京剧的舞台

北京běi jīng的de茶chá馆guǎn里lǐ，锣luó鼓gǔ一yī响xiǎng，一yī位wèi将军jiāng jūn出场chū chǎng了liǎo。他tā脸liǎn上shàng画huà着zhuó红hóng白bái黑hēi的de花huā脸liǎn，背bèi上shàng有yǒu四sì面miàn小xiǎo旗qí，一yī甩shuǎi头tóu，全场quán chǎng叫好jiào hǎo。

In a Beijing teahouse the gongs sound and a general enters: red-white-black painted face, four flags on his back; one head-toss and the house cheers.

这zhè就是jìu shì京剧jīng jù，两liǎng百bǎi多年duō nián前qián从cóng安ān徽huī、湖hú北běi的de戏xì班bān子zi走进zǒu jìn北京běi jīng，慢慢màn màn长zhǎng成chéng的de国guó剧jù。

This is Peking opera, born when troupes from Anhui and Hubei entered Beijing two centuries ago and grew into the national drama.

京剧jīng jù演员yǎn yuán分成fēn chéng生shēng旦dàn净jìng丑chǒu四sì种zhòng行háng当dàng。生shēng是shì男人nán rén，旦dàn是shì女人nǚ rén，净jìng是shì花huā脸liǎn，丑chǒu是shì逗dòu人rén笑xiào的de丑chǒu角jiǎo。

Actors divide into four role types: sheng the men, dan the women, jing the painted faces, chou the clowns.

观众guān zhòng一眼yī yǎn就jìu能néng看出kàn chū好坏hǎo huài人rén：红hóng脸liǎn是shì忠zhōng勇yǒng的de关guān公gōng，白bái脸liǎn是shì奸诈jiān zhà的de曹cáo操cāo，黑hēi脸liǎn是shì铁tiě面包miàn bāo公gōng。

The audience reads character at a glance: red face is loyal Guan Yu, white is cunning Cao Cao, black is upright Judge Bao.

舞台wǔ tái上shàng没有méi yǒu真的zhēn de马mǎ，没有méi yǒu真的zhēn de船chuán。演员yǎn yuán拿ná一yī根gēn马mǎ鞭biān，就是jìu shì骑qí马mǎ；拿ná一yī支zhī桨jiǎng，就是jìu shì划船huá chuán。

The stage holds no real horse or boat. A whip means riding; an oar means rowing.

观众guān zhòng也yě懂dǒng这zhè个gè语言yǔ yán。演员yǎn yuán绕rào场chǎng一yī圈juàn，就是jìu shì走zǒu了liǎo千qiān里lǐ路lù；船桨chuán jiǎng一yī摇yáo，便是biàn shì过guo了liǎo大dà江jiāng。

The audience speaks this language too: circling the stage means a thousand li, one oar-sway crosses the river.

梅méi兰lán芳fāng是shì二èr十shí世纪shì jì最zuì有名yǒu míng的de旦dàn角jiǎo。他tā一yī个gè男人nán rén，把bǎ杨yáng贵guì妃fēi演yǎn得děi比bǐ女人nǚ rén还huán像xiàng女人nǚ rén，外国wài guó人rén看kān了liǎo都dōu说shuō不可思议bù kě sī yì。

Mei Lanfang was the century's most famous dan. A man, he played Lady Yang more womanly than women; foreigners called it unbelievable.

抗kàng战zhàn的de时候shí hou，梅méi兰lán芳fāng留líu起qǐ胡子hú zi，拒绝jù jué给gěi日本rì běn人rén演出yǎn chū。舞台wǔ tái上shàng的de英雄yīng xióng，舞台wǔ tái下xià也yě是shì英雄yīng xióng。

During the war he grew a beard and refused to perform for the Japanese. A hero on stage, a hero off it.

京剧jīng jù的de唱腔chàng qiāng有yǒu西xī皮pí和hé二èr黄huáng，高兴gāo xìng的de时候shí hou唱chàng流水líu shuǐ板bǎn，悲伤bēi shāng的de时候shí hou唱chàng慢màn板bǎn，锣luó鼓gǔ点diǎn跟gēn着zhuó情绪qíng xù走zǒu。

Its singing uses xipi and erhuang, lively liushui for joy, slow manban for sorrow, drums following the mood.

学xué京剧jīng jù要yào从小cóng xiǎo学xué。压yā腿tuǐ、下xià腰yāo、翻fān跟gēn头tóu，一yī练liàn就是jìu shì十shí年nián。台上tái shàng一yī分钟fēn zhōng，台tái下xià十shí年nián功gōng，说shuō的de就是jìu shì京剧jīng jù演员yǎn yuán。

Training starts in childhood: leg-stretches, backbends, tumbles, ten years of it. A minute on stage, ten years below.

现在xiàn zài，年轻nián qīng人rén看kān京剧jīng jù的de少shǎo了liǎo，戏xì园yuán子zi也yě不如bù rú以前yǐ qián热闹rè nao。可是kě shì茶chá馆guǎn里lǐ的de小xiǎo剧场jù chǎng，还是hái shi常常cháng cháng满mǎn座zuò。

Fewer young people watch it now, and theaters are quieter, yet the little teahouse shows still fill up.

戏xì台tái不大bù dà，一yī张zhāng桌子zhuō zi两liǎng把bǎ椅子yǐ zi，就是jìu shì全部quán bù的de布bù景jǐng。桌子zhuō zi是shì山shān，是shì桥qiáo，是shì皇宫huáng gōng，全quán看kān演员yǎn yuán怎么zěn me演yǎn。

The stage is small, one table, two chairs, the whole set. The table is a mountain, a bridge, a palace, all by how the actor plays it.

