Review of sodagreen's '畢業典禮 Graduation Ceremony'

This mini-film of a little over fifteen minutes was completely shot and produced on the Mainland, in conjunction with Oley (I'm still not entirely sure what this is; some Internet sources say it's a car company, while others say they make soft drinks). It's first appearance on the Internet was yesterday night, debuting on Sohu as promised, but it appeared on sodagreen's official Youtube channel only today. The members act as characters with the same names as themselves, and with largely similar personalities. I suppose one could say that the film is set in an 'alternate story universe'.

In the film narrated by Xiaowei's character, 'Xiaowei', 'Tsing-Fong', 'Jiakai', 'A-gong', 'Claire' and 'A-fu' are best friends. They knew each other from their primary school days after Claire caught them peeping into the girls' toilet. Tsing-Fong is a cool-tempered guy who never lets his heart control his head. Jiakai, an introvert, rarely speaks and is a vehicle enthusiast who loves his car. A-gong, a 'neat' person, is also a man of few words who appears to be a professional musician (he is seen in the film in a recording studio playing his viola). Claire is a gentle and cute woman who runs a clothing shop. A-fu, an optimist, is the strongest one in the group. He works as a tour guide. Xiaowei simply describes himself as coming from Taiwan (this is ironic as he speaks in what seems to be a poor Beijing accent for most of the film).

Xiaowei quits his job and declares to his friends that he is 'free'. He talks about his plan to start up an Internet shop and they all agree to chip in. The business seems to be doing fine for a while, but disaster strikes when floods hit Thailand and the prices of hard disks manufactured there shoot up. Other complications result in the group of friends having to cough up 1,000,000 RMB. Xiaowei wants to fulfil the six thousand orders on the Internet shop, but the others don't. When Xiaowei presses them to pay, they refuse and he accuses them of being hypocritical. This angers them and a fight ensues which leaves them all furious.

A regretful Xiaowei is left alone. The others, deciding privately to help him, sell their most treasured possessions. Tsing-Fong mortgages his apartment, Jiakai sells his car, A-gong sells his viola, Claire sells her shop and A-fu apparently steals a wallet. Here, we see snippets of the group's childhood life, with a young Tsing-Fong smashing his piggy bank, a young Jiakai having his toy car taken away by bullies, and a young A-gong getting smacked by his teacher. They manage to raise the money needed and they generally make up, with Xiaowei offering to treat them to a soft drink with the 20 RMB he has left. They get their soft drinks, and they reflect on the future on a rooftop. Tsing-Fong notices a group of graduating schoolchildren and they remember their own childhood fondly. The film closes with a message reading: In youth, we have our dreams and our friends.

The acting is raw and Xiaowei, for some reason, seems to be trying to imitate a Mainland accent. Claire and Tsing-Fong's accents also seem more clipped than usual. The members' acting skills are alright for their first time, and Jiakai does surprisingly well. The 'climax scene' seems a little overacted, with A-gong looking too hysterical. I loled at the shot of him wielding the broomstick and the scene where Tsing-Fong destroys the computer. The storyline seems a little clichéd, but the film wasn't boring and the shooting as well as the editing was pristine, although there were a few weird cuts. All in all a decent and polished effort, considering the lighting-speed production period. The film is fast moving and has its moments. I would say the highlights of the mini-film would be getting to see sodagreen act for the first time and the debut of a new song, Silence is Boiling (安静在沸腾), which actually had a 30-second snippet leaked onto the web two years back. The song is up, and it is sounds to me like a Little Universe era sodagreen rock song, complete with an English hook ('I'm getting/heading on my way'). I like the song, although it sounds a little too anthemic.

Here is the film, with Simplified Character subtitles (Watch it in HD!):

蝉想 The Sound That Remains*- English translation

某个夏天 一座花园
沾满尘土的翅膀
那棵名以为我的树
招惹了一阵蝉榻
春天泛滥的痕迹
沦丧的温床

One summer, in a garden
Wings covered with dust
That tree named for me
Provoked a swarm of cicadas
Wound marks flooded by spring
A decayed breeding ground

爱呀 弄污了一个又一个胸膛
粉饰魔鬼的幻想
是我背叛地心磁场
让归巢的白鸽无法再回航
重伤的鱼在泥沼中挣扎

Oh love; it defiles one heart* after another
It whitewashes devilish fantasies
It was I who betrayed the magnetic core of the earth
Making doves going back to their nests unable to return
A severely injured fish struggles in the mud

夏蝉猛把天地叫窄
 容不下过去未来
蝴蝶夫人白费等待
换来断气的绚烂
点破容易看透难
都一身纠缠

The summer cicadas relentlessly call Heaven and Earth
Tolerating neither the past nor the future
Madame Butterfly waits in vain
In return for a splendid death
It is easy to lay bare the facts; it is hard to see through them clearly
Everything is entangled

