Kabuki: The people's dramatic art - Amanda Mattes

歌舞伎：老百姓的戏曲艺术 - Amanda Mattes

翻译人员: Nina Sun 校对人员: Yuwen Shan

Many elements of traditional Japanese culture,

许多传统日本文化中的元素

such as cuisine

比如说饮食、

and martial arts,

武术，

are well-known throughout the world.

都在世界上享有盛名。

Kabuki, a form of classical theater performance,

歌舞伎是一种日本传统的戏剧表演形式，

may not be as well understood in the West

它也许并不很像其他日本元素那样被西方文化所理解，

but has evolved over 400 years

但其自身已经经过了超过400年的发展历程，

to still maintain influence and popularity to this day.

直到现在还保有很高的地位和影响力。

The word Kabuki is derived

歌舞伎这三个字

from the Japanese verb kabuku,

是源于日语“倾”，

meaning out of the ordinary or bizarre.

它代表与众不同，或有些不寻常的表演。

Its history began in early 17th century Kyoto,

它的历史可以追溯到17世纪的京都。

where a shrine maiden named Izumo no Okuni

京都当时有一位很出名的巫女，叫做”阿国“。

would use the city's dry Kamo Riverbed as a stage

她当时将一条已经干涸的河床当做舞台场所

to perform unusual dances for passerby,

为过路人提供与众不同的舞蹈表演。

who found her daring parodies of Buddhist prayers

她的舞蹈有时会极其夸张地模仿佛教徒朝拜的样子，

both entertaining and mesmerizing.

极具娱乐性，也让人过目难忘。

Soon other troops began performing

很快的，其他的一些表演团也开始效仿

in the same style,

演出相同风格的舞蹈表演。

and Kabuki made history

阿国从此成名

as Japan's first dramatic performance form

歌舞伎成为日本历史上第一个

catering to the common people.

为娱乐普罗大众而生的戏剧表演。

By relying on makeup, or keshou,

借住精妙的化妆技巧（日语叫做Keshou），

and facial expressions instead of masks

此类表演用丰富的面部表情代替了僵硬的面具，

and focusing on historical events

而且主要关注历史事件，

and everyday life rather than folk tales,

及老百姓的日常生活，有别于先前大部分的民谣桥段。

Kabuki set itself apart

歌舞伎自此与

from the upper-class dance theater form

上流社会的舞蹈剧的形式区分开来

known as Noh

舞蹈剧也叫做（Noh）

and provided a unique commentary on society

歌舞伎还很好地体现了当时社会

during the Edo period.

（江户时代）的面貌。

At first, the dance was practiced only by females

最初的时候只有女性舞者

and commonly referred to as Onna-Kabuki.

日语称为（Onna-Kabuki）。

It soon evolved to an ensemble performance

但不久它就演变成了一项全面的表演形式

and became a regular attraction at tea houses,

并称为了当时茶楼的固定节目，

drawing audiences from all social classes.

吸引了来自社会各个阶层的观众。

At this point, Onna-Kabuki was often risque

在那时，女性舞者还是会被认为是从事”不洁“的工作，

as geishas performed not only to show off

因为艺妓不仅仅要展现

their singing and dancing abilities

她们的歌喉及舞技，

but also to advertise their bodies to potential clients.

还要用身体去吸引潜在的观众们。

A ban by the conservative Tokugawa shogunate

保守派的徳川幕府的禁令

in 1629

在1629年

led to the emergence of Wakashu-Kabuki

推动创建了若众歌舞伎

with young boys as actors.

它全是由未成年的男孩来表演。

But when this was also banned for similar reasons,

但它后来也因为类似的原因被禁。

there was a transition to Yaro-Kabuki,

之后就过渡到了野郎歌舞伎

performed by men,

也就是全是成年男性表演的歌舞伎，

necessitating elaborate costumes and makeup

迫使这些成年男子化浓妆，着女服，

for those playing female roles,

来表演女性角色，

or onnagata.

日语叫做”女形“。

Attempts by the government to control Kabuki

日本政府为了控制歌舞伎的发展所做的努力

didn't end with bans on the gender

并不仅限在表演者的性别

or age of performers.

和年龄。

The Tokugawa military group,

徳川幕府的军队

or Bakufu,

也叫做幕府，

was fueled by Confucian ideals

受到孔子文化很深的影响。

and often enacted sanctions

他们常常颁布很多法令，

on costume fabrics,

来限制戏服材料，

stage weaponry,

舞台设计，

and the subject matter of the plot.

还有情节主题。

At the same time,

与此同时，

Kabuki became closely associated with

歌舞伎受到了文乐木偶戏的影响，

and influenced by Bunraku,

然后与之结合，

an elaborate form of puppet theater.

从而形成了木偶剧场。

Due to these influences,

由于上述影响，

the once spontaneous, one-act dance

原本非常即兴，且为单幕舞的表演，

evolved into a structured, five-act play

慢慢演化成了有紧密结构的，五幕的表演。

often based on the tenets of Confucian philosophy.

它的主题常常是关于孔子哲学的思想。

Before 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate fell

在1868年之前，徳川幕府衰落

and Emperor Meiji was restored to power,

明治皇帝重拾大权，

Japan had practiced isolation from other countries,

日本开始实行闭关锁国的政策，

or Sakoku.

俗称”日本锁国“。

And thus, the development of Kabuki

从那以后，歌舞伎的发展

had mostly been shaped by domestic influences.

主要受国内文化的影响。

But even before this period,

但这个时期之前，

European artists, such as Claude Monet,

来自欧洲的艺术家，比如克劳德·莫奈，

had become interested in

对于日本艺术非常着迷，

and inspired by Japanese art,

且受到其很多启发，

such as woodblock prints,

比如说日本的木版镌刻，

as well as live performance.

还有现场表演。

After 1868, others such as Vincent van Gogh

1868年后，其他一些艺术家，比如文森特梵高，

and composer Claude Debussy

还有作曲家德彪西，

began to incorporate Kabuki influences in their work,

都将歌舞伎融入他们的艺术创作。

while Kabuki itself underwent

而此时歌舞伎本身

much change and experimentation

也在不断经历着变革，

to adapt to the new modern era.

以适应新摩登时代的到来。

Like other traditional art forms,

与其他传统艺术形式相同，

Kabuki suffered in popularity

歌舞伎在世界第二次大战的动荡期

in the wake of World War II.

陷入发展低谷。

But innovation by artists

但日本艺术家们不断创新，

such as director Tetsuji Takechi

比如导演武智鉄二

led to a resurgence shortly after.

在不久后再次振兴了歌舞伎。

Indeed, Kabuki was even considered

当时，歌舞伎甚至在驻日本的美军中

a popular form of entertainment

被当做一种非常流行

amongst American troops stationed in Japan

的娱乐形式，

despite initial U.S. censorship

即使美国最初时对

of Japanese traditions.

日本传统文化严格审查

Today, Kabuki still lives on

如今，歌舞伎依然不断发展，

as an integral part of Japan's rich cultural heritage,

它是日本璀璨文化遗产不可分割的一块瑰宝。

extending its influence beyond the stage

它的影响力远超越舞台，

to television,

已经延伸到电视、

film,

and anime.

电影、

动画。

The art form pioneered by Okuni

阿国开创的歌舞伎

continues to delight audiences

一直愉悦着观众。

with the actors' elaborate makeup,

通过表演者精致的妆容

extravagant and delicately embroidered costumes,

浮华精美的戏服，

and the unmistakable melodrama

和通过舞台诉说的

of the stories told on stage.

动人的故事情节