Confidant

心腹

Confidant is a character in a drama or novel who plays only a minor role in the action, but serves the protagonist as a trusted friend to whom he or she confesses intimate thoughts, problems, and feelings. In drama the confidant provides the playwright with a plausible device for communicating to the audience the knowledge, state of mind, and intentions of a principal character without the use of stage devices such as the soliloquy or the aside.

心腹是戏剧或小说作品中的一种配角，他进入情节的机会不多，但却是男女主人公值得信赖，可以吐露心声、焦虑和情感的密友。因此，剧作家可以巧妙地借助这种配角向观众表明主人公的身世、情思和意向，而不必使用内心独白或旁白之类的舞台表现手法。