《霸王別姬》英文閲讀
On stage, he was a woman
雙擊或劃選,即可查看單詞的詳細解釋,並收錄生詞進生詞本
THE biopic Forever Enthralled (Chinese title: Mei Lanfang) is an effort to capture the great master during three periods of his life.
First, as he defeats a elder stage rival and becomes a favorite of the day; then, as he conducts a romance with a female star who plays male roles (Zhang Ziyi); and last, when he defies Japanese invaders and refuses to perform.
In subject matter, this is filmmaker Chen Kaige’s follow-up to Farewell, My Concubine, which is artistically the better film. Some say the 1993 film is a veiled biography of Mei Lanfang because it featured one of his signature roles.
In Forever Enthralled, Chen has not kept strictly to the facts of Mei’s life. Several of the supporting characters in the film are composites. And the matter of Mei’s three wives, whom he was married to at the same time for a while, receives less emphasis. Wife No 1 is not in the film at all and Wife No 3 is downgraded to a mere affair.
Mei does not come across as sharp and three-dimensional in this elaborate period drama. His character does not change or show moral anguish.
Beautiful woman
In the film, Mei Lanfang does not hesitate much before throwing down the gauntlet to the older master. He does not suffer from qualms of guilt when he flirts with the Zhang Ziyi character while his wife watches from a balcony. He does not hesitate when choosing to give up the stage in Japanese-occupied Shanghai.
Opera singers in drag were the norm when women were not allowed to go on stage. It was similar to the theater of Shakespeare’s day, when teenage boys took on female roles.
But male actors and singers who dressed as women did so for reasons other than of necessity. Perhaps they were motivated by homosexual or transvestite desire when they took on female roles.
Arguably, with gender equality, women have a chance to play these roles with more natural grace. But there is a certain beauty about a man being more feminine on stage than a woman.
A beautiful woman playing a beautiful woman is basically like Whitney Houston starring in the movie The Bodyguard. But with a man, it’s like a magic show. You know it’s not real, but you’re fooled into believing in it nonetheless.
Natural artists
The allure of nandan lies in the sexual ambiguity. When these men, dressed and made-up as women, soar into the falsetto range, the clear line between male and female is suspended. We enjoy these singers of the Chinese tradition for the same reason we appreciate Michael Jackson or Vitas.
Art can imitate nature; it can also contradict nature. Many artists combine the natural and the unnatural. Mei Lanfang’s artistry elevated the old practice of men taking female roles to a new height.
Different roles in Peking opera
IN Forever Enthralled, Leon Lai plays Mei Lanfang, who played Dan in operas.
The Dan (旦) refers to any female role in Peking opera. Dan roles were originally divided into five subtypes. Old women were played by laodan, martial women were wudan, young female warriors were daomadan, virtuous and elite women were qingyi, and vivacious and unmarried women were huadan.
Zhang Ziyi played Meng Xiaodong, who, as Mei’s lover, plays Sheng in operas.
The Sheng (生) is the main male role in Beijing opera. This role has numerous subtypes. The laosheng is a dignified older role. Young male characters are known as xiaosheng, while the wusheng is a martial character for roles involving combat.
AGENCIES
英語詞彙解析
ambiguity 模糊anguish 痛苦
biopic 名人傳記片
bubbly 有活力的
composite 合成物
enthralled 迷醉
falsetto [音]假音
homosexual 同性戀的
impersonate 扮演
qualm 疑慮
transvestite 異裝癖
vacuous 虛榮的
veiled 隱藏的`
vivacious 活潑的
BONUS
Expressions
in drag
男穿女裝
Leslie Cheung looked amazing in drag in Farewell, My Concubine!
《霸王別姬》裏男扮女裝的張國榮看上去好美。
throw down the gauntlet
挑戰
He was quick to take up the gauntlet thrown down by the opposition.
他立即接受了對方提出的挑戰。
-
(薦)清平樂·春晚原文及賞析
清平樂·春晚朝代:宋代作者:王安國原文:留春不住,費盡鶯兒語。滿地殘紅宮錦污,昨夜南園風雨。小憐初上琵琶,曉來思繞天涯。不肯畫堂朱户,春風自在楊花。賞析:古來傷春愁秋的詩詞多得不可勝數。這類被人嚼爛了的題材,卻是歷代不乏佳篇,非但不使人感到老一套,相反,永遠有新鮮...
-
七年級上冊英語教學工作計劃(通用11篇)
時間就如同白駒過隙般的流逝,前方等待着我們的是新的機遇和挑戰,現在的你想必不是在做計劃,就是在準備做計劃吧。什麼樣的計劃才是有效的呢?下面是小編幫大家整理的七年級上冊英語教學工作計劃,僅供參考,大家一起來看看吧七年級上冊英語教學工作計劃篇1【一】.本學期...
-
幼兒園防洪應急演練方案(通用8篇)
為了保障事情或工作順利、圓滿進行,時常需要預先開展方案准備工作,方案屬於計劃類文書的一種。優秀的方案都具備一些什麼特點呢?下面是小編為大家收集的幼兒園防洪應急演練方案,歡迎閲讀與收藏。幼兒園防洪應急演練方案篇1一、演練時間20xx年月中旬二、演練地點地...
-
大學的社會實踐報告範文(精選13篇)
難忘的社會實踐結束了,這段時間裏有進步,也有不足,該好好總結一下過去這段時間的社會實踐了!怎樣寫實踐報告才更能吸引眼球呢?以下是小編為大家整理的大學的社會實踐報告範文(精選13篇),僅供參考,大家一起來看看吧。大學的社會實踐報告篇1暑期的一個多月我很慶幸的成為...