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第十一篇 The Development of Ballet

　　Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.

　　Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and queens, as well as other nobility, to participate in pageants that included music, poetry, and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones, court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement, they were able to perform elaborate walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts, changed to flat shoes, and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.

　　It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France, himself a devoted dancer, founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.

　　Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid - 1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His dance company, the Ballets Russes, brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his chief assistants, George Balanchine, went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.

　　练习：

　　1. This passage deals mainly with

　　A) famous names in ballet

　　B) French versus Russian ballet

　　C) the way ballet developed

　　D) why ballet is no longer popular

　　2. An important influence in early ballet was

　　A) Balanchine

　　B) Marie Antoinette

　　C) Diaghilev

　　D) Louis XIV

　　3. You can conclude from this passage that ballet

　　A) is a dying art

　　B) will continue to change as new people and ideas influence it

　　C) is only currently performed in Russia and the United States

　　D) is often performed by dancers with little training

　　4. The information in this passage is presented

　　A) through the story of one dancer

　　B) by describing various positions and steps

　　C) by listing reasons why ballet has succeeded

　　D) in chronological order

　　5. The word pageants means

　　A) dances

　　B ) instructors

　　C) kings

　　D) elaborate shows

　　【答案】

　　1. C 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. D

　　【译文】

　　第十一篇芭蕾舞的发展

　　芭蕾舞是一种历史悠久的舞蹈形式。事实上芭蕾舞延续至今说明了其随着时代的变化而有所调整。

　　在文艺复兴时期，芭蕾舞开始于皇家宫廷。在那时，芭蕾舞在国王、王后以及贵族之间变得普遍，并且与音乐、诗歌以及舞蹈一起参与盛会的表演。当这些娱乐形式从意大利宫廷流传到法国宫廷的时候，宫女们开始参与进来。虽然她们的长裙子阻碍了很多的动作，但是她们能够表演复杂的步伐。直到17 世纪女舞者缩短了她们的裙子，改穿平底鞋，并且开始做一些男舞者表演的跳跃和转圈动作。

　　而且也是在17 世纪，专业的芭蕾舞舞蹈团应运而生。法国国王路易十四建立了皇家舞蹈学院，而他本身就是一个芭蕾舞爱好者。由此正式确定了脚的5 个基本位置，这5 个外开的位置成为发展芭蕾舞技术的基础。18 世纪末，发生了另一个重要的改变。芭蕾舞开始通过自己的表演来讲述故事。它再也不仅仅是幕间表演的插舞。精致的假发和服装被淘汰。在19 世纪初，舞者学会了用脚尖站立使其看起来像是在漂浮。

　　正如我们所知，现如今古典芭蕾主要受到了俄罗斯舞蹈的影响。在19 世纪中叶，当欧洲其他国家对于芭蕾舞的兴趣有所减少时，俄罗斯人始终保持着对芭蕾舞的兴趣。在20 世纪初，最有影响力的人物之一便是谢尔盖·基列夫。他的舞蹈公司俄罗斯芭蕾舞团，为芭蕾带来了新的动力与活力。他的主要助手之一，乔治·巴兰钦，在1948 年建立了纽约市芭蕾舞舞蹈团并影响了新一代的舞者。