演员yǎn yuán出场chū chǎng先xiān报bào家jiā门mén：我wǒ叫jiào某mǒu某mǒu，何hé方fāng人rén氏shì，来lái做zuò什么shén me。几jǐ句jù话huà，戏xì就jìu开始kāi shǐ了liǎo，观众guān zhòng立刻lì kè入rù戏xì。

Actors announce themselves at entry: my name, my home, my errand. A few lines and the play begins; the audience is in at once.

旦dàn角jiǎo的de水shuǐ袖xiù最zuì有yǒu看kān头tóu。一yī条tiáo白bái绸chóu子zi，甩shuǎi出去chū qù是shì哭kū，收回shōu huí来lái是shì笑xiào，绕rào一yī圈juàn是shì害羞hài xīu，抖dǒu一yī抖dǒu是shì生气shēng qì。

The dan's water sleeves are the show: a white silk flung out is weeping, drawn back is smiling, circled is shyness, shaken is anger.

武wǔ生shēng的de打斗dǎ dòu更gèng精彩jīng cǎi。翻fān跟gēn头tóu、耍shuǎ花huā枪qiāng、踢tī腿tuǐ亮liàng靴xuē底dǐ，一yī招zhāo一yī式shì都dōu有yǒu锣luó鼓gǔ点diǎn跟gēn着zhuó，错cuò一yī拍pāi都dōu不行bù xíng。

The warrior's fights dazzle more: flips, spear-twirls, kicks flashing boot soles, every move riding the drumbeats, one beat off ruins it.

乐队yuè duì叫jiào场面chǎng miàn，坐zuò在zài舞台wǔ tái侧面cè miàn。锣luó鼓gǔ一yī响xiǎng，演员yǎn yuán的de步bù子zi就jìu有yǒu了liǎo骨头gǔ tou；胡hú琴qín一yī拉lā，唱腔chàng qiāng就jìu有yǒu了liǎo魂hún。

The orchestra, called the 'scene', sits at the side. When the gongs sound the steps gain bones; when the fiddle plays the singing gains soul.

以前yǐ qián的de戏xì一yī唱chàng就是jìu shì一yī整天zhěng tiān。观众guān zhòng带dài着zhuó干gàn粮liáng进场jìn chǎng，看到kàn dào精彩jīng cǎi处chù叫好jiào hǎo，看到kàn dào拖tuō沓dá处chù就jìu去qù喝hē茶chá聊liáo天tiān。

Old shows ran a whole day. Audiences brought food, cheered the highlights, and slipped out for tea in the slow parts.

戏xì班bān里lǐ规矩guī ju大dà：后台hòu tái不bù能néng乱luàn说话shuō huà，祖zǔ师shī爷yé的de牌pái位wèi要yào天天tiān tiān拜bài，扮bàn上shàng妆zhuāng了liǎo就jìu不bù能néng坐下zuò xia，怕pà弄nòng皱zhòu戏xì服fú。

The troupe has strict rules: no idle talk backstage, daily bows to the patron's tablet, and once in costume no sitting, the robes must not crease.

京剧jīng jù里lǐ最zuì苦kǔ的de是shì科kē班bān。孩子hái zi六lìu七qī岁suì进jìn科kē班bān，天tiān不bù亮liàng就jìu起来qǐ lai练liàn功gōng，挨打ái dǎ挨ái骂mà是shì常cháng事shì，熬áo出来chū lái的de都dōu成chéng了liǎo角jiǎo儿ér。

Hardest is the opera school: children enter at six or seven, up before dawn to train, beaten and scolded as routine, those who endure become stars.

京剧jīng jù的de脸谱liǎn pǔ也yě有yǒu口kǒu诀jué：红hóng忠zhōng白bái奸jiān黑hēi直zhí爽shuǎng，蓝lán绿lǜ勇yǒng猛měng黄huáng暴躁bào zào。颜色yán sè一yī上shàng脸liǎn，角色jué sè的de命mìng就jìu定dìng了liǎo。

Face paint has its own rhymes: red loyal, white treacherous, black upright; blue and green brave, yellow fierce. The color sets the character's fate.

老lǎo观众guān zhòng听tīng戏xì不bù听tīng词cí，闭bì着眼zhuó yǎn睛jīng跟gēn着zhuó锣luó鼓gǔ点diǎn摇头yáo tóu。台上tái shàng唱chàng错cuò一yī个gè字zì，台tái底下dǐ xia的de叫好jiào hǎo声shēng就jìu变成biàn chéng了liǎo倒dào好hào。

Old audiences listen not to words but rhythms, eyes shut, swaying with the drums. One wrong syllable and the cheers turn to jeers.

一yī出chū《霸bà王wáng别bié姬jī》，虞yú姬jī舞wǔ剑jiàn那nà一yī段duàn，多少duō shao演员yǎn yuán练liàn了liǎo一辈子yī bèi zi。剑jiàn是shì冷lěng的de，舞wǔ是shì热rè的de，戏xì是shì活huó的de。

In Farewell My Concubine, the sword dance alone takes a lifetime to master. The sword is cold, the dance burning, the opera alive.

二èr零líng一yī零líng年nián，京剧jīng jù进jìn了liǎo联合国lián hé guó非fēi遗yí名míng录lù。锣luó鼓gǔ一yī响xiǎng，两liǎng百bǎi年nián的de历史lì shǐ就jìu活huó过来guò lái了liǎo。

In 2010 Peking opera entered UNESCO's list. When the gongs sound, two hundred years of history come alive.