A kind of stage show, hugely popular in America from about the 1880s to the 1930s and fading away by the 1950s, made of many short, unconnected acts one after another — a singer, then a comedian, then a dancer, then a magician, then a man whose dogs jump through hoops. There was no story joining them; the point was variety and speed, and a bad act got pulled off.

A kind of stage show一種舞台表演 hugely popular in America from about the 1880s to the 1930s and fading away by the 1950s大約1880到1930年代在美國非常流行，到1950年代逐漸消失 made of many short, unconnected acts one after another由一段接一段、彼此不相干的短節目組成 a singer, then a comedian, then a dancer, then a magician, then a man whose dogs jump through hoops像一個歌手、接著一個諧星、一個舞者、一個魔術師，還有一個讓狗跳圈圈的人。 There was no story joining them節目之間沒有故事串連 the point was variety and speed重點是多樣和節奏快 and a bad act got pulled off表演不好就會被拉下台。

It is spoken of as a whole world, not just a show: performers 'worked in vaudeville', a theatre was 'a vaudeville house', and many early film and TV stars — the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope — 'came out of vaudeville'. The British equivalent was called 'music hall' or 'variety'.

It is spoken of as a whole world, not just a show大家講起它像在講一整個世界，而不只是一種表演 performers 'worked in vaudeville'表演者會說'worked in vaudeville'（在雜耍歌舞界工作） a theatre was 'a vaudeville house'劇院叫做'a vaudeville house' and many early film and TV stars — the Marx Brothers, Bob Hope — 'came out of vaudeville'很多早期的電影電視明星，像馬克斯兄弟、鮑伯霍伯，都說自己'came out of vaudeville'（出身自雜耍歌舞界）。 The British equivalent was called 'music hall' or 'variety'英國同類的表演叫做'music hall'或'variety'。

The word is normally uncountable and used without 'a': 'she started in vaudeville'. As an adjective it means old-fashioned, broad, slightly corny comedy — 'a vaudeville routine'.

The word is normally uncountable and used without 'a'這個字通常是不可數，不加'a' 'she started in vaudeville'像'she started in vaudeville'（她從雜耍歌舞界起家）。 As an adjective it means old-fashioned, broad, slightly corny comedy當形容詞用的時候，指老派、誇張、有點俗氣的喜劇 'a vaudeville routine'像'a vaudeville routine'（老派雜耍式的橋段）。

Today the word is mostly historical, and it carries a warm, nostalgic, slightly dusty feeling: greasepaint, a piano in the pit, a hook to drag off the bad acts.

Today the word is mostly historical現在這個字大多用來講歷史 and it carries a warm, nostalgic, slightly dusty feeling帶著一種溫暖、懷舊、有點陳舊的感覺 greasepaint, a piano in the pit, a hook to drag off the bad acts像油彩妝、樂池裡的鋼琴、還有把爛節目勾下台的那根鉤子。