29 · 是否可笑
Funny or Not?
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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 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.
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整篇课文
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 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.
一个笑话好不好笑，很大程度上取决于我们在哪里长大。幽默感与民族性格之间，有着一种难以解释的联系。比如，法国人听了俄罗斯笑话，也许很难笑出来。同样，一个能让英国人笑出眼泪的笑话，俄罗斯人却可能丝毫不觉得有趣。
大多数笑话都以滑稽的情境为基础。尽管各国文化不同，有些滑稽情境却能让所有人发笑。比如，无论你生活在哪里，看查理·卓别林的早期电影，大概都很难忍住不笑。不过，最近流行起一种主要源自美国的新式幽默，叫作“病态幽默”。喜剧演员拿惨死、严重事故之类的悲惨处境编笑话，许多人对此很反感。下面这个例子，就让你自己判断这种幽默究竟如何。
圣诞节前几星期，一名右腿骨折的男子被送进医院。从入院那一刻起，他就不停缠着医生，问自己什么时候能回家，因为他实在不愿在医院过圣诞节。医生虽然尽了全力，他的恢复却很慢。到了圣诞节，右腿还打着石膏，他只能躺在床上，想着错过的种种热闹，郁闷地过了一天。第二天，医生安慰他说，他很有希望赶在新年庆祝前出院。男子顿时振作起来，果然在除夕那天，一瘸一拐地参加了一场聚会。为了补偿住院期间的不快，他喝得有些过量。其间，他玩得十分尽兴，还不停地告诉别人，自己有多讨厌医院。聚会结束时，他嘴里还在嘟囔着医院的事，却突然踩到一块冰，滑倒摔断了左腿。
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把“某件事是否有效”作主语，再写它取决于什么。
译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时、何景霖整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第97—99页，2022年2月第3版。