Unit7Recreation.doc

Unit 7 Recreation Learning Objectives Chinese local opera Comparing Chinese and Western recreational activities Skills on tourism conference Section 1 ： Pre-class activities Lead-in: Read the following introduction to Peking Opera. China has more than 360 kinds of local operas which are the most ancient forms of theater that still flourish today. Opera combines acting, singing, poetry, dialogue, and acrobatics. Peking Opera is regarded as the national opera in China and called “Daxi” (drama with complicated plots) for it has a long history and a complete system of stage performance. Other local operas are called “Xiaoxi” (drama with a simple plot), usually developed from singing and story-telling mixed with folk songs and dances. Peking Opera is purely Chinese opera form which dates back to the year 1790. At that year, four local opera troupes of Anhui Province came to Beijing on a performance tour at the order of the imperial court. The tour was a hit and the troupes stayed. The artists absorbed the tunes of the Hubei local opera and drew on the best of Kunqu opera, Qinqiang opera and Hebei Bangzi and other local operas. Facial Make-ups(脸谱) For the painted role, the different colors of the faces represent different characters and personalities. Generally Speaking, red signifies honesty, courage, and bravery. Purple does the same but to a less degree. Black indicates fairness, faith, wisdom, and sometimes rudeness. Blue stands for cruelness and fierceness, and sometimes arrogance. Yellow symbolizes the same negative characters as blue. Green is the colour of an unstable character. Types of Roles “Sheng”, “Dan”, “Jing”, and “Chou” are just the terms for four different types of roles. Sheng is the positive male role, Dan is the positive female role, Jing is a supporting male role with striking character, and Chou is the clown. Every type has its telltale facial make-up and decoration. New Words: flourish 繁荣 兴旺 acrobatics 杂技 troupe （尤指巡回演出的演员、歌手等组成的）团