【梅兰芳将中国戏曲的世界介绍给了美国观众】Day4821 文史哲-越障

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初高中级

famous 著名的, introduce 介绍, consider 认为, achieve 取得, beloved 深受喜爱的, highlight 凸显, timeless 永恒的, establish 建立, adopt 采纳, showcase 展示, present 呈现, draw 吸引

大学四六级

masterful 精湛的, globalize 使全球化, intellectual 知识分子, steer 引导, embrace 接纳, collaborator 合作者, obedience 服从, representative 代表性的, mock 嘲弄, honorary 荣誉的, notable 显要的, open-mindedness 开放性思维

留学考试级

high-pitched 高亢的, ethereal 空灵的, incorporate 融合, lavish 盛大的, lineage 血统, hierarchy 等级制度, premise 前提, prestige 声望, disparage 贬低, defuse 化解, ambivalent 矛盾的, unanimous 一致的

Mei Lanfang Was Famous for His Masterful Performances as Female Leads. In the 1930s, He Introduced American Audiences to the World of Chinese Opera

By ELYSSA GOODMAN,

By 1930, Mei Lanfang had already achieved superstardom as an opera performer in China. He had become one of the country’s most beloved dan, the term for performers of female singing roles. These roles require high-pitched, ethereal voices. While today’s dan roles are performed by any gender, in Mei’s time they were traditionally performed by men. Hailing from a lineage of dan—his father and grandfather among them—Mei also sought to globalize the Chinese opera. 

Born in Beijing in 1894, Mei became an active part of China’s New Culture Movement, which began in the 1910s after the Qing Dynasty, the final imperial dynasty, fell in 1911 to the Xinhai Revolution. The artists and intellectuals of this new movement hoped to steer China away from “the Confucian approach which stressed hierarchy in relationships and obedience” and instead “adopt Western notions of equality and democracy,” according to Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute.

The performer’s success came to depend not just on his family connections and mastery of traditional performance techniques, but his open-mindedness to embracing new ideas, notes Liana Chen, scholar of Chinese language and culture at George Washington University. He incorporated fresh takes on traditional Chinese dance, such as movement-centered costumes and modern acting and lighting techniques. He also created a new kind of dan role meant to highlight female strength. In the 1910s, Chen says, a plan took shape with Mei and his collaborators, including dramatist Qi Rushan and scholar Peng Chun Chang, to send Mei on a tour of the United States. The premise, she continues, was to highlight the performer’s work and “showcase the timeless beauty of Beijing opera to Westerners,” establishing China as a powerful cultural force. 

“He was presenting Peking opera as representative of Chinese culture and history,” says Catherine Yeh, scholar of Chinese and comparative literature at Boston University and curator of the new China Institute of America exhibition, “The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America,” in an email. His work drew New Culture intellectuals and even more investors.

The tour finally arrived in the U.S. in 1930 and lasted around seven months. From Honolulu to New York, Mei brought his talent to audiences. Chinese Americans came out in droves to performances and to honor Mei at lavish receptions, according to scholars Chao Guo at South China Normal University and Josh Stenberg at the University of Sydney, who responded together via email. Mei received honorary doctorates at the University of Southern California and Pomona College. “If you look at American reviews of Mei Lanfang’s visit to the U.S. in 1930,” said Joshua Goldstein, director of the East Asian Studies Center at USC, in a 2024 statement, “they were deeply moved by his visit … and respected him.”

Meeting with notable people such as Edith Wilson, the widow of President Woodrow Wilson, and actors Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks lent “prestige and legitimacy to the tour in the eyes of American audiences and the press,” Guo and Stenberg say.

The idea of men playing women’s roles was not well received in the States at that time, which Mei knew well, Yeh notes. Some scholars in China even disparaged it. “In order to defuse such criticisms, Mei emphasized that Peking opera was an ancient art and that men had played female roles since time immemorial,” Yeh says, adding that critics who supported Mei rooted the work in a Shakespearean context. “This then served as a way of placing Mei’s work in the company of great world theater and enhanced the prestige of Peking opera.”

In the U.S., Mei was written about in the New Yorker, the New York Timesand other publications. In his home country, “negative, ambivalent or mocking American responses were excluded from published digests, while enthusiastic reviews were selectively translated and circulated as evidence of unanimous acclaim,” Guo and Sternberg say. 

