The modern revival of traditional Shaoxing Opera百年越剧，期待复兴

江丽

越劇，中国最具代表性的戏曲剧种之一，发源于浙江省绍兴地区嵊州市（原称嵊县）一带，即古越国所在地。它由民间说唱艺术“落地唱书”发展而来。

主题语境：中国传统艺术 篇幅：350词 建议用时：7分钟

1 The traditional Chinese ShaoxingOpera has a long history， butthese days it seems that young peopledont show much interest in it.

2 Nowadays， as pop music andonline films are popular with the public，Shaoxing Opera is struggling for itssurvival. The market of the opera isbecoming smaller. It remains popular only with the older generation. According to Zhejiangprovincial cultural department， most of fans of Shaoxing Opera， Chinas second largesttraditional opera， are above 40 years old. And many teenagers know nothing aboutShaoxing Opera and have never been to the theatre. Yang Jianxin， head of the department，said，“ Now， young people are crazy about other art forms but not the traditional operas. Thelargest problem for Shaoxing Opera today is how to become acceptable to the young.”

3 Actually， not only Shaoxing Opera but also many other traditional Chinese operas arein danger. Thats really worrying. Luckily， people are trying to protect them. For example，Kunqu has been listed as one of the Masterpieces （杰作） of the Oral and IntangibleHeritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2001.

4 In 2006， Shaoxing Opera， for the first time in history， entered the pub （酒吧）. It wasreally a good try to attract the youth. Besides， a Shaoxing Opera group opened a ShaoxingOpera blog on the Internet to invite people， especially the young， to express their opinionsabout this traditional art form.

5 Also， the groundbreaking Shaoxing Opera adaptation， New Dragon Gate Inn， attractsa new generation and revitalizes the ancient art form for contemporary lifestyles. Adaptedfrom the 1992 classic martial arts film of the same name， the Shaoxing Opera presentationshowcases spectacular artistic prowess， successfully capturing the interest of a youngeraudience by combining traditional Chinese opera with modern theater models and dramaticconcepts.

6 Traditional Shaoxing Opera often draws inspiration from ancient scripts and folklegends， narrating tales of talented scholars and beautiful ladies. However， New DragonGate Inn chooses a story based on a film with a significant fan base， catering to a youngeraudience and adapting it to better suit the current context and the Shaoxing Opera genreitself.

Reading Check

1. Why is it hard for Shaoxing Opera to survive？

A. The market of art is closed to it.

B. Theaters dont accept it any longer.

C. The young generation has got tired of it.

D. Modern art is becoming increasingly popular.

2. What does the underlined word“ them” in paragraph 3 refer to？

A. Modern arts. B. Traditional Chinese operas.

C. The Masterpieces. D. Shaoxing Opera and Kunqu.

3. How does the author feel about Shaoxing Opera？

A. Anxious and desperate. B. Worried but hopeful.

C. Satisfied and proud. D. Bored and tolerant.

4. What is the significant feature of New Dragon Gate Inn？

A. It is a direct copy of the 1992 martial arts film.

B. It uses ancient scripts and folk legends as its narrative.

C. It mixes modern theater elements with traditional opera.

D. It focuses solely on tales of talented scholars and beautiful ladies.

Language Study

Ⅰ. 日積月累

groundbreaking adj. 开创性的

revitalize v. 使复兴

spectacular adj. 壮观的

traditional Chinese Shaoxing Opera 传统的中国越剧

struggle for its survival 挣扎求存

artistic prowess 艺术才能

cater to 迎合

Ⅱ. 语法填空

A Shaoxing Opera adaptation called New Dragon Gate Inn attracts young people and1.______ （update） the old art to fit modern life. In a 2.______ （special） designedstudio theater in Hangzhou， East Chinas Zhejiang Province， the martial arts world， isbrought 3. ______life by a traditional Shaoxing Opera performance. Six actresses，4.______ （play） roles from a spirited landlady to skilled swordsmen， spies and soldiers，deliver a fascinating show lasting two hours and 10 minutes. The audience sits very close tothe performers， engaging with 5.______ （they） and immersing themselves in a uniqueviewing experience. Upon 6. ______（leave） the theater， these audience members feel asense 7.______ satisfaction that inspires them to willingly share short clips of theperformance online. This 8.______ （be） the scene for the past few months with theenvironmentalstyleproduction， New Dragon Gate Inn， 9. ______（perform） by ZhejiangXiaobaihua， one of Chinas most remarkable Shaoxing Opera troupes. Adapted10.______the 1992 classic martial arts film of the same name， the Shaoxing Operapresentation successfully captures the interest of a younger audience by combiningtraditional Chinese opera with modern theater models and dramatic concepts.