VOA慢速英語：半真半假為何如此有趣?
- 中英
- 英文
Why Is 'Tongue-in-Cheek' So Funny?
半真半假為何如此有趣?
Now, it's time for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
這里是美國之音慢速英語詞匯掌故節(jié)目。
On this program, we explore the meaning and usage of everyday expressions in American English.
在這期節(jié)目中，我們探討美式英語中日常用語的含義和用法。
Today, we will talk about two parts of your head: the tongue and cheek. When you put them together, you get something funny!
今天，我們將討論人們頭部的兩個部分：舌頭和臉頰。當(dāng)我們把它們組合到一起的時候，你會覺得很有趣。
A tongue-in-cheek comment or observation begins seriously but ends humorously. However, behind the playfulness is truth. So, tongue-in-cheek comments often get people thinking.
半開玩笑的(tongue-in-cheek)言論嚴(yán)肅地開始，卻幽默地結(jié)束。然而，在嬉鬧背后是事實(shí)。所以，半開玩笑的言論經(jīng)常讓人們思考。
Tongue-in-cheek comments are often used in critiques. They tell something truthful, but in a light-hearted, funny way. You can sometimes get away with a lot by using tongue-in-cheek humor because the truth in it can sometimes be hard to recognize.
半開玩笑的言論通常用于發(fā)表評論。他們坦率地講述一些事情，但是是以一種輕松、愉快的方式。有時候你可以通過使用這種半開玩笑的幽默來避開很多麻煩，因?yàn)槠渲械膶?shí)情有時候會難以分辨出來。
The American writer Mark Twain was an expert at making tongue-in-cheek comments.
美國作家馬克·吐溫(Mark Twain)是一位擅長發(fā)表半真半假言論的專家。
Another famous humorist was Will Rogers. He was born in 1879 in what is now Oklahoma. He was part Cherokee and was known as "the cowboy philosopher."
另一位著名的幽默作家是威爾·羅杰斯(Will Rogers)。他于1879年出生在現(xiàn)在的俄克拉荷馬州。他具有切羅基人血脈，被稱為“牛仔哲學(xué)家。”
Rogers' warm humor made him one of the best-loved performers of his generation. During his long career, Rogers did a little of everything. He was an actor, both in the theater and in movies. He had a weekly radio show and also wrote stories for a newspaper.
羅杰斯友善的幽默使得他成為那個年代最受歡迎的表演者之一。在他漫長的職業(yè)生涯中，羅杰斯各方面均有涉獵。他是一位話劇演員和電影演員。他主持了一檔每周一期的電臺節(jié)目，還給報(bào)紙寫報(bào)道。
This tongue-in-cheek comment from Rogers is as meaningful today as it was when he said many years ago:
羅杰斯說的這種半開玩笑的言論到今天還跟當(dāng)年一樣很有意義：
"Everything is changing in America. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke."
“美國的一切都在變。人們認(rèn)真對待喜劇演員，卻把政治家當(dāng)笑話看。”
Now, we all know that no one can know everything. But that fact doesn't sound very interesting, funny or witty. Will Rogers stated that truth in his typical tongue-in-cheek way when he said, "Everybody is ignorant only on different subjects."
現(xiàn)在，我們都知道沒人能萬事皆知。但是這個道理聽起來不是很有意思、有趣或詼諧。羅杰斯用他典型的半開玩笑的口吻說出了這個道理：“ 所有人都是無知的.只是在不同的方面罷了。”
But how did putting your tongue in your cheek come to mean a kind of twisted, oftentimes truthful, humor?
但是把舌頭貼到腮幫子里如何變成指代了古怪的，但通常是真實(shí)的這樣一種幽默。
Some websites say this expression dates back to the 18th-century England. One site says that it first meant a common facial expression used to express dislike or contempt. These days, the contempt is gone and in its place are terms like irony. An irony is when you say the opposite of what you mean, usually to be funny.
