3 replies to this topic

[Scarlett]

Gao Ming （About 1307～1371）
Chinese opera author in Yuan dynasty, Zi Ce Cheng, call himself Cai Ken Taoist, from Zhejiang Rui An. The Rui An
Belongs to Yong Jia County so the people after generation called him Gao Dongjia. All his brothers were good at writing or painting. He once was a rectitude government officer, his thinking and characteristics were deeply influenced by his teacher and family. http://www.tvsc.cn/z...php?newsid=2433

[General_Zhaoyun]

Do you have the chinese character for "Gao Ming"? I'm interested in knowing more about him.

[Non-Han Nan Ban]

Cool stuff. My favorite playwright from the Ming is predictable: Tang Xianzu (1550-1616). It's kind of like saying in England "my favorite playwright is Shakespeare."

I've been interested in Song, Jin, and Yuan plays recently, after reading an incredible article by Stephen H. West called "Playing With Food: Performance, Food, and The Aesthetics of Artificiality in The Sung and Yuan," Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies (Volume 57, Number 1, 1997): 67–106. I've recently used that journal article to improve this article for wikipedia:

Culture of the Song Dynasty

Theatre and drama in China trace their roots back to the academy of music known as the Pear Garden, founded in the early 8th century during the Tang Dynasty. However, historian Stephen H. West asserts that the Northern Song era capital Kaifeng was the first real center where the performing arts became "an industry, a conglomerate involving theatre, gambling, prostitution, and food."[17] The rise in consumption by merchants and scholar-officials, he states, "accelerated the growth of both the performance and the food industries," asserting a direct link between the two due to their close proximity within the cities.[18] Of the fifty some theatres located in the 'pleasure districts' of Kaifeng, four of these theatres were large enough to entertain audiences of several thousand each, drawing huge crowds which nearby businesses thrived upon.[19] The chief crowd that gathered were comprised of those from the merchant class, while government officials only went to restaurants and attended theatre performances during holidays.[20]

From Kaifeng, the zaju dramatic style employed the beiqu style of poetic lyrics.[17] After the capital had shifted to Hangzhou, the dramatic style of xiwen (also nanxi or nanqu) developed separately.[21] These two different regional genres of musical drama used different regional dialects of speech, recitation, and dialogue, entailed their own unique sets of role types (juese), and employed different types of musical instruments playing different tunes.[22] In Kaifeng drama, one singer was preferred for each play, accompanied by string and percussion instruments.[22] In Hangzhou drama, there was a multitude of singers on stage for each set, while string and wind instruments were preferred.[22]

Color and clothing distinguished the rank of theatre actors in the Song.[23] Similar to vendors who wore specific outfits to identify which guild they belonged to, actors' generic costumes reflected the role type they played on stage, whether it be student, young man, young woman, official, soldier, etc.[24] Actors honed their theatrical skills at drama schools.[23] Musicians also found work in the theatre industry, since plays performed in the markets were often accompanied by music.[23] Actors on stage always spoke their lines in Classical Chinese; vernacular Chinese that imitated the common spoken language was not introduced into theatrical performances until the Yuan Dynasty.[25] Although trained to speak in the erudite Classical language, acting troupes commonly drew their membership from one of the lowest classes in society: prostitutes.[26] Themes enjoyed in stage skits varied from satires about corrupt officials to comedy acts with titles like "Setting fire when delivering the soup," "Raising a ruckus in the winehouse," "The peony smells best when the wine is stolen," and "Catching a monkey in a restaurant."[27][28] The only xiwen play to have survived from the Southern Song era is the Zhang Xie zhuang yuan, featuring interludes such as a clown stealing food and wine at a wedding banquet in act 16 and a quick comedy sketch about renting a room in act 24.[29]

