朋友提到 Hotel California這首Eagles樂團1975推出的經典，我一直認為作者在講一個鬼故事，剛好又翻到 Hotel California 的CD，一邊聽一邊想像歌詞中 詭異的情節，越發覺得這是音樂感十足的鬼故事，或是故事感十足的鬼音樂。所以把歌詞翻譯了，還真是一篇精彩的短篇小說。

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Hotel California 有1975的原版和1997的演唱版，不同的吉他音樂感受不同，給你的刺激都是一樣。
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烘熱的沙漠上，公路筆直地延伸到漆黑的暗夜裡，涼風吹散了我的頭髮
Goleta小鎮溫熱的氣息，在空中嫋嫋上升
微微的亮光在遠遠的前方閃爍著
我的頭越來越沉重，我的視線越來越模糊
非得停下來，打個尖不可了
教堂的鐘聲剛好在我耳邊響起，她就站在屋檐下
我心中暗道『不知道這是天堂? 還是地獄？』
她點亮一根蠟燭，走在前面帶路
走廊深處一陣陣歌聲傳了過來

我想我聽見他們在唱……
"歡迎來到加州旅館"
多么可愛的地方， 多么可愛的臉龐
加州旅館的客房多得很
一年四季無論何時，你都可以找到這地方

她有如絲緞般的心思，有一台賓士汽車，還有許多漂亮迷人的小夥子，她都喚他們『朋友』

他們一起在庭院裡狂熱地跳舞，揮洒著夏日特有甜味的汗水
有的舞留著回憶，有的舞只是為了忘記
於是我叫領班，“給我來點酒吧﹗”

他說，“我們這兒1969年以後，再沒那玩意了”

那些歌聲依然遠遠傳來，半夜中把你吵醒

他們唱……

“歡迎來到加州旅館”

多么可愛的地方，多么可愛的臉龐
他們都住在加州旅館
多么美妙的驚奇呀，把你的藉口帶來吧﹗

天花板上掛著鏡子，粉紅色的香檳停在冰塊上
躺在旁邊的她說，“在這裡，我們不過是被關在自己軀殼裡的囚犯”

在大房裡，大家聚在一起正要來頓大餐
忽然有人變了怪樣，大家一起揮舞著刀叉猛刺，就是殺不死那只怪獸

最後，只記得我拼命跑向門口
我得找回自己的行李，離開這個鬼…鬼地方

“別緊張”，值班的說

“頭家只叫我們安排入住
你高興隨時可以退房
加州旅館從來沒有人離開過!”

Hotel California
on a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
warm smell of Goleta, rising up through the air
up ahead in the distance, i saw a shimmering light
my head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night

there she stood in the doorway
I heard the mission bell
and I was thinking to myself
“this could be heaven or this could be hell”
then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way
there were voices down the corridor,
I thought I heard them say...

welcome to the hotel California
such a lovely place
such a lovely face
plenty of room at the hotel California
any time of year, you can find it here

her mind is tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes Benz
she got a lot of pretty, pretty boys, that she calls friends
how they dance in the courtyard, sweet summer sweat.
some dance to remember, some dance to forget

so i called up the captain,
“please bring me my wine”
he said, “we haven’t had that spirit here since nineteen sixty nine”
and still those voices are calling from far away
wake you up in the middle of the night
just to hear them say...

welcome to the hotel California
such a lovely place
such a lovely face
they livin’ it up at the hotel California
what a nice surprise, bring your alibis

mirrors on the ceiling
the pink champagne on ice
and she said “we are all just prisoners here, of our own device”
and in the master's chambers
they gathered for the feast
they stab it with their steely knives
but they just can't kill the beast

last thing i remember, I was running for the door
I had to find the passage back
to the place I was before

”relax”, said the night man

we are programmed to receive
you can checkout any time you like
but you can never leave!