第一次看京剧的外国朋友，常常会被演员脸上的颜色吸引住。
Foreign friends watching Peking opera for the first time are often captivated by the colors on the actors' faces.
这种画在脸上的“化妆”有一个专门的名字，叫脸谱。
This kind of "makeup" painted on the face has a special name: lianpu, the painted mask.
脸谱的颜色不是随便选的，每种颜色都代表一种性格。
The colors of the masks are not chosen casually; each color represents a type of personality.
红色代表忠诚和勇敢，最有名的红脸是古代英雄关羽。
Red represents loyalty and bravery; the most famous red face is the ancient hero Guan Yu.
黑色代表公正，比如传说中最公正的包公，就是一张黑脸。
Black represents justice: Lord Bao, the most just figure in legend, has a black face.
白色正好相反，代表不诚实，《三国》里的曹操就常常被画成白脸。
White is just the opposite: it represents dishonesty, and Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms is often painted with a white face.
所以老观众一看脸谱，不用听一句话，就知道谁是好人，谁是坏人。
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，脸谱早就走下了舞台，出现在衣服、杯子和邮票上。
Nowadays, the painted masks have long since stepped down from the stage, appearing on clothes, cups, and stamps.
不管你懂不懂中文，都能从这些颜色里读出精彩的故事。
No matter whether you understand Chinese or not, you can read wonderful stories out of these colors.
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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)
Grammar note 语法点
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.
Check yourself 小测验
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?
After this reading
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