Surprisingly, actors on stage did not have a wholesale monopoly on theatrical entertainment, as even vendors and peddlers in the street, singing lewd songs and beating on whatever they could find to compensate for percussion instruments, could draw crowds.[30] This practice was so widespread that West claims "the city itself was turned into a stage and the citizens into the essential audience."[31] Many of the songs played for stage performances were tunes that originated from vendors' and peddlers' songs.[32] Contests were held on New Year's Day to determine which vendor or peddler had the best chants and songs while selling wares; the winners were brought before the imperial court to perform.[31] The Wulin jiushi of the Southern Song states that these vendors, when presented to the consorts and concubines of the palace, were lavished with heaps of gold and pearls for their wares; some vendors would "become rich in a single evening."[24] Theatrical stunts were also performed to gain attention, such as fried-glutinous-rice-ball vendors hanging small red lamps on portable bamboo racks who would twirl them around to the beat of a drum to dazzle crowds.[33] Puppet shows in the streets and wards were also popular.[24]

Great stuff, no?
Eric (En Rui)

[fireball]

Thank you for bringing up one my fellow Wenzhou tongxiang (同鄉 -- people from the same region). His home village and home district was pretty much right next door to my family's home village and district (OK, in ancient time, it was not that close, but ...suffice to say that my ancestor could have visited him within one day's walking distance or less -- well, my home village was in forests and mountains and there is this big river as well, so ... ) However, many of our home village/district people are/were good friends with their home village/district people.

His name in Chinese was 高明 (Gao Ming), and his "号 hao4" was 则诚 (ze2 cheng2 - principled in sincerity) or 菜根道人 (cai4 gen1 dao4 ren2 - the Daoist Priest of the Vegetable roots). He was also respectfully called, 东嘉先生 (dong1 jia1 xian1 sheng1 - Master Dong Jia -- Dong Jia is the name of the Region of Wenzhou in Tang dynasty). He was greatly influenced by his maternal grandfather and his parents and knew about the pains of the fall of the South Song Dynasty. He was a very good official to his people. His grandfather, uncle, and younger brother were all poets. He married a daughter of the local Chen family, who had marriage relationships with his Gao family for many generations. 15 people from the Chen family's 4 generations at that time were all poets and good in music as well as essays. Gao's own granddaughter also married back into that Chen family later on. In modern days, the city of Rui An had built a memorial hall to him in his home village of Town of Ge2 Xiang4 (阁巷镇) and village of Bo2 Shu4 or Cypress (柏树村). He wrote the Story of Pipa, and it was one of the representative plays in the Southern Chinese Operas 南戏. In the Story of Pipa, he put in his feelings and experiences about being a good official in a corrupted Chinese or Mongolian government.

From: http://zh.wikipedia..../wiki/温州市 (in Chinese):

高则诚：元朝瑞安人。南戏重要的电表人物。曾编有琵琶记。

Translated as: Gao Zecheng 高则诚: A person from Rui An 瑞安 of Zhejiang province in Yuan dynasty. He was one of the most important authors of the Southern Chinese Operas. He had edited/written Pipa Ji (琵琶记 -- The Story of Pipa).

Please read about his biography in details and see his painting at this link: http://baike.baidu.com/view/196782.htm (in Chinese) -- I have put the important bits above. I might translate all of it into English in a future time.

From the above link:

高则诚 生于1305年，原名明，号则诚，又号菜根道人，瑞安阁巷人。从小就受到父母和外祖父的影响，深谙南宋灭亡的痛史，同情广大人民的痛苦，具有一定的爱国爱民的思想。元朝建立以后，高则诚考中进士，断断续续做了十来年的元朝官吏。由于他为官清廉，不畏权势，生性耿直，刚正不阿，经常与上司意见不和，故常常辞官隐退，任职时间都不长。在他任官期间，经常为人民着想，替百姓办了不少好事。后专心致志从事他酝酿已久的《琵琶记》的创作。大约花了三年时间，《琵琶记》终于问世了。《琵琶记》上演以后，深受广大群众欢迎，在元末的剧坛上成为一朵璀璨夺目的鲜花，六百多年，流传不衰，影响深远。为了纪念这位文化名人，弘扬瑞安的优秀文化传统，近年来，瑞安市成立了高则诚研究会，并在高则诚的故乡――阁巷镇柏树村，修建了一座高则诚纪念堂。

