Classic love tale is young at heart
经典爱情故事青春驻心间
The Peony Pavilion, a Kunqu Opera production, remains a romantic favorite for a new generation.
昆曲作品《牡丹亭》仍然是新一代人最爱的一部浪漫剧作。
In 2003, the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu worked with Chinese-American writer Kenneth Hsienyung Pai to produce the "youth version" of a Kunqu Opera production, The Peony Pavilion. After its premiere in Taiwan in 2004, his version of The Peony Pavilion has clocked in about 400 performances.
2003年，江苏省苏州昆剧院与美籍华裔作家白先勇一同制作了昆曲作品《牡丹亭》的“青春版”。在2004年于台湾地区首映后，该版本巡演大约400场次。
With a new cast, stage set, costumes and music, the production has become so popular that Pai's name has become synonymous with The Peony Pavilion. Thanks to the shows staged at universities across the country at that time, Kunqu Opera has witnessed a surge of popularity, especially among younger people.
该版本作品采用了全新的演员阵容、舞台布景、服装以及音乐，广受欢迎，以至于大家一提到白先勇就会想到《牡丹亭》。得益于该作品当时在全国各大学都有上演，因此昆区受欢迎程度高涨，尤其是在年轻人之中。
Yu Jiulin and Shen Fengying, who play hero Liu Mengmei and heroine Du Liniang, respectively, were unknown performers then, but have since both established a large and devoted fan base among Kunqu Opera lovers.
俞玖林和沈丰英在剧中分别扮演男主柳梦梅和女主杜丽娘。他们当时还是没有名气的演员，但自出演以来都累积了一大批忠实的昆曲爱好者粉丝。
"I can still recall vividly the first time we performed it," says Yu. "I was a young actor and it was the first time that I performed a complete version of The Peony Pavilion. The feedback from the audience was very warm and they gave us waves and waves of applause."
“我对第一次表演仍然记忆犹新”，俞玖林表示。“我是一名年轻演员，而且那是我第一次表演完整版本的《牡丹亭》，观众反响很热烈，掌声此起彼伏。”
Yu, who joined the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu in 1998, was trained by veteran Kunqu Opera master Wang Shiyu. Yu has been the recipient of numerous national awards, and is currently the vice-president of the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theater of Jiangsu.
俞玖林在1998年进入苏州昆剧院工作，师从资深昆曲大师汪世瑜。俞玖林曾经获得数项国家大奖，现任苏州昆剧院副院长。
The Peony Pavilion is a classic Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) play by eminent playwright Tang Xianzu. The story recounts how Du Liniang falls asleep after she visits the beautiful peony pavilion of her home and dreams of Liu Mengmei, a young scholar she has never met.
牡丹亭是著名剧作家汤显祖所写的经典明朝（1368年-1644年）戏剧。故事讲述了杜丽娘在自家牡丹亭观赏之后睡着，然后梦见了一位自己从未遇见过的年轻书生柳梦梅。
She wakes in despair and asks the Flower Goddess to find her love. Unable to find him, Du dies of a broken heart. Liu turns out to be a real person, who discovers a portrait of Du and falls in love with her. He finally meets his love after Du returns to life again.
杜丽娘醒来之后，怅然若失，请求花神为她找到真爱，未果，郁郁而终。柳梦梅确有其人，他发现了一幅杜丽娘画像并对其产生爱意，最终在杜丽娘还魂之后与之相见。
Pai once described the actor Yu as "handsome and scholarly" and the actress Shen "having a pair of telling eyes".
白先勇曾经描述男演员俞玖林为“帅气书生”，女演员沈丰英为“眉目传情”。
With a history of about 600 years, Kunqu Opera is considered China's oldest opera form and one of its most influential theatrical traditions. Like many traditional art forms, it was once on the verge of extinction. In 2001, Kunqu Opera was listed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, which helped the ancient art form to receive more protection and survive.
昆曲有约600年历史，被认为是中国最古老的剧种以及最具影响力的戏剧传统之一。和很多传统艺术形式一样，昆曲曾一度濒临失传。2001年，昆曲被联合国教科文组之列为“人类口头和非物质遗产代表作”，这帮助该古老剧种获得更多保护并幸存下来。
