Live forever

[Ippodamo]

Hello, teachers.
What do you think reading this song title?
I mean your first thinking about reading this title below:

"Live forever" =

1) Imperative form. 2nd sing./plural person? or
2) Infinitive form: (To) Live forever?

It is important to translate it in the right way.

In the lyrics the refrain is "we're going to live forever"

Thanks ever so much in advance. Cheers, Ippodamo

 

[MrPedantic]

Hello Ippodamo, welcome to Using English!

I would guess that your question relates to the song by Oasis; in which case, "live forever" is a fragment of the phrase "You and I are gonna live forever", i.e. an infinitive + adverb.

In terms of translation, on the other hand, perhaps the title should reflect your version of the full phrase "are going to live forever". (If that is likely to involve an ordinary future tense, perhaps the adverb would suffice.)

Best wishes,

MrP

 

[Ippodamo]

The Brit point of view

Thanks, Mr Pedantic.
Yes, I was talking about the song 'Live Forever' written by Noel Gallagher.
It seems a silly question but it isn't.
Titles are usually parts of the refrain in Brit/American lyrics: that's ok.
The problem is to translate the title in the right way.

I asked to my Brit English teacher the same thing some years ago
and I told her: "You are picking up a new CD called 'Live Forever' (its title).
What do that title make you think of?

She knew Italian and she replied: 'Vivere in eterno'
I mean she used the infinitive form.
Well, she didnt know the lyrics of the song!!

According to you is

Live Forever = (We're gonna) Live Forever =
Vivremo in eterno (Italian Traslation)

But if you dont know the lyrics, how could you think of that translation?

Live Forever = (To) Live Forever =
Vivere in eterno (Italian Translation)

Thanks for your reply and attention, cheers Ippodamo

 

[MrPedantic]

You're right, it is a tricky business.

Also, I think the title in English is deliberately ambiguous: it might easily be an imperative, as it stands.

(Perhaps you could look for an ambiguity in the translation too.)

Best wishes,

MrP