新概念英语第三册英音版 29－Funny or Not

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[00:01.49]Lesson 29
[00:03.61]Funny or not?
[00:12.03]What is the basis of 'sick' humour?
[00:17.28]Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up.
[00:23.88]The sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics.
[00:29.70]A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke.
[00:34.48]In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke
[00:39.10]which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.
[00:42.77]Most funny stories are based on comic situations.
[00:46.79]In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal.
[00:53.62]No matter where you live,
[00:55.69]you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin's early films.
[01:00.99]However, a new type of humour,
[01:03.28]which stems largely from U.S., has recently come into fashion.
[01:07.94]It is called 'sick humour'.
[01:10.42]Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations
[01:14.27]like violent death or serious accidents.
[01:17.59]Many people find this sort of joke distasteful.
[01:20.72]The following example of 'sick humour' will enable you to judge for yourself.
[01:25.66]A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas.
[01:32.43]From the moment he arrived there,
[01:34.04]he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home.
[01:39.25]He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital.
[01:42.41]Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow.
[01:47.15]On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster.
[01:51.50]He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.
[01:56.04]The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him
[01:59.91]that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.
[02:04.90]The man took heart and sure enough,
[02:07.58]on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble along to a party.
[02:11.45]To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital,
[02:15.53]the man drank a little more than was good for him.
[02:18.65]In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly
[02:21.40]and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals.
[02:25.27]He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party
[02:29.47]when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.