The emergence of drama as a literary art - Mindy Ploeckelmann

文学体裁中的戏剧的诞生 - Mindy Ploeckelmann

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Jessica Ruby

翻译人员: Binglei Shea 校对人员: Ning Zhang

In the 11th and 12th centuries,

在公元十一和十二世纪

most English commoners were illiterate.

大多数的英国平民都是文盲

Since they had no way to learn the Bible,

由于他们无法阅读、了解圣经

the clergy came up with an inventive solution:

神职人员们便想出了 一个创造性的解决方案：

they'd create plays out of certain Bible stories

他们把一些圣经故事写成剧本

so even people who couldn't read could learn them.

让文盲也能学习圣经

These were called mystery plays

这些戏剧被称为神秘剧

because they revealed the mystery of God's word.

因为它们揭示了神的话语的奥秘

At about the same time,

大约在同一时期

the clergy also developed plays

神职人员也发展出一套

about the saints of the church,

有关教会圣徒的剧作

called miracle plays.

它们被称为圣迹剧

In the beginning,

刚开始的时候

the clergy members acted out Bible stories

神职人员在大教堂的台阶上

on the steps outside the cathedral.

表演圣经故事

The audience reacted so well

由于观众的热烈回响

that soon they needed to move out to the street

很快地，他们必须搬到

around the town square.

市镇广场附近的大街上演出

By building moving carts to put on each play

藉由移动推车的搭造

and by lining up one after the other,

以及成排的接续演出

they could put on cycles of stories,

他们可以连续演出一系列的故事

which would take the viewer

观众得以从

from Genesis

创世记

to Revelation.

一路观赏到启示录

These movable carts, called pageants,

这些称为露天剧 (Pageant) 的移动推车

looked like huge boxes on wheels.

看上去就好像有轮子的巨箱

Each was two stories tall.

每辆车都有两层楼高

The bottom story was curtained off

底层被遮蔽起来

and was used for costumes, props, and dressing.

用于服装、道具、和梳妆

The top platform was the stage for the performance.

顶部平台用来演出

Spectators assembled in various corners of the town,

观众聚集在市镇的不同角落

and the pageant would move around in the cycle

露天剧便在镇上移动，循环演出

until the villagers had seen the entire series.

直到村民们看完整个系列为止

Soon, the plays required more actors

很快地，这些戏剧必须招募更多演员

than the clergy could supply.

比神职人员还要多的演员

So, by the 13th century,

所以到了十三世纪时

different guilds were asked to be responsible

不同的行会便被要求负责

for acting out different parts of the cycle.

这些循环故事中不同部分的演出

The assignments were meant to reflect

而这些演出得要反映

the guilds' professions.

行会的专业

For example, the carpenter's guild might put on

比如说，木匠行会可能得

the story of Noah's Ark,

呈现《诺亚方舟》的故事

and the baker's guild might put on The Last Supper.

面包师傅的行会可能要 演出《最后的晚餐》

Can you imagine what might happen to the story

你能想象屠夫行会演出 《耶稣受难记》

if the butcher's guild put on The Crucifixion of Christ?

他们会如何表现耶稣钉十架的故事吗？

Yes, without the clergy,

是的，少了神职人员的参与

the plays soon started changing

这些剧目便很快地

from their true Bible stories.

脱离原本的圣经故事

By the end of the 14th century, a new form of drama,

到了十四世纪，便发展出一种新形式的

called the morality play, had evolved.

被称为道德剧的戏剧型态

Faith,

信仰

truth,

charity,

真理

爱心慈善

and good deeds

all became characters on the stage.

好人好事

全变成了舞台上的角色

And, at the same time, the opposite virtues

同时，道德的对立面

of falsehood,

虚假

covetousness,

贪婪

worldly flesh,

世俗肉体

and the devil

became the antagonists.

和魔鬼

皆成了反派

The morality plays were allegorical stories

道德剧是一种寓言故事

in which these characters battled for the control of the soul.

这些角色们 为了争取灵魂的控制权而大动干戈

Audiences loved the immoral characters,

观众们不但喜欢背德的角色

and spectators were encouraged

还可以热情地

to interact with the actors.

与演员进行互动

Throwing rotten food

投掷腐烂的食物

and even getting into scuffles with other spectators

或观众相互群殴的场面

became very common.

变得相当常见

The character of the devil

魔鬼的角色

often would roam through the crowds

往往漫游于人群之中

and pull unsuspecting watchers

拖拉毫无戒心的观众

into a hell that was depicted as a dragon's mouth.

到画作为龙口的地狱之中

The virtuous Biblical stories had morphed

圣经的道德故事，从原先的拟仿

into crude and sometimes comic stories.

转变为野蛮混乱的 时而滑稽的故事

The clergy intended to teach against immorality.

神职人员原本打算 以此教育人民对抗邪恶

How ironic, then, that the morality plays

讽刺的是，道德剧催化恶行

actually encouraged vices as more popular than virtues.

恶行比美德显得更受欢迎

By the mid-15th century,

到了十五世纪中

the church started to outlaw these performances.

教会开始禁止这类表演

Town charters required that any theater

市镇的宪章规定，任何剧院

must be built outside the city wall.

都必须建立在城墙外头

One of the first theaters

其中一个剧院

was built like a larger version of a pageant,

被打造得像个 大版本的露天剧

with tiers of gallery seating

剧场还有一排排楼座

encircling a grassy area in front of the stage.

包围舞台前的草地

Sound familiar?

这听来很熟悉吗？

A young William Shakespeare

年轻的威廉 · 莎士比亚

developed his craft here at the theater

就在这剧院里打造他的剧作

that was eventually renamed The Globe.

它最终更名为环球剧场 (The Globe)

The medieval morality play had led to Renaissance playwrights

中世纪的道德剧成就了 文艺复兴时期的剧作家

who were inspired by the inner struggles

道德剧中那些涉及内心挣扎 困索、以及人类良知的环节

and the conscience of man.

启发了文艺复兴剧作家

And that, in essence, is how drama emerged

戏剧，作为一种文学艺术形式

as a literary art form.

便由此而生了