"是" means yes; "否" means no or not.
As use, "是否" is meant to pose a question.
I have seen three different English translations of the title in YouTube:
(a) Is it true?
(b) Whether?
(c) Whether or Not?
The first two are very good translations.
The "or Not" in the third translation I find unnecessary.
I like to suggest a fourth translation for the song title: "Yes or Nay?”
Not: "Yes or No?", "Yea or Nay?", or "Yea or No?”
But: "Yes or Nay?”
2. Julie Su is from Taiwan and she started her singing career in 1968 as a lounge singer in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Julie caught her break in 1983 by singing the theme songs for the Taiwan movie "Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing?”
After that, her career just exploded for the next 10 years or so.
Julie Su's musical influence was not limited to Hong Kong and Taiwan, but has reached mainland China and the Chinese diaspora as well.
Julie Su puts a lot of feelings into her songs and her singing style has been compared to American soul music.
3. "Yes or Nay?" is a Mandarin Chinese song.
A search in YouTube yields many instances of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id7PEifn4xU
Very, very, very nice.
4. A slower version of the song by Julie Su:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadwqyPTol8
5. A cover version by Sally Yeh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57enxW1A-eA
Bravo!
Sally's interpretation of this song is quite distinct from that of Julie.
Both are excellent.
6. A cover version by Lo Ta-yu:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjCLDetnCUc
Lo Ta-yu composed both the music and lyrics of this song.
7. A piano cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKaDJDq0Zfo
8. A karaoke version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdxujqKzswY
Both the singer and model is not Julie Su!
But whoever sings this song, it is pretty good.
9. Another karaoke version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc0FB3Bwd3U
This time the singer is Julie Su but the model in the video is not.
10. The quality of this version is not too good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8v_M4_SvCo
But both the singer and the video model is Julie Su.
11. Another version by Julie Su:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_osv7x6Gc
This version has more than 500,00 hits in YouTube.
12. A cover version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrmdf4mTf0
Not bad.
13. Another cover version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPzb2IWr8GY
This is OK too.
14. Interesting arrangement with a rhythm and blues feel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGiLvIhrFRE
The singer is a Malaysian Chinese.
Very good.
15. A version by the Vancouver Chinese Choir:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_1Z8i0GE8E
16. A duet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyrV8vGp_RU
The male sounds like he has vocal training.
17. A pretty good cover version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6b6uv19EEw
18. Another cover version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BHKZBU6j7M
Her enunciation of the lyrics is too distinct and distracts me from the music.
This song must be sung with either a soul music or a rhythm and blues feel.
Not that her voice is bad, but somehow her interpretation of this song does not sound right.
19. She sang with a lot of feelings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftd2tbMNqjE
20. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:
是否 - 蘇芮
是否 這次我將真的離開妳
是否 這次我將不再哭
是否 這次我將一去不回頭
走向那條漫漫永無止境的路
是否 這次我已真的離開妳
是否 淚水已乾不再流
是否 應驗了我曾說的那句話
情到深處人孤獨
多少次的寂寞掙扎在心頭
只為挽回我將遠去的腳步
多少次我忍住胸口的淚水
只是為了告訴我自己我不在乎
是否 這次我已真的離開妳
是否 淚水已乾不再流
是否 應驗了我曾說的那句話
情到深處人孤獨
多少次的寂寞掙扎在心頭
只為挽回我將遠去的腳步
多少次我忍住胸口的淚水
只是為了告訴我自己我不在乎
是否 這次我已真的離開妳
是否 淚水已乾不再流
是否 應驗了我曾說的那句話
情到深處人孤獨
21. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:
是否 - 苏芮
是否 这次我将真的离开妳
是否 这次我将不再哭
是否 这次我将一去不回头
走向那条漫漫永无止境的路
是否 这次我已真的离开妳
是否 泪水已干不再流
是否 应验了我曾说的那句话
情到深处人孤独
多少次的寂寞挣扎在心头
只为挽回我将远去的脚步
多少次我忍住胸口的泪水
只是为了告诉我自己我不在乎
是否 这次我已真的离开妳
是否 泪水已干不再流
是否 应验了我曾说的那句话
情到深处人孤独
多少次的寂寞挣扎在心头
只为挽回我将远去的脚步
多少次我忍住胸口的泪水
只是为了告诉我自己我不在乎
是否 这次我已真的离开妳
是否 泪水已干不再流
是否 应验了我曾说的那句话
情到深处人孤独
22. Names, Words and Phrases
Julie Su (Traditional Chinese: 蘇芮; Simplified Chinese: 苏芮).
Lo Ta-yu (Traditional: 羅大佑; Simplified: 罗大佑).
"Papa, Can You Hear Me Sing?" (Traditional: 搭錯車; Simplified: 搭错车).
Rhythm and blues (Traditional: 節奏藍調; Simplified: 节奏蓝调).
Sally Yeh (Traditional: 葉蒨文; Simplified: 叶倩文).
Soul music (Traditional: 靈魂樂; Simplified: 灵魂乐).
References:
"Su Rui", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Rui
(accessed 2012-01-19).
"蘇芮", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E8%8B%8F%E8%8A%AE
(accessed 2012-01-19).
"苏芮", Baidu,
http://baike.baidu.com/view/118424.htm
(accessed 2012-01-19).
"搭錯車", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%90%AD%E9%8C%AF%E8%BB%8A
(accessed 2012-01-19).
End.
