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課文內容：
Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where 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.
參考翻譯：
我們覺得一則笑話是否好笑，很大程度取決于我們是在哪兒長大的。幽默感與民族有著神秘莫測的聯系。譬如，法國人聽完一則俄國笑話可能很難發笑。同樣的道理，一則可以令英國人笑出淚來的笑話，俄國人聽了可能覺得沒有什么可笑之處。
大部分令人發笑的故事都是根據喜劇情節編寫的。盡管民族不同，有些滑稽的情節卻能產生普遍的效果。比如說，不管你生活在哪里，你看查理.卓別林的早期電影很難不發笑。然而，近來一種新式幽默流行了起來，這種幽默主要來自美國。它被叫作“病態幽默”。喜劇演員根據悲劇情節諸如暴死，重大事故等來編造笑話。許多人認為這種笑話是低級庸俗的。下面是個“病態幽默”的實例，你可據此自己作出判斷。
圣誕節前幾周，某人摔斷了右腿被送進醫院。從他進醫院那一刻時，他就纏住醫生，讓醫生告訴他什么時候能回家。他十分害怕在醫院過圣誕。盡管醫生竭力醫治，但病人恢復緩慢。圣誕節那天，他的右腿還上著石膏，他在床上郁郁不樂地躺了一天，想著他錯過的種種歡樂。然而，第二天，醫生安慰他說，出院歡度新年的可能性還是很大的，那人聽后振作了精神。果然，除夕時他可以一瘸一拐地去參加晚會了。為了補償住院這一段不愉快的經歷，那人喝得稍許多了一點。在晚會上他盡情娛樂，一再告訴大家他是多么討厭醫院。晚會結束時，他嘴里還在嘟噥著醫院的事，突然踩到一塊冰上滑倒了，摔斷了左腿。
