昆曲作为汉族传统戏曲中最古老的剧种之一，早在2001年就被联合国教科文组织列入首批人类口头与非物质遗产代表作名录。这门古老的艺术门类，如今正积极在现代社会中寻求着新的发展机遇。
本期《此刻·传承》栏目特别专访著名昆曲表演艺术家、国家一级演员、梅花奖得主孔爱萍，探讨昆曲的传承与创新，以及中国传统文化与年轻人的关系。
传统表演艺术
与创新的大胆结合
As an actor, having the ability to embody diverse roles is essential. When performing, and this holds true for traditional opera as well, no role should confine you to a single category. There's always a need to transcend boundaries and embrace a wider range of roles. You could call it innovation, as no one has attempted this portrayal before. But I think it's more accurate to describe it as a Kunqu opera actor's interpretation of a role, using the art form of Kunqu to bring this character to life.
这并不是孔爱萍的第一次创新尝试，在昆曲艺术的探索之路上，她曾多次尝试跨界融合，创作《舞台姐妹》和《万历十五年》等实验剧场作品。
在孔爱萍看来，实验剧场能充分给予演员自由和激发演员的能量，充分发挥演员的自觉，也就是演员的自律。在她看来，舞台是一种遗憾的艺术，也是鲜活的艺术。随着演员表演时的心情和语言节奏的变化，舞台呈现都会有所不同。传统戏曲的训练给了戏曲演员以精准的表演尺度，而实验戏剧则给了戏曲演员新的发挥空间。
If it were merely a mechanical process, the audience wouldn't find it engaging. Live performance must be vibrant and alive. We're portraying living, breathing characters, not static two-dimensional figures confined to a script.
舞台上如果是个流水线，那观众都是没有看头的。我们演的是活的一个角色，而不是一个死的，按部就班的一个纸板人。
面对潜在的批评，孔爱萍直言，创新必然引致批评。有批评是正常的，甚至是一种敦促和监督的形式，让昆曲的创新和发展不会走歪。
02
“流量”能否化为“留量”
传统美破圈需时间
As for me, I've dedicated 46 years to Kunqu opera. The more I delve into it, the more I feel Kunqu Opera is like a deeply mysterious courtyard that defies comprehension. I believe there's so much more to discover and unearth. It possesses a unique energy. It can be this, it can be that—there's so much it offers, a wealth of possibilities waiting to be explored. That's the allure of traditional Chinese opera.
我已从事昆曲四十六年了。当我越跨，越觉得昆曲像一个庭院深深不可莫测的东西，它可以挖掘更多的东西。它有能量，它可以这样，也可以那样，它有更多的东西可以给你去寻找财富，这是戏曲的魅力。
孔爱萍认为现在的年轻人吸收快，但遗忘也快，这绝非坏事，而是意味着总有一部分人在吸收之后还会去寻求新的感受。就像喜欢汽水的甜味之后还会想要尝试其他味道。我们要做的，就是留给他们吸收的时间。
03
文化之美 东方之韵
中国传统文化是美的，这毋庸置疑。假如用一个字来形容传统之美，孔爱萍选择了“韵”字。
Grace. The one word that encapsulates it all is grace. Whether you're dressed in modern fashion or traditional attire, it's that quintessential Eastern grace that truly captivates. On stage, there's a distinct beauty—a classical elegance reminiscent of ancient paintings. That's traditional beauty. Modern beauty, on the other hand, embodies the essence of the contemporary Eastern woman. But what connects both ancient and modern is this underlying grace. That uniquely captivating grace, a charm inherent to Eastern women.
韵，我想说的一个字就是韵。不管现代人穿的流行时尚，或者穿古代的唐装或者现在汉服，要找到一个东方的一种韵，那才是美。舞台上有舞台上的美，舞台上古典美、仕女图的美，那是传统的。现代的美是什么，东方女性。但古代跟现代都流传的就是一个韵，那种美得独特的东方女性的一种韵味。
