【島嶼翻譯：讓 A-Bao 的《母親的舌頭》走向英文世界】
想起阿爆團隊 (A-Bao) 會將自己的官方MV全部翻譯成英文。這幾天，用通勤的閒暇時間，將日前在臉書發佈，觀賞阿爆的台北專場感想，稍作改寫，也譯成英文。願將這份母語音樂背後的故事，用島嶼以外的人或許能理解的語言，傳遞出去。（這篇另外找到的文章也可以讓英文母語人士認識阿爆）
如果周圍還有住在英文世界的朋友，想要更多認識臺灣原住民的文化，卻還在猶豫要不要跨出這一步，可以介紹給他們這張耐聽又細膩的電音母語作品——《母親的舌頭》。
之前在台北專場的時候，主持人有說：現場不可以拍照錄音⋯⋯卻沒有 tag 他們。（斷句真的很有戲，回想起來還是很好笑）所以我仍想要對 A-Bao阿爆（阿仍仍） 說：「我相信，臺灣母語的美，世界一定會聽見。tua napakiumalj tjanuaken.」
△阿爆教我的事——萬紫千紅的島嶼
（原篇名：阿爆 Legacy 台北專場感想文）
中文第一版 傳送門
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A Lesson From A-Bao: A Colorful Island
(Original title: Thoughts On A-Bao’s Live in Legacy, Taipei, 2020)
Created & translated by Chih-Yuan Ko
nika sun napacun tjanuaken, (Even if you've never heard of me) ljakua a ku varung i tjanusun, (But my faith and belief are with you) langedau... (Listen) langedau... (Listen) lemangeda sun tua ku kai, (Can you hear me) kiljavaravaran aken tjanusun, (I've been talking to you) langedau... (Listen) langedau... (Listen) pacuni... (With your heart) langedau... (Listen) azua tja kinakaian, (Our language is there, so natural) bulay aravac aia. (It's so beautiful) azua tja kinakaian, (What we say is accustomed) bulay aravac aia. (It's so beautiful) —— Lyricist: A-Bao, Ai Jing From the album, "Kinakaian" (Mother's Tongue) translated lyrics
Foreword: Leaving A-Bao’s live in Legacy
Before A-Bao embarks on the tour in Kaosiung, I would like to share some thoughts about the show in Taipei. Just some personal feeling rather than a spoiler.
Below this post, I will also recommend a couple of electronic songs worth experiencing. The Paiwan language is beautiful, far beyond imagination.
“I don’t understand.”
I want to share the experience at the beginning of this year. At that time, I recommended A-Bao’s “Mother’s Tongue” to a friend. When he heard me say, “This is a Paiwan (An indigenous tribe in Taiwan) album,” he immediately declared, “No interest.”
“I am not indigenous, and I don’t understand their language,” he said.
At that time, I didn’t say anything in particular and left the party. Strolling on the road, I realized a paradox. Because in January, the Spanish song “Despacito” just swept the world. Passing a clothing store, I paused. Not sure how many Taiwanese people can truly understand the lyrics in “Despacito” word by word. You hear it everywhere in the Taipei city; various amateur covers and live activities lead to singing this hit.
I’m curious, is it just a question of “language” when a person subconsciously refuse to listen to a certain kind of music? Still, the words not spoken are the longer dilemmas.
“Some native music is just not cool enough.”
No one has answered me like that, and I think many people have not said it, or have not thought about it, to clarify the complex emotions in their hearts.
It’s more likely to be other reasons that I cannot figure.
I don’t think the singer’s language should be the only necessary focus for an album. The music itself is enough to form a powerful speech that spans cultures, time, and space.
Arai Soichiro, The producer of A-Bao’s last album, once said:
”When the relationship between the singer and the music is reasonable at first, let’s subsequently consider the responsibility of the so-called mother tongue music.”
The challenge faced by creators is the question of “doing well enough”; the choice faced by the audience is the difference of “whether they are willing to give music a chance.”
Reality is narrow, whereas music is always open.
If you are willing to try and click, this wonderful world may have a big step nearer to you.
That is how I experienced it.
The Fetal Movement
In Taipei’s Legacy, looking at A-Bao and Dizparity on the stage, I recalled the “Mother’s Tongue” album’s origin. These fragments accumulated from countless A-Bao’s interviews that constructed how I imagined this marvelous piece’s birth.
After finishing the band sound album, “Vavayan,” winning the Golden Melody Award, A-Bao has been driving around Taiwan’s east coast.
In the past, she thought she was not familiar with electronic music. If she wanted to use this tool to write native songs, she needed to master it accurately. I have to admit that compared to a songwriter like me, she is an ultimately motivated creator. She had been an artist for more than fifteen years but is willing to humble like a child, completely self-taught a new musical language.
With the round-the-island sound project, she stayed much time in the car. She spent at least a year in particular, from the Nordic, experimental, top 100 DJs, various electronic music playlists, to find works that suit her taste, and continue to ruminate. She gradually builds a set of individual’s electronic sound aesthetics.