Still, Mei left his mark on Western culture. Playwright Thornton Wilder, creator of the legendary 1938 play Our Town, was inspired after seeing Mei’s performances in vibrant costumes on a spare stage, Yeh wrote in 2007, “adopting the Chinese empty stage, a ‘symbolic’ style of movements and gestures, and the use of imagined objects and spaces.” An even earlier example of Mei’s influence appears in the work of pioneering modern dance company Denishawn, helmed by choreographers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. St. Denis and Shawn sought out Mei on a trip to China in the 1920s, and he treated them and their company to a private performance. “Miss Ruth said she had never seen hands as marvelous as Mei Lanfang’s nor dancing so filled with beauty and grace,” one dancer recalled. St. Denis and Shawn later incorporated Mei’s techniques into their own choreography, which still inspires dancers today.

Mei toured Japan three times, in 1919, 1924 and 1956, and performed in Moscow in 1935. “Many historians attribute the global influence of Peking opera—specifically its impact on modern world theater—to the international visibility afforded by Mei Lanfang’s world tours,” Chen says. 

Mei continued performing until the Japanese occupation of China during the Second Sino-Japanese War, when he refused to perform for the Japanese forces. He wouldn’t perform again until the war was over. “After the Japanese occupation, Mei Lanfang was widely regarded in China as a national cultural icon and moral exemplar. His refusal to perform for the Japanese during the occupation became a powerful symbol of cultural resistance and personal integrity,” Guo and Stenberg say. 

The performer later became a maestro, conducting master classes, all the while continuing to promote Chinese theater and opera. Mei died in 1961, and his work has maintained global influence. His performances and costumes even inspired fashion designer John Galliano, who namedhim as an influence for his spring 2003 Dior show.

Mei remains beloved, honored with his own museum and with films inspired by his career, such as 2008’s Forever Enthralled. His style, known for its “aesthetic grace” and performance “that is both authentic and natural, devoid of affectation,” Chen says, is also a part of Lunar New Year celebrations and is still the most popular form of what is now Beijing opera.

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梅兰芳以精湛的女主角表演而闻名。20 世纪 30 年代，他将中国戏曲的世界介绍给了美国观众。

他被认为是中国 20 世纪最伟大的戏曲表演艺术家之一，他对这一艺术形式的影响至今犹存。

到 1930 年，梅兰芳作为中国戏曲表演艺术家已然成为超级巨星。他已成为中国最受喜爱的“旦”角之一，“旦”指的是扮演女性演唱角色的表演者。这些角色需要高亢、空灵的嗓音。虽然今天的旦角可以由任何性别扮演，但在梅兰芳的时代，这些角色传统上由男性扮演。梅兰芳出身于旦角世家（他的父亲和祖父都在其中），他也致力于让中国戏曲走向世界。

梅兰芳 1894 年出生于北京，他积极投身于中国的新文化运动。该运动始于 1910 年代，此前最后一个封建王朝清朝于 1911 年在辛亥革命中覆灭。据哥伦比亚大学韦瑟黑德东亚研究所称，这场新运动的艺术家和知识分子希望引导中国摆脱“强调关系等级和服从的儒家方式”，转而“采纳西方平等与民主的观念”。

乔治·华盛顿大学的中国语言文化学者陈丽安娜指出，这位表演者的成功不仅取决于他的家庭背景和对传统表演技巧的掌握，还在于他对接纳新思想的开放态度。他将中国传统舞蹈的新颖元素融入表演，例如以动作为中心的服饰，以及现代的表演和灯光技术。他还创造了一种旨在凸显女性力量的新型旦角。陈丽安娜说，在 1910 年代，梅兰芳与他的合作者（包括剧作家齐如山和学者彭春昌）拟定了一个计划，送梅兰芳去美国巡演。她继续说道，其前提是突出这位表演者的作品，并“向西方人展示京剧的永恒之美”，将中国打造为一支强大的文化力量。

“他将京剧作为中国文化与历史的代表进行展示，”波士顿大学中国文学与比较文学学者、美国华美协进社新展《舞动女神：梅兰芳在美国》的策展人叶凯蒂在一封电子邮件中说道。他的作品吸引了新文化知识分子，甚至更多的投资者。

这次巡演最终于 1930 年抵达美国，持续了大约七个月。从火奴鲁鲁到纽约，梅兰芳将他的才华带给了观众。据华南师范大学的郭超和悉尼大学的乔什·斯滕伯格（二人通过电子邮件共同回复）称，华裔美国人成群结队地前来观看演出，并在盛大的招待会上向梅兰芳致敬。梅兰芳获得了南加州大学和波莫纳学院的荣誉博士学位。“如果你看看 1930 年美国媒体对梅兰芳访美的评论，”南加州大学东亚研究中心主任约书亚·戈德斯坦在 2024 年的一份声明中说，“他们被他的到访深深打动……并尊重他。”

郭超和斯滕伯格表示，与伍德罗·威尔逊总统的遗孀伊迪丝·威尔逊以及演员玛丽·匹克福德、查理·卓别林和道格拉斯·范朋克等知名人士会面，“在美国观众和媒体眼中，为这次巡演赋予了声望和合法性”。