一些網(wǎng)站稱，這種表達(dá)可以追溯到18世紀(jì)的英格蘭。一家網(wǎng)站稱，它最初是指一種用于表達(dá)不喜歡或蔑視的常見面部表情。如今，這些蔑視的意味消失了，取而代之的是反語之類的說法。反語是指說出跟本來意思相反的話，通常都很有趣。
Another website says that people may have stuck their tongue in their cheek to keep from smiling or laughing.
另一家網(wǎng)站表示，人們可能曾經(jīng)把舌頭貼到腮幫子里以避免笑場。
However, when it comes right down to it, you should not take a tongue-in-cheek comment at face value. It starts to mean one thing but then ends by meaning something completely different. That is what makes it so funny.
然而，當(dāng)面臨這些的時候，你不應(yīng)該只看到這種半開玩笑的言論的表面意義。它開始是指代一件事情，但是以完全不同的意思結(jié)束。這就是它的有趣之處。
Tongue-in-cheek humor is often successful when it includes the speaker in a funny critique or situation.
當(dāng)這種半開玩笑的幽默把演講者自己放到這種有趣的批評或狀況中的時候，它往往就是成功的。
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy famously did this at a dinner celebrating 49 American Nobel Prize winners.
1962年，肯尼迪總統(tǒng)在祝賀49位美國諾貝爾獎獲得者的晚宴上就成功地做到了這點(diǎn)。
He said: "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House ... with the possible exception of when (former President) Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
他說：“我覺得今晚的白宮匯集了最多的天份和人類知識——或許得撇開當(dāng)年杰斐遜獨(dú)自在這里吃飯的時候不計(jì)。”(51VOA注：這是肯尼迪變著法子吹捧杰斐遜。)
In this way, tongue-in-cheek humor can be self-deprecating. It is effective when you want to make fun of yourself a bit.
通過這種方式，半開玩笑的幽默可以是自嘲。當(dāng)你想要略微自嘲時就很有效。
And this brings us to music.
這將我們帶到了音樂方面。
For some reason, country & western music has a long history of producing tongue-in-cheek songs. With titles like "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy,'" "Queen of My Double Wide Trailer" and "Bubba Shot the Jukebox," it is clearly a type of music that does not mind poking fun at its own culture and lifestyle.
出于某種原因，美國西部鄉(xiāng)村音樂在制作半開玩笑的歌曲方面有著悠久的歷史。用“她認(rèn)為我的拖拉機(jī)很性感，”“我的加寬拖車女皇”以及“巴布射擊點(diǎn)唱機(jī)”這樣的標(biāo)題，這顯然是一種不介意嘲笑自己的文化和生活方式的音樂。
In the 1970s, Mac Davis became one of the biggest names in country music. He wrote songs for Elvis. And because he was so handsome also got into acting. Then in 1974, he had everyone laughing with his tongue-in-cheek song making fun of his own life.
上世紀(jì)70年代，麥克·戴維斯(Mac Davis)成為了鄉(xiāng)村音樂的大腕之一。他為貓王寫過歌。而且因?yàn)樗绱擞⒖?，他也開始表演。然后在1974年，他憑借一首自嘲的半開玩笑的歌曲讓所有人大笑。
"It's Hard to Be Humble" became an instant hit.
《It's Hard to Be Humble》這首歌一炮打響。
"Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
哦，上帝，想謙遜點(diǎn)很難
When you're perfect in every way
當(dāng)你各方面都完美無缺的時候
I can't wait to look in the mirror
我迫不及待地想照鏡子
Cause I get better looking each day
因?yàn)槲颐刻於荚谧儙?/p>
To know me is to love me
認(rèn)識我就會愛上我
I must be a hell of a man
我一定是個最牛逼的男人
Oh Lord It's hard to be humble,
哦上帝，想謙遜點(diǎn)很難
But I'm doing the best that I can!"
但是我已盡力。
And that's Words and Their Stories. Out of all the programs here at Voice of America, this is one of them. I'm Anna Matteo.
