英语教师在课堂上配合教材内容讲个英语幽默故事，很能活跃课堂气氛。许多英语教辅刊物或辟出专栏，或见缝插针地刊登些英语幽默故事，既能增添刊物的趣味性，又能帮助读者学习英语，起到一箭双雕的作用。

　　不过，由于中西文化及思维方式之间存在差异，西方幽默与中国笑话在表现内容及表现手法上都存在着一些不同之处。一些英语幽默故事，中国人在语言上读懂了或听懂了，却不能立刻领会到笑料所在，只有经过再三揣摩，才能发现其要点。为了帮助读者赏析英语幽默故事，本文将介绍英语幽默故事的一种表现手法——双关语。

　　一、 利用同音异义词或近音词构成

　　1. Steve was unemployed and desperate for money. He decided to go to the richest neighborhood in town and look for work. One homeowner offered him a job painting the porch. The man told Steve the paint and brushes were in the garage.

　　An hour later Steve rang the doorbell to collect his pay. “Thank you, sir,” he said as the homeowner handed him the money. “Oh, by the way,” Steve added, “you don't have a Porsche—it's a Ferrari.”

　　该幽默故事就是利用Porsche(一种汽车的牌子)与porch(门廊)的相同读音，获得了意想不到的喜剧效果。主人让史蒂夫油漆门廊，史蒂夫却理解为让他油漆汽车。

　　2. What is the most contradictory sign in a library?

　　To speak aloud is not allowed.

　　allowed与aloud发音相同，若不看文字只听声音，这个标牌就会被误解为“To speak aloud is not aloud(大声讲话不是大声)”，那么，在图书馆便可以喧哗了，真是令人啼笑皆非。

　　二、 利用多义词构成

　　1. Professor: Order!

　　Students: Beer!

　　order既有“安静”的意思，也有“点菜(或饮料等)”的意思。教授让学生们安静下来，而学生们理解为问他们喝什么。对这一幽默故事，有人给出了如下佳译：

　　教授：你们吆喝什么？

　　学生：啤酒！

　　译文妙就妙在利用了汉语里“吆喝”与“要喝”的谐音，译者把原双关语的诙谐意味十分恰当地表达了出来。

　　2. A man who was involved in a serious motorcycle accident was unable to speak when he first regained consciousness. Wishing to know how long he had been unconscious, he took a piece of paper and a pencil from the bedstand and, after writing “Date?” on it, gave it to his nurse. She handed it back to him after she had written the word “Married” on it.

　　date既可指“日期”，也可指“(男女间的)约会”，此处男士的本意是问日期，而护士理解为邀其约会，结果闹出了笑话。

　　3. Employer: For this job we want a responsible man.

　　Applicant: Then you want me. Everywhere I've worked, when something went wrong they said I was responsible.

　　此幽默中的雇主想要雇用的是一个“负责可靠的”人，而求职者说他是一个无论到哪里工作，只要那里出了事人们都说他是“需负责任的”，无意中暴露了自己是一个到处闯祸的家伙。这是responsible一词多义引出的笑话。

　　4. —Which side is the left side of a pie?

　　—The side that is not eaten yet.

　　left既有“左边”的意思，也有“剩下”的意思。该问答正是利用了这两种截然不同的意思，造成了答非所问、诙谐幽默的效果。

　　三、 利用容易产生歧义的句子构成

　　1. When I was in the grocery store I heard my friend moan, “Oh, did I just make a faux pas(失言，失礼)!” I stopped thumping melons and gave her my full attention.

　　“I ran into Mrs. Jones,” she wailed(嚎啕). “I don't know that her husband died last week, and I asked her how he was feeling. She said, ‘He's gone.’ I assumed he went some place for his health, and I said... ”

　　The words seemed to stick in her throat.

　　“What did you say?” I prodded(敦促) her. “Good riddance(死了倒干净)?”

　　“Worse than that. I said, ‘Why didn't you go with him?’”

　　“He's gone”既可被理解为“他走了”，也可被理解为“他死了”。Mrs. Jones的丈夫死了，朋友却以为他是到别处疗养去了。本应安慰Mrs. Jones，劝她节哀，却问她为什么不和丈夫一起去。

　　2. The little girl was sitting with her feet stretched far out into the aisle and was busy chewing gum, when the teacher espied(窥见)her.

　　“Mary,” called the teacher sharply.

　　“Yes, Ma'am?” questioned the pupil.

　　“Take that gum out of mouth and put your feet in!”

　　此幽默故事中，老师说的最后一句话本意是叫玛丽把口香糖从嘴里拿出来，把脚从过道里收回去放到座位里。但这句话从字面上也可被理解为叫玛丽把口香糖从嘴里拿出来，然后把脚放进嘴里去，从而引人发笑。

　　3. Two attorneys went into a dinner and ordered two drinks. Then they produced sandwiches from their briefcases and started to eat. The waiter became quite concerned and marched over and told them, “You can't eat your own sandwiches in here!” The attorneys looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and exchanged sandwiches.

　　此幽默故事中的侍者的本意是叫两个律师不要在此餐馆内食用自带三明治，但律师习惯抓住别人说话的把柄，断章取义，故意将侍者的话理解成“你们不可以在此餐馆内吃自己的三明治”，然后彼此交换着吃对方带的三明治，自然会弄得那位侍者无可奈何。

　　4. A school teacher and a principal of a high school 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.” The clarification causes even more laughter.

　　故事中的“The principal and I have decided to stop kissing on the school playground”既可被理解为“校长和我决定制止在学校操场上发生的接吻事件”，也可被理解为“校长和我决定停止在学校操场上接吻”。“What I mean to say is that there will be no more kissing going on under our noses”既可被理解为“我的意思是说不能再在我们的眼皮底下发生接吻这样的事了”，也可被理解为“我的意思是说不再亲吻鼻子底下的部位了”。这位老师两次说出引起歧义的话，越解释越糟糕，引起学生的哄堂大笑。

　　英语幽默故事的这种表现手法对语言技巧的掌握要求很高，但正因为要求高，这样的幽默故事便显得高雅，能够使人回味无穷。

　　英语幽默故事的表现手法很多，本文介绍的仅是其中的一种。多多欣赏英语幽默故事既能增强你学习英语的兴趣，也能提高你的英语水平，一石二鸟，何乐而不为？

　　(文/姜建华；英语辅导报 大学一年级版 04～05学年第17、18期； 版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)