A series of books in Chinese and English covering eight classic works of Peking Opera recently released, with the aim of revealing details about the art form in a direct way.
The bilingual (双语的) books are from the Translation Series of a Hundred Jingju Classics, a project originated from 2011, which is part of the effort by the central government to promote Chinese culture overseas.
Peking Opera, with its complex and colorful costumes and make-up, as well as the unique performance combining singing, dialogue, acting and acrobatics (杂技), has become a symbol of traditional Chinese culture. Over the last 200 years, more than 1, 000 Peking Opera shows have been produced telling the most classic historical stories in China, as well as giving glimpses of society, according to Wang. The art form was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (非物质文化遗产) by UNESCO in 2010. Famous performers such as Mei Lanfang and Cheng Yanqiu have also taken Peking Opera abroad. And though foreign fans are impressed by it, few understand the stories told on stage.
To help foreigners understand the art form better, Sun Ping, dean, School of Art, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and her team have edited the new books. Different from previous English translations of books that mostly covered the scripts (剧本) of Peking Opera plays, the new series introduces nearly all aspects of the art form, including the script, actors and actresses, performance skills, musical instruments and costumes, according to Sun, who is herself a highly regarded Peking Opera artist.
“It fills the blank in overseas promotions of Peking Opera,” says Liu Jian, a professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts. “The inheritance and promotion of Peking Opera are very important. In a sense, promotion is even more important. The project sets a good example.”
Scott Ian Rainen, an expert from the United States, who works at China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, says he was happy to read the new books. Foreigners often don’t understand the plot in a Peking Opera play, but the books introduce the cultural and historical background, its character modeling, costumes and props, artistic theories and so on.
8. Why are the set of bilingual books released?
A.To stress the importance of Peking Opera. |
B.To attract foreigners to learn Peking Opera. |
C.To promote the diversity of Peking Opera. |
D.To present Peking Opera more effectively. |
9. What is the third paragraph mainly about?
A.The advantage of learning Peking Opera. |
B.The brief introduction of Peking Opera. |
C.The benefits of releasing these bilingual books. |
D.The reason for people’s attachment to Peking Opera. |
10. What’s special about these translations of books?
A.They cover stories about Peking Opera. |
B.They share a more significant art value. |
C.They are better in covering the scripts of Peking Opera. |
D.They are overall in showing the features of Peking Opera. |
11. What is Scott lan Rainen’s attitude towards the new project?
A.Subjective. | B.Sceptical. | C.Positive. | D.Tolerant. |