Английский юмор

Многие смеются над английским юмором не потому, что он смешной. Наоборот. Что тут смешного? Итак, читаем про английский юмор.

Содержание записи:

Английский юмор. Некоторые шуточки.

In England the matter with humour is so serious that they have got several names of jokes:

The elephant jokes – глупые шутки (слоновые шутки)

Dry sense of humour – ирония (сухое чувство юмора)

Banana sense skin of humour – примитивные шутки, когда смеются на тем, кто упал или ударился (юмор с банановой кожурой)

Shaggy-dog stories – шутки нелогичные (рассказы лохматой собаки)

Sometimes it is difficult for us to understand an English anecdote that isn’t laughable and has no droll sense, as it seems at first sight. But some jokes can be understandable only if you know different meanings of one word. For example, something like this. Being in the know that the word “long” is translated as «длинный» and «долго».

— Waiter, will the pancakes be long? – No, sir! Round!

By the way, if you made for England and an Englishman is telling you a joke, try to smile or snicker during his jesting if it isn’t droll for you at all. Otherwise, he is likely to take offence is your face doesn’t show your pleasure from his humour. Let us try to be polite and read the following story.

Английский юмор. Читаем.

Good Business Sense

Before going to Europe on business, a man drove his Rolls-Royce to a downtown NY City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer was quite taken aback and requested collateral.

— Well, then, here are the keys to my Rolls-Royce», the man said. The loan officer quickly had the car driven into the bank’s underground parking for safe keeping and gave him $5,000.

Two weeks later, the man walked through the bank’s doors and asked to pay off his loan and get his car back. The loan officer checked the records up and told him:

— That will be $5,000 in principal and $15.40 in interest.

The man wrote out a check, thanked the loan officer and started to walk away.
— Wait, sir, — the loan officer said

— While you were gone, I found out you are a millionaire [mɪljəˈneə]. Why would you need to borrow, however?

The man smiled in reply.

— Where else could I securely park my Rolls-Royce in Manhattan for two weeks and pay only $15.40?»

Вопросы

What are the different names for jokes in England mentioned in the text? 2. What does “dry sense of humour” mean according to the passage? 3. How is “banana skin sense of humour” described in the text? 4. What kind of jokes are “shaggy‑dog stories”? 5. Why can some English anecdotes be hard to understand? 6. What example does the text give to show how word meanings affect jokes? 7. What punchline makes the pancake joke funny? 8. What advice does the text give about reacting to an Englishman’s joke if you don’t find it funny? 9. In the “Good Business Sense” story, what did the man ask the bank for and what did he offer as collateral? 10. What was the man’s real reason for borrowing the money, as revealed at the end of the story?