這首歌就我個人而言，算是神曲了。
我很喜歡那種用力氣吶喊演唱的歌，能有這樣的power的爵士樂真的不好找。
不過這首歌雖然是英文，但演唱者跟演奏的樂團卻都是日本人。
本曲收錄於同樣是泡沫時代神作爵士風格動畫「星際牛仔」電影版「天國之扉」的原聲帶
「 Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door: Future Blues」之中
(電影版標題是knockin' on Heaven's Door，然後片尾曲是Gotta Knock a Little Harder，很可以)
演唱者是山根麻衣，也是一位唱歌很用力的歌手，星際牛仔的片尾曲「The real folk blues」也是她唱的。
不過我要推的版本不是原版的，是Platina Jazz的翻唱版：
演唱者是Douglas Unger，查了一下沒有我有印象的事蹟，不過唱這首感覺真的不錯。
當然原版山根麻衣唱得也很棒，有興趣的可以去youtube找來聽。
以下是歌詞翻譯：
Happiness is just a word to me (#1)
幸福對我來說只是一個字
And it might have meant a thing or two If I had known the difference (#2)
如果我已經知道其差異，那可能曾意味著一件或兩件事。
Emptiness, a lonely parody And my life,
another smokin' gun A sign of my indifference(#3)
另一把冒煙的槍，象徵著我的平凡乏味
Always keepin' safe inside
總是照顧好自己的內心
Where no one ever had a chance To penetrate a break in
沒人有機會可以直直闖入
Let me tell you some have tried
我告訴你某人已試過
But I would slam the door so tight That they could never get in
但我會用力地緊緊關上門使得他們永遠無法進來
Kept my cool under a lock and key (#4)
在封閉中保持我的冷酷
And I never shed a tear Another sign of my condition (#5)
我從不流淚，曝露出我的狀況
Fear of love or bitter vanity That kept me on the run
對愛或令人痛苦的虛榮心帶來的恐懼不停驅趕著我
The main events at my confession (#6)
去懺悔的主因
I kept a chain upon my door (#7)
總是鎖上我的心門
That would shake the shame of Cain Into a blind submission (#8)
好擺脫殺人的恥辱將其轉為盲從
The burning ghost without a name
燃燒的鬼魂沒有名字
Was still calling all the same(#9)
不停地呼喚著
But I just wouldn't listen
但我就是不願去聽
The longer I'd stall
我拖得越久
The further I'd crawl
我爬得更遠
The further I'd crawl
我爬得更遠
The harder I'd fall
我跌得越痛
I was crawlin into the fire(#10)
此時我正爬入火焰之中
The more that I saw
The further I'd fall
The further I'd fall
The lower I'd crawl
I kept fallin' into the fire
(跟上段相同就不翻了)
(間奏)
Suddenly it occurred to me
突然間意外降臨到我身上
The reason for the run and hide Had totaled my existence
生存已成了我逃跑與躲藏的全部理由
Everything left on the other side (#11)
被留在另一面的所有事物
Could never be much worse than this But could I go the distance (#12)
再怎麼糟也沒糟到讓我撐不到最後
I faced the door and all my shame
我面對那門與所有的恥辱
Tearin' off each piece of chain
撕開每一段鎖鏈
Until they all were broken
直到他們被破壞
But no matter how I tried
但無論我如何嘗試
The other side was locked so tight The door it wouldn't open
另一邊依然鎖得如此緊以至於無法打開
Give it all that I got
獻上我的所有
And started to knock Shouted for someone To open the lock
並開始去踢，為了某人而吶喊，好打開那鎖
I just gotta break through the door
我只是要突破這扇門
Harder that I knocked
我踢得越用力
The hotter I got
得到越多熱情
The hotter I got
得到越多熱情
The harder I knocked
我踢得更用力
I just gotta break through the door
我只是要突破這扇門
Gotta knock a little harder
踢得更用力一點
Gotta knock a little harder
踢得更用力一點
Gotta knock a little harder
踢得更用力一點
Break through the door
突破那扇門
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
(Take away)
(間奏)
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
I got ... I ...
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Gotta knock a little harder
Break through the door
I got...I got...I got...I got....I got...
Gotta knock a little harder
(本段與原曲不同，應該是即興演出)
(其實我覺得原曲歌詞也是即興地唱)
翻完覺得太多很詩意的表達了，有很多我自己覺得翻得有點牽強啦。但這首歌做為天國之扉的片尾曲，我覺得韻味很夠，十分貼切主題了。
備註：
#1 這句話的意思就是說幸福對我毫無意義，或者可以延伸為沒有體驗過幸福的意思
#2 在進一步描述前一段，沒有體驗過幸福的感覺
#3 暗示殺手的人生，一把冒煙的槍暗示著已發射，可能殺過了人
#4 under a lock and key查了康橋字典的意思有所上，關押的意思，但我覺得翻成封閉更就夠了
#5 翻得非常牽強的一段，其實原意應該是眼淚是我的狀況的另一個象徵，但這樣直翻太難聽且不通順
#6 一樣翻得很牽強，原意是對愛與虛榮的恐懼是我在告解時的主要事項，就禱告時主要在懺悔這兩件事這樣
#7 這邊的door我覺得不只是封閉的心門，甚至是在暗示天堂之扉
#8 Shame of Cain翻成殺人的恥辱是聖經梗，因為該隱是聖經神話史中第一個殺人犯，也呼應了歌曲中主角的殺手身分
#9 其實原意不是不停呼喚，是依然依然在呼喚，聽起來太拗口了
#10 過去進行式，我覺得這是在隱喻走向地獄的意涵就是，所以才想踢開天堂之扉
#11 暗指門的另一面，而這個門就是天堂之扉
#12 Go the Distance與其翻成堅持到比賽結束不如就翻成堅持到最後，never be much worse than，這比較級用法應該是no more than的應用變體吧我覺得，所以就翻成再怎麼糟也沒糟到撐不下去。
參考文獻：
https://reurl.cc/R4vNan
https://reurl.cc/Njqvan
https://reurl.cc/pdLlxa
創作內容
英文歌翻譯：Gotta Knock a Little Harder
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