爱呀 弄污了一个又一个胸膛
粉饰魔鬼的幻想
欲望掠夺后更穷凉
再认不得路回家

Oh love; it defiles one heart after another
It whitewashes devilish fantasies
After the desires were plundered I became poorer
Unable to find my way home again

我弄污了爱情的胸膛
背叛多年等待的梦想
再不能爱
也是活该

I defiled a heart of love
I betrayed a long awaited dream
Unable to love ever again
But I deserve it

只能短暂 所以大嚷

Things are only temporary
So I scream

Translator's notes:

*: The official English title of the song is 'The Sound That Remains'. Literally, the title is 'Cicada Thoughts'.
*: I translated '胸膛' as 'heart'. Literally, it means 'chest', but I feel that 'heart' sounds better in the translation while remaining true to the context.

他夏了夏天 Summer Summer- English translation

几点钟 结束梦
他按下闹钟
如往常 开始了一天生活
忙工作 忙收获
早餐吃什么
他和他 维持齿轮的脉搏

At what time does his dream end?
He silences his alarm clock,
As usual, beginning a day in his life
Busy working, busy earning
What's for breakfast?
He and he maintains the pulse of his gears

汗水在他的身上化成了彩虹
步伐的节奏延续生命的河流
默默在岗位战斗的每个小小英雄
富有和贫穷、卑微和伟大相同
他从不害怕自己被人群淹没
中午吃便当是他最大享受

The sweat on his body transforms into rainbows
The rhythm of his footsteps extends the river of life
All the little heroes fighting silently at their posts
The rich and poor, the humble and great are all the same
He never was afraid of being engulfed by a crowd
Having bento* for lunch is his greatest indulgence

几点钟 也许是
月出的时候
如往常 结束了一天工作
他心中 幻想着 晚餐吃什么
家里的 让他不怕往前冲

What time is it? Perhaps it is
The time when the moon is up
As usual, ending a day of work
In his heart, he fantasises about what he would have for dinner
What's at home makes him unafraid of rushing forward

疲累在他的身上化成了笑容
步伐的节奏开始不那么沉重
轻轻旋转着夏天地面闷热的晚风
平凡或特别、笨拙或聪明相同
他从不担心自己被世界折磨

甜蜜的负荷是他最大依托

The tiredness upon his body transform into a smile
The rhythm of his footsteps is no longer as heavy
But lightly spins with the warm summer wind
The common or extraordinary, the stupid or intelligent are all the same
He never worried of being tortured by the world
He relies on the most on his happy burden

带着笑容的睡意化成了彩虹
在他梦中一口气走上了星空
喧嚣地亮起整个夏天渴望的挥霍
清淡与浓烈、好与坏他都尝过
他从不介意自己被命运作弄
按下了闹钟开启另一个梦

That smiling sleepiness transforms into a rainbow
In his dreams, he walks up to the starry sky in a single breath
Boisterously illuminating the excesses desired by summer
The thick and thin, the good and bad- he’s tasted them all
He never before minded getting teased by fate
Resetting his alarm clock, he embarks upon another dream

Translator's notes:
*: Bento is a Japanese-style packed lunch popular all around Asia. 

Sodagreen to take part in the production of a mini-film

Recently, the SAW Oley's 'Drink a Toast to Youth' music project entered it's final stage of the shooting of a mini-film. Sodagreen, a band from Taiwan, will be the leads for the film, and they, together with the film crew, arrived in Beijing yesterday (21/3/12), where they engaged in a series of intense pre-production activities. The crew and sodagreen's management revealed that the film's title will be 'Graduation Ceremony', and that all the members of sodagreen would act in the film.



As filming just commenced, all parties involved in the film have been secretive about the script and the storyline. It would be interesting to find out what kind of roles the vastly different members of sodagreen would be playing, and what the band's involvement would spark in the film. The suspense is making many fans of sodagreen unable to wait for the film's release, eagerly awaiting the film's release, as well as the band members' interpretation of their roles. The film will debut exclusively on Sohu at the end of March, so we will wait and see.

Source: huanqiu.com
This is a translated article.

