Lesson 29 Funny or not? 是否可笑？Listen to the tape then answer the question below.听录音，然后回答以下问题。What is the basis of sick humour?Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on were 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 witch 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 Chaplins 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 situation 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 doctors did his best, the patients 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 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.参考译文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。一、 单词讲解 New words and expressions largely l:dli adv. 在很大程度上comic kmik adj. 喜剧的， 可笑的 universal ju:niv:sl adj. 普遍的 comedian kmi:din n. 滑稽演员， 喜剧演员distasteful disteistful adj. 讨厌的pester pest v. 一再要求，纠缠dread dred v. 惧怕recovery rikvri n. 康复plaster pl:st n. 熟石膏console knsul v. 安慰， 慰问hobble hbl v. 瘸着腿走 compensate kmpenseit v. 补偿mumble mmbl v. 喃喃而语universal adj. 普遍的eg. Love, a topic of universal interest.爱情是人们普遍感兴趣的话题。a universal truth 放之四海皆成的真理eg. It is a universal truth that you think of nothing else if you dont have money and think of other things if you do. 这是一个普遍的真理：没钱的时候你想的只是它，而一旦有了钱，你就会想其他。universal suffrage 普选权be of universal significance 广泛的意义universally adv.It is universally true thatdistasteful adj.讨厌的，让人倒胃口的， 难吃的a distasteful storyeg. It is distasteful to me to say to.我很不愿意这么说。a distasteful task 难完成的任务a distasteful medicine 难吃的药recovery n. 康复eg. Make a quick recovery from the influenza.感冒之后很快就会好了。economic recovery 经济复苏economic resurgence 经济复兴recovery program:a course of treatment for people who are addicted to drugs or alcohol康复疗程（针对吸毒成瘾或酗酒的人）console v.安慰，慰问to make someone feel better when they are feeling sad or disappointedconsole sb with sth 用来安慰某人eg. The doctor consoled the little boy with the promise that he would go back home to celebrate Christmas Day.医生安慰小男孩并许诺说他可以回家过圣诞节。console oneself with 聊以自慰， 以自我安慰eg. No matter how hard I tried to repair my computer, it refused to work. But I still consoled myself with the thought that even the specialized labor may not put it right.condole v.吊唁eg. Peter wrote to condole with his friend on his mothers death. Peter 写信给他的朋友，对他的母亲的过世表示慰问。solace v. （文雅的表达方式） 慰藉eg. He solaced himself with a book.他从书中得到慰藉。consolation n.a word of consolation.一句安慰的话consolatory adj.a consolatory letter 慰问信booby prize 安慰奖hobble v.to walk with difficulty, especially as a result of an injury to your leg or feethobble along 一瘸一拐的走limp adj./n./v.adj.(not firm or strong)无力的limp body 四肢无力n. walk with a limp 跛行v. limp to sc