94 The Great Wild West Show

Gold prospector, Pony Express rider, Civil War army scout: William F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody was a true adventurer of the Wild West. What makes him unusual, however, is that he created a famous show about the West. This show, accurate or not, would be the basis of what many people thought that life in the West was like.

Cody was born in Iowa in 1847. He got his nickname by hunting buffalo to feed the crews building the Kansas Pacific Railroad. One story claims he earned the name by beating out another Buffalo Bill in an eight-hour gun battle. True or not, the story shows the kind of life Cody lived.

In addition to fighting, trapping, and scouting, Cody also acted in stage plays about his exploits. His stage experience led him to create his own show. In 1883, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West appeared for the first time. This enormous outdoor production brought to life many dramatic elements of frontier life. Included were a Pony Express ride as well as an exhibition buffalo hunt featuring real buffalo. There was even a re-creation of Custer’s Last Stand, with parts played by some of the Native Americans who had actually defeated Custer. The Lakota chief Sitting Bull, who had led the attack on Custer, was part of the show for one year. The sharpshooter Annie Oakley also played a starring role, thrilling audiences with her amazing shooting demonstrations.

Buffalo Bill’s show was remarkably successful. He toured the United States and Europe with it for thirty years. Not everyone remembered the West the way he did, but his version influences books, TV shows, and movies even today.

94 伟大的西部荒野秀

金矿勘探者、驿马快信骑手、内战军队侦察兵：威廉·F·（水牛比尔）科迪是西部荒野真正的冒险家。但让他与众不同的是，他创作了一场关于西部的著名表演。无论这场表演是否准确，它都成了许多人对西部生活的印象基础。

科迪1847年出生于爱荷华州。他的绰号来自于为修建堪萨斯太平洋铁路的工人猎杀水牛充饥。有个故事说，他在一场持续八小时的枪战中击败了另一个“水牛比尔”，从而获得了这个名字。不管真假，这个故事都体现了科迪的生活方式。

除了战斗、捕猎和侦察，科迪还在关于自己事迹的舞台剧中出演。舞台经验让他萌生了创作自己的表演的想法。1883年，“水牛比尔的西部荒野秀”首次亮相。这场大型户外演出重现了边疆生活的许多戏剧性元素，包括驿马快信骑行，以及用真水牛进行的猎牛展示。甚至还有“卡斯特的最后一战”的重现，由一些曾真正击败卡斯特的美洲原住民出演。领导攻击卡斯特的拉科塔族首领坐牛，在这场表演中参与了一年。神枪手安妮·奥克利也担任主演，她惊人的射击表演让观众为之震撼。

水牛比尔的表演非常成功。他带着这场表演在美国和欧洲巡演了三十年。不是每个人都像他那样记忆西部，但他塑造的西部形象至今仍影响着书籍、电视节目和电影。