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  3. People who work in the theatre are very superstitious, and there are a number of unusual superstitions connected with the theatr

People who work in the theatre are very superstitious, and there are a number of unusual superstitions connected with the theatr

admin2014-01-07  54
问题     People who work in the theatre are very superstitious, and there are a number of unusual superstitions connected with the theatre.
    Many actors carry a lucky charm—a coin, perhaps a doll. This charm is usually one which brought the actor success early in his career, and he always puts it on his dressing-table among his make-up and "good-luck" messages. Other actors choose articles of clothing for their mascot. Many dancers have a ballet shoe which belonged to another dancer whom they admire. The American actor Glenn Ford always wore as his mascot a blue and red neck tie bought with his very first pay packet when he was employed as a juvenile lead. The singer Frankie Vaughan will never travel without his lucky silver-topped cane.
    The dressing-room has a set of superstitions all of its own. Many actors have a very precise way of setting out their make-up, and will not alter the position of one single object. Shoes must never be placed on the dressing-table, as this will certainly bring bad luck to the player and the production. It is most unlucky for one actor to look over the shoulder of another who is looking into the mirror, as a double reflection is linked to the old fear of being watched by the "evil eye". You must never whistle in the dressing-room. If by mistake you do, the bad luck can be avoided if you immediately leave the room, turn around three times in an anticlockwise direction, swear vilely, and knock on the door. People in the room may then give you permission to re-enter. This superstition dates back to the seventeenth-century belief about evil witches, who could "whistle up" an unfavourable wind, i.e. the failure of the play!
    There is a common belief among the actors that a bad dress rehearsal means a good first night. This comes from an ancient idea that it is unwise to complete any progress as it might cause a reaction from the gods. For this same reason, the very last line of a play is never spoken during the rehearsal.
    Certain plays have always had bad luck, and it is quite true that misfortunes have often followed such productions. Shakespeare’s Macbeth is always considered to be a dangerously unlucky play. In Shakespeare’s time, the witches’ song was seen as having the power of a real curse. Even today, many actors are reluctant to take part in the production of Macbeth as they, are afraid that it will bring danger and will not even call the play by its name. Usually actors call Macbeth "that Scottish play".
    On stage the colour green is considered unlucky, and so are real flowers. Knitting is also unlucky, since it is supposed to "knot" the production and cause problems.
    This list is endless, and of course nobody can ever prove or disprove whether these superstitions have any justification. Actors are not scientists, however, but artists, and they do not require scientific proof for what they "feel" to be true. Instead of wishing a fellow actor "good luck" as he goes on stage, he is told "break a leg!"—it seems pointless to look to facts or logic for explanations.
    So long as actors and the theatre live—superstitions will live!
It is commonly believed that a perfect dress rehearsal is most likely to arouse ______ in the gods.
选项 A、enthusiasm
B、sentiment
C、curiosity
D、resentment
答案D
解析 第4段第2句中的reaction不能理解为中性的“反应”，根据上下文可以推断众神会对完美的彩排产生不好的反应，从而使首场演出失败，可见，reaction应理解为“反作用”，而完美的彩排会使众神产生反情绪，这样看来，在4个选项中，只有D是贬义词，为本题答案。
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