Definition
倒彩 refers to the collective booing, jeering, or catcalling from an audience to show disapproval of a performance. It carries cultural weight in traditional Chinese opera, where a performer who slips might receive a coordinated 倒彩 as a critical response. Unlike English 'catcalls', which often imply sexual harassment, 倒彩 is purely performance-disapproval. The common verb is 喝倒彩 (hè dàocǎi, 'to boo').
n.
booingjeeringcatcalls (from an audience to show disapproval)(in opera) a coordinated jeer when a performer makes a mistake
Examples
- 倒彩。Guānzhòng duì yǎnyuán de shīwù bào yǐ yí piàn dào cǎi.The audience responded to the actor's mistake with a wave of booing.
- ，倒彩。Tā zài tái shàng chàng pò le yí ge yīn, dùnshí dào cǎi sì qǐ.He cracked a note on stage, and immediately catcalls arose from all sides.
- 倒彩。Jīngjù lǎo guānzhòng yǒushí huì yòng dào cǎi lái kǎoyàn yǎnyuán de xīnlǐ sùzhì.Veteran Beijing opera audiences sometimes use booing to test performers' mental toughness.
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