瑞安地古属永嘉郡，故他常自署永嘉高明。唐武德五年置东嘉州，人又称他为东嘉先生。约生于元成宗大德九年（1305），卒于明初。 高明出生在崇儒里柏树（今阁巷镇柏树）一个诗人、隐士家庭。祖父高天锡、伯父高彦和弟高*都是诗人，父功甫早卒。同里陈姓，与高家世有姻连。高明祖母和妻子为陈氏女，而高明女孙复作陈氏妇。陈族祖孙四世十五人，均是诗人，都能为文作诗，且有通晓音律者。

高明幼聪慧，得陈家人赏识。进陈氏家塾，未曾多习举子业，倒是耳濡目染，杂学旁收，跟学有专长的长辈习各种知识，故而“自少以博学称”。 及长，从乌伤（今义乌市）宿儒黄*游，同门有宋濂、王*、戴良、陈基等。复漫游江、浙一带，与友人觞咏唱和。后回乡设帐授徒。他前半生约40年，过着“师友一门兄弟乐”的 隐士、诗人生活。其《赋幽慵斋》一诗，可为此时期思想、生活之写照：“闭门春草长，荒庭积雨余。青苔无人扫，永日谢轩车。清风忽南来，吹堕几上书。梦觉闻啼鸟，云山满吾庐。安得嵇中散，尊酒相与娱。”


元顺帝至元六年（1340）下诏恢复种举考试。高明在祖父督促和亲友催勉下，又自视为怀瑾握瑜之土，当从仕途上一展抱负：“入践廷宇，陪老成之谠议；出临郡邑，布恩德于罢氓；使殊功茂绩，炳然一时，以答清朝设科盛意，且非君平昔之志，而亦吾党所望于君者哉？”于是“叹曰：人不专一经取第，虽博奚为？乃自奋读《春秋》，识圣人大义，属文操笔立就。”参加至正四年（１３４４）乡试，次年登进士第。时年约４０，已届不惑之年。 高明初任处州录事。他年青时曾作诗“几回欲挽银河水，好与苍生洗汗颜”，此番入仕，当身践力行而有所作为，为苍生办事。“时监郡马僧家奴贪暴，明委曲调护，民赖以安。”任满，“民办去思碑，刘基为文记之。”

江浙行中书省官闻其名，辟为丞相掾吏。杭州任，为他仕途上春风得意之日。高明为人刚毅耿直，为官清正廉明，办事干练闲熟，得共事者之赏识。“而君亦雅义名节自励，公卿大夫咸器君行能”他从参政樊执敬核实平江圩田，得蠲租米无征者四十万石”，又与葛元哲同为参政苏天爵编定《滋溪文稿》30卷。每当别掾有故，他即权代其事，“君稽典册，定是非，酬应如流”，故而，“儒生称其才华，法吏推其练达”，“声闻益隆矣！”遇上不合意愿事，“辄上政事堂慷慨求去”。

在杭州，他曾去凭吊岳飞子冢。诸多诗人曾为“三字狱”写下诗作，或激昂高歌，或低回咏叹，高明作《和赵承旨题岳王墓韵》：

莫向中州叹黍离，英雄生死系安危。内廷不下班师诏，绝漠全收大将旗。父子一门甘伏节，山河万里竟分支。孤臣尚有埋身地，二帝游魂更可悲。

高明此诗与众多咏岳飞诗作不同，不只是流露出、也不仅是停留在对宋朝国亡之悲痛上，尤为难得者，在于揭示国亡罪责得由南宋最高统治者承担。由于“内廷”下“班师诏”，致“绝漠”落金人之手，使大将未能乘胜追击收复失土。同时指出岳氏父子“愚忠”，“甘伏节”，而置分支之万里山河于不顾，“竟”字见指责。此种识见，远较他诗为深刻。尾联更以“有理身地”与“二帝游魂”显强烈比照，对南宋帝王作进一步批判。诗之写作与其在杭州任上之作为及感受分不开。

