Taylor: 牛仔像我,伎俩繁多
Cowboy Like Me 是Evermore中的第11首歌,歌曲回归了Taylor早期的乡村风格。这首歌讲述了两个坠入爱河的江湖骗子之间的故事,他们“在奢侈的度假村里,(一边)努力赢得富豪好感”,一边两人眉目传情。

【部分歌词解析】
[Chorus]
You had some tricks up your sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
这段副歌中的和声是由Mumford and Sons乐队的主唱Marcus Mumford演唱的。
在evermore专辑发行当天,他在Instagram上post了一张taylor手写的歌词:

[Post-Chorus 1]
Perched in the dark
Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear
Like it could be love
I could be the way forward
Only if they pay for it
You're a bandit like me
the way forward是惯用短语,本意是“前方(该走)的路”,引申为“成功之道;必由之路;(褒义的)未来”,I could be the way forward only if they pay for it就是说,只有他们付钱,我才会做他们的美好未来。
[Bridge]
And the skeletons in both our closets
Plotted hard to fuck this up
这两句比较难翻,因为英文skeletons in the closet字面意思是“衣柜里的骨架”,常用义为“见不得光的秘密;丑闻”。难翻就在于由于这个喻体是skeletons,所以英文后面可以加动作plot,给人以一种"柜子里藏着的尸体死而复生,密谋着想要复仇"的意味,而中文翻译成丑闻之后,就变成了一个一般不能加动作的主体,由于缺少了英文中的喻体,直接翻译“丑闻谋划着想把一切都搞砸”的话,只能希望读者感悟到这个拟人手法。
我暂时也没想到什么好的处理方式,只能希望大家看完上面这段话之后可以体会到Taylor用完这个比喻之后加个Plot的精妙。
[Verse 4]
Now you hang from my lips
Like the Gardens of Babylon
With your boots beneath my bed
Forever is the sweetest con
第四段主歌里,Taylor将他比喻成七大奇迹之一的巴比伦空中花园,给人以一种华丽却又脆弱、充满不确定性的意象。空中花园已经不复存在,而且常被认为从未存在过,只不过是传说。这种不确定性与最后一句相对应:
空中花园是魅力的传说,而永远,也只是个甜蜜的骗局。
[Chorus]
I've had some tricks up my sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
Taylor是精心地设计了每段副歌的第一句话的,从
I've got some tricks up my sleeve(我还藏有一些伎俩)
到最后变为
I've had some tricks up my sleeve(我曾藏有一些伎俩)
表示在歌曲唱到结尾的时候,女主已经放弃了她的伎俩。
体会不到的话,可以好好复习一下完成时的用法以及got和had这两个单词的区别。
【完整歌词翻译】
[Verse 1]
And the tennis court was covered up
With some tent-like thing
And you asked me to dance
But I said, "Dancin' is a dangerous game"
网球场上面搭起了
类似帐篷的东西
你邀请我一起跳舞
但我说:“舞蹈是一场危险的游戏。”
[Verse 2]
Oh, I thought
This is gonna be one of those things
Now I know
I'm never gonna love again
噢,我曾以为
这不过是旧戏重演
如今我才明白
我再也不会爱了
[Chorus]
I've got some tricks up my sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
我还藏着些伎俩
你也一样
你是一个像我的牛仔
[Verse 3]
Never wanted love
Just a fancy car
Now I'm waiting by the phone
Like I'm sitting in an airport bar
从不想要爱情
只想要豪车
现在我在电话旁等待
也像我在机场酒吧里坐着
[Chorus]
You had some tricks up your sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
你藏着一些伎俩
我也一样
你是一个像我的牛仔
[Post-Chorus 1]
Perched in the dark
Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear
Like it could be love
I could be the way forward
Only if they pay for it
You're a bandit like me
潜伏在黑暗中
有钱人想听什么,就说什么
假装这是爱情
他们只有付钱
我才会做他们的美好未来
你是一个像我的大盗
[Post-Chorus 2]
Eyes full of stars
Hustling for the good life
Never thought I'd meet you here
It could be love
We could be the way forward
And I know I'll pay for it
眼睛里装满了星星
为了好生活奔命
从未想到会在这里遇到你
这可以是爱情
我们可以有未来
一个我会为此付出的未来
[Chorus]
You're a cowboy like me
你是一个像我的牛仔
[Post-Chorus 1]
Perched in the dark
Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear
Like it could be love
I could be the way forward
Only if they pay for it
You're a bandit like me
潜伏在黑暗中
有钱人想听什么,就说什么
假装这是爱情
他们只有付钱
我才会做他们的美好未来
你是一个像我的大盗
[Post-Chorus 2]
Eyes full of stars
Hustling for the good life
Never thought I'd meet you here
It could be love
We could be the way forward
And I know I'll pay for it
眼睛里装满了星星
为了好生活奔命
从未想到会在这里遇到你
这可以是爱情
我们可以有未来
一个我会为此付出的未来
[Bridge]
And the skeletons in both our closets
Plotted hard to fuck this up
And the old men that I've swindled
Really did believe I was the one
And the ladies lunching have their stories about
When you passed through town
But that was all before I locked it down
我们两人藏着的丑闻
像是要把一切都他妈的搞砸
而我骗的那个老男人
真心相信我就是他的唯一
而那些妇人在午饭时聊着
你经过小镇时的故事
但它最终都被我封锁
(这里的it也有些指代不明,我偏向于认为是指代town,她爱上了他之后,把那个有着不少爱慕着他的夫人的小镇封锁了起来,不再让他们来往。大家有不同见解也可以讨论一下)
[Verse 4]
Now you hang from my lips
Like the Gardens of Babylon
With your boots beneath my bed
Forever is the sweetest con
现在你挂在我的嘴边
就像巴比伦空中花园
你的鞋子藏在我的床底
最甜蜜的骗局就是永远
[Chorus]
I've had some tricks up my sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
我曾藏有一些伎俩
你也一样
你是一个像我的牛仔
[Outro]
And I'm never gonna love again
I'm never gonna love again
I'm never gonna love again
而我再也不会爱