P1
The first professional clown born in the United States was John Durang (1768-1822), who came from a decidedly noncircus family. Durang was the first in a long line of great clowns to dynamically combine genuine dramatic and comedic talent with a highly developed proficiency in a wide range of circus techniques. He left home at the age of 15 to tour as a dancer with a traveling performer. His lack of formal training did not stop him from becoming an accomplished puppeteer, clown, Harlequin, dancer, ropewalker, equestrian, Shakespearean actor, scene designer, and pyrotechnist. John Bill Ricketts was impressed enough to offer him a job in 1793, but Durang declined because it required superior horsemanship, a skill which he had not yet acquired. In 1795 Ricketts repeated his offer, and this time Durang accepted. He immediately began practicing trick riding and was soon able to add equestrian clowning to his repertoire. By 1797 Durang had become a key member of Rickett’s company, and that summer he and Ricketts led the troupe on a tour into Canada. During continued his remarkable career for the next 20 years, performing in theaters and circuses and even managing his own dramatic touring troupe for nine consecutive summers. Before he died John Durang revealed yet another talent by writing his memoirs, the only extensive first-person account of circus life in the early United States.
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clown : n. 小丑,粗魯愚蠢的人
decidedly : adv. 決定,斷然；明了,無凝
circus : n. 馬戲團,馬戲,競技場
dynamically : ad. 動態(tài)的
genuine : a. 真正的,真實的,誠懇的
dramatic : a. 戲劇性的,生動的
comedic : a. 喜劇的
proficiency : n. 精通,熟練,精練
technique : n. 技術,方法,表演法
lack : n. 缺乏,無,不足;vt. 缺乏,短少,不足,需要;vi. 缺乏
accomplished : a. 完成的,實現(xiàn)的,善社交的,有造詣的,熟練的
puppeteer : n. 操縱木偶的人,操縱傀儡
harlequin : n. 丑角
ropewalker : n. 走鋼絲,繩索特技表演者
equestrian : a. 騎馬的,馬的,在馬背上的;n. 騎手
Shakespearean : a. 莎士比亞的
scene : n. 場,景,情景,景色,鏡頭,發(fā)生地點,布景,道具
pyrotechnist : n. 煙火制造者
offer : n. 出價,提議,意圖,報價;vt. 提供,出價,奉獻,使出現(xiàn),企圖,演出;vi. 出現(xiàn),獻祭,提議
decline : n. 衰微,跌落,下降;vt. 使降低,婉謝;vi. 下降,衰落,偏斜
superior : n. 長者,高手,上級;a. 上好的,出眾的,高傲的
horsemanship : n. 馬術
acquired : a. 已取得的,已獲得的,已成習慣的,后天的
accepted : a. 一般承認的,公認的
immediately : ad. 立刻,剛,立即
trick : n. 詭計,欺詐,謀略,癖好,惡作劇,決竅;vt. 戲弄,欺騙,裝飾;vi. 哄騙,戲弄;a.有決竅的,特技的,欺詐的,漂亮的,靠不住的,有效的
equestrian : a. 騎馬的,馬的,在馬背上的;n. 騎手
repertoire : n. 全部劇目,保留劇目,全部技能
troupe : n. 一團,一班,劇團;vi. 巡回演出
consecutive : a. 連續(xù)的,聯(lián)貫的,始終一貫的
reveal : vt. 露出,顯示,透露,(神)啟示,揭露,泄露;n. 窗側,門側
memoir : n. 傳記,實錄,追思錄,回憶錄,自傳
The first professional clown born in the United States was John Durang (1768-1822), who came from a decidedly noncircus family. Durang was the first in a long line of great clowns to dynamically combine genuine dramatic and comedic talent with a highly developed proficiency in a wide range of circus techniques. He left home at the age of 15 to tour as a dancer with a traveling performer. His lack of formal training did not stop him from becoming an accomplished puppeteer, clown, Harlequin, dancer, ropewalker, equestrian, Shakespearean actor, scene designer, and pyrotechnist. John Bill Ricketts was impressed enough to offer him a job in 1793, but Durang declined because it required superior horsemanship, a skill which he had not yet acquired. In 1795 Ricketts repeated his offer, and this time Durang accepted. He immediately began practicing trick riding and was soon able to add equestrian clowning to his repertoire. By 1797 Durang had become a key member of Rickett’s company, and that summer he and Ricketts led the troupe on a tour into Canada. During continued his remarkable career for the next 20 years, performing in theaters and circuses and even managing his own dramatic touring troupe for nine consecutive summers. Before he died John Durang revealed yet another talent by writing his memoirs, the only extensive first-person account of circus life in the early United States.
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clown : n. 小丑,粗魯愚蠢的人
decidedly : adv. 決定,斷然；明了,無凝
circus : n. 馬戲團,馬戲,競技場
dynamically : ad. 動態(tài)的
genuine : a. 真正的,真實的,誠懇的
dramatic : a. 戲劇性的,生動的
comedic : a. 喜劇的
proficiency : n. 精通,熟練,精練
technique : n. 技術,方法,表演法
lack : n. 缺乏,無,不足;vt. 缺乏,短少,不足,需要;vi. 缺乏
accomplished : a. 完成的,實現(xiàn)的,善社交的,有造詣的,熟練的
puppeteer : n. 操縱木偶的人,操縱傀儡
harlequin : n. 丑角
ropewalker : n. 走鋼絲,繩索特技表演者
equestrian : a. 騎馬的,馬的,在馬背上的;n. 騎手
Shakespearean : a. 莎士比亞的
scene : n. 場,景,情景,景色,鏡頭,發(fā)生地點,布景,道具
pyrotechnist : n. 煙火制造者
offer : n. 出價,提議,意圖,報價;vt. 提供,出價,奉獻,使出現(xiàn),企圖,演出;vi. 出現(xiàn),獻祭,提議
decline : n. 衰微,跌落,下降;vt. 使降低,婉謝;vi. 下降,衰落,偏斜
superior : n. 長者,高手,上級;a. 上好的,出眾的,高傲的
horsemanship : n. 馬術
acquired : a. 已取得的,已獲得的,已成習慣的,后天的
accepted : a. 一般承認的,公認的
immediately : ad. 立刻,剛,立即
trick : n. 詭計,欺詐,謀略,癖好,惡作劇,決竅;vt. 戲弄,欺騙,裝飾;vi. 哄騙,戲弄;a.有決竅的,特技的,欺詐的,漂亮的,靠不住的,有效的
equestrian : a. 騎馬的,馬的,在馬背上的;n. 騎手
repertoire : n. 全部劇目,保留劇目,全部技能
troupe : n. 一團,一班,劇團;vi. 巡回演出
consecutive : a. 連續(xù)的,聯(lián)貫的,始終一貫的
reveal : vt. 露出,顯示,透露,(神)啟示,揭露,泄露;n. 窗側,門側
memoir : n. 傳記,實錄,追思錄,回憶錄,自傳