古老傳說的時代詮釋─百年牛郎織女京劇試探

Abstract

牛郎織女為中國四大傳說之一。這個題材，在不同時期、不同類型的戲劇中被反覆運用，流傳的主因除卻這個古老傳說本身蘊涵著對愛情亙古不變的追求之外，更因為這樣的故事還可以不斷地被賦予新的意涵。京劇牛郎織女，從清末的「七夕應節戲」，到1950 年代的「改造神話戲」，到二十一世紀的「新京劇」；從傳統對牛郎織女愛情的詠歌，到牛郎織女成為去壓迫、反封建的代表，再到牛郎織女一如現代人歷經情愛的考驗波折；戲曲敘事緊扣着時代潮流。在這一百年間，幾部牛郎織女京劇在戲曲的敘事上，不只反映了京劇發展本身的進程，也同時反映了時代的脈動。

“The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid” is known as one of the four greatest Chineselegends. This subject is repeatedly used in operas in different periods and in different types. It isso popular not only because it contains the everlasting motives of humanity pursuing love, butbecause it can also be continually given new meanings.The Jing operas narrating the story are always closely matched to the trends of the giventimes from “the festival-demanding plays for Chinese Valentine’s Day” at the end of Chingdynasty, to “the myth-transformed plays” in the 1950s, and to “the new Jing operas” in 21stcentury. In the Ching dynasty , the story was shown in a traditional way which praised the lovebetween the cowherd and the weaving maid. Then in the 1950s, the story was presented to standfor anti-feudalism and removing of oppression. Nowadays the story has been through tests andbends just like modern people have been through their love affairs. During the past hundredyears, the Jing operas narrating "The Cowherd and the Weaving Maid" story not only reflect theprogress of its development but the pulse of the times.