驟雨初歇，彩虹乍現(xiàn)。小院里響起鑼鼓聲，6個衣著各異的中老年人踩著鼓點揮著黃旗走到院子中央，“舞臺”雖然很簡陋，但表演的人們唱念做打毫不含糊?！敖幸宦曉来蟾缒懵牥车?，兄弟我招兵買馬為你把仇報?！薄芭８弈闼偎侔驯?，不可將我一世忠名毀?！薄@樣的唱腔唱詞出現(xiàn)在西南邊境，大山深處的維西傈僳族自治縣，讓人有不知身在何處之感。

Rain ceased and a rainbow appeared. In a small rural yard, gongs and drums sounded and six performers moved to the yard center, dancing to the beat and waving yellow banners.

They simply took the yard as stage, but their performances were impressive. “Can you hear me, my dear brother Yue? On behalf of you, I recruit soldiers for revenge,” sang the actors. “Warrior Niu Gao, you shall retreat quickly; you can never stain my loyalty.”

Such typical Han choruses in Dacixi Opera were actually sung in a mountainous village in northwest Yunnan’s Weixi Lisu Autonomous County. This is kind of paradoxical for the area is better known for the Lisu culture.

在維西，大詞戲是一種獨特的存在。它源起清代，由外遷至此的江西人劉超績結(jié)合本土文化特點所創(chuàng)。與當(dāng)?shù)乇挤艧崆?、參與性強的少數(shù)民族歌舞相比，它低調(diào)含蓄；在中國，大詞戲是一種有益的補充。在中國戲曲志300多劇種中，維西大詞戲可謂獨樹一幟，是一塊原生態(tài)活化石。

In Weixi, the Dacixi (big-word) opera is indeed a unique existence. It dates back to the Qing Dynasty, when Jiangxi native Liu Chaoji created the opera, fusing Weixi’s cultural elements into the traditional Han culture. Liu moved to Weixi from southeast China’s Jiangxi Province.

Compared with aboriginal ethnic songs and dances, the opera is quieter and more implicative. Among 300 plus Chinese operas, the Dacixi opera in Weixi is seen as unique, and it is like an intact living fossil of opera history.

80歲的趙延祖坐在鑼鼓前，襯衫雪白、西服挺括、禮帽有型、神情嚴(yán)肅。作為省級非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)維西大詞戲的第7代傳承人，趙延祖的每次出場必定認(rèn)真正式，用他的話說，這是對傳承至今的文化的一種尊重。“漢文化在少數(shù)民族地區(qū)成為非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)，很不容易，一定要重視它，讓它成為本地文藝百花園的一朵奇葩?！?/p>

Zhao Yanzu, aged 80, was sitting in front of the gongs and drums during the performances. Dressed in a suit and looking serious, Zhao is the 7th-generation inheritor of Dacixi Opera at the provincial level.

“It is not easy for a Han-featured opera to be listed as a cultural heritage in ethnic minority areas,” said Zhao with pride. “And we should make the opera unique among Weixi arts.”

大詞戲從創(chuàng)造之初，到現(xiàn)在已有280年的歷史。其顯著的特點是不托管弦，一唱眾合，鑼鼓點幫襯，與川劇相似，但說唱全為本土方言土語。對外來客而言，或許會聽不太懂詞句，但其濃郁的漢文化氣息卻一句即可感知。

Dacixi has a history of 280 years. The opera is similar to Sichuan Opera, featuring a lead singer and coupled with gongs and drums. Few string and pipe instruments are employed.

However, the utterances and singings are all in the Weixi local dialect. For visitors from afar, they may not understand the words, yet the air of the Han culture can be easily sensed.

趙延祖的大詞戲人生從5歲開始。他的外公李尚文是大詞戲的第6代傳人，從小耳濡目染，讓他對大詞戲有一種獨特的情感。長大后，趙延祖當(dāng)了裁縫。在一針一線、剪刀畫石的單調(diào)日子中，大詞戲慢慢成了點亮他生活的溫暖之光。他不知疲倦地學(xué)，寒來暑往地練，終于成為了今天的大詞戲大師。2007年，趙延祖成為維西大詞戲唱點、鼓點省級非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)項目代表性傳承人。“成為省級傳承人后，無論是教學(xué)生還是對外演出，都很有底氣了?，F(xiàn)在，我有38個學(xué)生，他們中有漢族，也有傈僳族、納西族。有退休的公職人員，也有農(nóng)民和外來打工的。年齡最大的60多，最小的30多。這支不同年齡、不同職業(yè)、多民族的學(xué)生隊伍讓我覺得很欣慰，我總是告訴他們，這是漢族曲種，但也是不分民族的優(yōu)秀文化，我們每一個人都有責(zé)任保護傳承，并將它發(fā)揚光大。”

Zhao Yanzu began to study Dacixi at five, from his maternal grandfather Li Shangwen, who was the sixth inheritor of the opera. He developed strong affection to the art.

After growing up, Zhao became a tailor, but his monotonous days of needlework was constantly decorated by the opera tunes, cheering him up and enlivening his life.

