張寧

小丑們在玩保齡球，大象們盛裝游行，騎手們站在飛馳的馬匹上，雜技演員們在高空上表演。有什么比馬戲團更好玩的嗎？

How did the first circus come about， and why did it lead to the modern three-ring circus weve come to know and love？

第一個馬戲團是如何誕生的，為什么它會發(fā)展成為我們所熟悉和喜愛的現(xiàn)代三個場地可同時表演的大馬戲場的呢？

Much of the credit goes to Philip Astley. When Astley returned from the French and Indian War to London in 1768 and discovered few job prospects2 at hand， he began offering riding lessons and spending his free time performing tricks atop horses. Word of his great tricks grew， and so did his audiences. So much so， that he began charging3， building viewing areas and offering regular performances.

這主要歸功于菲利普·阿斯特利。他在法印戰(zhàn)爭后于1768年回到倫敦，發(fā)現(xiàn)近期幾乎沒有工作機會，于是他開了馬術(shù)課，并利用空閑時間表演馬背上的技巧。關(guān)于他馬術(shù)高超的傳言越來越多，他的觀眾也越來越多，于是他開始收費，建造觀賞區(qū)，并定期演出。

During his performances， Astley rode—and often stood—on the backs of horses walking or cantering4 in a circular5 ring that Astley referred to as a “circus”. The purpose for this circular pattern was two-fold： Audiences could view the performance from all angles， which was something a straight line couldnt offer; and the circular movement allowed Astley to take advantage of the centrifugal6 force that allowed him to better keep his balance7 while doing tricks on horseback.

在表演中，阿斯特利騎馬——而且經(jīng)常站在馬背上，在被他稱之為“circus”的圓形場地里散步或慢跑。這種圓形場地的目的有兩個：觀眾可以從各個角度觀看表演，這是直線場地所無法提供的;這種圓周運動使阿斯特利能夠利用離心力，使他在馬背上表演把戲時更好地保持平衡。

Two years after his trick riding shows began， Astley decided to mix it up by hiring performers and adding their acts to his show. The idea became so popular that in 1782， Astley first showed this new form of entertainment， known as a circus， in Paris.

在他的馬術(shù)技巧表演開始兩年后，阿斯特利決定通過雇傭表演者將他們的表演加入到他的表演中來。這種想法非常受歡迎，因此，在1782年，阿斯特利在巴黎首次展示了這種新的娛樂形式，稱之為馬戲團。

Even though it gets the lions share8 of the credit， Astleys circus probably wasnt the first-ever circus. He found similar performances in France when arrived， but Astleys promotional9 prowess10 set him apart， and eventually， created a new kind of entertainment—the traveling circus—that by the late 1800s had appeared in a developing country known as the United States.

盡管阿斯特利的馬戲團對馬戲團的形成最為重要，但它可能不是有史以來第一個馬戲團。在到達法國時，阿斯特利也發(fā)現(xiàn)過類似的表演，但他的宣傳能力使他與眾不同，并最終創(chuàng)造了一種新的娛樂形式——巡回馬戲團，到了19世紀末，這種娛樂形式已出現(xiàn)在一個發(fā)展中的國家，即美國。

As the circus moves into the future， it continues to change. Whatever the philosophy11 of a particular circus company is， one thing is certain： Inventive， daring and artistic acts will continue to excite audiences.

隨著馬戲團走向未來，它在繼續(xù)變化。無論一個馬戲團的理念是什么，有一點是肯定的：創(chuàng)造性的、大膽的和藝術(shù)性的表演將繼續(xù)讓觀眾激動不已。

（英語原文選自：entertainment.howstuffworks.com）

【Notes】

1. circus [■] n. 馬戲;馬戲團

2. prospect [■] n. 前途;預(yù)期

3. charge [■] v. 對……索費

4. canter [■] v. 慢跑

5. circular [■] adj. 圓形的

6. centrifugal [■] adj. 離心的;遠中的

7. balance [■] n. 平衡

8. the lions share 最大的那一份

9. promotional [■] adj. 促銷的

10. prowess [■] n. 英勇;超凡技術(shù)

11. philosophy [■] n. 哲學;人生觀;處事原則