(单词翻译:单击)
课文
【课文】
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 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 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 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 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
【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。
词汇讲解
1.largely adv.在很大程度上
例句：Many African and Asian countries have economies based largely on agriculture.
很多亚非国家的经济基本都以农业为基础。
2.comic adj. 喜剧的，可笑的
3.universal adj. 普通的
例句：There is universal agreement that saving the environment is a worthy cause.
保护环境是一项值得为之奋斗的事业，人们在这一点上有着广泛的认同。
4.comedian n.滑稽演员，喜剧演员
5.distasteful adj.讨厌的
例句：Even the thought of her was distasteful to him.
他即使一想起她来,都感到恶心.
6.pester v.一再要求，纠缠
例句：You don't need to pester him. We can succeed without him.
你不用死乞白赖地求他，没有他我们照样能成功。
7.dread v.惧怕
例句：Most people dread death.
大部分的人都怕死。
8.recovery n.康复
例句：Doctor Brook is researching the impact of hospital food on the recovery process.
布鲁克医生在研究医院供应的饮食对病人康复过程的影响。
9.plaster n.熟石膏
10.console v.安慰，慰问
例句：Many people came to console the wailful widow.
很多人来安慰这个悲伤的寡妇。
11.hobble v.瘸着腿走
12.compensate v.补偿
例句：A price rise was proposed by the distributor to compensate for the rising costs.
批发商建议涨价以抵消成本的上涨。
13.mumble v.喃喃而语
例句：When the old lady speak she often mumble her word.
这位老妇人说起话来常常含糊不清。
课文讲解
【课文讲解】
1.Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on were we have been brought up.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：bring up教育, 培养, 提出, 停下, 呕出
It takes up a great proportion of a family's expenditure to bring up children.
生儿育女的花费是家庭支出的很大一部分。
whether or not做主语
Whether or not they will come depends on the weather.
他们会不会来取决于天气。
2.The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics.
参考翻译：幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。
讲解：bound up with与…有密切关系，与…利益一致
Economic progress is closely bound up with technological development.
经济进展与技术发展密切相关。
3.In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke witch would make an Englishman laugh to tears.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：laugh to tears笑出泪来
in the same way同样地
Not everyone understands this article in the same way.
对于这篇文章，大家理解不一。
4.In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal.
参考翻译：尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。
讲解：in spite of 不管，即使
In spite of the recent rash of problems she has experienced, she looked careless.
尽管最近已经接二连三地犯了很多错误，但她看起来还是那么漫不经心。
5.No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：no matter无论, 没关系详细见语法部分。
Say, 这里的用法。。也可以用来举例，同such as/ forexample/ for instance等。。
6.However, a new type of humour, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：come into fashion流行起来，开始流行，风行，成为时髦，相当于become fashinable。
That style of coat came first into fashion when I was a boy.
这种式样的大衣是我做孩子的时候开始时兴的。
7.From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home.
参考翻译：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。
讲解：keep on继续
Athletes must keep on practice.
运动员必须坚持训练。
8.Though the doctors did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.
参考翻译：尽管医生竭力医治，但病人恢复缓慢。
讲解：do one's best=try one's best尽某人最大的努力
In one word, we must try our best to do the job.
总而言之，我们必须尽力去做这项工作。
9.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.
参考翻译：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。
讲解： was doing sth when 正在做某事，突然……这种句型翻译的时候要注意。
语法点
【语法点】
no matter与疑问词who, what, where, when, how, if, whether等连用，意为无论，不管。如：
1) Don't open the door, no matter who comes. 不管谁来都别开门。
2) Don't trust him, no matter what he says. 无论他说什么，都别相信他。
3) No matter where you work, you can always find time to study. 无论你在哪里工作，你都能找到时间学习。
4) No matter when and how the invaders come, they will be wiped out clean. 无论侵略者什么时候来，怎样来，他们必将被消灭得一干二净。
5)—Are you going home? 你回家吗？
—Not yet. No matter how hard I work, there is always more to do. 还不行。不管我干得多么卖力，总是有做不完的工作。
6) Mary wanted to get to school on time, no matter if she went without breakfast. 玛丽就是不吃早餐也要准时赶到学校。
7) No matter whether it is light or dark at that hour, we've decided to leave at five o'clock in the morning. 不管到时候是否天亮，我们都已决定早晨5点离开。
no matter who (what, when, where, how, whether等)引导的从句通常在句中作状语，表示让步，但有时也可在句中作宾语。如：
8) The man who is lazy radiates laziness in no matter what situation he be observed. [no matter what situation he be observed 在句中作in的宾语。另外，该从句中的谓语用了虚拟语气现在时(即动词原形)］不管什么情况下观察他，那个懒汉都显得很懒。
4. 有时， no matter what, no matter who, no matter when等可用于句末或句中。如：
1) We have to get to the airport on time, no matter what. 我们无论如何也要准时赶到机场。
2) They're going to win no matter what. 他们无论如何都要赢。
3) Anyone, no matter who, may point out our shortcomings. 不管是什么人，都可以指出我们的缺点。
5. 有时，在no matter what引出的从句中要省略谓语动词。如：
1) No matter what the excuse, you must not be late. 不管有什么借口，你一定不要迟到。
2) No matter how small a drop of water we might study under the microscope, we could not see the hydrogen and oxygen in it. (we might study under the microscope作定语修饰a drop of water) 可以放在显微镜下进行研究的水滴无论怎么微小，我们都不能看到其中的氢和氧。
3) She would be calm, no matter what the provocation. 无论受到怎样的挑衅，她都能镇定自若。
以上no matter what引出的从句中均省略了谓语is。
经典句子
【经典句子】
1.The sense of humour ismysteriously bound up with nationalcharacteristics, …
幽默感与民族有着神秘莫测的联系。
2.In spite of nationaldifferences, certain funny situations have a universalappeal.
尽管民族不同，有些滑稽的情节却能产生普遍的效果。
3.No matter where you live, youwould find it difficult not to laugh at, say,Charlie Chaplin’s early films.
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。
4.He dreadedhaving to spend Christmas in hospital.
他十分害怕在医院过圣诞。
5.The mantook heart and, sure enough, on New Year’s Eve he was able tohobble along to a party.
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。
6.To compensate for hisunpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him.
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。
相关flash和视频讲解
