Pop Culture 董小姐 Miss Dong

董小姐
Dǒng xiǎo jiě
Miss Dong

演唱：宋冬野
yǎn chàng ：Sòng Dōng Yě

作词：宋冬野
zuò cí ：Sòng Dōng Yě

作曲：宋冬野
zuò qǔ ：Sòng Dōng Yě
 

Intro:

"Miss Dong (董小姐, Dǒng xiǎo jiě)"  is a song written by 25-year-old Beijing indie pop singer-songwriter Song Dongye (宋冬野, Sòng Dōng Yě), later popularized by Zuo Li (左立, Zuǒ Lì), a contestant of Super Boy (快乐男声, kuài lè nán shēng, an all-male TV singing competition).

Although this indie pop song has been popular among Chinese “artistic youth” [hipsters] for some time, it didn’t reach the broader public until Zuo Li covered it.
 

Lyrics (Original Chinese, Pinyin,  English Translation):

董小姐 你从没忘记你的微笑 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ cóng méi wàng jì nǐ de wēi xiào)
Miss Dong, you never forget your smile

就算你和我一样 渴望着衰老 (Jiù suàn nǐ hé wǒ yí yàng kě wàng zhe shuāi lǎo)
Even if you are like me, eager to get old

董小姐 你嘴角向下的时候很美 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ zuǐ jiǎo xiàng xià de shí hou hěn měi)
Miss Dong, when the corners of your mouth curl down, it’s so beautiful

就像安和桥下 清澈的水 (Jiù xiàng ān hé qiáo xià qīng chè de shuǐ)
just like the clear water under Anhe Bridge

董小姐 我也是个复杂的动物 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě wǒ yě shì gè fù zá de dòng wù)
Miss Dong, I too am a complicated animal

嘴上一句带过 心里却一直重复 (Zuǐ shàng yí jù dài guò xǐn lǐ què yì zhí chóng fù)
saying things only once, but repeating them over and over again in my heart

董小姐 鼓楼的夜晚时间匆匆 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě gǔ lóu de yè wǎn shí jiān cōng cōng)
Miss Dong, that evening near Gulou, time fled

陌生的人 请给我一支兰州 (Mò shēng de rén qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhī lán zhōu)
Stranger, please give me a Lanzhou [cigarette brand]

CHORUS

所以那些可能都不是真的 董小姐(Suǒ yǐ nà xiē kě néng dōu bú shì zhēn de Dǒng xiǎo jiě)
So probably all those things are not true, Miss Dong

你才不是一个没有故事的女同学 (Nǐ cái bú shì yí gè méi yǒu gù shì de nǚ tóng xué)
You certainly aren’t a female classmate without stories

爱上一匹野马 可我的家里没有草原(ài shàng yì pǐ yě mǎ kě wǒ de jiā lǐ méi yǒu cǎo yuán)
Falling in love with a wild horse, but having no grassland in my home

这让我感到绝望 董小姐 (Zhè ràng wǒ gǎn dào jué wàng Dǒng xiǎo jiě)
This makes me feel hopeless, Miss Dong

董小姐 你熄灭了烟 说起从前 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ xī miè le yān shuō qǐ cóng qián)
Miss Dong, you put out a cigarette, and started talking about the past

你说前半生就这样吧 还有明天(Nǐ shuō qián bàn shēng jiù zhè yàng ba hái yǒu míng tiān)
You said the first half of your life is what it is, there’s always tomorrow.

董小姐 你可知道我说够了再见 (Dǒng xiǎo jiě nǐ kě zhī dào wǒ shuō gòu le zài jiàn)
Miss Dong, you know I’ve said enough “goodbyes”

在五月的早晨 终于丢失了睡眠 (Zài wǔ yuè de zǎo chén zhōng yú diū shī le shuì mián)
On a morning in May, I finally lost sleep

CHORUS

所以那些可能都会是真的 董小姐(Suǒ yǐ nà xiē kě néng dōu huì shì zhēn de Dǒng xiǎo jiě)
So those things may all be true, Miss Dong

谁会不厌其烦的安慰那无知的少年(Shuí huì bú yàn qí fán de ān wèi nà wú zhī de shāo nián)
Who will tirelessly comfort that ignorant youngster?

我想和你一样 不顾那些所以 (Wǒ xiǎng hé nǐ yí yàng bú gù nà xiē suǒ yǐ)
I want to be like you, ignoring all those things. So,

跟我走吧董小姐 燥起来吧董小姐(Gēn wǒ zǒu ba Dǒng xiǎo jiě zào qǐ lái bā Dǒng xiǎo jiě)
be with me, Miss Dong. Cheer up, Miss Dong

注释Notes:
董小姐Dǒng xiǎo jiě     Miss Dong
Dong, a female friend of Song Dongye, is a photographer who looks vulnerable, but has a strong heart due to her life experiences, which are very different from those of an average person. Song Dongye, who penned the lyrics of the song, said it is based on their conversations many.

安河桥ān hé qiáo      Anhe Bridge
This place is in Beijing’s Haidian District. It is also the name of Song Dongye’s album, which includes “Dong Xiaojie.”

鼓楼  gǔ lóu    Drum tower
Gu Lou is a historical site in Beijing, located in Dongcheng District. The musical piece was based on the conversation between Song and Dong, which took place during their walk together near the drum tower after dinner. They walked longer than they planed and smoked all their cigarettes.

兰州 lán zhōu    Lanzhou(cigarette brand)
Dong was originally from Lanzhou(city name), so she is familiar with her hometown’s cigarette brand--Lanzhou. After they smoked the whole pack, there is the line in lyrics that says “Stranger, please give me a Lanzhou.”