 dai1 dao4 kao3 shi4 yi3 hou4, cai2 zhi1 dao4 gai1 nian4 de5 shu1 du1 mei2 you3 nian4
Always had to wait till after test to know that (I) did not read the books that were supposed to be read
总是 (always) 要 (have to) 待 (wait) 到 (till) 考试 (exam) 以后(after) 才 (then) 知道 (know) 该(should) 念 (read)的(connecting particle) 书 (books) 都 (all) 没有 (did not) 念 (read)
一寸光阴一寸金老师说过寸金难买寸光阴
yi2 cun4 guang1 yin1 yi2 cun4 jin1, lao3 shi1 shuo1 guo4 cun4 jin1 nan2 mai3 cun4 guang1 yin1
One inch of time (is like) one inch of gold. Teachers said inch of gold can’t buy inch of time
一 (one) 寸 (inch) 光阴 (time) 一 (one) 寸(inch) 金 (gold) 老师(teacher) 说 (say) 过 (past experience particle)寸 (inch)金 (gold) 难(hard to) 买 (buy) 寸 (inch) 光阴(time)
一天又一天, 一年又一年, 迷迷糊糊的童年
yi4 tian1 you4 yi4 tian1, yi4 nian2 you4 yi4 nian2, mi2 mi2 hu2 hu2 de5 tong2 nian2
One day after one day, one year after one year, dazed childhood
一(one)天(day)又(again) 一 (one) 天(day) 一 (one) 年(year) 又(again) 一(one) 年(year) 迷迷糊糊 (bewildered, in a haze) 的(connecting particle)童年(childhood)
Music and whistling ….
没有人知道, 为什么太阳总下到山的那一边
mei2 you3 ren2 zhi1 dao4, wei4 shen2 me5 tai4 yang2 zong3 xia4 dao4 shan1 de5 na4 yi4 bian1
Nobody knew why the sun had to set to that side of the mountain
没有 (no) 人(people)知道(know) 为什么(why)太阳(sun)总(always) 下(verb, down ) 到 (to) 山 (mountain) 的 (connecting particle)那(that) 一 (one) 边(side)
没有人能够告诉我, 山里面有没有住着神仙
mei2 you3 ren2 neng2 gou4 gao4 su4 wo3, shan1 li3 mian4 you3 mei2 you3 zhu4 zhe5 shen2 xian1
Nobody was able to tell me whether or not there were immortal beings live in the mountain
没有 (no)人 (people) 能够 (is able to) 告诉 (tell) 我(me) 山(mountain) 里面(inside) 有(have) 没有(not have) 住(live) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )神仙(fairy)
多少的日子里, 总是一个人面对着天空发呆
duo1 shao3 de5 ri4 zi3 li3, zong3 shi4 yi2 ge5 ren2 mian4 dui4 zhe5 tian1 kong11 fa1 dai1
In how many days, one person got on trance facing the sky
多少 (how many) 的 (connecting particle) 日子 (days) 里(inside) 总是 (always) 一 (one) 个(measure word) 人 (person) 面对 (face) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress) 天空 (sky) 发呆 (be on trance)
就这么好奇, 就这么幻想, 这么孤单的童年
jiu4 zhe4 me5 hao4 qi2, jiu4 zhe4 me5 huan4 xiang3, zhe4 me5 gu1 dan1 de5 tong2 nian2
It was this curious; it was this fantastic. It was such a lonesome childhood
就 (just) 这么 (this much) 好奇 (curious) 就 (just) 这么 (this much) 幻想 (fantasy) 这么 (this much) 孤单 (lonesome) 的 (connecting particle) 童年 (childhood)
阳光下蜻蜓飞过来, 一片片绿油油的稻田
yang2 guang1 xia4 qing1 ting2 fei1 guo4 lai2, yi2 pian4 pian4 lv4 you2 you2 de5 dao4 tian2
Under the sunshine, dragonflies came flying piece after piece lavish green rice fields
阳光 (sunshine) 下 (under) 蜻蜓 (dragonfly) 飞 (fly) 过来 (come over) 一 (one) 片片(piece) 绿油油 (verdant) 的 (connecting particle) 稻 (rice paddy) 田(field)
水彩蜡笔和万花筒画不出天边那一条彩虹
shui3 cai3 la4 bi3 he2 wan4 hua1 tong3, hua4 bu4 chu1 tian1 bian1 na4 yi2 tiao2 cai3 hong2
Water color, crayons and kaleidoscopes could not draw out that rainbow in the far away sky
水彩 (water color) 蜡笔 (crayons) 和 (and) 万花筒 (kaleidoscope ) 画 (paint) 不 (not) 出 (out) 天 (heaven / sky) 边 (side)那 (that) 一 (one) 条 (measure word) 彩虹 (rainbow)
什么时候才能象高年级的同学有张成熟与长大的脸
shen2 me5 shi2 hou4 cai2 neng2 xiang4 gao1 nian2 ji2 de5 tong2 xue2 you3 zhang1 cheng2 shou2 yu3 zhang3 da4 de5 lian3
