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Unit 3
Leisure Activities
In-Class Reading
Entertaining Humor-What's Funny?
Donald M. Huffman
1 The joy of laughing at a funny story is universal, probably as old as language itself. But, what is it that makes a story or a joke funny?
2 As one who had enjoyed humor since I first recognized it, I've made an attempt to explain and discuss humor with students in such diverse cultures as Latin America and China. I've done some serious thinking about funny stories. It has been a labor of love!
3 Why is it that several students in a class will fall out of their chairs laughing after I tell a joke while the rest of the students look as if I've just read the weather report? Obviously some people are more sensitive to humor than others. And, we recognize that some people tell jokes very well while others struggle to say something funny. We've all heard people say, "I like jokes, but I can't tell one well, and I can never remember them." Some people have a better sense of humor than others just as some people have more musical talent, mathematical talent etc. than others. A truly funny person has a joke for every occasion, and when one is told, that triggers an entire string of jokes from that person's memory bank. A humorless person is not likely to be the most popular person in a group. It is reasonable to say that the truly humorous individual is not only well liked, but is often the focus of attention in any gathering.
4 Even some animals have a sense of humor. My wife's mother often visited us for extended stays. She normally didn't like dogs, but she fell in love with Blitzen-a female Lab we have, and the relationship was mutual. Even when young, Blitzen would tease Grandma by very selectively carrying one of her bedroom slippers into the living room where Grandma sat in her favorite, comfortable chair. Blitzen pranced just beyond the reach of Grandma until Grandma was tempted to leave her chair to get the slipper from Blitzen. When Grandma left her chair, Blitzen would quickly jump into the chair, flashing her Lab smile from sparkling brown eyes which clearly said, "Aha, I fooled you again."
5 Typical jokes or humorous stories have a three-part anatomy that is easily recognized. First is the SETUP (or setting), next is the BODY (or story line), and these are followed by the PUNCH LINE (an unexpected or surprise ending) which will make the joke funny if it contains some humor. Usually all three parts are present, and each must be clearly presented. It helps if the story/joke teller uses gestures and language which are well known to the audience.
6 Humor, as a form of entertainment, can be analyzed in order to discover what makes a funny story or joke seem funny. Here, for example, are some of the most common types of humor. They range from the most obvious humor to the more subtle types.
7 "SLAP-STICK" is the most obvious humor. Its language is simple, direct, and often makes fun of another person or group. Slap-stick was and is the technique of the stand-up comedian and the clown. It appeals to all ages and all cultures. Nearly every English-speaking comedian in this century has used the following joke in one form or another. One man asks another, "Who was that lady I saw you with last night?" The other replies, "That was no lady, that was my wife." The humor lies in the fact that the second man is saying that his wife is not a lady. In other words, she is not a refined woman. The joke is no less funny because it is so often used. The audience knows in advance what will be said, because it is classic humor, and any audience values it even more because of its familiarity.
8 Chinese "cross-talk" is a special type of slap-stick in which two Chinese comedians humorously discuss topics such as bureaucrats, family problems, or other personal topics. Cross-talk can be heard anywhere from small village stages to the largest Beijing theatres, and to radio and television. It is clearly a traditional form of humor well understood by Chinese people.
9 A PLAY ON WORDS is not so obvious as slap-stick, but it is funny because of misused or misunderstood language. My favorite example is the story of three elderly gentlemen traveling by train in England. As the train slowed for a stop the first man asked, "Is this Wembley?" "No," said the second, "It's Thursday." "So am I," said the third man. "Let's stop for a beer." We know that older people often do not hear things clearly, so the misunderstanding of both Wednesday (for Wembley) and thirsty (for Thursday) make a nice setup for the punch line delivered by the third man.
10 The famous Chinese cartoonist and humorist Ding Cong is a master of word play. In one of his funny cartoons, a teacher says, "How come you completely copied somebody else's homework?" The young student replies, "I didn't completely copy it. My name on the page is different." In another classic Ding Cong cartoon, an irritated father asks, "Tell me, what's one plus two?" The son says, "I don't know." The impatient father then says, "For example, you, your mother, and I altogether are how many, you idiot?" The son proudly answers, "Three idiots." Whether these stories are cartoons, jokes told by a slapstick comedian, or a cross-talking team, they appeal to people everywhere as funny stories because they have a note of reality to them, and the unexpected punch line is quite funny.
11 PUNS are even more subtle forms of word play. They use the technique of similar sounding words or alternative meanings of the same word. Puns are thought by some critics to be the lowest form of humor, but I disagree with this. Puns require more subtle and sophisticated language skills than most humor forms, but even the very young can use them in their simpler forms. For example, the "riddle" or trick question often uses a pun in the setup, the story line, or, more often, the punch line. Puns are the first type of humor I learned, and at about 5 years of age I remember hearing the following riddle. One person asks, "What is black and white and red all over?" The other person usually cannot answer the riddle, so says, "I give up. What is the answer?" The riddler replies, "A newspaper." This is the obvious answer if one knows that "red" is pronounced the same as "read" in English, but the meanings are clearly different.
12 DOUBLE-ENTENDRES (French for double meanings) are special variations of puns in which words or phrases have double meanings. Frequently the two meanings are very different, and one is quite proper while the second is often, but not always, vulgar. I like the somewhat mild story of a school teacher and a principal of a high school who are concerned because some boys and girls have been seen kissing on the school playground. The teacher says to the students, "The principal and I have decided to stop kissing on the school playground." Hearing some laughter, she senses her message was not altogether clear, so she adds, "What I mean to say is that there will be no more kissing going on under our noses". This clarification, of course, does nothing to correct the first statement and the double meaning of the joke becomes even more laughable.
