First Episode 74: 茶馆 (Teahouse)

[rivercao]

A part of the Grand First Episode Project -- See this thread for more info.

I just finished watching, it’s a wonderful TV show about a story happened between late Qing dynasty and 民国（don’t know how to translate it in English）, It shows the unrest situation in the semifeudal and semicolonial country from a Teahouse’s view.

The script is written by one of the best Chinese writers Lao She(老舍), he is famous for his language, which is characterized by live and humor.

Although it reveals the darkness of the old society and is very critical and satiric, it is very humorous and funny, because the language is outstanding with Beijing characteristics.

Online watching is available:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ-a7f8zJd4

Summary

This is one of the famous dramas by Lao She. The drama is set in a typical, old Beijing teahouse and follows the lives of the owner and his customers through three stages in modern Chinese history. The play spans fifty years and has a cast of over sixty characters drawn from all levels of society. Brought together in Yutai Teahouse, they reflect the changes that took place in Chinese society.

The strength and appeal of the play lie in part in Lao She's masterful recreation of the characters and language of the streets of old Beijing, but the center of its strength is Lao She's vision, his unerring choice of significant detail, and his familiarity with the old society he is describing, with its strengths, weaknesses, and ironies. It is this which carries "Teahouse" beyond the borders of social criticism and makes it a complex and living work of art. Written in 1957, "Teahouse" bids an inspired, lingering farewell to old Beijing and the old society, despite their evils and ills, and extends a passionate welcome to the new society with its promise of freedom and equality of the people.

Standing as it does between old and new China, and deeply rooted in both, "Teahouse" shimmers with a fine sense of ambivalence. True to its writer, to China, and to its time, it is a masterpiece of modern theater.

Link: http://www.flipkart.com/teahouse-book-9629961253

Vocabulary

Some Beijing dialect could be very difficult for beginners, so I list some and give a brief explanation.

四九城：Beijing

得嘞：OK

溜达：go for a walk

官饷：salary paid by government

造化：good luck

太监：court eunch

咂摸: ponder

旗人：bannerman(the “Eight Banner” of the Man nationality in the Qing Dynasty, it represents dignity)

体面：decency

玩艺：thing

天庭: middle of the head

积德：do good deeds

算命：fortune-telling

八字：indicating the year,month,day and hour of one's birth,used formerly in fortune-telling

白面儿：heroin

耍嘴皮子：to talk glibly

开张：open a business

关张：close down

盅：handless small cup

嗻：yes(from low status to upper status，古)

大姑娘：virgin

阳历：solar calendar

算账：get even with sb

裹乱：make trouble

现大洋：silver-dollar

拉倒：forget about it

惹眼：conspicuous

逆产：betrayer’s property

蹭：gain something without giving expense

窝头：a kind of food made by corn

满汉全席：a kind of feast in Qing period

交情：friendship

矫情：be affectedly uncoventional

添堵：bring trouble

暴动：rebellion

阴间：hell

改良：reform

同党：accomplice

革命：revolution

擎好儿: please wait for the good news

If you have any problem when watching this show, please reply in this thread.I personally highly recommend this show, I think this is the best show since 潜伏 and 亮剑, i can't help laughing from time to time when watching. The leading role, Wang Lifa, is a typical Chinese in old society,as a businessman,he is clever,but afraid of getting into trouble.He could cope with any emergency but never wanted to be involved in any revolution.

Enjoy watching.

[rivercao]

My favorite role is 唐铁嘴，a fortune-teller. The performance is phenomenal, the best I have ever watched. This guy is so funny, money-driven...Of course, he is a villain, but I love him.

The performance of 庞太监 is great as well, so funny...overall, the actors in this show are all terrific, that's why I list it in my top 3 TV plays.

[rivercao]

script online reading:

http://www.5156edu.com/html/7689/2.html

It has three chapters in total, you can turn pages at the bottoms of each page of the website.

[affix]

民国, Republic of China

[renzhe]

Yes, 民国 is usually translated as "the republic", and typically refers to the time between the fall of the Qing and the civil war. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, fighting the Japanese, reforms, that stuff.

I'm adding this to the episode project, since you did a great job of it, and having some 老舍 is always good.

BTW, if you liked 亮剑, you might want to comment here.

[Gleaves]

I've gone through two episodes of this and I think I am going to stick with it. So far, the characters and performances are both very strong. It's the kind of show where you get the feeling the actors are really having a good time playing their characters. The set is really brought to life and the banter moves along quickly.

One question I have for rivercao or others - the play is just three acts, but the show is quite long (39 episodes). Do the two generally have the same characters/plot, or do they diverge quite a bit? I'll probably read the play after watching the show, but I was just curious.

[Gleaves]

I'm through about 14 episodes of this and really enjoying it. There are plenty of tough parts, but there is also plenty of fairly standard conversations. The characters are great. My favorite moments are when the town charlatans are trying to pull a fast one on 王掌柜.

Most of the time, I accept the fact that the parts of a Chinese show with foreigners are bad. Here, the show is good enough that the parts with foreigners are really cringe worthy. It would be a much better show if they just didn't have foreign actors, but instead treated them like Jaws, like some unseen threat. Maybe they could have an animatronic foreigner in the series finale. Probably be better than the foreign actors used thus far.