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“She’s very disciplined with herself, but generous with others.” - Mr. Tian on Sarah Chen, 2015
About Sarah Chen 陈淑桦简介
About Sarah Chen 陈淑桦简介
Sarah Chen is a multilingual Taiwanese singer active in the 1980s and 1990s. The "voice of urban women" and one of the best ballad singers, Chen was known for songs that championed women's independence. She quietly exited the entertainment industry at the peak of an illustrious yet tumultuous career, choosing a private life devoted to philanthropy.
台湾歌手陈淑桦，华语流行的情歌天后，以演唱女性独立的歌曲成为八九十年代"都会女子代言人"。九十年代中期她在职业高峰退出演艺界，进入私下慈济工作。
Chapter 1 Early Defeat 出山失守
Chapter 1 Early Defeat 出山失守
We’ve all heard the story of little Sarah Chen winning a Taiwan national singing contest and bringing home a big refrigerator. But her music career was far from straightforward. Even the simplest question had no clear answer, like when did her career truly begin?
你肯定听说过：陈淑桦八岁时赢得台湾全国歌唱比赛，抱回一台大冰箱。但她的音乐生涯很复杂，甚至连最简单的问题都没有明确的答案，比如她的歌唱生涯到底从什么时候开始？
Box 1. Not a Pea Princess 不是豌豆公主
Box 1. Not a Pea Princess 不是豌豆公主
Sarah Chen showed a strong passion for music from an early age, singing and dancing whenever she heard music. The development of that talent, however, began with a blunder by Taiwan's entertainment industry.
陈淑桦从小就对音乐很敏感，音乐一响便又唱又跳。不幸的是，台湾歌坛一开始在发展陈淑桦才华时犯了大错。
YouTube video introducing Sarah Chen's childhood and teenage work.
Chapter 2 Becoming Master 海山修行
Chapter 2 Becoming Master 海山修行
Sarah Chen’s first big career breakthrough came during the 1982 Lunar New Year when her album Sunset Follows Me Home became a bestseller. It’s ironic that the queen of nostalgic ballads rose to the top with a song so different, a cheerful tune about returning home at sunset.
1982年农历新年，陈淑桦迎来事业上第一次重大突破——专辑《夕阳伴我归》成为畅销作。想不到情歌天后竟凭一首截然不同的作品取得突破：一首轻快明朗、描绘夕阳归家的曲子。
Box 2. "I am Teresa Teng's fan" 我是邓丽君的歌迷
Box 2. "I am Teresa Teng's fan" 我是邓丽君的歌迷
In July 1995, two-months after Teresa Teng's tragic passing from a medical emergency, Sarah Chen was asked whether she would fill the void left behind.
邓丽君于1995年五月不幸突然病逝。那年春节，陈淑桦自己曾因严重呼吸道急病昏睡了五天。七月她康复后，记者问陈淑桦她是否将顶替邓丽君留下的空缺。
YouTube video introducing Sarah Chen's work with Haishan Records.
Chapter 3 EMI Battle Plans 百代战术
Chapter 3 EMI Battle Plans 百代战术
Sarah Chen had big glass slippers to fill when she joined EMI in 1983, stepping into the vacancy left by the recent departure of established singer Tracy Huang.
1983年，陈淑桦加入百代唱片，接替刚离开公司的黄莺莺，承载着巨大的期望。
Box 3. Idol star or talented singer? 偶像派还是实力派？
Box 3. Idol star or talented singer? 偶像派还是实力派？
Few people would consider Sarah Chen an idol star. As a new fan drawn entirely by the substance of her music, I was shocked to discover that Chen, for much of her career, was idolized for her glamorous looks.
很少有人把陈淑桦视为“偶像派”的歌手。我成为她的新歌迷，完全是因为她优美的音乐。所以当我收到歌友传来的图片时，惊讶地发现，陈淑桦在演艺生涯中因她漂亮的外貌曾被偶像化。
YouTube video introducing Sarah Chen's work with EMI (Early EMI).
Chapter 4 Rock Storms 滚石风云
Chapter 4 Rock Storms 滚石风云
During this period, Sarah Chen wasn’t just great – she was practically immortal. Every song she touched turned to gold. Her success was so extraordinary that it soon became contentious as to whom the credit belonged.
这段时间陈淑桦不仅很出色，她在歌唱中成了永恒的不朽——她所触及的每首歌皆成经典。她如此的成功，引发了功劳归谁的问题。
Box 4. The Queen of Dreamland 梦境天后
Box 4. The Queen of Dreamland 梦境天后
To many listeners, Sarah Chen is synonymous with her top hit Dream to Awakening, one of the greatest Mandopop performances of all time. But Chen had been singing about dreams throughout her career.
对许多听众来说，陈淑桦等于《梦醒时分》，华语流行史上最经典的歌曲之一。但大家不知道的是陈淑桦唱了多少梦之歌：超过一百首。
YouTube video introducing Sarah Chen's Late EMI/Early Rock phase.
Chapter 5 The Invincible East 笑傲江湖
Chapter 5 The Invincible East 笑傲江湖
Sarah Chen had fulfilled all but one wish, saying Good-Bye. The pain she had accumulated over three-decades in the music industry had become unbearable. Her love for music was eternal, but she could no longer endure the toll of each performance or the loss of autonomy. Where did she find the strength to summon the brightest patronus for these recordings, knowing it would take her to a point of no return?
完成这些心愿后，唯一剩下的是最后告别。这么多年的演唱带来的内心冲击，只有陈淑桦自己明白。她对音乐的爱是永恒，但已无可承受音乐给她的痛苦和演艺界的无情。她唤出最明亮的守护神，承受最后一次创伤，把几十年的爱和悲伤注入12首歌里。她从哪里找来的勇气，明知受创后，守护神将带她走上不归之路？
Box 5. Becoming a patronus 化身守护神
Box 5. Becoming a patronus 化身守护神
The one who spent decades conjuring patronuses for her fans, Chen had become a patronus herself through philanthropy, untouchable by dark forces, shining for those in need.
她曾数十年为歌迷呼唤守护神，如今进入慈济，成为扶持幼弱的守护神。
YouTube video introducing Sarah Chen's career phase with Rock Records.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
This site was enriched by the generosity of a long-time Sarah Chen fan from Malaysia, C.Y., who shared her personal collection of clippings and magazine articles spanning much of Chen's career (1983-1996).
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