29_Funny_or_Not
29 Funny or Not¶
Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.
Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from U.S., has recently come into fashion. It is called 'sick humour'. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for yourself.
A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing. The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good. The man took heart and sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.
我们觉得一则笑话是否好笑，很大程度取决于我们是在哪儿长大的。幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。譬如，法国人听完一则俄国笑话可能很难发笑。同样的道理，一则可以令英国人笑出泪来的笑话，俄国人听了可能觉得没有什么可笑之处。
大部分令人发笑的故事都是根据喜剧情节编写的。尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。比如说，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理·卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。然而，近来一种新式幽默流行了起来，这种幽默主要来自美国。它被叫作"病态幽默"。喜剧演员根据悲剧情节诸如暴死、重大事故等来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话是低级庸俗的。下面是个"病态幽默"的实例，你可据此自己作出判断。
圣诞节前几周，某人摔断了右腿被送进医院。从他进医院那一刻起，他就缠住医生，让医生告诉他什么时候能回家。他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。圣诞节那天，他的右腿还上着石膏，他在床上郁郁不乐地躺了一天，想着他错过的种种欢乐。然而，第二天，医生安慰他说，出院欢度新年的可能性还是很大的，那人听后振作了精神。果然，除夕时他可以一瘸一拐地去参加晚会了。为了补偿住院这一段不愉快的经历，那人喝得稍许多了一点。在晚会上他尽情娱乐，一再告诉大家他是多么讨厌医院。晚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟哝着医院的事，突然踩到一块冰上滑倒了，摔断了左腿。
Words¶
- mysteriously /ˌmɪˈstɪriəsli/ 神秘的
- national /ˈnæʃənəl/ characteristics /ˌkɛrəktɚˈɪstɪks/ 民族特色
- comic /ˈkɑmɪk/ 喜剧的
- appeal /əˈpil/ 吸引力
- Comedians /kəˈmidiənz/ 喜剧演员
- tragic /ˈtrædʒɪk/ 悲剧的
- distasteful /dɪˈstestfəl/ 讨厌的
- pestering /ˈpɛstərɪŋ/ 纠缠
- dreaded /ˈdrɛdɪd/ 惧怕
- plaster /ˈplæstɚ/ 熟石膏
- miserable /ˈmɪzərəbəl/ 悲惨的
- consoled /kənˈsold/ 安慰
- hobble /ˈhɑbəl/ 瘸着腿走
- compensate /ˈkɑmpənˌset/ 补偿
- mumbling /ˈmʌmbəlɪŋ/ 喃喃而语
Expressions¶
- comic book/movie/novel 漫画书/喜剧电影/小说
- have a universal appeal 具有普遍吸引力
- pester somebody to do something 纠缠某人做某事
- dread doing something 害怕做某事
- dread somebody doing something 害怕某人做某事
- make a complete/quick/speedy/slow recovery 完全/迅速/缓慢康复
- console sb./yourself that + 句子 安慰某人/自己……
- compensate (for something) = make up for 弥补
- be bound up with 与……密切相关
- find it hard to do sth. 觉得做某事很难
- make sb. laugh to tears... 让某人笑出眼泪
- stem from… 起源于
- come into fashion 开始流行
- base a. on b. 把 A 建立在 B 基础上
- judge for yourself 自己判断
- do one’s best...(to do sth.) 尽力（做某事）
- take heart … 振作；鼓起勇气
- be good for sb. 对某人有好处
- in the process 在这个过程中