1784 (1782 as melo drame), "a stage-play in which songs were interspersed and music accompanied the action," from French mélodrame (18c.), from Greek melos "song" (see melody) + French drame "drama" (see drama). Meaning "a romantic and sensational dramatic piece with a happy ending" is from 1883, because this was often the form of the original melodramas. Also from French are Spanish melodrama, Italian melodramma, German melodram. Related: Melodramatize.
The melodramatist's task is to get his characters labelled good & wicked in his audience's minds, & to provide striking situations that shall provoke & relieve anxieties on behalf of poetic justice. [Fowler]
实用例句
1. The video was seven minutes of high camp and melodrama.
那段录像里是7分钟极尽夸张搞笑的闹剧表演。来自柯林斯例句
2. The action slips from comedy to melodrama and finally to tragedy.
剧情从喜剧逐渐发展为情节剧，最后又演变为悲剧。来自柯林斯例句
3. a gripping Victorian melodrama
动人心弦的维多利亚时代情节剧来自《权威词典》
4. And sadly, there is hypocrisy all around in this melodrama.
令人悲哀的是, 这场闹剧中充满了只许州官放火,不许百姓点灯的双重标准.来自互联网
5. It had all the elements of melodrama you could want.