当我们一起走过 As We Walked Together- English translation

我们都曾有过 风雨过后的沉重
形同陌路的口 但心却还流通
当我们一起走过 这些伤痛的时候
包着碎裂的心 继续下一个梦

We have all experienced heaviness after tribulations
Like unfamiliar intersections; but our hearts still went on
When we walked together through these painful times
We wrapped up our shattered hearts and continued to dream

也知道 我们并不会退缩
狂奔的念头 不曾停止温柔
一直到 将来我们都成熟
就不再困惑 生命有多少过错

You also know that we would never really retreat
Our thoughts of rushing never really stopped us from being gentle
All the way till we mature some time in the future
We would never agonise over how many mistakes were made in life

我 在旷野漂流 漂流的尽头
就是你爱的宽容
你 眼底的温柔 也为我保留
心的寄托

I wander in the wilderness; at the end of the wandering
Would be the acceptance of your love
The gentleness in your eyes helped me preserve
And sustain my heart

过去种种抵挡我的手 掌握
不管那有多困难重重
你慈悲的手中 有心的窗口
这就是保留 这就是宽容

The many things that resisted my hands- I took control of them
Not caring about how hard things were
In your merciful hands was a window to the heart
You preserved it and you sustained it

我 在旷野漂流 漂流的尽头
就是你爱的宽容
你 眼底的温柔 也为我保留
心的寄托

I wander in the wilderness; at the end of the wandering
Would be the acceptance of your love
The gentleness in your eyes helped me preserve
And sustain my heart

有多少苦痛有你和我一起度过 一起承受
有多少快乐有你和我一起享受 一起感动

How much pain have you gone through with me, enduring everything with me?
How much joy have you enjoyed with me, being moved by things with me?

茧 Cocoon- English translation

建造一个 白色的房间
我身上 缠了线
四周只剩 哀伤而纯洁
我努力 想蜕变 却又裹足不前

Building a white room

My body wrapped with thread
Around me only sadness and purity
I strive to metamorphosize, but then I hesitate

静静的河 流过我眉眼
透明又无邪 蜿蜒紧闭的心田
缓缓的月 遗留我指尖
温暖但试炼 我的自虐
未干的翅叶

A quiet river runs down my face

Transparent and unblemished; a meandering, tightly shut heart
The slow moon lingers on my fingertip
Warm but full of trials; my self-inflicted pain
Wings that have yet to dry

由死而生 挖空了心思
吐出了 最缠绵
从繁至简 磨厚了疲倦
流血了 也想飞 将要重见世界

Life from death; after emptying my thoughts

Spitting out something most soft and moving
Simplification from sophistication; thickening my weariness
Bleeding but still wishing to fly, going to see the world again

长长的河 流过我眉眼
透明又无邪 蜿蜒紧闭的心田
深深的月 遗留我指尖
温暖但试炼 我的自虐 未干的翅叶

A quiet river runs down my face

Transparent and unblemished; a meandering, tightly shut heart
The slow moon lingers on my fingertip
Warm but full of trials; my self-inflicted pain
Wings that have yet to dry

隔离了一切
轻放自己的知觉
抛弃的 让我学会

Isolation from everything
Gently letting go of my consciousness
The things I abandoned taught me much

纷纷的年 穿梭我耳边
晃荡又沉淀 洗净生命的语言
攘攘的夜 远离我之内
淡定但淘选 我的一切
未知的瞬间

Years after years pass by my ears

Shaking and sinking, they cleanse the language of life
That mystifying night distances itself from my soul
Calming but eradicating all that I am
In a moment yet to be known

燕窝 Bird's Nest- English translation

我越唱越颓废 像不曾去计算这季节
我让声音煮沸 想知道谁会心碎
我越嚼越沉醉 像分不清珍贵或废铁
我让眼泪佐味 炖糖份甜美遮掩
不曾为你端出台面 是我心血

The more I sing, the more decadent I become, like I never thought this would happen
I let my voice boil, wanting to know whose heart would break
The more I chew the more engrossed I become, like I cannot distinguish valuable goods from scrap metal
I let my tears act as garnish; pure sugar will cover it with sweetness
What I never served before you was my blood, sweat and tears*

这么 唱歌唱呀唱得唱出愚昧
这样 飞呀飞的飞出了天边
换来一盆滋味
这么 梦想梦呀梦得梦出伟大
这样 盖呀盖得盖出一个家
众人一致曰傻 I don't care

Like this, I sing and sing and sing of my foolishness
Flying, flying, flying out of the horizon
In exchange for a pot of flavour
Like this, I dream and dream and dream of great things
Building, building, building a home
The people unanimously declare this foolish; I don’t care

我抖落一身黑 像不曾去观赏自己的美
我看自己的嘴 想熬成白的圣洁
我放弃了方位 像不在乎滴湿自己的眉
我看自己坠毁 来成就你的心肺
不曾为你编进册页 是我失眠

I shake off my darkness, like I never once admired my own beauty
I looked at my mouth, and I wanted it to be boiled into pure sanctity
I abandoned my position, like I never once wet my eyebrows
I watched myself descend into destruction, to fulfil the desires of your heart
That I never once wrote of you in the pages makes me sleepless at night