高明忙碌于仕途，踌躇满志，其内心却并非平静，矛盾、苦闷、彷徨，时时泛起，以至于对仕宦生活感到厌倦。至正九年八月，他去昆山会友人顾仲瑛，归杭州后，作《碧梧翠竹堂后记》一文，吐露心曲。“比至城廓，车马杂*，尘坌*起，慨想昨昔所游，疑为梦中见矣！”文未，寄语仲瑛：“君碧梧翠竹之乐，不易得也，第安之，他日毋或汩于绿仕，而若余之不能久留久。”

至正八年，台州民方国珍聚众起事，受招抚，成为元朝官史；十年十二月复叛。有旨：令行省臣总诸郡兵平“乱”。省臣以高明为温州人，熟悉海滨事，“择以自从。君亦庶几因得自效”。浙东帅达公赏识高明才干，“一见君欢然！”主帅以“除凶”为已任，高明则与之相左，“论事不合”，便“避不治文书”，致“师出逾三时”，亦不顾。事后，回省城，受冷遇。经此事后，高明感到宦海风涛险恶，对友人及乡人深有感触地言道：“前辈谓土子抱腹笥、起乡里、达朝廷、取爵位，如拾地芥，其荣至矣，孰知为忧患之始乎！余昔卑其言，于今乃信！”⑩遂萌退志，“莫将尘土污儒冠”。然而，既入仕途，身不由己，他仍为宦事所羁绊，不禁感叹：“飘零王粲辞家久，牢落潘郎感发稀”、“孤松三径依旧在，童仆正迟陶渊明”！至正十二年秋，任绍兴路判官，未久，转庆元路（今宁波市）推官。他借《题画龙》为喻：“乾坤万里苏旱喝，草本无言生意悦。归来高卧碧潭云，独抱神珠弄明月。”表示未敢忘却为百姓办事，以之自解自勉自慰。推官为专管刑狱之职，“四明狱囚多冤，明平反允当，人称神明”⑾。覆盆之冤，一一得洗刷昭雪，“囹圄一空”⑿。当地名士袁彦章作诗称赞：“州县按临分枉直”，“笔端一点春无限”，“圜扉罗雀文书静”⒀，与府志所载相符。其后，调江南行台掾，“数忤权贵”，他不得不“谢病去”⒁。经此挫折，退志益坚。“岁晚仲宣犹在旅，年来伯玉自知非。”叹息已身似王粲处乱世而怀才不遇，应如蘧伯玉悔省而遁世。

他写《次韵酬高应文》一诗寄在家乡好友高应文，回顾十余年仕宦生活，感慨万千： 曾向天涯钓六鳌，引帆风紧隔银涛。江山有恨英雄老，天地无情雨露高。七国游淡厌犀首，十年奔走叹狐毛。争如蓑笠秋江上，自脍鲈鱼买浊醪。

傲骨嶙峋，卓然特立，十年奔走，天地无情，当赋归去，“自脍鲈鱼买浊醪”。至正十六年后，朝廷命他为福建行省都事，他无意恋栈。时分省庆元之方国珍欲留其在幕下，高明力辞不从，以礼延教子弟，亦不就，归家也不成，旅居于庆元。元廷任其为国史院典籍官，未之任，“旅寓鄞之栎社沈氏，以词曲自娱”⒂，撰写戏文《琵琶记》。

在宋代温州戏文中，原有《赵贞女蔡二郎》一戏，徐渭《南词叙录》谓“即旧伯喈弃亲背妇，为暴雷震死。里俗妄作也。实为戏文之首。”高则诚于以改造，将负心察伯喈，改塑为违心人：蔡伯喈奉父命违心去应举，被牛相强招为婿进相府，朝廷不准辞官归养双亲，终使他滞留京师，灾荒之年，二亲双双亡故。高则诚把自己仕途蹭蹬中之痛苦与感受，熔铸进主人公蔡伯喈形像中去，借他人酒杯，浇自己块垒，是应举为官，招致蔡家一门象破人亡，以此揭露封建科举制度和仕宦道路之罪恶，人谓整部戏作“纯是一部嘲骂谱”⒃。较之《赵贞女蔡二郎》，有更为深广的社会意义。

