Text A Beijing Opera
导 读
中华文化是世界上最古老的文化之一，也是中华民族智慧的结晶。京剧是我国的国粹、国剧，已有200年历史，享誉海内外。它形成于北京，时间是在1840年前后，盛行于20世纪三四十年代。现在它仍是具有世界级影响的大剧种。它的行当全面、表演成熟、气势宏美，是近代中国汉族戏曲的代表。
In the celebration of the 80th birthday of Emperor Qianlong,Beijing Opera is performed.After the celebration,the troupes stayed in Beijing for further performances,winning universal support.Gradually a new style of opera known as Beijing Opera came into being.Based on traditional Anhui Opera,it has also adopted repertoire,music and performing techniques from Kunqu Opera,a local opera from Jiangsu Province,and Qinqiang,a local opera from Shaanxi Province,as well as traditional folk tunes in its development.Patronized by men of letters,artists,audiences from all walks of life,Beijing Opera was steadily developed and improved by masters of performing arts for many generations before it reached maturity and perfection.
The Characteristic of Beijing Opera
Beijing Opera combines many art forms.Apart from singing and recitation,it includes traditional Chinese music,poetry,dancing,pantomime,elaborate costumes and make-up,acrobatics and martial arts.It has nothing in common with the opera or operettas of the West,and it is much more than mere opera or operettas in the usual sense.
Beijing Opera can be divided into “civil” pieces,which are characterized by singing,and “martial” ones,which feature acrobatics and stunts.Some are combinations of both.Its repertoire includes historical plays,comedies,tragedies and farces.Though traditional Beijing Opera has more than 1,000 plays,the plots are not complicated.Most are stories about satirical events,war,or love affairs.The operatic dialogues and monologues are recited in Beijing dialect,and some of the words are pronounced in a special fashion,unique to the opera.The “jinghu”,a small two-stringed bowed instrument,is the backbone of the orchestra.
The performers,men and women,have to be very versatile.They must be able to sing as well as act.An all-round top-notch Beijing Opera performer,for instance,must be attractive when doing arobatic combats with a pair of expressive eyes and a rich variety of facial expressions.Whether of the warrior type or not,an actor must undergo as long as 7 to 12 years of fundamental training in martial skills so that every movement on the stage is gracefully and precisely made and every pose assumed at the end of a movement makes the performer resemble a piece of well executed sculpture,thereby to increase the aesthetic value of the acting.
Symbolism is very important in Chinese performing arts,and it is important in Beijing Opera as well.Since stage settings are very simple,the actors use particular body movements to suggest a situation.Walking in a circle around the stage indicates a long journey.Holding whip in his hand means the person is riding a horse.The hands and body trembling all over indicates extreme anger,and the flicking of a sleeve expresses disgust.There are many other established movements to signify opening or closing a door,entering or leaving a room,going upstairs or downstairs,climbing a mountain or wading across a stream,riding in a carriage or traveling in a boat.It is through these highly stylized movements that the audience is led to an understanding of what is going on on stage.Many regular theatergoers know the story only too well.They simply go for the symbolic acting.
The Four Types of the Characters
The characters in Beijing Opera are usually divided into four types: sheng,dan,jing and chou,each has a style and rule to fit its own.Sheng may be divided into young sheng and old sheng.Young sheng are young males,handsome and successful,while old sheng are usually men of experience and wisdom,calm and serene.Emperors and civil officials belong to old sheng.
The dan,female role,falls into several categories including qingyi,huadan,daomadan,wudan and laodan.Up until the beginning of the last century all the operatic roles were taken by men.The best known Beijing Opera master was Mei Lanfang.For several thousand years,Chinese women were confined to the home.It was not until after the 1911 Revolution that the old feudal ideas began to give way and women were allowed for the first time to go to a public opera.Under such circumstances,it was out of the question for women to go on stage and still less to play a role together with men.A few brave women started to learn to perform Beijing Opera after the 1911 Revolution,but male artists continued to dominate the female roles.It was not until after the founding of the People’s Republic of China that women began to act in Beijing Opera.The Jing role portrays either people who are frank and open-minded but rough,or those who are crafty and dangerous.Chou simply means clown in Chinese.They seldom sing,but often make witty,humorous speeches.
The Unique Facial Make-up
The facial make-up is a unique and fascinating aspect of Beijing Opera,revealing the personality,status,age and abilities of various characters in an exaggerated form.The facial make-up is said to have originated from masks with which the ancient warriors went to war to scare away the enemy.As opera plots and characters became more complex and involved,the masks were found to be inadequate,and were replaced by direct face painting.Over the years,character types were classified and their face designs more or less fixed.As soon as an actor or actress steps on stage,audiences can identify whether he or she plays a “good” or “bad” role.The performers wear specific make-up according to their operatic roles.
Of the four major types of characters in Beijing Opera,the dan and sheng do not use too much facial make-up.It is often the make-up of the Jing that is hard for the viewer to recognize.People usually call the jing role “patterned faces” which can be subdivided into white,red,blue,green,yellow,black,gold and silver faces.One can tell the precise character by the color painted on their faces.For example,red indicates that the person is brave,loyal and virtuous; black indicates a fierce and crude nature; blue signifies cruelty or demons and spirits; a completely white face denotes craftiness and dishonesty; gold and silver are exclusively for immortals and celestial beings.
The costumes in Beijing Opera are themselves objects of art,based on those of the Ming Dynasty (1368—1644).The color scheme consists of a variety of hues on backgrounds of bright scarlet,bright green,yellow,white,black and purple,embroidered with golden and silver threads to form magnificent,dazzling,brilliant designs.There are very strict rules as to who wears what depending on the status and personality of the roles played.
