Anthropologists and theater historians trace the origins of theater to myth and ritual found in dances and mimed performances by masked dancers during fertility rites and other ceremonies that marked important passages in life. Imitation, costumes, masks, makeup, gesture, dance, music, and pantomime were some of the theatrical elements found in early rituals.
- anthropologist [ˌænθrəˈpɔlədʒist] n.人类学家
- theater [ˈθiətə] n.戏剧
- trace [treis] v.追踪，探索
- myth [miθ] n.神话
- ritual [ˈritʃuəl] n.(宗教)仪式
- mimed performance [maimd - pəˈfɔ:məns] n.笑剧、闹剧表演
- fertility rite [fə:ˈtiliti - rait] n.丰收仪式
- ceremony [ˈseriməni] n.仪式
- passage [ˈpæsidʒ] n.转变
- imitation [ˌɪmiˈteiʃən] n.道具
- costume [ˈkɔstju:m] n.装束
- makeup [ˈmeikʌp] n.化妆品
- gesture [ˈdʒestʃə] n.造型
- pantomime [ˈpæntəmaim] n.哑剧表演
