humor
英 美 ['hjʊmɚ]
CET4 TEM4 GRE 考 研
1. 音译“幽默”。它是外来词，由英文音译而来的。而最初将此词移入中国的，则是林语堂。这是一个音、意合译的词，其表达恰到好处。幽默指能够让人发笑的言语技巧，中文“幽”为“隐蔽”，“默”通“嘿”（读默），意为“不出声”，可以引申为“话少”，也就是要以隐蔽、简洁的方式让人发笑，显然是把 humor 一词的档次和难度给提高了一大截，不但要让人发笑，还要隐晦、简短。
2. 字母h很多时候是不发音的，这里在音译的时候，就把首字母h当不发音处理。
humor 体液，心情，幽默，诙谐来自拉丁语umor,体液，来自umere,湿的，词源同humid.在古代指人体的四种体液，即blood,phlegm,choler,black bile,血液，黏液，胆汁液，黑胆汁液，这四种体液的组合和多寡决定人的性格，心境，情绪，同时，这四种体液的组合虽然基本固定，但也会发生变化，从而人的心情也随之发生变化，引申词义兴致，心血来潮，纵容等词义，并同时引申词义逗笑的能力，即幽默感。20世纪初学者严复将该词翻译为幽默并广为流传，需说明的是，当时h是不发音的。
- humor (n.)
- mid-14c., "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Old North French humour (Old French humor; Modern French humeur), from Latin umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false association with humus "earth"); related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet," from PIE *wegw- "wet."
In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1520s); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1680s, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1560s), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1580s. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926].
| device |
HUMOR |
WIT |
SATIRE |
SARCASM |
INVECTIVE |
IRONY |
CYNICISM |
SARDONIC |
| motive/aim |
discovery |
throwing light |
amendment |
inflicting pain |
discredit |
exclusiveness |
self-justification |
self-relief |
| province |
human nature |
words & ideas |
morals & manners |
faults & foibles |
misconduct |
statement of facts |
morals |
adversity |
| method/means |
observation |
surprise |
accentuation |
inversion |
direct statement |
mystification |
exposure of nakedness |
pessimism |
| audience |
the sympathetic |
the intelligent |
the self-satisfied |
victim & bystander |
the public |
an inner circle |
the respectable |
the self |
- humor (v.)
- 1580s; see humor (n.). Related: Humored; humoring.
- 1. McGrath remembers his offbeat sense of humor, his whimsical side.
- 麦格拉思记得他不同寻常的幽默感和他古怪的一面。
来自柯林斯例句
- 2. The essays could do with a flash of wit or humor.
- 这些散文需要一些出其不意的风趣或幽默。
来自柯林斯例句
- 3. I think humor is a great lubricant for life.
- 我认为幽默是人生的上好润滑剂。
来自柯林斯例句
- 4. Their dark humor never failed to astound him.
- 他们的黑色幽默总能让他咋舌。
来自柯林斯例句
- 5. Humor is laughing at what you have not got when you ought to have it.
- 能对应有而没有的东西一笑置之是谓幽默。
来自每日一句
