外国人最想和你聊的文化话题：京剧

　Realize Beijing Opera　认识京剧
     1　京剧简介及背景
     Peking opera or Beijing opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. It was extremely popular in Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. The art form is also preserved in Taiwan, where it is known as Guoju. It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.
     Although it is called Beijing Opera, its origins are not in Beijing but in provinces of Anhui and Hubei. The early Qing Dynasty saw a great development of a plethora of operas. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Hui and Han operas were brought into Beijing. They became immensely popular with the imperial family, nobles, officials and the commoners. The marriage of Hui and Han operas became known as the Beijing opera.
     Peking opera features four main types of performers. Performing troupes often have several of each variety, as well as numerous secondary and tertiary performers. They utilize the skills of speech, song, dance, and combat in movements which are symbolic and suggestive, rather than realistic. Above all, the skill of performers is evaluated according to the beauty of their movements. Performers also adhere to a variety of stylistic conventions that help audiences navigate the plot of the production. The layers of meaning within each movement must be expressed in time with music. The music of Peking opera can be divided into the Xipi and Erhuang styles. Melodies include arias, fixedtune melodies, and percussion patterns. The repertoire of Peking opera includes over 1,400 works, which are based on Chinese history, folklore, and, increasingly, contemporary life.
     Peking opera was denounced as "feudalistic" and "bourgeoise"during the Cultural Revolution, and replaced with the eight revolutionary model operas as a means of propaganda and indoctrination. After the Cultural Revolution, these transformations were largely undone. In recent years, Peking opera has attempted numerous reforms in response to sagging audience numbers. These reforms, which include improving performance quality, adapting new performance elements, and performing new and original plays, have met with mixed success.
     2　京剧的特殊表达
     （1）京剧中的表演手法
     Beijing Opera is a comprehensive performing art. That is, sing(singing), read (speak and talk) and do (performance), fight (martial arts) for the integration. Beijing opera features four main types of performers.
     sing　　唱　　　　read　　 念
     do　　　做　　　　fight　　打
     （2）京剧中的角色
     The traditional features of the masklike makeup and elaborate costumes immediately identify the characters to a knowing audience. It uses different colors and strokes to exaggerate actors' features, either to beautify them or to make them ugly. They are used to show the personality of the character and to add a touch of drama to the role.
     Sheng 　　　生　　　　Dan 　　 旦
     Jing　　　　净　　　　Chou 　　 丑
     京剧中的内容丰富多样，有不同的表演方法，不同的发音技巧，还有各式各样的脸谱。虽然它只有两百多年的历史，但它的发展相当迅速。到目前为止，还是最流行的一种戏曲。京剧带给我们的不仅仅是那精湛的表演功夫，更是中国人民的艺术结晶。