叶凯蒂指出，男性扮演女性角色的观念在当时美国并不受欢迎，梅兰芳对此非常清楚。中国的一些学者甚至对此表示贬低。“为了化解这些批评，梅兰芳强调京剧是一种古老的艺术，而且自古以来男性就扮演女性角色，”叶凯蒂说，并补充道，支持梅兰芳的评论家将他的作品根植于莎士比亚戏剧的语境中。“这进而成为一种方法，将梅兰芳的作品置于世界伟大戏剧之列，并提升了京剧的声望。”

在美国，《纽约客》、《纽约时报》及其他出版物都曾报道过梅兰芳。郭超和斯滕伯格说，在他的祖国，“美国方面负面、矛盾或嘲弄的回应被排除在已出版的摘要之外，而热情的评论则被有选择地翻译并传播，作为（美国）一致好评的证据。”

尽管如此，梅兰芳仍在西方文化上留下了印记。叶凯蒂在 2007 年写道，传奇剧作《小城风光》（1938 年）的作者、剧作家桑顿·怀尔德在看到梅兰芳在空荡的舞台上身着鲜艳戏服的表演后受到启发，“采用了中国戏曲的空舞台、具有‘象征性’的动作与手势风格，以及对想象之物和空间的运用。”梅兰芳影响的一个更早的例子出现在由编舞家鲁思·圣丹尼斯和泰德·肖恩领导的先锋现代舞团丹尼萧恩的作品中。圣丹尼斯和肖恩在 1920 年代一次中国之行中特意拜访了梅兰芳，梅兰芳为他们和舞团安排了一场私人表演。一位舞者回忆道：“露丝小姐说她从未见过像梅兰芳那样美妙的手，也从未见过如此充满美感和优雅的舞蹈。”圣丹尼斯和肖恩后来将梅兰芳的技巧融入了他们自己的编舞中，这些编舞至今仍给舞者带来灵感。

梅兰芳曾于 1919 年、1924 年和 1956 年三次赴日本巡演，并于 1935 年在莫斯科演出。陈丽安娜说：“许多历史学家将京剧的全球影响力——特别是其对现代世界戏剧的影响——归功于梅兰芳全球巡演所带来的国际知名度。”

梅兰芳一直表演到中国抗日战争时期日本占领期间，当时他拒绝为日本军队演出。直到战争结束他才重新登台演出。郭超和斯滕伯格说：“日本占领结束后，梅兰芳在中国被广泛视为国家文化偶像和道德典范。他在占领期间拒绝为日本人演出，成为文化抵抗和个人正直的有力象征。”

这位表演者后来成为大师，开设大师班，同时继续推广中国戏剧和戏曲。梅兰芳于 1961 年去世，但他的作品一直保持着全球影响力。他的表演和戏服甚至启发了时装设计师约翰·加利亚诺，后者将梅兰芳列为影响其 2003 年迪奥春季时装秀的因素之一。

梅兰芳至今仍深受喜爱，人们为他建立了纪念馆，并拍摄了以其艺术生涯为灵感的电影，如 2008 年的《梅兰芳》。陈丽安娜说，他的风格以“美学优雅”和“既真实自然、毫无矫揉造作”的表演而著称，这种风格也是农历新年庆祝活动的一部分，并且至今仍是现在京剧中最受欢迎的形式。

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masterful 精湛的

原句：Mei Lanfang Was Famous for His Masterful Performances as Female Leads.

释义：梅兰芳以精湛的女主角表演而闻名。

achieved 取得

原句：By 1930, Mei Lanfang had already achieved superstardom as an opera performer in China.

释义：到 1930 年，梅兰芳作为中国戏曲表演艺术家已然成为超级巨星。

beloved 深受喜爱的

原句：He had become one of the country’s most beloved dan, the term for performers of female singing roles.

释义：他已成为中国最受喜爱的“旦”角之一，“旦”指的是扮演女性演唱角色的表演者。

require 需要

high-pitched 高亢的

ethereal 空灵的

原句：These roles require high-pitched, ethereal voices.

释义：这些角色需要高亢、空灵的嗓音。

hailing 来自

sought 寻求

globalize 使全球化

原句：Hailing from a lineage of dan—his father and grandfather among them—Mei also sought to globalize the Chinese opera.

释义：梅兰芳出身于旦角世家（他的父亲和祖父都在其中），他也致力于让中国戏曲走向世界。

incorporated 融合

原句：He incorporated fresh takes on traditional Chinese dance, such as movement-centered costumes and modern acting and lighting techniques.

