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This series of posts covers Japanese songs, along with their lyrics, and translations so you can make sure you learn every word.
When translating Japanese, and especially for things like subtitles which are timed, there are times when the English translation sounds more natural when the line order is switched or combined, based on how the lines are broken apart in the lyrics in Japanese and the word order, since for instance what is sometimes said at the end of the sentence would be the beginning of what’s said in the English sentence. There are also times where something doesn’t match nuance, and so what’s said is actually somewhat changed. However when going the interpretation route versus direct translation route, the translation won’t always follow the flow, and also roughly match the English translation line by line. Since this is a song, and the musical emotion is timed with the Japanese lyrics, I’ve kept it as close to the Japanese flow as possible as far as what line corresponds to the English translation. Needless to say this might sound unnatural in English or a bit like Yoda in places, but butcher the song’s flow I want not!
For this one, let’s do: Plastic Love (Mariya Takeuchi) プラスティック・ラブ｜竹内まりや
Lyrics:
With the sudden kiss and hot look
[Verse 2]
突然のキスや 熱いまなざしで
Don’t derail the Love Program
恋のプログラムを 狂わせないでね
Devote oneself skillfully to hellos and goodbyes
出逢いと別れ 上手に打ち込んで
When the time comes it’s over, don’t hurry!
時間がくれば終わる Don’t hurry!
[バース2]
Wounded by love, ever since that day it’s always
愛に傷ついた あの日からずっと
Continuing the life of day and night reversed,
昼と夜が逆の 暮らしを続けて
At the popular disco, while dancing through the night,
はやりのDiscoで 踊り明かすうちに
It’s magic one learns, I’m sorry!
おぼえた魔術なのよ I’m sorry![Chorus 1]
[コーラス1]
Make sure not to really love me
わたしのことを決して 本気で愛さないで
Love is just a game, if you enjoy it that’s fine
恋なんてただのゲーム 楽しめばそれでいいの
Decorate your closed heart with a flashy dress and shoes
閉ざした心を飾る 派手なドレスも靴も
Lonely friends
孤独な友達[Chorus 2]
[コーラス2]
The people who call for me are always so sarcastic
わたしを誘う人は 皮肉なものね いつも
They’re all like him and for some reason pile up the memories
彼に似てるわなぜか 思い出と重なり合う
Even if a glass drops and suddenly moved to tears
グラスを落として急に 涙ぐんでも
Don’t ask the reason why
わけは尋ねないでね[Verse 2]
[バース2]
Wounded by love, ever since that day it’s always
愛に傷ついた あの日からずっと
Continuing the life of day and night reversed,
昼と夜が逆の 暮らしを続けて
At the popular disco, while dancing through the night,
はやりのDiscoで 踊り明かすうちに
It’s magic one learns
おぼえた魔術なのよ I’m sorry![Chorus 1]
[コーラス1]
Make sure not to really love me
わたしのことを決して 本気で愛さないで
Love is just a game, if you enjoy it that’s fine
恋なんてただのゲーム 楽しめばそれでいいの
Decorate your closed heart with a flashy dress and shoes
閉ざした心を飾る 派手なドレスも靴も
Lonely friends
孤独な友達[Verse 3]
[バース3]
Around the time I fell asleep on the late night highway,
夜更けの高速で 眠りにつくころ
With only a halogen light suspiciously shining
ハロゲンライトだけ 妖しく輝く
“I’m a woman cold like ice”
氷のように冷たい女だと
Even if that’s the whispering voice, don’t worry!
ささやく声がしても Don’t worry![Outro]
[アウトロ]
I’m just playing games
I know that’s plastic love
Dance to the plastic beat
Another morning comes
I’m just playing games
I know that’s plastic love
Dance to the plastic beat
Another morning comes
I’m just playing games
I know that’s plastic love
Dance to the plastic beat
Another morning comes
Word List:
(definitions and readings match usage in the song)
| 突然 | とつぜん | Sudden |
| キス | Kiss | |
| 熱い | あつい | Hot |
| 眼差し | まなざし | A look |
| 恋 | こい | Love |
| プログラム | Program | |
| 狂わせる | くるわせる | Derail; put out of order; drive mad |
| 出合い | であい | Encounter |
| 別れ | わかれ | Parting; separation |
| `上手に | Skillfully | |
| 打ち込む | うちこむ | Devote onself to; drive in |
| 時間 | じかん | Time |
| 暮れる | くれる | To get dark; to end |
| 終わる | おわる | To finish; to end |
| 愛 | あい | Love |
| 傷つく | きずつく | To get injured |
| あの日 | あのひ | That day; one day |
| ずっと | The whole time | |
| 昼 | ひる | Daytime |
| 夜 | よる | Night |
| 逆 | ぎゃく | Reverse; opposite |
| 暮らし | くらし | Living |
| 続ける | つづける | To continue |
| はやり | Fashion; fad | |
| ディスコ | Disco | |
| 踊り明かす | おどりあかす | To dance all night |
| ～うちに | While; during | |
| 覚える | おぼえる | To remember; to memorize |
| 魔術 | 魔術 | Magic; sorcery |
| 私 | わたし | I; me |
| こと | Thing; matter; fact | |
| 決して | けして | Never; by no means |
| 本気 | ほんき | Serious; truth |
| 愛す | あいす | To love |
| なんて | Such as; (things) like; exclamation | |
| ただ | Ordinary; simply; common | |
| ゲーム | Game | |
| 楽しめる | たのしめる | To (be able to) enjoy |
| それでいい | それでいい | That’s fine |
| 閉ざす | とざす | To shut; to close |
| 心 | こころ | Heart |
| 飾る | かざる | To decorate |
| 立派 | りっぱ | Fine; splendid |
| ドレス | Dress | |
| 靴 | くつ | Shoes |
| 孤独 | こどく | Lonely |
| 友だち | ともだち | Friend(s) |
| 誘う | さそう | To invite; to ask; to temp |
| 人 | ひと | Person; people |
| 皮肉 | ひにく | cynicism; irony; sarcasm |
| いつも | Always | |
| 彼 | かれ | He; him |
| 似る | にる | To resemble |
| なぜか | Somehow; fore some reason | |
| 思い出 | おもいで | (a) memory |
| 重なり合う | かさなりあう | To pile up; to overlap |
| グラス | Glass | |
| 落とす | おとす | To drop |
| 急に | きゅうに | Suddenly |
| 涙ぐむ | なみだぐむ | To be moved to tears |
| わけ | Reason; meaning | |
| 尋ねる | たずねる | To ask; to inquire |
| 夜更け | よふけ | Late at night |
| 高速 | こうそく | High speed; freeway |
| 眠りにつく | ねむりにつく | To fall asleep |
| ころ | (approximate time) | |
| ハロゲンライト | Halogen light | |
| だけ | Only | |
| 妖しい | あやしい | Suspicious; doubtful |
| 輝く | かがやく | To shine |
| 氷 | こおり | Ice |
| のように | Similar to; like | |
| 冷たい | つめたい | Cold (to touch) |
| 女 | おんな | Woman |
| 囁く | ささやく | To whisper |
| 声 | こえ | Voice |
