何为“Soap Opera”?

电视连续剧（TV play series）的别称叫“肥皂剧”(soap opera), 至今有些国家仍沿用此名称。那么，电视连续剧为什么有这个别称呢？

soap opera, 它是指“以家庭问题为题材的广播或电视连续剧”，以家庭妇女为主要观众，以家庭日用品商家为赞助商，以普通家庭生活环境为舞台。有些人以为soap opera这个名字是因为这类连续剧休闲而且冗长，为了节省时间，人们可以边洗衣服边看连续剧而来的。

但事实上，电视(Television)问世不久，一些肥皂厂商利用电视宣传，推销其产品比其它广告(advertisement)更有效。但是时间一长，干巴巴的广告不仅不能吸引观众(audience), 甚至使观众感到厌烦。而这些肥皂商又不愿放弃电视广告，于是出个新招，给电视台(television station)一笔重金，让其出高价聘请剧作家(playwright)编写故事性很强、情节动人的剧本(play), 然后构成多集电视剧，逐日在电视节目(TV program)中播放。播放过程中，再巧妙地把肥皂广告加进去。这样，观众在欣赏电视连续剧的同时也看到了广告。由于这种电视剧中间有肥皂广告，于是人们就叫它“肥皂剧(soap opera)”。opera本来是指歌剧；肥皂剧一般都不是以歌剧形式演出的，之所以称为opera, 只是援引horse opera一词的先例：horse opera也不是歌剧，而是牛仔片(cowboy film)的别称。

肥皂剧一般有日间肥皂剧和晚间肥皂剧之分。

1.日间肥皂剧：以18-49岁的家庭主妇为观众，每周白天固定播5集。“其结构在半个世纪以来几乎是一成不变的——一般说来星期一是呈现部和再现部；每一集中都是几条叙事线路并存，在一周中由一个悬念引向一个动人的高潮，在星期五以至少一个情节线中的危机点收尾。如果一个困境解决了，那么另一个困境必须制造出来。”《加大对比度》Days Of Our Life就是其一。

2.晚间肥皂剧：在结构上与日间相似，但却在晚间黄金时段以每周一集的频率播出。成就了晚间肥皂剧的是那部驰名世界的Dallas, 讲述了石油富豪爱文一家的恩怨情仇，以后的Dynasty(豪门恩怨)和Falcon Crest(鹰冠庄园)等都是其仿制品。80年代末，晚间肥皂剧渐渐退出了历史的舞台。

除了肥皂剧外，常见的剧集还有Sitcom-Situation Comedy(情景喜剧)和Drama(情节系列剧)。

Many people like to watch TV. There are all kinds of programs on TV. Soap opera is one of them.

Soap opera was first on radio in the 1920s. Then it started on TV in the 1940s.

Why do so many people like to watch soap operas on TV, especially young people? What makes soap operas popular? Lets find out.

First, whats happening in the soap opera is very different from our lives. Everything is perfect(完美的) in the play. People dont need to worry about almost anything. People dont have money problems.

Second, there are many beautiful girls and handsome boys in the soap opera. They are so cool. They drive young people crazy. They make young people happy.

Third, the story in the soap opera is usually interesting. It makes people relax after a days hard work. Even some old people like to watch it, too.

But some people dont like it. They think the show is too slow and too long.