释义：他将中国传统舞蹈的新颖元素融入表演，例如以动作为中心的服饰，以及现代的表演和灯光技术。

highlight 凸显

原句：He also created a new kind of dan role meant to highlight female strength.

释义：他还创造了一种旨在凸显女性力量的新型旦角。

showcase 展示

timeless 永恒的

establishing 建立

原句：The premise, she continues, was to highlight the performer’s work and “showcase the timeless beauty of Beijing opera to Westerners,” establishing China as a powerful cultural force.

释义：她继续说道，其前提是突出这位表演者的作品，并“向西方人展示京剧的永恒之美”，将中国打造为一支强大的文化力量。

presenting 呈现

原句：“He was presenting Peking opera as representative of Chinese culture and history,” says Catherine Yeh, scholar of Chinese and comparative literature at Boston University and curator of the new China Institute of America exhibition, “The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America,” in an email.

释义：“他将京剧作为中国文化与历史的代表进行展示，”波士顿大学中国文学与比较文学学者、美国华美协进社新展《舞动女神：梅兰芳在美国》的策展人叶凯蒂在一封电子邮件中说道。

drew 吸引

原句：His work drew New Culture intellectuals and even more investors.

释义：他的作品吸引了新文化知识分子，甚至更多的投资者。

lavish 盛大的

原句：Chinese Americans came out in droves to performances and to honor Mei at lavish receptions, according to scholars Chao Guo at South China Normal University and Josh Stenberg at the University of Sydney, who responded together via email.

释义：据华南师范大学的郭超和悉尼大学的乔什·斯滕伯格（二人通过电子邮件共同回复）称，华裔美国人成群结队地前来观看演出，并在盛大的招待会上向梅兰芳致敬。

honorary 荣誉的

原句：Mei received honorary doctorates at the University of Southern California and Pomona College.

释义：梅兰芳获得了南加州大学和波莫纳学院的荣誉博士学位。

notable 显要的

原句：Meeting with notable people such as Edith Wilson, the widow of President Woodrow Wilson, and actors Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks lent “prestige and legitimacy to the tour in the eyes of American audiences and the press,” Guo and Stenberg say.

释义：郭超和斯滕伯格表示，与伍德罗·威尔逊总统的遗孀伊迪丝·威尔逊以及演员玛丽·匹克福德、查理·卓别林和道格拉斯·范朋克等知名人士会面，“在美国观众和媒体眼中，为这次巡演赋予了声望和合法

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The artists and intellectuals of this new movement hoped to steer China away from "the Confucian approach which stressed hierarchy in relationships and obedience" and instead "adopt Western notions of equality and democracy," according to Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute.

结构：The artists and intellectuals of this ... movement hoped to steer China away from "the ... approach which stressed hierarchy in ..." and instead "adopt ... notions of ...," according to ... Institute.

简化：The artists and intellectuals ... hoped to steer China away from "the ... approach which stressed ..." and instead "adopt ... notions of ...," according to ...

释义：据哥伦比亚大学韦瑟黑德东亚研究所称，这场新运动的艺术家和知识分子希望引导中国摆脱"强调关系等级和服从的儒家方式"，转而"采纳西方平等与民主的观念"。

The performer's success came to depend not just on his family connections and mastery of traditional perform

ance techniques, but his open-mindedness to embracing new ideas, notes Liana Chen, scholar of Chinese language and culture at George Washington University.

结构：The ... success came to depend not just on his ... connections and mastery of ... techniques, but his open-mindedness to embracing ... ideas, notes Liana Chen, scholar of ... at ... University.

简化：The ... success came to depend not just on ..., but ..., notes Liana Chen, scholar of ... at ... （注意这里并不完全规范，改为but on ... 更好。）

释义：乔治·华盛顿大学的中国语言文化学者陈丽安娜指出，这位表演者的成功不仅取决于他的家庭背景和对传统表演技巧的掌握，还在于他对接纳新思想的开放态度。

"In order to defuse such criticisms, Mei emphasized that Peking opera was an ancient art and that men had played female roles since time immemorial," Yeh says, adding that critics who supported Mei rooted the work in a Shakespearean context.

结构："In order to defuse such criticisms, Mei emphasized that Peking opera was an ... art and that men had played ... roles since time ...," Yeh says, adding that critics who supported Mei rooted the work in a ... context.

简化："In order to defuse such criticisms, Mei emphasized that Peking opera was ... and that men had played ... since ...," Yeh says, adding that critics who supported ... rooted ... in ...

释义："为了化解这些批评，梅兰芳强调京剧是一种古老的艺术，而且自古以来男性就扮演女性角色，"叶凯蒂说，并补充道，支持梅兰芳的评论家将他的作品根植于莎士比亚戏剧的语境中。

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