介绍:
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。从他进医院那一刻时，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。
largely adv. 在很大程度上
comic adj. 喜剧的，可笑的
universal adj. 普通的
comedian n. 滑稽演员，喜剧演员
distasteful adj. 讨厌的
pester v. 一再要求，纠缠
dread v. 惧怕
recovery n. 康复
plaster n. 熟石膏
console v. 安慰，慰问
hobble v. 瘸着腿走
compensate v. 补偿
mumble v. 喃喃而语
1 whether we find a joke funny or not，这是一个名词性的从句，在句子中作主语。
2 be bound up with,与...联系在一起。
3 you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.比如说，你看查理·卓别林的早期电影很难不发笑。句中的say是插入语，可译作“比如说”。查理·卓别林是电影史上最有名的演员之一。他在诸如《淘金记》(1924)这类电影中扮演的流浪汉“小人物”在各种不利的条件下仍获得了成功。
4 stem from，起源于。
5 come into fashion，开始流行。时兴起来。
6 judge for yourself,你自己来判断。
7 take heart，振作精神。
8 the man drank a little more than was good for him.这个人稍微多喝了一点酒。此句than后面省略了主语what, be good for sb.是“对某人有益”的意思。
(歌曲：I want a hippopotamus for Christmas 圣诞节，我想要一只河马)
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!
圣诞节，我想要一只河马
只要河马就行
不要一个洋娃娃，不要修补匠玩具
我想要一只河马玩耍和享受
圣诞节，我想要一只河马
我不认为圣诞老人会介意，对吗？
他不必使用我们脏的烟囱烟道
带他穿过前门，这很容易做到
我现在可以想象到圣诞节早上
我爬下楼梯，
哦，什么是喜悦和什么惊喜
当我睁开眼睛的时候
看到一个站在那里的河马英雄
圣诞节，我想要一只河马
只要河马就行
不要鳄鱼，不要犀牛
我只喜欢河马
河马一样也喜欢我
妈妈说河马会吃掉我，但接着
老师说河马是一种素食主义者。
我们的两车车库里有很多空间
我喂他那里给他洗他给他按摩
我现在可以看到我在圣诞节早上，
爬下楼梯
哦，什么是喜悦和什么惊喜
当我睁开眼睛的时候
看到一个站在那里的河马英雄
圣诞节，我想要一只河马
只要河马就好
不要鳄鱼或犀牛
我只喜欢河马
河马一样也喜欢我！
