M8U2 教学案一体化材料 制卷人：张文 审核人：蔡卫芹 制卷日期：2014-2-13第 1 页 共 34 页M8U2 Reading Turandot in BeijingLast night, I witnessed the first of only eight performances of Giacomo Puccini， s world-famous opera, Turandot, being performed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The performance was splendid. Some of the world， s greatest opera singers were cast vt/vi.选派角色；投射（光，影） ；向投以(视线，笑容） in this production, and many great Chinese musicians also participated. Puccini, an Italian, wrote Turandot towards the end of this life, between 1920 and 1924. He liked East Asia very much and also wrote Madam Butterfly n.蝴蝶 , which is set in(以为背景) Japan.Just imagine performing such an opera in the Forbidden Citythere could not be a more awesome adj.极好的；令人惊叹的，令人敬畏的 setting (没有比这个更好的背景了) ! You could almost feel the history. The weather was also perfect for(绝配的，十分适合的) a performance outdoors. Instead of a stage curtain, there were decorated screens covered with red and gold, and traditional Chinese drums were used to announce the start of the opera.Turandot is the story of a stubborn adj. 固执的，顽固的 and cruel Chinese princess n. 公主 , named Turandot,who lives in the Forbidden City in Beijing. In the story, the emperor of China, Turandot， s father, has promised to allow her to choose her own husband. In order to avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must solve three riddles(猜谜) if he wants to marry her. Those who cannot answer all three riddles, however, will be condemned vt. 判刑，宣判；指责，谴责. to death (被处以死刑). This means that few men would dare vt/vi. 敢于，胆敢 to ask for her hand in marriage（向女方求婚）. The story begins when a prince n. 王子 is killed for failing to(未能做某事) solve her riddles. The emperor finds the death disturbing adj.令人不安的；引起恐慌的 . However, although he would like to, he cannot break his promise(食言) and must allow Turandot to do as she wishes.Shortly afterwards(不久以后 ), another prince, Calaf, falls in love (相爱，坠入爱河) with Turandot at first sight (初次见面；乍一看) and decides to solve the riddles so that he can marry her. Meanwhile, Liu, a young salve of Calaf， s father, expresses her love for Calaf. The story then takes on a classic love triangle(呈现出经典的三角恋) between Calaf, Turandot and Liu.Calaf goes to Turandot andwithout introducing himself or telling her his nameanswers the three questions.Turandot becomes very angry at this turn of events, as she is unwilling adj. 不情愿，不愿意；勉强的，无奈的 to get married. Seeing this, Calaf says that if she can guess his name by sunrise, she will not have to marry him, but can have him killed. Calaf， s father and Liu have been seen M8U2 教学案一体化材料 制卷人：张文 审核人：蔡卫芹 制卷日期：2014-2-13第 2 页 共 34 页accompanying Calaf(陪伴), so Turandot seizes vt.逮捕，捉拿，抓住，捉住；夺取，攻占 Calaf， s father and Liu, and demands vt/n.强烈要求；需要/要求；需求 that they tell her Calaf， s name or they will be beaten. Wanting to protect the father, Liu claims that she alone knows the name, but resists telling(抵制做某事) Turandot. Then Liu grabs vt. （突然或用力）抓住，夺取，攫取 a sword from a guard and kills herself.When it becomes evident adj. 清楚的，显然的 what happened,(真相大白以后) Calaf scolds vt. 训斥，责骂 Turandot for not being more merciful adj. 仁慈的，慈悲的，宽大为怀的 . However, though he is angry 一, he still loves her. Calaf kisses Turandot. Turandot， s heart grows softer, but is still quite hard. She demands that he leave. Instead, he tells her his namejust before the dawn n.黎明，拂晓；开端，萌芽 deadline n. 最后期限，截止日期 and says that she can kill him if she wishes. At the end of the story, the prince and princess unite vi/vt.联合，团结；统一 in marriage(结为夫妇), and the whole city celebrates their happiness.Unfortunately, Puccini died of a heart attack before he completed this final scene, and it had to be completed by one of his former students, Franco Alfano. An opera company staged the opera(把歌剧搬上舞台) in Beijing in the 1990s, but the performance I saw was the first time Turandot was staged inside the Forbidden City. The production combined the very best of Western and Chinese talents. The music was conducted by Zubin Mehta, a superb conductor, who was born in India, The opera was directed by Zhang Yimou, a wellknown Chinese director. In the Beijing performance I saw, Turandot was played by Sharon Sweet from the USA, Liu was played by another opera singer from USA, Barbara Hendricks, and Calaf was sung by Kristjan Johannsson from Iceland. They were all excellent.The Forbidden City was once only accessible to(某人获得某物) the emperor, his family and senior officials. However, in this wonderful production, it has been transformed into the spot for a beautiful and sad love story. The bringing together of this group of people from many countries, the music, and the grand adj. 宏大的，壮丽的，堂皇的，隆重的 setting are clearly the key components of this amazing production.M8U2 教学案一体化材料 制卷人：张文 审核人：蔡卫芹 制卷日期：2014-2-13第 3 页 共 34 页M8U2 ProjectFrom the blues to popEarly jazzToday I will take a brief look at 简单回顾/ 看一眼 how Western music progressed from the blues to pop. Modern pop musi