正文
单田芳
Mr. Shan tried for many years to avoid becoming a performer of pingshu, the Song dynasty-era storytelling tradition. Growing up in 1950s China in a family of folk art performers, he had seen struggle firsthand. It was a life of constant financial troubles and low social status.
单田芳曾经并不希望成为这种源于宋代的故事讲说传统的表演者。他在20世纪50年代中国的一个民间艺人家庭长大，
亲眼目睹了这一行的艰难。那是一种持续处于经济困境、社会地位低下的生活
。
So it was with great reluctance when, out of financial necessity, he became an apprentice to a family friend who was a master of pingshu. He made his debut in 1956.
因此，当他出于生计上的需要，拜一个评书大师为师，他也是单田芳的家族朋友。当时单田芳非常不情愿，
1956年，
他首次登台演出。
评书是怎样的一种艺术形式呢？看《纽约时报》是如何描写的：
In the pingshu tradition, the performer wears a traditional gown and sits behind a desk equipped with a folding fan and a wooden block, which is used like a gavel. The storyteller recounts a legend — typically a classical Chinese epic — from memory, using different voices and exaggerated gestures as well as adding occasional background detail and commentary.
在评书传统中，表演者身着传统的长袍，坐在桌子后面。桌上有一把折扇和一个作醒木之用的木块。说书人讲述通常来自中国古典史诗的传奇故事。他们根据记忆来表演，使用不同的声音、夸张的手势，偶尔还加入背景细节和评论。
即便入行时并不情愿，
但后来，他渐渐地爱上了这一行
。
更难能可贵的是，他精益求精。
单田芳仔细钻研，研究历史，在古典史诗中发现的历史错误、迷信幻想，他都能基于自己的研究进行纠正，并用独树一帜的风格进行诠释：
Mr. Shan grew to love the storytelling form, which is popular across northern China. It is a demanding profession that combines acting, oration, writing, historical research and literary criticism and requires countless hours of memorization.
单田芳渐渐喜欢上了这种在中国北方流行的讲故事方式。这是一个要求很高的职业，集表演、演说、写作、历史研究和文学评论于一体，需要记忆无数个小时的材料。
But bothered by what he felt were the many historical inaccuracies and superstitious fantasies found in the classical epics, Mr. Shan, who had studied history, soon began performing his own interpretations based on his meticulous historical research.
不过，在古典史诗中发现的许多历史错误和迷信幻想令单田芳感到烦恼。
基于自己对历史的研究，他很快就开始用自己的
诠释和理解进行表演
。
有了这样的基础，在东北地区的许多茶馆里，他以对经典的新颖演绎而闻名。