高则诚尤倾注心于赵五娘形像之抒写。赵氏勇于承担苦难，荒年饥岁，只身一人，竭尽全力奉侍双亲，虽受委屈，始终不渝，成为中国中世纪劳动妇女典型。“高则诚填词，夜案烧双烛，填至（赵五娘）《吃糠》一出，句云：“‘糠和米本一处飞’，双烛花交为一，询异事也。”

高则诚在《琵琶记》起首云：“论传奇，乐人易，动人难”，为达动人境地，高则诚取草本反复吟唱，一再修改，决不苟且。“阖关谢客，极力苦心，歌咏则口吐涎沫，按节拍则脚点楼板皆穿，积之岁月，然后出以示人。”⒅《南词叙录》也有类似记载：“相传，则诚坐卧一小楼，三年而后成。其足按拍处，板皆为穿。” 高则诚撰成《琵琶记》，极大地提高南戏艺术水平，“用清丽之词，一洗作者之陋，于是村坊小伎，进与古法部相参，卓乎不可及已。”被尊为“曲祖”，“《琵琶记》乃高则诚所作，虽出于纲领，不宜取便苟且，须从头至尾，字字句句，须要透彻唱理，方为国工。”广为传演，“浸淫胜国，崔、蔡二传奇(按：指《西厢记》和《琵琶记》迭出，才情既富，节奏弥工，演习梨园，几半天下。上距都邑，下迄闾阎，每奏一剧，穷夕彻旦，虽有众乐，无暇杂陈。”(21) 朱元璋于1968年建立明王朝，高明的一些好友和同门如刘基、宋濂、陈基、王*、赵*等，纷纷前往应天效力，朱元璋征召他，以疾辞。不久，患病去世，葬于家乡。《清颍一源集》载其墓地在柏树桥南岸，乾隆《瑞安县志》则谓“在十五者筑坟汇”，有待后人去发现。友人陆德*以诗哭之：“乱离遭世变，出处叹才难。坠地文将丧，忧天寝不安。名题前进士，爵署早郎官。一代儒林传，真堪入史刊”。从诗意看，高明当卒于明初，终年约70岁。高则诚不仅是一位戏曲作家，另一本戏文《闵子骞单衣记》，已佚，且是书法家。明人江*玉《珊瑚网》中载其“善书，《元名公翰墨卷》有高则诚书”。晚年居四明。多次为友人题识，为碑刻书丹，“词章翰墨，人得之者不啻拱壁。”(23)则诚书法方正刚劲，凝重深厚，具有庄重正大气度。《题唐康居国贤首祖师墨迹跋》手书，为瑞安林大同所发现，后传其哲嗣林镜平，报告，“文化大革命”中迷失。现仅存照片复制件。

孙诒让《温州经籍志》载：高明有诗文集《柔克斋集》二十卷，“明中叶时已无传本”，今仅存残篇散什。

Please read about the Story of Pipa 琵琶记 in http://baike.baidu.com/view/417276.htm (in Chinese) -- I might translate all of it into English in a future time.

