从戏剧文化看中西方文化差异Word文档格式.docx

从戏剧文化看中西方文化差异Word文档格式.docx

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Keywords:

westerndrama;

Chineseopera;

culturedifference;

摘要:

中国传统戏剧和西方写实戏剧由于体系之不同,因此,两者的戏剧性因素也随之不同。

西方写实戏剧以冲突为戏剧创作的基本规律,在观众紧张、期待、为剧中人物命运而担忧的强烈情绪中产生其戏剧性。

我国传统的戏剧理论则认为戏剧的戏剧性是人物激情的抒发,作家只有写出了真情,演员才能演出真情,观众才能为情所动。

作家、演员、观众三者正是从“情”的基础上,在剧场内获得了高度的统一。

本文从西方戏剧和中国戏剧的差异出发，力图做一个戏剧性的对比。

关键词：

西方戏剧；

中国戏剧；

文化差异；

1.Introduction

1.1Backgroundoftheresearch

Thehistoryofdramaisacontinuouslydevelopinghistory,whichmakesthedramaneedmoreabsorbingandupdatinginanywhere.BeforethechannelofcommunicationbetweentheWestandtheEastwasopen,thewesternandeasterndramasadvancedonitsownway.Whenthechannelisbuiltup,withthecommunicationbetweentheWestandtheEast,theybothabsorbmuchofthefrontiercultureandart.Itwasalmostinthe17thcenturywhenthedramacommunicationstarted,whichnowpromotesthemeritofbothcultureandartindrama.Wheninthe20thcentury,withthebigtrendofthespreadofWesterninfluencesontheEast,dramasthrivedtheirbleedingwayswhichledtothemodernizationofdramaintheworld.InChina,thetransitionfromfeudalismtosocialismoccurredlastcentury.Andthetransitionfromclassictomodernshouldalsobeinthelastcentury.

1.2Necessityandpurposeofthestudy

Theworldisgettingsmallerwiththeincreasingexchangesinalmosteveryfield.Peoplehavedifferentlanguageswhichbringdifficultiesintheircommunication.Translatorsserveasabridgeforcommunication.Theytranslatenotonlybetweenlanguagesbutalsobetweencultures.Whatisculture?

Cultureisasystemofsharedbeliefs,values,customs,behaviors,andartifactsthatthemembersofasocietyusetocopewiththeirworldandwithoneanother,andthataretransmittedfromgenerationtogenerationthroughlearning.Thisdefinitionincludesnotonlypatternsofbehaviorbutalsopatternsofthought（sharedmeaningsthatthemembersofasocietyattachtovariousphenomena,naturalandintellectual,includingreligionandideologies）,artifacts（tools,pottery,houses,machines,worksofart）,andtheculturallytransmittedskillsandtechniquesandtomaketheartifacts.Culture,aproductionofhumanactivitiesandsocialheritage,bearsstronglocalandnationalcolor.Foreigncommunication,oldoryoung,arefascinatedaboutChinawithahistoryofoverfivethousandyears.BeforetheycometoChina,theyoftenlearnsomethingaboutthedestinationbyreadingtouristmaterials.ButtheyareoftenconfusedbytheculturalinformationintheEnglishversion.Therefore,translatorsshouldtrytheirbesttocopewiththedifficultyintheprocessoftranslating.OfvariouschallengingproblemstoChinesetranslators,thegreatestdifficultycomesfromthedifferencesbetweenChineseandWesterncultures.AcomparisonofChineseandWesternculturaldifferenceswillhelpChinesetranslatorsnotonlysharpentheirsensitivitytothosedifferences,butalsodevelopthetranslationstrategies.Whatisculturaldifference?

Generalspeaking,ithappensindifferentareasduetotheirdifferenttraditionalcultures，includingthehistorical,religious,geographicalculturaldifferencesandsoon.Itwillbeshowedinthedailylife,especiallyinthehumanlanguages.Wemustrealizetheculturaldifferencessothatwewillnotdosomethingstupidorproducesomeunacceptablecommunicationintroductiontotheforeigners.Culturaldifferenceisabarrieroftranslation,itisimportantthatwemakeaclearunderstandonculturebeforetranslation.Chinesetraditionaloperahasgreatdifferencewithwesterndrama.IntheWesternrealisticdrama,thebasiclawofdramacreatingisdramaticconflictwheresuchfeatureslie.Anditisdramaticconflictthatmakesaudiencenervousness,expectingandworryingaboutthefateofthecharactersintheplay.ButaccordingtothetheoryoftraditionalChineseoperas,suchfeaturesaretheexpressofthefervorofcharacters.Onlywhenauthorsportraytherealfeelingscantheactorsandactressdisplaythemandcantheaudiencebeaffected.Itisonthebasisofthefeelingsthatauthors,actorsandaudienceachievegreatunity.ThispaperfocusesonthedifferenceinChineseoperaandwesterndramainmanyaspects,tryingtomakeacomparisonofthem.