The headdress,especially the head gear for dan roles,is clearly spectacular.Sometimes,however,the plain and elegant headdress of one particular character is in striking contrast to the lavishly embellished headdress of the other characters.
The Dilemma of Beijing Opera Today
Despite the government’s enthusiastic support,Beijing Opera today is encountering serious problems.Competition from films,TV dramas and popular music led to a decrease of its audiences and consequently in box-office avenue.As a result,Beijing Opera troupes,like other traditional Chinese opera troupes,cannot afford to put on new plays and train new performers.
Efforts have been made to renovate Beijing Opera’s stage design,story plots,music,etc.to meet modern tastes.The renovation has proved to be quite successful,since some young audiences are attracted.Some people,however,think this sort of renovation changes the sense of Beijing Opera,causing this traditional art to lose its original flavor.
With the concern and efforts of the people from all walks of life,this national art form will emerge from its present dilemma into a bright future,though the path to success may be long and arduous.
Words & Expressions
1.troupe[truːp] n.剧团；一班；一团
vi.巡回演出
2.repertoire['repətwɑː] n.全部节目；计算机指令系统；某人或机器的全部技能
3.patronize['pætrənaiz] vt.惠顾；资助；保护
4.officialdom[ə'fiʃəldəm，əu-] n.官场；官员（总称）；官僚作风
5.recitation[，resi'teiʃən] n.背诵；朗诵；详述；背诵的诗
6.pantomime['pæntəmaim] n.哑剧；手势；舞剧
vi.演哑剧；打手势
7.acrobatics[，ækrəu'bætiks] n.杂技；巧妙手法
8.operetta[，ɔpə'retə] n.轻歌剧；小歌剧
9.stunt[stʌnt] n.绝技；噱头；手腕
vt.阻碍……的正常生长或发展
vi.表演特技
10.farce[fɑːs] n.闹剧；胡闹；笑剧
11.satirical[sə'tirikəl] adj.讥讽的；爱挖苦人的；讽刺性的
12.monologue['mɔnəlɔɡ] n.［戏］独白
13.orchestra['ɔːkistrə，-kes-] n.管弦乐队；乐队演奏处
14.versatile['vəːsətail] adj.多才多艺的；通用的，万能的；多面手的
15.warrior['wɔriə，'wɔː-] n.战士；勇士；鼓吹战争的人
16.undergo[，ʌndə'ɡəu] vt.经历；经受；忍受
17.sleeve[sliːv] n.袖子；袖套；套筒；套管
vt.给……装袖子；给……装套筒
18.wading['weidiŋ] adj.涉水的
v.艰难地通过；涉水（wade的ing形式）
19.carriage['kæridʒ] n.四轮马车；客车厢；运费；运输；举止
20.serene[si'riːn] adj.平静的；清澈的；晴朗的
n.平静；晴朗
vt.使平静
21.portray[pɔː'trei，pəu-] vt.描绘；扮演
22.make-up['meikʌp] n.化妆品；（美）补考；性格；构造；排版
23.scarlet['skɑːlet] adj.罪孽深重的；鲜红色的；深红的
n.猩红色；绯红色
24.hue[hjuː] n.色彩；色度；叫声
25.embroider[im'brɔidə] vt.刺绣；装饰；镶边
vi.绣花；刺绣
26.embellish[im'beliʃ] vt.修饰；装饰；润色
vi.装饰起来；加以润色
27.avenue['ævənjuː] n.林荫大道；大街
Notes
1.Qinqiang Opera（秦腔）：Qinqiang Opera is the representative folk Chinese opera of the northwest province of Shaanxi，China，where it was called Qin thousands of years ago.Its melodies were originated from the rural areas of ancient Shanxi and Gansu.The word itself means “the tune or sound of Qin”.
2.Kunqu Opera（昆曲）：Kunqu，also known as Kunju （昆剧），Kun opera or Kunqu Opera，is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera.It evolved from the Kunshan melody，and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries.The style originated in the Wu cultural area.It is listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2001.
3.Anhui Opera（徽剧）：Anhui Opera is a kind of Chinese opera from the east-central province of Anhui，China，and was formerly popular in neighboring Zhejiang Province.It was named after Huizhou （now the city of Huangshan，Anhui），where it originated.Anhui Opera was introduced to Beijing in the late 18th century and had an important influence on Beijing Opera.
Exercises
I.Decide whether each of the following statement is true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1.Beijing Opera has something in common with the opera or operettas of the West,and it is much more than mere opera or operettas in the usual sense.
2.Traditional Beijing Opera has more than 1,000 plays,so the plots are complicated.
3.Emperors and civil officials belong to old sheng.
4.There are very strict rules as to who wears what depending on the status and personality of the roles being played.
5.Walking in a circle around the stage indicates a short journey.
II.Fill in each of the following blanks according to the passage.
1.Beijing Opera is to celebrate the_______birthday of Emperor Qianlong.
2.The “_______”,a small two-stringed bowed instrument,is the backbone of the orchestra.
3.Beijing Opera can be divided into “_______” pieces,which are characterized by singing,and “_______” ones,which feature acrobatics and stunts.
4.It is through these_______that the audience is led to an understanding of what is going on on stage.
5.The characters in Beijing Opera are usually divided into four types: sheng,_______,jing and_______.
6.It was not until_______that the old feudal ideas began to give way and women were allowed for the first time to go to a public opera.
7.Of the four major types of characters in Beijing Opera,the_______and_______do not use too much facial make-up.
8.It is often the make-up of_______that is hard for the viewer to recognize.
9._______simply means clown in Chinese.They seldom sing,but often make witty,humorous speeches.
10._______indicates that the person is brave,loyal and virtuous;_______indicates a fierce and crude nature.