There are many theories  about the  beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one  most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual. The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning， human beings viewed the natural forces of the world - even the seasonal changes - as unpredictable， and they sought through various means to control  these  unknown  and  feared  powers.  Those  measures    which appeared  to  bring    the desired results were then retained and repeated until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned， but the stories， later called myths， persisted and provided material for art and drama.

　　Those who believe that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites contained the seed   of  theater    because   music，  dance，  masks，and  costumes  were  almost  always  used. Furthermore， a suitable site had to be provided for performances and when the entire community did  not  participate，  a  clear  division  was  usually  made  between the    "acting  area"  and  the "auditorium."  In  addition，  there  were   performers，  and，  since considerable  importance  was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment of rites， religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes， they often  impersonated  other  people， animals， or supernatural beings， and mimed the desired effect ―― success in hunt or battle， the coming rain， the revival of the Sun ――  as an  actor might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious activities.

　　Another theory traces the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling. According to this view tales （about the hunt， war， or other feats） are gradually elaborated， at first through the use of impersonation，action， and dialogue by a narrator and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely related theory traces theater to those dances that are  primarily  rhythmical    and  gymnastic  or  that are  imitations    of  animal  movements  and sounds.

　　戲劇的起源

　　關于古希臘戲劇的起源存在著多種理論，其中一個最普遍為人接受的理論假設認為戲劇從儀式演化而來。

　　這個觀點是這樣進行論證的：一開始，人類把世界上的自然力量，甚至季節的變化都看成是不可預料的。他們試圖通過各種方式去控制這些未知的、令人恐懼的力量。那些似乎帶來了滿意結果的手段就被保留下來并且重復直到這些手段固化為不變的儀式，最后產生了能夠解釋或者掩蓋這些儀式神秘性的故事。

　　隨著時間的推移，一些儀式被廢棄了，但這些后來被稱作神話的故事流傳下來并且為藝術和戲劇提供了素材。

　　認為戲劇從儀式演化而來的人們還認為那些儀式包含了戲劇的基本因素，因為音樂、舞蹈、面具和服裝幾乎經常被使用，而且，必須為演出提供一個合適的地點；如果不是整個社區共同參加演出，經常在"演出區"和"觀眾席"之間劃分出明顯的分界。

　　另外，儀式中還有演員，而且宗教領袖通常承擔演出任務，因為在儀式的執行中避免錯誤的發生被認為有相當大的重要性；他們經常帶著面具，穿著服裝象演員那樣扮演其它人、動物或超自然的生靈，用動作來表演以達到所需要的效果，比如打獵的成功或戰斗的勝利、將至的雨、太陽的復活。最后這些戲劇性的表演從宗教活動中分離了出來。

　　另一個追溯戲劇起源的理論認為它來自人們對敘述故事的興趣。根據這個觀點，故事（關于狩獵、戰爭或者其它偉績）是逐漸豐富起來的。

　　首先通過一個講解人來運用模仿、表演和對話，然后再由不同的人扮演各自的角色；另一個與之緊密相關的理論將戲劇的起源追溯至舞蹈，這些舞蹈大體上是有節奏感的和體操式的那一類，或者是對動物動作和聲音的模仿。

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