【简介】
《琵琶记》，元末南戏，高明撰。写汉代书生蔡伯喈与赵五娘悲欢离合的故事。共四十二出。被誉为传奇之祖的《琵琶记》，是我国古代戏曲中一部经典名著。

【剧情】
书生蔡伯喈与赵五娘新婚不久，恰逢朝廷开科取士，伯喈以父母年事已高，欲辞试留在家中，服侍父母。但蔡公不从，邻居张大公也在旁劝说。伯喈只好告别父母、妻子赴京试。应试及第，中了状元。牛丞相有一女未婚配，奉旨招新科状元为婿。伯喈以父母年迈，在家无人照顾，需回家尽孝为由，欲辞婚、辞官，但牛丞相与皇帝不从，被迫滞留京城。自伯喈离家后，陈留连年遭受旱灾，五娘任劳任怨，尽服侍公婆，让公婆吃米，自己则背着公婆私下自咽糟糠。婆婆一时痛悔过甚而亡，蔡公也死于饥荒。而伯喈被强赘入牛府后，终日思念父母。写信去陈留家中，信被拐儿骗走，致音信不通。一日，在书房弹琴抒发幽思，为牛氏听见，得知实情，告知父亲。牛丞相为女儿说服，遂派人去迎取伯喈父母、妻子来京。蔡公、蔡婆去世后，五娘祝发卖葬，罗裙包土，自筑坟墓。又亲手绘成公婆遗容，身背琵琶，沿路弹唱乞食，往京城寻夫。来京城，正遇弥陀寺大法会，便往寺中募化求食，将公婆真容供于佛前。正逢伯喈也来寺中烧香，祈祷父母路上平安。见到父母真容，便拿回府中挂在书房内。五娘寻至牛府，被牛氏请至府内弹唱。五娘见牛氏贤淑，便将自己的身世告知牛氏。牛氏为让五娘与伯喈团聚，又怕伯喈不认，便让五娘来到书房，在公婆的真容上题诗暗喻。伯喈回府，见画上所题之诗，正欲问牛氏，牛氏便带五娘入内，夫妻遂得以团聚。五娘告知家中事情，伯喈悲痛至极，即刻上表辞官，回乡守孝。得到牛丞相的同意，伯喈遂携赵氏、牛氏同归故里，庐墓守孝。后皇帝卜诏，旌表蔡氏一门。

【人物个性】
《琵琶记》的人物很有个性，其主要人物已成为艺术典型。赵五娘是全剧中最为光辉的人物，是一个贤孝妇的形象。丈夫进京赶考，她独自一人在家侍奉公婆，承担起家庭的全部重担。饥荒年间，她把可怜的救济粮留给公婆，自己却在背后偷偷吃糠。公婆死了，无钱买棺材，她剪下头发，沿街叫卖。无钱请人埋葬公婆，她麻裙包土，全筑坟墓。然后描容上路，进京寻夫。在极度艰难的环境中，她含辛茹苦，任劳任怨，悄悄地作出自我牺牲，以柔弱的肩膀，承担起生活重担，既尽了心，又尽了力。在赵五娘身上体现出中华民族多方面的优秀品德。她是一个光彩照人的贤孝妇形象。正因如此，赵五娘的形象才长期活跃于舞台，流传于人间。蔡伯喈被塑造成贤孝子的形象，又是一个有情的丈夫。他在京城，处于富贵生活之中，并没有忘掉父母的养育之恩。他还时时想到父母的衣食冷暖，担心父母在家挨饥受饿，还设法给父母寄钱寄信，处于锦衣玉食之中，他还有一颗对父母的爱心，还保存有骨肉之情。比之于那些投靠权贵，认贼作父，忘恩负义的衣冠禽兽来说，他确是一个有品德，有孝心的儿子。他被迫招赘牛府，生活在温柔之乡，但他时时想着家中的妻子赵五娘。他并没有因赘人牛府就忘却自己的糟糠之妻，还是那样一往深情的爱她。他是一个忠于爱情，有良心，有善心的丈夫。蔡伯喈的形象，也是颇为感人的。虽然赵五娘、蔡伯喈的形象中，也有愚孝的成份，但是瑕不掩玉。张广才也是一个成功的形象，他是中华民族优秀品德“义”的化身。饥荒年间，他将得到的救济粮分一半给赵五娘，帮助她一家度日。蔡公蔡婆死后，他又赠送棺材，帮助这个弱女子葬送公婆。他救人于危难之中，有恩于人还不图报答。他那颗同情苦难之心，救人危难之心，助人为乐之心，是中华民族的善良之心，仁爱之心，无私之心在闪闪发光。因此，张广才的形象就成了千百年来人们歌颂的形象。

【结构】
《琵琶记》是双线结构。一条线是蔡伯喈上京考试入赘牛府；一条线是赵五娘在家，奉养公婆。在宋元南戏和明清传奇中，有许多剧本都是双线结构，但在这些双线结构中，所组成的两个故事，有许多是互不相关的，它们不能彼此促进，互为增辉。而《琵琶记》的双线结构不同，它们共同敷演一家的故事，共同表演一个主题。两条线索交错发展，对比排列，产生了强烈的悲剧效果和巨大的艺术感染力。