这么 唱歌唱呀唱得唱出愚昧
这样 飞呀飞得飞出了天边
换来一盆滋味
这么 梦想梦呀梦得梦出伟大
这样 盖呀盖得盖出一个家
浓缩一杯痴傻 I don't care

Like this, I sing and sing and sing of my foolishness
Flying, flying, flying out of the horizon
In exchange for a pot of flavour
Like this, I dream and dream and dream of great things
Building, building, building a home
Concentrating a cup of foolishness; I don’t care

尊严 多么地迂回
人总是费心爱着消失的一切
无畏 多么地纯粹
让我明知危险就往哪里追

Dignity- it’s such a roundabout thing
Men often painstakingly love things that will disappear
Fearlessness- it’s so pure
Let me rush towards wherever I know the danger is

我这么 唱歌唱呀唱得唱出愚昧
这样 飞呀飞出我的生命线
换来一盆滋味
这么 梦想梦呀梦得梦出伟大
这样 盖呀盖出保护你的家
若你曾经感伤 值得

Like this, I sing and sing and sing of my foolishness
I fly and fly out of my lifeblood
In exchange for a pot of flavour
Like this, I dream and dream and dream of great things
Building and building a home to protect you
If you were hurt before, it was worth it

我要 唱呀唱进你的心房
看我 飞呀飞的飞到了天堂
不如将我遗忘

I want to sing and sing (a song) into your heart
Watch me fly and fly up to heaven
Why not forget me

我要 梦想梦呀梦见我的光芒
看我 盖呀盖得盖上一碗汤
完美一字不差 I don't care

I want to dream, dream and dream of my glory
See me build and build a bowl of soup
Perfection- nothing less; I don’t care

Translator's notes:
*: '心血' (xinxue) does not actually translate directly to 'blood, sweat and tears', but it literally means 'blood of the heart'. Basically, it means that great effort was put into something. Thus, I found it appropriate to translate it like I did.

喜歡寂寞 Enjoy* Loneliness- English translation

扬起了灰尘 回忆里一场梦
那照片里的人 瞳孔曾住着我
阖上了过往 梦境活成河流
已滋润了身旁 真实中的脉搏
生命来到窗前 不吭一声 拎走了我们
谁为情所困 谁为爱牺牲 谁比谁深刻

Lifting the dust off a dream in my memories
The person in that photograph- her eyes once gazed at me
Closing up the past, my dreams become a stream
Lubricating the pulse of the truth all around me
Life comes before the window, carrying us away without making a sound
Who is perplexed because of relationships, who made sacrifices for love, whose feelings are deeper?

当时奋不顾身伸出我的手
看见了轮廓就当作宇宙
甜美的习惯变成生活 才了解了什么
如今故事发展成就一个我
学会了生活能享受寂寞
剧烈的语言变成温柔 又带来了什么
若是不曾走过 怎么懂

At that time, I selflessly stretched out my hand
Looking at just a corner, I took it to be the universe
Sweet habits turned into daily routines, and what have I understood from this?
Now the story has developed and made me who I am
Learning that you can enjoy loneliness in life
Passionate language turns into tenderness, and what has this brought me?
If I had not walked this path, how would I know?

翻飞了往事 有时灼伤眼眸
那伤人的台词 现在听来轻松
平息了心思 有时一笑而过
我此刻的样子 见风仍然是风
生命吹过面前 不吭一声 划成了掌纹
挥霍了缘份 看透了景色 我懂得深刻

Flying past the past, sometimes my eyes would burn
Those hurtful (actor’s) lines are now easy to listen to
Calming my heart’s thoughts, sometimes I can laugh things off
The state I am in now; if you see the wind it is still the wind
Life blows before us, etching palms without making a sound
Squandering affinity, seeing through the scenery, and I deeply understand

当时奋不顾身伸出我的手 看见了轮廓就当作宇宙
甜美的习惯变成生活 才了解了什么
如今故事发展成就一个我 学会了生活能享受寂寞
剧烈的语言变成温柔 又带来了什么
若是不曾走过 怎么懂

At that time, I selflessly stretched out my hand
Looking at just a corner, I took it to be the universe
Sweet habits turned into daily routines, and what have I understood from this?
Now the story has developed and made me who I am
Learning that you can enjoy loneliness in life
Passionate language turns into tenderness, and what has this brought me?
If I had not walked this path, how would I know?

Translator's notes:

*: The English word for '喜歡 (xihuan)' in the song's title means 'to like' rather than 'to enjoy'. However, I felt that translating the title as 'Like Loneliness' as many have done would serve only to confuse readers about the title's meaning. When the word 'enjoy' appeared in the chorus, it was translated from '享受 (xiangshou)', which really means 'to enjoy'. That being said, I believe that my translating the title as 'Enjoy Loneliness' does not alter the title's meaning.