京剧脸谱 Peking Opera Masks

第一次dì-yī cì看kàn京剧jīngjù的de外国wàiguó朋友péngyou，常常chángcháng会huì被bèi演员yǎnyuán脸liǎn上shang的de颜色yánsè吸引xīyǐn住zhù。

Foreign friends watching Peking opera for the first time are often captivated by the colors on the actors' faces.

这zhè种zhǒng画huà在zài脸liǎn上shang的de“化妆huàzhuāng”有yǒu一yí个gè专门zhuānmén的de名字míngzi，叫jiào脸谱liǎnpǔ。

This kind of "makeup" painted on the face has a special name: lianpu, the painted mask.

脸谱liǎnpǔ的de颜色yánsè不bú是shì随便suíbiàn选xuǎn的de，每měi种zhǒng颜色yánsè都dōu代表dàibiǎo一yì种zhǒng性格xìnggé。

The colors of the masks are not chosen casually; each color represents a type of personality.

红色hóngsè代表dàibiǎo忠诚zhōngchéng和hé勇敢yǒnggǎn，最zuì有名yǒumíng的de红hóng脸liǎn是shì古代gǔdài英雄yīngxióng关羽Guān Yǔ。

Red represents loyalty and bravery; the most famous red face is the ancient hero Guan Yu.

黑色hēisè代表dàibiǎo公正gōngzhèng，比如bǐrú传说chuánshuō中zhōng最zuì公正gōngzhèng的de包公Bāo Gōng，就jiù是shì一yì张zhāng黑hēi脸liǎn。

Black represents justice: Lord Bao, the most just figure in legend, has a black face.

白色báisè正好zhènghǎo相反xiāngfǎn，代表dàibiǎo不bù诚实chéngshí，《三国Sānguó》里li的de曹操Cáo Cāo就jiù常常chángcháng被bèi画huà成chéng白bái脸liǎn。

White is just the opposite: it represents dishonesty, and Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms is often painted with a white face.

所以suǒyǐ老lǎo观众guānzhòng一yí看kàn脸谱liǎnpǔ，不用búyòng听tīng一yí句jù话huà，就jiù知道zhīdào谁shéi是shì好人hǎorén，谁shéi是shì坏人huàirén。

So as soon as experienced audience members see the mask, they know who is good and who is bad, without hearing a single word.

如今rújīn，脸谱liǎnpǔ早就zǎojiù走下zǒuxià了le舞台wǔtái，出现chūxiàn在zài衣服yīfu、杯子bēizi和hé邮票yóupiào上shang。

Nowadays, the painted masks have long since stepped down from the stage, appearing on clothes, cups, and stamps.

不管bùguǎn你nǐ懂dǒng不bù懂dǒng中文Zhōngwén，都dōu能néng从cóng这些zhèxiē颜色yánsè里li读出dúchū精彩jīngcǎi的de故事gùshi。

No matter whether you understand Chinese or not, you can read wonderful stories out of these colors.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

脸谱liǎnpǔpainted opera mask

忠诚zhōngchéngloyal; loyalty

公正gōngzhèngjust; fair

关羽Guān YǔGuan Yu (ancient hero, red face)

包公Bāo GōngLord Bao (just official, black face)

曹操Cáo CāoCao Cao (Three Kingdoms figure, white face)

一…就… (as soon as…, then…)

The second action follows the first immediately: 老观众一看脸谱，就知道谁是好人。

他一回家就打开电视。 — As soon as he gets home, he turns on the TV.

不管…都… (no matter…, …)

不管 introduces a condition that makes no difference, and 都 gives the unchanged result: 不管你懂不懂中文，都能从这些颜色里读出精彩的故事。

不管天气怎么样，他都去跑步。 — No matter what the weather is like, he goes running.

被 + doer + V + 成 (to be made into… by…)

A passive sentence in which 成 states the result of the action: 曹操就常常被画成白脸。

这本小说被拍成了电影。 — This novel was made into a film.

1. What does the color red on a mask represent?

2. Who is often painted with a white face?

3. Why don't experienced audience members need to hear a single word?