Reading 01

The origin and development of applause

origin
emergence

noun

/ˈɒrɪdʒɪn/ ; /ɪˈmɜːdʒəns/

the beginning of something

nguồn gốc / sự xuất hiện

Scholars aren’t quite sure about the origins of applause, but the form that is still most common, clapping the hands together, was formalized in Western culture during and after performances.

formalize

verb

/ˈfɔːməlaɪz/

to make official

chính thức hóa

Scholars aren’t quite sure about the origins of applause, but the form that is still most common, clapping the hands together, was formalized in Western culture during and after performances.

yell

verb

/jel/

to shout loudly

hét lớn

During the time of the Roman Republic (509BC – 27BC) the common way to end a play was for the chief actor to yell ‘Valete et plaudite!’ (‘Goodbye and applause!’) thus signaling to the audience that it was time for them to give praise by striking hands and making explosive noise.

crowd manipulation

noun phrase

/kraʊd məˌnɪpjʊˈleɪʃən/

influencing a crowd

thao túng đám đông

It’s no surprise, then, that this became a means of crowd manipulation.

a professional class of laudiceni

noun phrase

/ˌprəˈfeʃənəl klɑːs əv ˌlaʊdɪˈsiːnaɪ/

hired applauders in ancient Rome

tầng lớp vỗ tay thuê

Rome saw the rise of a professional class of laudiceni, or ‘people who clapped for their dinner’, hired to infiltrate crowds and manipulate their reaction to performances.

infiltrate

verb

/ˈɪnfɪltreɪt/

to enter secretly

thâm nhập

Rome saw the rise of a professional class of laudiceni, or ‘people who clapped for their dinner’, hired to infiltrate crowds and manipulate their reaction to performances.

prolong

verb

/prəˈlɒŋ/

to extend duration

kéo dài

Actors would hire a dozen or so people to spread out among their audiences and prolong the applause, or, if they were feeling especially bold, to start ‘spontaneous’ chants and shouts of praise.

spontaneous

adjective

/spɒnˈteɪniəs/

unplanned

tự phát

Actors would hire a dozen or so people to spread out among their audiences and prolong the applause, or, if they were feeling especially bold, to start ‘spontaneous’ chants and shouts of praise.

estimate
gauge

verb

/ˈestɪmeɪt/ ; /ɡeɪdʒ/

to measure roughly

ước lượng / đánh giá

One of the chief methods they used to estimate their standing with the people was gauging the greetings they got when they entered the arena.

standing (with the people)

noun

/ˈstændɪŋ/

reputation

vị thế

One of the chief methods they used to estimate their standing with the people was gauging the greetings they got when they entered the arena.

arena

noun

/əˈriːnə/

a place for public events

đấu trường

One of the chief methods they used to estimate their standing with the people was gauging the greetings they got when they entered the arena.

astute

adjective

/əˈstjuːt/

perceptive and clever

sắc sảo

Leaders became astute at reading the volume, the rhythm, and the length of the crowd’s claps for clues about how well they were doing as officials and lawmakers.

rival

noun

/ˈraɪvəl/

competitor

đối thủ

Clever leaders of the ancient world researched their rivals, too.

elaborate

adjective

/ɪˈlæbərət/

detailed and complex

phức tạp

Around the first centuries AD, those systems of applause became more and more elaborate.

palm

noun

/pɑːm/

inner hand

lòng bàn tay

While Greco-Roman audiences certainly smacked their palms together the same way we do today, their overall strategies of applause were much more varied than clapping alone.

express approval

verb phrase

/ɪkˈspres əˈpruːvəl/

show agreement

thể hiện sự tán thành

Crowds expressed degrees of approval of the person or persons before them, ranging from claps, to snaps (of the finger and thumb), to waves (of the edge of the toga).

gesture

noun

/ˈdʒestʃə/

movement expressing meaning

cử chỉ

The emperor Aurelian decided to replace this gesture by waving a special handkerchief instead, a prop which he then distributed to all Roman citizens, so they would never be without a way to praise him.

institutionalize

verb

/ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənaɪz/

establish as system

thể chế hóa

By the early 1820s, claques had become institutionalized, with an agency in Paris specializing in the distribution of the claqueurs’ services.

intricate

adjective

/ˈɪntrɪkət/

complex

tinh vi

The historian William B. Cohen describes the intricate price lists agencies of this kind would hand out to potential patrons.

feign

verb

/feɪn/

pretend

giả vờ

the pleureurs (criers) would feign tears in reaction to performances

fall out of fashion

verb phrase

/fɔːl aʊt əv ˈfæʃən/

become unpopular

lỗi thời

The practice spread to Milan, to Vienna, and to London before falling out of fashion.

religious ceremony

noun phrase

/rɪˈlɪdʒəs ˈserəməniz/

formal religious events

nghi lễ tôn giáo

symphonies and concerts became more serious, aligning themselves with the reverence and spirituality associated with religious ceremonies

reverence

noun

/ˈrevərəns/

deep respect

sự tôn kính

symphonies and concerts became more serious, aligning themselves with the reverence and spirituality associated with religious ceremonies

sophistication

noun

/səˌfɪstɪˈkeɪʃən/

refinement

sự tinh tế

Knowing when to maintain silence, as well as when to clap, became a mark of sophistication

amplify

verb

/ˈæmplɪfaɪ/

increase effect

khuếch đại

demonstrating our appreciation by amplifying and extending the show through commenting and praising

reinvent

verb

/ˌriːɪnˈvent/

to create again differently

tái tạo

In the 21st century we’re reinventing applause, to make it what it used to be: a coded form of communication.