This time, I tried translating the lyrics for "No Line on the Horizon". The song is deep...if you read between the lines. (ここでは、「行間を読む」や「隠れた意味を読み取る」という意味。たまに、「空気を読む」という意味もある。)
The horizon, of course, is the line that separates earth from sky; it's where the the sea meets the sky. If you are a beach goer like me, you've probably seen a phenomenon where there's a blur (もや・かすみ) where the water touches the sky. The line we expect to see (the horizon) is not there, and we get this feeling of overwhelming uncertainty. (押し寄せるような不確かさ) Everything is vague(ぼんやりしている) and we wonder, "Where does the water end and where does the sky begin?"
This is the album cover of U2's CD, "No Line on the Horizon". This picture seems contrary to (反する) the title. There are two solid lines on the horizon which seem to emphasize the fact that there IS a horizon. But I think U2 wanted to draw our attention to the horizon on purpose. Symbolically, the horizon often means barriers, boundaries, walls, and limits. By drawing our attention to the horizon, yet singing about "no line on the horizon", U2 is perhaps reminding us that the barriers and limits that we believe to be there are often created by our own imagination... There really isn't anything that's limiting us, but ourselves.
(これがU2の"No Line on the Horizon"のアルバムカバー。この写真を見る限り、「水平線に線はない」というタイトルと反しているように見える。2本のくっきりとした線が、かえって水平線の存在を強調しているかのように見える。でも、我々の意識をわざと水平線に引くのがU2の本当の狙いだったのではないのだろうか。水平線はよ く、障害物、壁、限界などを象徴する。U2は我々の意識をわざと水平線に向けながらも 「水平線に線がない」 という歌を歌う事によって、我々があると信じている障害物の正体は、我々のイマジネーションに過ぎないと言っているのではないのだろうか。我々を遮っているものは本当は何もない。自分達以外は。)
Enjoy!
I know a girl who’s like the sea 海みたいな女の子を僕は知っている I watch her changing every day for me 毎日僕のために姿を変える彼女を見つめる Oh yeah Oh oh oh oh
One day she’s still, the next she swells 静まり返っていたり、大きくうねったり You can hear the universe in her sea shells 彼女の貝殻からは宇宙が聴こえるんだ Oh yeah Oh oh oh oh, ooh
No, no line on the horizon 水平線に線はない No line 境界がない
I know a girl with a hole in her heart 心に穴の開いた女の子を僕は知っている She said infinity is a great place to start 無限という出発点は最高だと彼女は言っていた Oh oh oh oh
“Time is irrelevant, it’s not linear.” 「時間なんて関係ない、まっすぐじゃないから」 Then she put her tongue in my ear そして、彼女は僕の耳に舌を押し当てた Ah Oh oh oh oh
No, no line on the horizon 水平線に線はない No, no line 境界がない
No, no line on the horizon 水平線に線はない No, no line 隔てるものはない
Oh, oh, oh, oh Oh, oh, oh, oh
The songs in your head are now on my mind きみの頭の中で鳴っていた歌は、今僕の中にある You put me on pause きみは僕のポーズボタンを押す I’m trying to rewind 僕は巻き戻して And replay 再生しようとしている
Every night I have the same dream 毎晩同じ夢を見る I’m hatching some plot, scheming some scheme 僕はたくらんでいる、何かをたくらんでいる Oh yeah Oh oh oh oh
I’m a traffic cop, rue du Marais 僕はMarais通りの交通警官 The sirens wailing サイレンがけたたましく鳴っている But it’s me that wants to get away でも、逃げ出したいのはこの僕だ Oh oh oh oh, ooh
No, no line on the horizon 水平線に線はない No, no line 隔てるものはない
Saturday started off like a stormy day. The waves were high and choppy (波の面が荒れている状態), and for a weekend surfer (me!) they looked very unwelcoming. So...instead of jumping in the water like a hard-core(筋金入りの) surfer, I took the easy route and hopped on my bicycle and pedaled down to the New Enoshima Aquarium, where I have a one-year pass.
Though I missed the exciting dolphin show, I was able to see the ever so adorable (と~っても可愛い) HONUs (ウミガメin Hawaiian) and an interesting eel.
Of course we can expect to see eels at aquariums. But this particular eel was swimming in a tank next to a Christmas tree.
The Christmas tree at the Enoshima Aquarium is lit up from the electricity of this electric eel! Now, THAT'S eco-friendly, isn't it?
When I saw it, I said to myself, "That's it! I'm getting eels for my electricity bills!" ( You can check out the eco-Christmas tree here. )
Or better yet(あるいは・いっそのこと), car manufacturers should forget trying to come up with EVs with new lithium ion batteries. They're too heavy! They should consider powering EVs with electric eels! Can you imagine all the EVs driving around town with tanks with electric eels in them? "Swim, eel! Swim! My car is slowing down!" LOL (laughing out loud;(笑)の英語版)
It's clean energy, right? Isn't that just an electrifying(衝撃的な・shocking) idea, guys?!