What is the basis of 'sick' humour? ??? 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 the 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 Years' 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. ??? 我們覺(jué)得一則笑話是否好笑，很大程度取決于我們是在哪兒長(zhǎng)大的。幽默感與民族有著神秘莫測(cè)的聯(lián)系。譬如，法國(guó)人聽(tīng)完一則俄國(guó)笑話可能很難發(fā)笑。同樣的道理，一則可以令英國(guó)人笑出淚來(lái)的笑話，俄國(guó)人聽(tīng)了可能覺(jué)得沒(méi)有什么可笑之處。 ??? 大部分令人發(fā)笑的故事都是根據(jù)喜劇情節(jié)編寫的。盡管民族不同，有些滑稽的情節(jié)卻能產(chǎn)生普遍的效果。比如說(shuō)，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理.卓別林的早期電影 很難不發(fā)笑。然而，近來(lái)一種新式幽默流行了起來(lái)，這種幽默主要來(lái)自美國(guó)。它被叫作“病態(tài)幽默”。喜劇演員根據(jù)悲劇情節(jié)諸如暴死，重大事故等來(lái)編造笑話。許 多人認(rèn)為這種笑話是低級(jí)庸俗的。下面是個(gè)“病態(tài)幽默”的實(shí)例，你可據(jù)此自己作出判斷。 ??? 圣誕節(jié)前幾周，某人摔斷了右腿被送進(jìn)醫(yī)院。從他進(jìn)醫(yī)院那一刻時(shí)，他就纏住醫(yī)生，讓醫(yī)生告訴他什么時(shí)候能回家。他十分害怕在醫(yī)院過(guò)圣誕。盡管醫(yī)生竭力醫(yī)治， 但病人恢復(fù)緩慢。圣誕節(jié)那天，他的右腿還上著石膏，他在床上郁郁不樂(lè)地躺了一天，想著他錯(cuò)過(guò)的種種歡樂(lè)。然而，第二天，醫(yī)生安慰他說(shuō)，出院歡度新年的可能 性還是很大的，那人聽(tīng)后振作了精神。果然，除夕時(shí)他可以一瘸一拐地去參加晚會(huì)了。為了補(bǔ)償住院這一段不愉快的經(jīng)歷，那人喝得稍許多了一點(diǎn)。在晚會(huì)上他盡情 娛樂(lè)，一再告訴大家他是多么討厭醫(yī)院。晚會(huì)結(jié)束時(shí)，他嘴里還在嘟噥著醫(yī)院的事，突然踩到一塊冰上滑倒了，摔斷了左腿。 ???? largely??? adv. 在很大程度上 ???? comic??? adj. 喜劇的，可笑的 ???? universal??? adj. 普通的 ???? comedian??? n.?? 滑稽演員，喜劇演員 ???? distasteful??? adj. 討厭的 ???? pester??? v.?? 一再要求，糾纏 ???? dread??? v.?? 懼怕 ???? recovery??? n.?? 康復(fù) ???? plaster??? n.?? 熟石膏 ???? console??? v.?? 安慰，慰問(wèn) ???? hobble??? v.?? 瘸著腿走 ???? compensate??? v.?? 補(bǔ)償 ???? mumble??? v.?? 喃喃而語(yǔ) 1? whether we find a joke funny or not，這是一個(gè)名詞性的從句，在句子中作主語(yǔ)。 2? be bound up with,與...聯(lián)系在一起。 3? you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.比如說(shuō)，你看查理·卓別林的早期電影很難不發(fā)笑。句中的say是插入語(yǔ)，可譯作“比如說(shuō)”。查理·卓別林是電影史上最有名的演員之一。他在諸如《淘金記》(1924)這類電影中扮演的流浪漢“小人物”在各種不利的條件下仍獲得了成功。 4? stem? from，起源于。 5? come into fashion，開(kāi)始流行。時(shí)興起來(lái)。 6? judge for yourself,你自己來(lái)判斷。 7? take heart，振作精神。 8? the man drank a little more than was good for him.這個(gè)人稍微多喝了一點(diǎn)酒。此句than后面省略了主語(yǔ)what, be good for sb.是“對(duì)某人有益”的意思。 (歌曲：I want a hippopotamus for Christmas 圣誕節(jié)，我想要一只河馬) I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do Don't want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy I want a hippopotamus for Christmas I don't think Santa Claus will mind, do you? He won't have to use our dirty chimney flue Just bring him through the front door, that's the easy thing to do I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses I only like hippopotamuses And hippopotamuses like me too Mom says the hippo would eat me up, but then Teacher says a hippo is a vegeterian. There's lots of room for him in our two-car garage I'd feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes to see a hippo hero standing there I want a hippopotamus for Christmas Only a hippopotamus will do No crocodiles or rhinoceroseses I only like hippopotamuseses And hippopotamuses like me too! 圣誕節(jié)，我想要一只河馬 只要河馬就行 不要一個(gè)洋娃娃，不要修補(bǔ)匠玩具 我想要一只河馬玩耍和享受 圣誕節(jié)，我想要一只河馬 我不認(rèn)為圣誕老人會(huì)介意，對(duì)嗎？ 他不必使用我們臟的煙囪煙道 帶他穿過(guò)前門，這很容易做到 我現(xiàn)在可以想象到圣誕節(jié)早上 我爬下樓梯， 哦，什么是喜悅和什么驚喜 當(dāng)我睜開(kāi)眼睛的時(shí)候 看到一個(gè)站在那里的河馬英雄 圣誕節(jié)，我想要一只河馬 只要河馬就行 不要鱷魚，不要犀牛 我只喜歡河馬 河馬一樣也喜歡我 媽媽說(shuō)河馬會(huì)吃掉我，但接著 老師說(shuō)河馬是一種素食主義者。 我們的兩車車庫(kù)里有很多空間 我喂他那里給他洗他給他按摩 我現(xiàn)在可以看到我在圣誕節(jié)早上， 爬下樓梯 哦，什么是喜悅和什么驚喜 當(dāng)我睜開(kāi)眼睛的時(shí)候 看到一個(gè)站在那里的河馬英雄 圣誕節(jié)，我想要一只河馬 只要河馬就好 不要鱷魚或犀牛 我只喜歡河馬 河馬一樣也喜歡我！