072讲: 冷幽默

Jessica在北京学汉语，她的中国朋友要是遇到了不知道用美语怎么说的词，就会来请教她。今天是Luis要问的：冷幽默。

LZ: Jessica, you won't believe it! Last night, I met the funniest guy ever!

Jessica: No way! 他怎么好玩儿了？Did he wear bunny ears?
LZ: 头上戴着兔耳朵？这种是幼儿园级的搞笑，没劲! 这人的特点是，每句话都特逗，可是自己从来不笑! 对了，这种冷幽默在美语里要怎么说呢？

Jessica: We call that dry humor. With dry humor, the emphasis is not on funny facial expressions or exaggerated body moves, rather, it's the joke itself that's really humorous.

LZ: 哦，dry humor, 不靠夸张的表情和动作，纯粹靠笑话本身好笑。The guy I was talking about did have a dry sense of humor.

Jessica: I bet he kept a straight face while telling jokes that made everyone else laugh their pants off!

LZ: exactly! 别人都笑翻了，就他自己面无表情地继续讲。这人的冷幽默在party上特受人欢迎。以前大家为了找乐子，顶多就是讲几个荤段子。哎？这“荤段子”又要怎么说呢？

Jessica: We call them "off-color jokes." The most common off-color jokes are about sex, but they can also touch on violence, ethnic groups or other impolite topics.

LZ: 原来荤段子就是off-color jokes, 除了情色内容，还可以是别的有冒犯性的话题。

Jessica: Off-color jokes can be really offensive to those who aren't that close to you or don't share your sense of humor. So, use them carefully.

LZ: 没错，讲荤段子得分对什么人，不熟的朋友可别讲!  啊，说了这么多段子，幽默，我真是跃跃欲试!

Jessica: What? Give what a try?

LZ: 我本来就是个特有幽默感的人，我觉得我能成一单口相声演员!

Jessica: A standup comedian? You?

LZ: 原来, Standup comedian 就是单口相声演员，那行，I'll make standup comedian one of my career goals!

Jessica: Is this dry humor? 'Cos I didn't get it!

LZ: 今天我们学了，冷幽默是dry humor; 荤段子off-color jokes; 单口相声演员是standup comedian.