Funny or Not 好笑不好笑
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 tragics 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.
16. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.
盡管醫(yī)生竭力醫(yī)治，但病人恢復(fù)緩慢。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:though引導(dǎo)讓步狀語從句，后半句中一般會出現(xiàn)“令人遺憾的事情”。
17. On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster.
圣誕節(jié)那天，他的右腿還上著石膏。
語言點:have one's leg in plaster的意思是“腿上打著石膏”。注意不可直譯為“腿在石膏里”。
18. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.
他在床上郁郁不樂地躺了一天，想著他錯過的種種歡樂。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:對于本句中的thinking of all the fun he was missing有兩種不同的解釋:（1）s spend some time on doing sth.結(jié)構(gòu)，意思是“花費時間做某事”（2）現(xiàn)在分詞thinking引導(dǎo)補(bǔ)充狀語，補(bǔ)充說明“躺在床上所想的事情”。Fun指“令人歡樂的事情或時光”，在本句中后接省去了引導(dǎo)詞that的定語從句he was missing。
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 tragics 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.
16. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.
盡管醫(yī)生竭力醫(yī)治，但病人恢復(fù)緩慢。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:though引導(dǎo)讓步狀語從句，后半句中一般會出現(xiàn)“令人遺憾的事情”。
17. On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster.
圣誕節(jié)那天，他的右腿還上著石膏。
語言點:have one's leg in plaster的意思是“腿上打著石膏”。注意不可直譯為“腿在石膏里”。
18. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.
他在床上郁郁不樂地躺了一天，想著他錯過的種種歡樂。
語言點:句子結(jié)構(gòu)分析:對于本句中的thinking of all the fun he was missing有兩種不同的解釋:（1）s spend some time on doing sth.結(jié)構(gòu)，意思是“花費時間做某事”（2）現(xiàn)在分詞thinking引導(dǎo)補(bǔ)充狀語，補(bǔ)充說明“躺在床上所想的事情”。Fun指“令人歡樂的事情或時光”，在本句中后接省去了引導(dǎo)詞that的定語從句he was missing。