Practice makes perfect. In 2007, Zhao Yanzu was recognized as inheritor and representative of the Weixi opera. “After the recognition, I gained more confidence in performing and teaching others,” said Zhao.

Now, Zhao has 38 students, involving the Han, Lisu and Naxi peoples from varied fields of walks. Their ages range from 30 to 60, and they are retired civil servants, local farmers and migrant workers.

聽這位80歲老人娓娓道來，周圍的學(xué)生們都頜首微笑。已經(jīng)學(xué)習(xí)大詞戲10年的趙桂香第一個出聲附和：“我非常喜歡大詞戲，退休后就跟著父親學(xué)。學(xué)了10年，才把九板十三腔、近30種唱法學(xué)會。不容易??！”趙桂香一語道出大家共同的感慨?！拔覍W(xué)了4年，天天纏著趙老師，才基本學(xué)會。”“我每天都來趙老師兒子的小院壩，跟著學(xué)打擊?！薄按笤~戲的念白是維西土話，外來的人學(xué)起來有難度?！薄安砰_始覺得難，學(xué)會了唱起來感覺很有味道。每次演出都意猶未盡?！睂W(xué)生們你一言我一語地講述起自己的學(xué)習(xí)苦惱和收獲快樂。笑咪咪的趙延祖坐在一旁，不時插一句嘴?！按笤~戲純屬維西縣保和鎮(zhèn)的原生態(tài)非遺文化，地域性很強。不是本地人，還真的很難學(xué)。再加上這也是一門綜合藝術(shù)，除了基本的唱念做打，還要會創(chuàng)作會化妝會做服裝。學(xué)生們到今天這個水平，非常不容易?！崩蠋煹谋頁P，讓圍在周圍的學(xué)生笑出了聲，在夜色中傳出很遠(yuǎn)。

“I like Dacixi a lot, and I’ve been studying the opera from my father for 10 years,” said Zhao Guixiang, daughter of Zhao Yanzu. By now, Guixiang has learned nearly 30 singing styles in 13 tunes.

Other learners of Dacixi also shared ideas on the art: “I've studied the opera for 4 years, and I visit master Zhao every day. Now, I know the basics.” “I come to the yard to learn to play drums and gongs.” “It’s a bit difficult at first, but I gradually fell in love with the art.”

Zhao Yanzu listened to his disciples attentively, smiling and instructing them from time to time. “The opera is original and particular to Weixi County, so people from other regions would have difficulty in learning local dialect in songs.”

In the end, Zhao spoke highly of his students’ attainment in the opera, adding Dacixi is also an all-round art that encompasses singing, drum and gong playing, makeup and costume design.

有人問，“趙老師，大詞戲?qū)W起來那么難，保護起來是不是也很難？”老人一揮手：“難！再難也要傳承下去。”為了讓傳統(tǒng)的曲目有時代感，趙延祖近幾年將更多精力放在了劇本創(chuàng)作上，用傳統(tǒng)的唱腔演繹具有時代特點的內(nèi)容，和諧相處、平安是福、文明誠信，都是創(chuàng)作主題。

“Mr. Zhao, is it hard to pass down the Dacixi opera since it’s difficult to learn?” asked one visitor. “Yes, very hard! But we need to do it anyway,” replied Zhao.

To keep up with times, Zhao Yanzu has written some novel plays in the past few years. His new works focus on harmony, amity, peace, honest and social order.

　　 “傳統(tǒng)曲目和新的劇本我們都唱都推廣?！壁w桂香說，這支38人的隊伍常進校園義演，就是想吸引更多的人了解這項傳統(tǒng)文化?！叭ツ?，我們受中國美夕陽紅組委會邀請，到北京演出。今年上半年，我們又有32人到廣西演出。今年的世界遺產(chǎn)日，我們穿著戲服，帶足裝備，在縣三中進行了展示，孩子們很感興趣?！敝v起大詞戲的交流和展示，趙桂香眉飛色舞。最讓大詞戲愛好者們高興的是，維西縣文化局還將大詞戲的所有唱腔唱詞進行了收集整理，準(zhǔn)備出光碟。

“We are trying to make the traditional and new tunes known to more audiences,” said Zhao Guangxi, adding the 38-member Weixi team has performed in Beijing and Guangxi in recent years.

On the World Heritage Day this year, the team also staged the opera in a local secondary school, making a hit at the campus. The Weixi cultural authority has collected all the Dacixi tunes and lyrics for a due CD version.

“我堅信大詞戲的傳承是有希望的！無論是政府的支持還是學(xué)生的熱愛堅持，都說明大詞戲的香火不會熄滅。它會代代傳繼，不斷發(fā)揚光大?！壁w延祖很有信心。

“I am fully optimistic about the Dacixi inheritance either for official care or for students’ love.” Zhao Yanzu has confident in the art’s future.

云南日報全媒體記者：熊燕 儲東華 張若谷 李文君

英文編譯：王世學(xué)