For some days I can't get this song off my mind. It's like post WWII history - from an American point of view. I searched for the lyrics and a translation, but I don't pinyinize it, I think it would be unnecessary.
And don't forget, folks, this is a 1989 song.

Billy Joel: We Didn't Start the Fire - 不是我们点的火

翻译 (or I'd rather call it an interpretation): http://www.xiami.com/song/detail/id/1065278

视频 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRH33pTXwKQ

进一步解释 http://www.school-for-champions.com/history/start_fire_facts.htm#.UpYnUSfcD9k



稍微夸张一点说，这首歌是从事新闻行业的人必听之作，因为
他把从1949年到1989年这40年间世界发生的大事串在一起，
共涉及到102个事件、六十多个人物，像一本微缩的历史书。
－－摘自《不是我点的火》作者：王小峰－－

1949
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray【杜鲁门，歌星桃乐丝·戴，新中国，歌星强尼·雷】
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe Dimaggio【知名音乐剧，著名播音员沃尔特·温切尔，棒球星乔·迪马乔】
1950
Joe Mccarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, Television【麦卡锡，尼克松，名车斯图贝克，电视机诞生】
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe 【朝鲜战争爆发，玛丽莲·梦露】
1951
Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom【罗森博格间谍案，氢弹，拳王苏拉·雷·罗宾逊，板门店】
Brando, "The King and I" and "The Catcher in the Rye"【马龙·白兰度，名剧《国王与我》，《麦田守望者》】
1952
Eisenhower, Vaccine, England's got a new queen 【艾森豪威尔，小儿麻痹疫苗，伊丽莎白二世即位】
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana Goodbye 【不败拳王马西亚诺，钢琴家利布拉齐，哲学家桑塔亚纳去世】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

1953
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev【斯大林，马林科夫，埃及领袖纳塞尔，作曲家普罗柯菲耶夫】
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc【洛克菲勒，棒球手雷·康帕内拉，共产主义阵营】
1954
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron【罗伊·康，阿根廷总统胡安·贝隆，指挥家托斯卡尼尼，的确良】
Dien Bien Phu Falls, "Rock Around the Clock"【越法奠边府之战，《钟表上的摇滚》（第一支摇滚歌曲）】
1955
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning team【爱因斯坦，影星詹姆斯·迪恩，布鲁克林道奇队夺冠】
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland【肥皂剧，童话剧《彼得·潘》，猫王，迪士尼乐园开张】
1956
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev【影星碧姬·芭铎，匈牙利事件，阿拉巴马州黑人运动，赫鲁晓夫】
Princess Grace, "Peyton Place", Trouble in the Suez【格雷斯影星变王妃，畅销书，苏伊士运河危机】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

1957
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac【小石城事件，作家帕斯捷尔纳克，球星米奇·曼托，作家克鲁亚克】
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, "Bridge on the River Kwai" 【苏联卫星上天，周恩来访欧，名片《桂河大桥》】
1958
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California Baseball 【黎巴嫩动乱；戴高乐重掌政权；道奇队迁至洛杉矶】
Starkweather Homicide, Children of Thalidomide 【连环杀人事件；"反应停"畸形婴儿事件】
1959
Buddy Holly, "Ben Hur", Space Monkey, Mafia 【死于空难的摇滚明星；《宾虚》；美国太空猴；黑手党】
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go 【呼啦圈大流行；卡斯特罗上台；福特新款车失败】
1960
U-2, Synghman Rhee, Payola and Kennedy【美U-2侦察机；韩总统李承晚；唱片业贿赂丑闻；肯尼迪】
Chubby Checker, "Psycho", Belgians in the Congo 【当红歌星；《精神病患者》上映；刚果脱离比利时独立】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

1961
Hemingway, Eichmann, "Stranger in a Strange Land"【海明威自杀；纳粹头子艾希曼被捕；名著《异乡异客》】
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs Invasion 【鲍勃·迪伦出道；柏林墙兴建；古巴猪猡湾事件】
1962
"Lawrence of Arabia", British Beatlemania 【史诗巨片《阿拉伯的劳伦斯》；披头士乐队成名】
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston Beats Patterson【密西西比大学；宇航员约翰·格伦；利斯顿击败帕特森成拳王】
1963
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician Sex【教皇保罗六世；黑人领袖马尔科姆·艾克斯；英政坛性丑闻】
JFK, blown away, what else do i have to say 【肯尼迪遇刺，我还有什么没有说？】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

1964-1989
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again【避孕合法化；越南领袖胡志明；'68尼克松当选总统】
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, Punk Rock【'69登月；'69伍德斯托克音乐节；'72水门事件；朋克摇滚】

Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline【以色列总理贝京；里根；巴勒斯坦战事不断；劫机事件频发】
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan 【伊朗领导人霍梅尼；'79苏联入侵阿富汗】

"Wheel of Fortune", Sally Ride, Heavy Metal, Suicide 【著名娱乐节目；宇航员萨利·赖德；重金属；自杀问题】
Foreign Debts, Homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz 【美国外债；老兵流落街头；艾滋病；毒品；"戈茨"案】

Hypodermics on the shore, China's under martial law 【注射针头污染海滩；'89北京六四天安门事件】
Rock and Roll and Cola Wars, i can't take it anymore 【百事、可口可乐广告大战；我已无法承受更多......】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
But when we are gone 【但当我们都已离开人世】
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on... 【它是否还会继续燃烧，燃烧......】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
It was always burning【它一直在燃烧】
Since the world's been turning 【从地球旋转之时就已开始】
We didn't start the fire 【不是我们点的火】
No we didn't light it 【我们不曾点燃它】
But we tried to fight it【但我们曾努力将之扑灭】

montanius are you billy joel fan or we didn't start, fan or both o_o :D

:

Quote:

Amazing song~ lively and very informative..woooooo...1989!!

So were you dancing with this beats in the 80s ??

Thank you for sharing..It seems that after the marathon, I am taking it too easy

Tell me please , " Hungarian of Eastern Europe !" how long did you take to write all those chinese words/hanzi?

You know, you are amazing!! For this I'll give you a friendly hug

I turned red now, Lin, I copied it, of course, I pasted the link too... I don't know the rules of transliteration to Chinese... Even if I knew I could not use it, somehow the Chinese change the pronuntiation drastically first...

But I accept that hug!!!

Hm, I don't remember if this song was played at discos... But I liked it a lot (it was a big hit about you were born...); and not too many songs mention a small country like Hungary, here my hometown shows up.


Yes, informative, ha-ha, I read many history teachers use it in the USA, and the students like it. However, if you find there is too much information in it, here is a simplified version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFmbNhVLTBM





And what is next? Actually you got to the top "runningly"...