《琵琶记》的语言，文采和本色两种兼备。蔡伯喈在京城生活这条线的人物，用的是文采语言，词句华美，文采灿然，语言富于色彩，讲究字句的雕琢，典故的运用，是一种高度诗化的语言，是一种高雅的语言。这是由于他们的文化水平，和富贵生活的环境而决定的。蔡伯喈、牛小姐、牛丞相等，都是很有知识的人，说起话来，自然就雅，这是符合人物身份的。他们生活在相府之中，住的是亭台楼阁的华屋，过的是锦衣玉食的生活，用华丽的语言来写豪华的生活，才能和谐一致。赵五娘这条线的人物，用的是本色语言。自然朴实，通俗易懂，生活气息很浓。不讲究词藻的华丽，典故的运用，词句的雕琢。这是一种接近于人民生活的语言。赵五娘这条线上的人物，使用本色语言，也是由于他们的文化水平和贫穷生活而决定的。赵五娘、蔡公、蔡婆、张广才等，都是没有多少文化的人，自然不会咬文嚼字，子云诗日。他们生活在农村，住的是民房，过的是农村生活，用朴素的语言来描绘这种生活，才能和谐一致。剧中两种不同的人物，使用两种不同的语言，构成两种不同的语言风格，这是《琵琶记》运用语言的独特之处。

【作者简介】
《琵琶记》的作者高明字则诚，号菜根道人，今浙江瑞安人。他的生年约在1305年前后。他的卒年有元末说和明初说两种说法。持元末说者，认为卒于1359年。持明初说者，认为卒于朱元璋开国以后。高明四十岁左右中了进士，在杭州等地作过小官。后来隐居在宁波城东的栎社镇，《琵琶记》就是在这一时期写成的。他的剧作除《琵琶记》外，还有《闵子骞单衣记》，已佚。

【评价】
全剧典雅、完整、生动、浓郁，显示了文人的细腻目光和酣畅手法。它是高度发达的中国抒情文学与戏剧艺术的结合。总之，《琵琶记》不论在思想内容上，人物形象上，还是在结构和语言方面，都有独特之处，值得欣赏玩味。因此， 《琵琶记》是一部值得弘扬的优秀剧作。

【现实意义】
《琵琶记》是根据早期的宋元南戏《赵贞女蔡二郎》改编的。此剧写“伯喈弃亲背妇，为暴雷震死。”高明把蔡伯喈的形象和故事的结局进行重大改造，使人物、主题、内容都发生了巨大变化。 《琵琶记》是一部劝忠劝孝之作，也是一部思想内容极为丰富的主题多义之作。在几千年的古代社会中，中华民族长期形成并逐步发展起来的忠孝节义等社会道德观念，包含有好的和坏的两种成份，古代的孝道亦然。在古代的孝道中，有维护父母的绝对利益，要儿子作出无谓的牺牲，作奴隶式的服从，诸如“父要子亡，子若不亡，则为不孝”，或“割股救母”之类的愚孝，这是坏的。有热爱父母，善事父母，为了报答父母的养育之恩，使父母安度晚年而奉献自己的力量，这是贤孝，这是好的。《琵琶记》意在宣扬贤孝，宣扬孝道中好的一面，宣扬中华民族的优秀道德，这对我们今天进行社会主义精神文明建设，有很大的现实意义。

Please read about the Southern Chinese Opera 南戏 in http://zh.wikipedia....org/wiki/å�—æˆ� (in Chinese) or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanxi (in English).

Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa about the Chinese string instrument of Pipa 琵琶 or Chinese Lute. The history of Pipa in China is about 2200+ years and was probably invented in Qin dynasty. However, the modern styled of Pipa was from Western Regions or Xiyu 西域 around Wei, Jin, South and North dynasties.

Edited by fireball, 24 February 2008 - 12:09 AM.