When I could have a mature and grown face like those senior classmates
什么 (what) 时候 (time) 才 (then) 能 (be able to) 象 (like) 高 (high) 年级 (grade) 的 (connecting particle) 同学 (classmates) 有 (have) 张 (measure word for face) 成熟 (matured) 与 (and) 长大 (grow up) 的 (connecting particle)脸(face)
盼望着假期, 盼望着明天, 盼望长大的童年
pan4 wang4 zhe5 jia4 qi2, pan4 wang4 zhe5 ming2 tian1, pan4 wang4 zhang3 da4 de5 tong2 nian2
Looking forward to vacations, looking forward to tomorrows, and the childhood of looking forward to growing up
盼望 (look forward to) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )假期 (holiday) 盼望 (look forward to) 着 (aspect particle indicating action in progress )明天 (tomorrow) 盼望 (look forward to) 长大 (grow up) 的 (connecting particle)童年(childhood)
哦, 一天又一天, 一年又一年, 盼望长大的童年
o1 yi4 tian1 you4 yi4 tian1, yi4 nian2 you4 yi4 nian2, pan4 wang4 zhang3 da4 de5 tong2 nian2
O, one day after one day, one year after one year, the childhood of looking forward to growing up
哦((interjection indicating doubt or surprise) 一 (one) 天 (day) 又(again) 一(one) 天(day) 一 (one) 年 (year) 又(again)一(one) 年(year) 盼望 (look forward to)长大 (grow up) 的 (connecting particle) 童年 (childhood)
Translated and annotated by Shu
Quotations about children:
We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher
You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance. ~Franklin P. Jones
In a dark moment I ask, “How can anyone bring a child into this world?” And the answer rings clear, “Because there is no other world, and because the child has no other way into it.” ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring. ~Liz Armbruster, on robertbrault.com
A characteristic of the normal child is he doesn’t act that way very often. ~Author Unknown
We’ve had bad luck with our kids – they’ve all grown up. ~Christopher Morley
A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer. ~Author Unknown
Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it. ~Harold Hulbert
Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music. ~William Stafford
The world is as many times new as there are children in our lives. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. ~Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (introduction), 1982
Children are one third of our population and all of our future. ~Select Panel for the Promotion of Child Health, 1981
Even when freshly washed and relieved of all obvious confections, children tend to be sticky. ~Fran Lebowitz
Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore
You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762
A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm. ~Bill Vaughan
If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all. ~Pearl S. Buck
In the United States today, there is a pervasive tendency to treat children as adults, and adults as children. The options of children are thus steadily expanded, while those of adults are progressively constricted. The result is unruly children and childish adults. ~Thomas Szasz
Children are unpredictable. You never know what inconsistency they’re going to catch you in next. ~Franklin P. Jones
Continue reading the quotes about children at:http://www.quotegarden.com/children.html