With this sound project, A-Bao also collects many ancient tribal folks. In this era of the endangered traditional culture, they desperately seek out natives who are familiar with the content, recorded, and collected into “Nawuwa” (meaning “beautiful” in the Paiwan language) website.
All these things are a long-term tug of war. The opponent is called “Time.”
She started to write songs all the way, from the first song “1-10” of the album recorded in October 2018 to the last song “Mother’s Tongue,” the final stop.
In the process, these tribal, ancient tunes are also delicately interspersed in many hidden places of this album. When the guitarist Yan-Pei Xu was recording, he chose a few bridges, surprisingly arranged the guitar strumming style typical to the native tribes, forming a unique sound. These cool elements, people who have been to the tribe, would have their eyes widened.
These sounds are so beautiful that I should never be able to write such notes.
A-Bao and the composing partner, Dizparity, the leading arranger of this album, hope that they will not overly affect each other’s creation. The two have reached unique and weird chemistry that they do not need to meet each other frequently. However, they can bring together the ideas accumulated over the years in their composition career.
In the final stage, producer Shao-Yong Huang took the mastering tape and flew to Las Vegas. After Luca Pretolesi’s skillful hands, the team finally witnessed this trendy native language creation.
For a foreign language speaker who wants to understand Taiwanese culture, perhaps in their minds, there is not much difference between the Paiwan language and Chinese. They are all utterly unfamiliar to these speakers.
In one of the interviews, A-Bao talked about the official MV she released, showing English subtitles because this album can beckon to listeners worldwide. It was even later discovered that foreign listeners were particularly interested in Taiwan’s native music and were willing to explore further.
Suddenly, I was pulled back to reality by the electric guitar solo, standing in front of the stage in Legacy, Taipei. The rhythm was strong, and the crowd in Legacy naturally shook their heads. I listened to the performance and took photos. I realized a subtle frequency in the audience that was right about our toes and necks.
In this space, what led us was not some language that can be named or spoken. At that moment, I felt that something in the air finally crossed all kinds of barriers, making us genuinely encountered and united.
A-Bao’s Ongoing Mission
Most of the latest album’s songs were performed in the first half. However, the second half was more aggressive, challenging the ear’s sound pressure tolerance.
After the performance, my ears were swollen, and feel the brain was a little dizzy, but it was gratifying indeed. Leaving the scene, sitting at the MRT, I typed down some feelings of the songs heard tonight.
I recalled the end of the show. A-Bao’s sweat dripped on her face. Before she presented the last song of the night, she told us that had been thinking that if one day she has a concert, it would be a pity if all the people listened to her singing alone. Because there are plenty of talented friends around her, it is better to invite them from tribes nationwide, introduce them on stage.
Indeed, we have gone through a complete process: from the opening guest žž Wei-Chi, the entertaining hosts on the small stage, the big dance, the two special guests from Taitung Changbin Junior High School. They are all A-Bao’s indigenous friends Taiwanwide.
It reminds me of a true story.
She once talked about it in an interview. Because she grew up in Kaohsiung, the Han friends asked her out of curiosity: “How to count the numbers in the Paiwan language?” She said with a little regret that she could only count from one to seven. One to seven — that was A-Bao’s limit at that time.
In the “Mother’s Tongue” album, A-Bao needs to count from one to ten in the Paiwan language in the song “1-10”. So she asked for help from her mother, who is familiar with the Paiwan language. In the studio, when she wanted to confirm the pronunciation, she called her mother, started the amplification, repeated practice until the mother said, “pass.”
Repeatedly, step by step, A-Bao finally put back together with the lost puzzles she should have had as a Paiwan tribe member.
Due to Taiwan’s irreversible history, indigenous people have to work harder to trace back, collect all identity pieces, and chase the ancestor spirit’s call. As Han members, we may not understand the heaviness enough.
A-Bao said that the audience saw many performers this evening. Their skin color, clothing, gender, race, and mother tongue may differ from those we have been familiar with since childhood. However, these do not prevent us from knowing and communicating with each other through music.
(Note: I can’t remember the exact wording, merely convey the speech’s abstract.)
“Today’s indigenous people in Taiwan have their unique looks. We are no longer what you thought.”
After the declaration, the applause was thunderous and unstoppable.
At this moment, tears welled up in our eyes.
I guess this is the sacred power of music.
tua nakiljivak tjanuaken,
(For all who love me)
tua napapulevan tjanuaken,
(Dedicated to all who bring me happiness)
tua napakiumalj tjanuaken,
(Dedicated to all who change me)
tua napapupicul tjanuaken.
(Dedicated to all who strengthen me)
—— Lyricist: A-Bao, Ai Jing
From the album, "Thank you" (Mother's Tongue) translated lyrics
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Author & photographer: Chih-Yuan Ko
