I was translating this song ([full lyrics
here](http://vocaloidlyrics.wikia.com/wiki/%E5%8F%8D%E8%8A%BB%E3%81%AE%E5%8D%B0%E8%B1%A1_\(Hansuu_no_Inshou\)))
and I ran across this phrase:

> 歪み 並ぶ 使い捨てのレール

I was thinking that it would make sense if 歪み modified レール - "We chose (in the
song, they are on a train, so I believe that the general feeling is that the
train is doing this action) to go down the warped, obsolete rail" would make
sense to me. Does that work? Despite 並ぶ between them, can 歪み be modifying レール?
It was the only way I could make sense of it, but maybe I'm wrong.

Thank you for your help!
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2017-05-30T20:17:12.500
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2017-05-31T04:53:41.593
2017-05-30T21:55:12.513
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question
translation meaning
How far can a word be away from another and still modify it - 歪み　並ぶ　使い捨てのレール
Here are the four lines in the same stanza:

> 裂けて 避けた 鈍行列車  
>  点いて 消える きまぐれ信号  
>  直せ 叩け 切り換えスイッチ  
>  歪み 並ぶ 使い捨てのレール

Do you see the "verb + verb + (topic) noun" pattern on each line? Essentially
these lines are a list of four nouns, just like "parsley, sage, rosemary and
thyme." I don't think it's a good idea to suddenly assume the train as the
subject of the fourth line. The express train is going back to a garage
(車庫に入ります) after this scene, then why does it have to choose an obsolete
railway? (BTW, 使い捨て is usually _disposable_ or _single-use_ , but I think
_obsolete_ is fine here.)

A rather literal translation would be "(There are) distorted and obsolete
railways running side by side". 歪み is the continuous form of 歪む and it safely
modifies レール in combination of 並ぶ. As I mentioned in the other question, I
guess these four lines describe a passing loop where local trains avoid (避ける)
faster trains.

Possible interpretations are 1) someone saw the local train, the signal light,
the switch and the obsolete railroads from inside the express train, or 2)
this scene is depicted totally from the third-person objective viewpoint. I
prefer the latter; I see very little intention or will throughout the lyrics,
and I don't want to use the first-person viewpoint (i.e., "I" or "we") too
much. I feel it's better to translate the song as if you were a transparent
portrait painter or a ghost camera operator.
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2017-05-31T02:29:58.217
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2017-05-31T04:53:41.593
2017-05-31T04:53:41.593
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answer