以上就是本期詞匯掌故節(jié)目的全部內(nèi)容。在美國之音所有節(jié)目中，這只是其中一期。安娜·馬特奧報(bào)道。
Now, it’s time for Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English!
On this program, we explore the meaning and usage of everyday expressions American English.
Today, we will talk about two parts of your head: the tongue and cheek. When you put them together, you get something funny!
A tongue-in-cheek comment or observation begins seriously but ends humorously. However, behind the playfulness is truth. So, tongue-in-cheek comments often get people thinking.
Tongue-in-cheek comments are often used in critiques. They tell something truthful, but in a light-hearted, funny way. You can sometimes get away with a lot by using tongue-in-cheek humor because the truth in it can sometimes be hard to recognize.
The American writer Mark Twain was an expert at making tongue-in-cheek comments.
Another famous humorist was Will Rogers. He was born in 1879 in what is now Oklahoma. He was part Cherokee and was known as “the cowboy philosopher.”
Rogers’ warm humor made him one of the best-loved performers of his generation. During his long career, Rogers did a little of everything. He was an actor, both in the theater and in movies. He had a weekly radio show and also wrote stories for a newspaper.
This tongue-in-cheek comment from Rogers is as meaningful today as it was when he said many years ago:
"Everything is changing in America. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke."
Now, we all know that no one can know everything. But that fact doesn’t sound very interesting, funny or witty. Will Rogers stated that truth in his typical tongue-in-cheek way when he said, "Everybody is ignorant only on different subjects."
But how did putting your tongue in your cheek come to mean a kind of twisted, oftentimes truthful, humor?
Some websites say this expression dates back to the 18th-century England. One site says that it first meant a common facial expression used to express dislike or contempt. These days, the contempt is gone and in its place are terms like irony. An irony is when you say the opposite of what you mean, usually to be funny.
Another website says that people may have stuck their tongue in their cheek to keep from smiling or laughing.
However, when it comes right down to it, you should not take a tongue-in-cheek comment at face value. It starts to mean one thing but then ends by meaning something completely different. That is what makes it so funny.
Tongue-in-cheek humor is often successful when it includes the speaker in a funny critique or situation.
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy famously did this at a dinner celebrating 49 American Nobel Prize winners.
He said: “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House … with the possible exception of when (former President) Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
In this way, tongue-in-cheek humor can be self-deprecating. It is effective when you want to make fun of yourself a bit.
And this brings us to music.
For some reason, country & western music has a long history of producing tongue-in-cheek songs. With titles like “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,’” “Queen of My Double Wide Trailer” and “Bubba Shot the Jukebox,” it is clearly a type of music that does not mind poking fun at its own culture and lifestyle.
In the 1970s, Mac Davis became one of the biggest names in country music. He wrote songs for Elvis, and because he was so handsome also got into acting. Then in 1974, he had everyone laughing with his tongue-in-cheek song making fun of his own life.
“It’s Hard to Be Humble” became an instant hit.
“Oh Lord it's hard to be humble
When you're perfect in every way
I can't wait to look in the mirror
Cause I get better looking each day
To know me is to love me
I must be a hell of a man
Oh Lord It's hard to be humble,
But I'm doing the best that I can!"
And that’s Words and Their Stories. Out of all the programs here at Voice of America, this is one of them. I’m Anna Matteo.
_______________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting in a way that is funny
witty – adj. funny and clever
twist – n. an unexpected or strange occurrence : something new created by changing something slightly
face value – n. Something that is taken/accepted at face value is regarded as true or genuine without being questioned or doubted
extraordinary – adj. extremely good or impressive
talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well
self-deprecating – adj. meant to make yourself or the things you do seem unimportant
tractor – n. a large vehicle that has two large back wheels and two smaller front wheels and that is used to pull farm equipment
trailer – n. a vehicle that can be pulled by a truck or car and that can be parked and used as an office, vacation home, etc.
jukebox – n. a machine that plays music when money is put into it
to poke fun phrase to make a joke about (someone or something) usually in a friendly way
humble – adj. showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people
instant – adj. becoming something very quickly
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