The Empty City Ruse 空减計

THE EMPTY CITY RUSE a Xiangsheng by HOll Baolin and Guo Qiru translated by Kate Stevens A: (Comedian): I'm very fond of the opera. B: (Straight man): Oh, you li~e going to operas. (Yup.) Then I suppose you go often? A: Well ..•I used to.•.I used to go a lot. ( Oh!) Since Liberation, not so much. B: How come? Are you too busy? A: It's not that. The plays I like aren't put-on anymore. B: What?! The plays you like aren't put on anymore? A: Not any more. B: But all kinds of opera are encouraged. A: Not the kind I like. B; Oh ..•You must like gaoqiang }~ ~~ « gaoqiang is a far-out kind)) A: I can't make head or tail of it. -B; Then kun qur!t;db ?«Kun qur is a highly literary, fluteaccompanied genre)) ---A : Kun qur is doing fine; look at that new opera, Fifteen Strings of Cash. I don't go to those operas. The kind of plays I like just plain haven't been encouraged. B: So the kind of play you like just doesn't exist; just what kind of play is that? A-. "Freebies" ! B: "Freebies"! You mean getting in for free! A: That's right-getting in for free. B: My goodness! Of course that kind of play isn't being encouraged! A : I know. Every kind of play gets encouraged, but no support for getting in free. B: To get in these days, you have to buy a ticket. A: Too true. In the old days, I'd never buy a ticket. Whatever the theatre, I'd just give a nod, ~-"OK"--and I was in. B: Oh, in the old days you'd never buy a ticket. A: That's right. I had a long history of getting in for free. (Oh?) Since I was so high .•. just a kid,-I'd get in free. (Really!) Yup. In the old days, that wasn't easy! (Right.) There'd.be somebody there at.the door ..."Tickets please!" '(Oh!) "Tickets please! How many? "Three." (Three.) "How many tickets?" "Three." "Pass through ...How many?" "Two." "Is the child with you? •.Buy an extra ticket." If you didn't have a ticket, you couldn't get in.. (That's true.) But I could get in... they even made way for me. 150 THEEMPTY CITY RUSE a Xiangsheng by Hou Baolin and Guo Qiru translated by Kate Stevens A: (Comedian): I'm very fond of the opera. B: (Straight man): Oh, you like going to operas. (Yup.) Then I suppose you go often? A: Well. •• I used to ••. I used to go a lot. ( Oh!) Since Liberation, not so much. B: How come? Are you too busy? A: It's not that. The plays I like aren't put on anymore. B: What?! The plays you like aren't put on anymore? A: Not any more. B: But all kinds of opera are encouraged. A: Not the kind I like. ' . B: Oh••• You must like gaoqiang ,%) ~"J.. . (( gaoqiang is a far-out kind)) A; I can't make head or tail of it. -B; Then kun qur Jf,; -db ? ( (Kun qur is a highly literary, fluteaccompanied genre)) A: Kun qur is doing fine; look at that new opera, Fifteen Strings of Cash. I don't go to those operas. The kind of plays I like just plain haven't been encouraged. B: So the kind of play you like just doesn't exist; just what kind of play is that? A: "Freebies"! B: "Freebies"! You mean getting in for free! A: That's right-getting in for free. B: My goodness! Of course that kind of play isn't being encouraged!· A: I know. Every kind of play gets encouraged, but no support for getting in free. B: To get in these days, you have to buy a ticket. A: Too true. In the old days, I'd never buy a ticket. Whatever the theatre, I'd just give a nod, ~-"OK"--and I was in. B: Oh, in the old days you'd never buy a ticket. A: That's right. I had a long...