2BarrierstoAppreciatingChineseandWesternDrama

AnalyzingthedevelopmentofbothWesterndramaandChinesedrama,wecouldfindthatthereisalotofdifferencesinthedrama.Someofthedifferencesareshownintheregionaldifference,someofthedifferencesareshownintheracialdifference,someareshowninlanguage,andsomeinculturaldifference.

2.1Theformofsinging

TheWesterndramatictraditionhasitsoriginsinancientGreece.Thepreciseevolutionofitsmaindivisions--tragedy,comedyandsatireisnotdefinitelyknown.AccordingtoAristotle,Greekdrama,ormoreexplicitly,Greektragedyoriginatedinthedithyramb.ThiswasachoralhymntothegodDionysusandinvolvedexchangesbetweenaleadsingerandthechorus.ItisthoughtthatthedithyrambwassungattheDionysian,anannualfestivalhonoringDionysus.TraditionhasitthatattheDionysianof534B.C.duringthereignofPisistratustheleadsingerofthedithyrambamannamedThespis,addedtothechorusanactorwithwhomhecarriedonadialoguethusinitiatingthepossibilityofdramaticaction.Thespisiscreditedwiththeinventionoftragedy.EventuallyAeschylusintroducedasecondactortothedramaandSophoclesathird,Sophocles’formatbeingcontinuedbyEuripides,whichisthelastofthegreatclassicalGreekdramatists.

Generally,theearlierGreektragediesplacedmoreemphasisonthechorusthanthelaterones.InthemajesticplaysofAeschylus,thechorusservestounderscorethepersonalitiesandsituationsofthecharactersandtoprovideethicalcommentontheaction.MuchofAeschylus’mostbeautifulpoetryiscontainedinthechorusesofhisplays.Theincreaseinthenumberofactorsresultedinlessconcernaboutcommunalproblemsandbeliefsandmoreaboutdramaticconflictbetweenindividuals.Accompanyingthisemphasisonindividuals’interaction,fromthetimeofAeschylustothatofEuripides,therewasamarkedtendencytowardrealism.Euripides’scharactersareordinary,notgodlike,andthegodsthemselvesareintroducedmoreasdevicesofplotmanipulationthanasstronglyfeltrepresentationsoftranscendentpower.Utilizingthreeactors,SophoclesdevelopeddramaticactionbeyondanythingAeschylushadachievedwithonlytwoandalsointroducedmorenaturalspeech.However,hedidnotloseasenseofthegodlikeinmanandman’saffairs,asEuripidesoftendid.ThusitisSophocleswhobestrepresentstheclassicalbalancebetweenthehumananddivine,therealisticandthesymbolic.

2.2Theorganizationform

TheclassicalChinesetheaterdevelopedduringtheYuandynasty（1260-1328）.Springingfromstorycyclesmadefamiliarbyprofessionalstorytellers,Yuanplaysreliedfortheirappealonromanticorsentimentalplots.DuringtheMingdynasty（1368-1644）thedramautilizedtheplotsofpopularnovels.Untilthe19thcentury,Chinesedramawasnotspoken;

itwasamixtureofmusicanddeclamation.LiketheSanskrit,ChinesedramaavoidstragedyasthattermisunderstoodintheWest.However,itisfrequentlyinfusedwithpathos,ofteninvolvingthedeathsofwomen（Wikipedia2011）.Althoughactingstyle,charactertypes,stageproperties,andotherexternalfeaturesofChinesedramaarehighlyconventionalized,thereisgreatnarrativefreedomintheplaysthemselves.OftentheyarerepletewithConfucianethicalprecepts,propoundedwithrigiddidacticism.Manyoftheplays,however,embodyaTaoistmysticismthatrunscountertoConfucianinfluence.Chinesedramaismoresocialandlessconcernedwithromanticlovethanthatinthewest.Familyandcountryarefrequentlyregardedasofmoreimportancethantheindividual.IncontrasttotheSanskrit,Chinesedramawaswrittenforapopularaudience,anddramaticperformancestookplaceinvirtuallyeveryvillage.TherearemanyChineseplaysextant,ranginginmoodfrompathostofarce.AmongthemasterpiecesofChinesedramaareTheInjusticeSufferedbyTouEbyKuanHan-ching,TheWesternChamberbyWangShi-fu,andTheOrphanoftheHouseofChaobyChiChun-tsaing（all12th-15thcentury）;

ThePeonyPavilionbyTangHsien-tsu（16thcentury）;

andThePalaceofLongLifebyHungSheng（17thcentury）.

2.3Thehistoricalstories

IntheWest,Chinesedramahastraditionallybeenregardedasanentertainmentratherthanaseriousartform.Thereareseveralreasonsforthisjudgment:

first,theformlessnessofChineseplays,as,forexample,HungSheng’sPalaceofEternalYouth（1688）,aplayin49sceneswithoutanyactdivisions;

second,thespectacularnatureofChinesedrama,whichreliesheavilyonmusic,song,acrobatics,mimicry,andcostuming;

andthird,thepreponderanceofstockcharacters,suchasthecomicdrunk.

I