“肥皂劇”這個說法好像在中國流傳也有好多年了，不過其來由為何卻少人談論。小編曾經臆想：難道是因為這些連續劇的集數像肥皂泡那么多，所以才叫“肥皂劇”的嗎？

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on television or radio. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble as sponsors and producers. These early radio series were broadcast in weekday daytime slots when most listeners would be housewives; thus the shows were aimed at and consumed by a predominantly female audience.

肥皂劇（soap opera，有時簡稱soap）指在廣播或電視中連續長期播放、情節虛構的故事劇集。之所以叫“肥皂劇”，是因為這些劇集播放之初都是由寶潔等洗滌用品生產商贊助或制作的。當時，這些連續劇都是在工作日白天時段播出的，大部分聽眾都是家庭婦女。所以，肥皂劇的受眾主要為女性觀眾。

A crucial element that defines soap opera is the open-ended nature of the narrative, with stories spanning several episodes. Each episode ends with a promise that the storyline is to be continued in another episode.

肥皂劇最主要的一個特征就是故事情節進展的開放性，一部劇通常有好多集。每一集結束的時候都會為下一集的故事發展留下空間。

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（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）