Tiny performers in 'Lady White Snake' adaptation steal audiences' hearts

近日，一部少儿版的《白娘子》在网上走红，网友在勾起回忆的同时，也为剧中小演员的神演技点赞。这部剧出自儿童真人秀《小戏骨》，节目中的演员都是一群七八岁的小孩。此前，这档节目已经翻拍了《焦裕禄》、《刘三姐》、《洪湖赤卫队》等作品。

Reshooting TV series has been a common topic in China in recent years. Overshadowed by the glamour of original TV productions, new versions of classic works, more often than not, have had audiences complaining about nonsensical plot points, poor acting skills and ubiquitous embedded marketing.
近年来，电视剧翻拍已经成为一个常见话题。经典作品的翻拍版往往情节荒谬、演技糟糕且植入营销无处不在，新版作品在原版电视剧的魅力前黯然失色。

A case in point is the never-ending reshooting of Lady White Snake, also known as the Legend of the White Snake, which mainly tells the love story between the White-Snake-turned Bai Suzhen, and Xu Xian.
不断被翻拍的《白娘子》就是一个例子，这部剧主要讲述白蛇精白素贞和许仙之间的爱情故事。

During the past two decades, new versions have constantly emerged. With the help of state-of-the-art technology and good-looking performers, the updated Lady White Snake has indeed offered a visual feast to audiences. But when it comes to love from the public, no version can hold a candle to the original.
在过去20年间，该剧不断涌现出新的版本。凭借尖端科技和标致的演员，新版《白娘子》的确为观众带来了一场视觉盛宴。但是当提到观众的喜爱度时，没有任何一个版本能与原版相提并论。

The legend was first adapted into a TV series in 1992 and performed by Hong Kong actresses Angie Chiu and Cecilia Yip. The Taiwan-produced TV shows achieved huge success, leading to the constant reruns by domestic TV stations every year until now.
1992年，这一传奇故事首次被改编为电视剧，由香港女演员赵雅芝和叶童出演。这部台湾制作的电视剧大获成功，以至于到现在国内电视台每年还在重播该剧。

But this time, a group of young post-00s artists seem to receive more praises than doubts and criticism.
不过，这一次一群00后小演员受到的赞美似乎比质疑和批评要多。

"They are just incredible. When I see the little Xu Xian crying for the loss of Bai Suzhen, my heart broke," said Weibo user Xraindays.
微博用户Xraindays称：“他们太棒了。当我看到小许仙因为失去白娘子而流泪时，我的心都碎了。”

"Those so-called little-fresh-meat actors charging so much for their performances should really examine themselves. Look at these children, they are not second to anyone," another Weibo user Quiesrter added.
另一位微博用户Quiesrter表示：“那些片酬极高的所谓的小鲜肉演员真应该自我反省一下。看看这些孩子，他们不逊色于任何人。”

The children's version of Lady White Snake was produced by a program called Xiao Xigu, which literally means small artists in English, and features children in the roles of classic characters from Chinese literature and folklore.
儿童版的《白娘子》是《小戏骨》节目制作的，该节目让儿童出演中国文学作品和民间传说中的经典角色。

Promoting Traditional Culture
弘扬传统文化

According to Pan Liping, general director of Xiao Xigu, all the performers are selected within an age range between 6 and 12 years old.
据总导演潘礼平称，所有演员都是年龄在6到12岁之间的孩子。

"Enhancing children's interest in traditional Chinese culture and letting young artists set an example for a majority of children are the original intentions of setting up the program," said Pan.
潘礼平称：“这档节目的初衷是为了提高孩子们对中国传统文化的兴趣，让年轻演员为广大儿童树立榜样。”

Meng Yu, the Chinese actress who starred in The White-haired Girl, said, "Nowadays, it is a pity to see many children are totally addicted to pop culture and ignore our fine traditions. And children at this stage are accepters not makers. Xiao Xigu, to some extent, shoulders the responsibility of passing on fine traditional culture to children."
出演《白毛女》的中国女演员孟玉表示：“很遗憾看到如今许多孩子完全沉迷于流行文化中，对我们的优秀传统置之不理。孩子们在这个阶段是接受者而不是创造者，在某种程度上，《小戏骨》肩负了将中国优良传统文化传递给儿童的责任。”

Creating A New TV Show Model
打造一种全新的电视节目模式

Since its release, the program has successfully reshot many patriotic TV series including Liu Sanjie,Jiao Yulu, Red Guards on Honghu Lake and The White-haired Girl before triggering widespread concerns and praises on the internet. The film Liu Sanjie has already received more than 100 million hits online so far.
该档节目自开播以来，在网上引起广泛的关注和认可之前，就已经成功翻拍了多部爱国主义系列影视作品，其中包括《刘三姐》、《焦裕禄》、《洪湖赤卫队》和《白毛女》。目前，《刘三姐》的网络点击量已经超过1亿。

Many people are curious about the classic TV series reshooting process, but there is more to Xiao Xigu than that. According to People's Daily, the program consists of four parts, including open audition, TV shooting, professional teaching and behind-the-scenes.
很多人对经典电视剧的翻拍过程都很好奇，但对于《小戏骨》来说不仅仅是翻拍。据《人民日报》报道，该节目由四部分组成，包括公开视镜、电视拍摄、专业教学和幕后故事。

The selection process for performers follows the strict rule to provide the exact person for the exact role.
甄选演员的过程严格遵循根据角色选择人的原则。

Meanwhile, in contrast with the large budgets in TV, low production cost is a worthwhile aspect to be mentioned. According to Pan Liping, it only costs thousands of yuan to film each episode. But a small budget doesn't mean poor quality. In terms of shooting scenes and props, careful research is done and the crew tries their best to restore the familiar scenes in the original version.
同时，值得一提的是与电视节目的高预算相比，该节目的制作成本颇低。潘礼平表示拍一集的成本仅为几千元。但是预算低不代表品质差。工作人员在拍摄场景和道具方面做了仔细的研究，他们竭尽所能还原原版中的场景。

The Burden of Popularity
走红的负担

Given the tremendous popularity of Lady White Snake, this group of little artists has led their lives in the spotlight.
由于《白娘子》的超高人气，这群小演员已经生活在了聚光灯下。

Ten-year-old Tao Yixi, the female lead in Lady White Snake, now boasts more than 50,000 followers in Sina Weibo. Each time she releases a message on her personal account, she receives many comments and likes.
《白娘子》女主演陶奕希今年10岁，她的新浪微博现在有5万多粉丝。每次她在私人账号上发消息都能收到许多评论和点赞。

Many parents express their concern for these children as they are too involved in entertainment and think early fame may exert some negative influences on their growth.
很多家长对这些孩子过早参与娱乐节目表示担忧，认为少年成名可能对他们的成长产生消极影响。

"It really surprises me that the average age of these children is 7. Indeed, they have done a good job in the performance. But I wonder if they can really understand the complex emotions between a snake and a person," commenter Chen Qiulin wrote in a passage online.
评论家陈秋林在一篇网络文章中写道：“这些孩子们的平均年龄只有7岁，这真的让我很震惊。他们的表演的确很棒。但是我想知道他们是否真的能够理解人与蛇之间复杂的感情。”