13 Some professional humorists think too much of today's humor is not very intelligent or sophisticated. They dislike the suggestive or vulgar language used too frequently, and they feel that most humorists are not very creative. It is true that some of today's humor is rather shocking, but I don't think humor is to be blamed for that. Humor is alive and well, and it will persist simply because there are funny things happening every day. Some humorous people see and hear these funny things and are able to make them into funny, entertaining jokes and stories. (1346 words)
Time taken: _____ minutes
Proper Names
Blitzen
布利茨恩(狗的名字)
Ding Cong
(男子名)丁聪(中国著名漫画家)
Wembley
(地名)温伯利
New Words
anatomy
n.
1) structural makeup especially of an organism or any of its parts 构造
2) the science dealing with the structure of animals or plants 解剖学
bureaucrat
n. an official who works by fixed routine without exercising intelligent judgment 官僚主义者
e.g. Endless paper-work was dished out (分发) by those bureaucrats.
cartoon
n. a drawing symbolizing or satirizing some action, subject or person漫画，讽刺画
e.g. The newspaper has a large section of cartoons.
cartoonist
n. a person who draws cartoons 漫画家
clarification *
n. added information to make something easier to understand 澄清
e.g. The newspaper printed clarifications of the incorrect statements.
comedian*
n. a performer who tells jokes and funny stories 喜剧演员
cross-talk
n. witty, rapid dialogue, between two 相声
double-entendre
n. (French) a word or phrase that may be understood in two different ways, one of which often contains a sexual allusion 双关语（其中一个有性的含义）
elderly
adj. rather old 上了年纪的
e.g. He's very active for an elderly man.
familiarity*
n. good knowledge of something 熟悉
grandma*
n. (informal) grandmother or the mother of your father or mother（外）祖母
humorist
n. a person with an active sense of humor, especially one who uses humor skillfully, as in writing or talking 幽默（作）家，有敏锐幽默感的人
humorless
adj. too serious and not able to laugh at things that other people think are amusing 缺乏幽默感的
humorous
adj. amusing, funny 幽默的
e.g. Bill is a humorous guy and tells jokes well.
idiot
n. a very foolish person 笨蛋，傻瓜
e.g. Anyone who crosses the street without checking for traffic is an idiot.
irritated
adj. feeling annoyed and impatient about something 恼怒的
laughable *
adj. such as to cause laughter, funny, amusing 可笑的，有趣的
mild
adj. not strong, severe or extreme 温和的，不严重的，适度的
e.g. I) A mild breeze blew inland from the lake.
II) Mr Cross recently suffered a mild heart attack and is recovering.
misunderstanding*
n. a failure to understand or interpret correctly 误解
e.g. There must have been some misunderstanding. I didn't order all these books.
misuse
v. use something incorrectly or improperly 错用，滥用
persist
v.
1) continue to exist or happen 持续，存留
e.g. It's claimed that cockroaches (蟑螂) would persist in the world even after a nuclear war.
2) try to do or continue doing something in a determined but often unreasonable way 坚持不懈，执意
e.g. If she refuses to answer your phone calls, just persist until she does answer.
prance
v. (for a horse or other animals) move by raising its front legs and moving forward with its back legs 腾跃
pun
n. an amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, or of words with the same sound but different meanings 双关语（用同音异义词或多义词构成）
e.g. Seven days without water makes one weak (week).
reasonable
adj. according to reason, not absurd 合理的，不荒谬的
e.g. The scientist came up with a reasonable theory.
riddle
n. a difficult and often amusing question to which one must guess the answer 谜（语）
riddler
n. a person who gives riddles 出谜（语）的人
selectively*
adv. choosing carefully 有选择地
setup *
n.
1) an arrangement necessary for a specific activity or purpose 为某活动或某个目的所做的准备或铺垫
e.g. "Listen. He didn't die. It was a setup," he said angrily.
2) the way in which something is organized, planned or arranged 设置，安排
e.g. He's new to the office and doesn't know the setup yet.
slap-stick
n. humorous acting in which the performers pretend to hit or slap one another using a device made of two pieces of wood to make a sound like a loud slap 打闹剧（因演员用击板相互追打发出声响而得名）
sparkling*
adj. shining brightly with points of flashing light 闪闪发光的
e.g. They looked down to the sea, sparkling in the sun.
statement
n. a definite or clear expression of something in speech or writing 说法，叙述，声明
e.g. The lawyer issued a statement concerning the out come of the trial.
suggestive
adj. seeming to suggest something sexual or indecent 使人产生邪念的
vulgar
adj. indecent; rude; obscene 粗俗的，下流的
e.g. She was criticized for telling vulgar jokes.
Phrases and Expressions
a labor of love
something that you do because you want to and not because of any reward you might get for it, even though it involves hard work （不取报酬，为了满足自己/别人的兴趣）心甘情愿做的事
e.g. I) Writing this book has been a great pleasure, a true labor of love.
II) The sweater she made for her son was a labor of love.
attempt to do something
an act of trying to do something, especially something difficult 努力……，试图……
e.g. She made a few attempts to join in their conversation.
beyond the reach of somebody
in a place somebody cannot reach by stretching his arm and hand 在某人伸手够不着的地方
e.g. The book is beyond my reach. Would you please pass it to me?
fall in love with somebody
begin to love someone 开始爱上某人
e.g. I think I'm falling in love with your brother.
flash a smile
smile at someone quickly and for a short time 笑容一闪
e.g. She flashed a sudden smile at him.
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