话说英语的双关（ENGLISHPUN）

双关语（pun）英语中一种常见的修辞手法.该修辞格巧妙利用词的谐音、词的多义或歧义等,使同一句话可同时表达不同意义,以造成语言生动活泼、幽默诙谐或嘲弄讥讽的修辞效果,使人读来忍俊不禁、英语中双关语的构成通常需要两个基本条件,即双重情境（doublecontext）和多义词或同音异义词.其构成方式主要有以下四种：

1）同音异义双关（谐音双关）

指在一个语境中巧妙运用两个或多个词语的同音或谐音达到讽刺或具诙谐意味的效果.

eg1.Sevendayswithoutwatermakesoneweak.

七天不进水,人就会虚弱.

weak和week是同音异义词.所以这句话听起来可以理解为：Sevendayswithoutwatermakesoneweek.

eg2.Youearnyourlivingandyouurnyourdead.

生前劳碌奔命,死后化灰入土.

earn与urn(火化)同音异义,用在一起显得俏皮,别有趣味.

2）同词异义双关（多义词双关）

指在同一语境中运用一个词语的两种意思巧妙地达到幽默风趣的效果,使读之别有韵味.

eg1.A:What'sthelongestsentenceintheworld?

世上最长的句子是什么?

B:Prisonforlife.无期徒刑.

sentence既有“句子”的意思,也有“刑期”的含义.

eg2.Womenhaveawonderfulsenseofrightandwrong,butlittlesenseofrightandleft.

女性对善恶感觉惊人,而对左右感觉麻木.

该句借用同词异义双关讽刺女性方向感差,开车左右不分.

eg3.Wemustallhangtogether,orweshallallhangse-parately.我们必须团结一致,否则将一一被绞死.

本句运用多义双关,深刻而幽默地说明了不团结便灭亡的道理.短语动词hangtogether作“团结一致”解,但hang亦可作“吊死”、“绞死”解.所以这句话也可被误解为“我们必须在一起上吊,否则我们就会一个个地被绞死.”

3）语意歧解双关

指运用一词多义使语境产生微妙的歧义,从而达到幽默诙谐的效果.

eg1.Customer:Waiter,willthepancakesbelong?

煎饼还是要等很久吗?

Waiter:No,sir.Round.不,先生,是圆的.

顾客使用的long指的是时间的漫长,而服务员把它曲解为（形状的）“长形”,趣味由此而生.

eg2.Customer:Haveyougotanychicken'slegs?

你有鸡腿吗?

Waiter:No,sir,Ialwayswalkthisway!

不,先生,我一直是这样走路的呀!

这个对话表现出顾客同服务员之间的误解.顾客想吃鸡腿,问服务员是否有这道菜.服务员误解为顾客嘲笑他像用鸡腿走路的那副样子,于是反驳道：“我一直是这样走路的呀!”

eg3.A:Canyouseeafemale?你能会见一位女士吗?

B:Ofcourse,Icanseeafemaleaseasilyasamale.DoyousupposeI'mblind?

当然可以（看得见）,我看女士和看男士是一样地容易.难道你认为我是个瞎子?

第一句话中的see本意是“约见,会见”之意,而B把它歧解为“能看见（havetheabilityofseeing）”.

4）延伸双关

指巧妙运用某些语言现象（构词、发音等）,展开联想,临场发挥,适度引申,从而达到某种幽默风趣的效果.

eg1.A:Whatistheworstkindoffish?最坏的鱼是什么鱼?B:Selfish.自私.

selfish（自私）单词碰巧里面含有一个fish.作者巧妙地运用这一语言现象,答非所问,歪打正着,却意味深远,发人深思,风趣隽永.

eg2.A:WhichisthelongestwordinEnglish?

英语中最长的单词是哪一个?

B:Smiles,becausethereisamilebetweenthefirstletterSandthelastletters.

是Smiles,因为从第一个字母S到最后一个字母s,中间相隔一英里（mile）.

回答者把smiles（微笑）拆分成s-mile-s,趣味天成.

现在举几个有趣的英语双关例子：

Whatistheworstweatherformice?

Whenitrainscatsanddogs.

Whichcanrunfaster,heatorcold?

Heat.Becauseeveryonecancatchcold.

Whyisthebridealwaysunluckyonherwedding?

Becauseshecannevermarrythebestman.

然后再看看下面这些有趣的问答：

1.—Whyisariverrich?

—Becauseithastwobanks.

【提醒】bank有两个意思：一是表示“银行”,二是表示“河岸”.

2.—Whydoesaman’shairbecomegreybeforehismoustaches?

—Becauseaman’smoustachescomeupafterhishair.

【提醒】答语句意为：因为人们先长头发后长胡须.

3.—Whyisashiponeofthemostpolitethingsonearth?

—Becauseitalwaysadvanceswithabow.

【提醒】bow有两个意思是：一是表示“鞠躬”,二是表示“船首”.

4.—Whyisyournoseinthemiddleofyourface?

—Becauseitisascenter.

【提醒】动词scent意为“嗅”,其派生名词scenter意为“嗅的东西”,而scenter刚好与center读音相同

5.—Whyshouldfishbewelleducated?

—Becausetheyaresooftenfoundinschools.

【提醒】school有两个意思：一是指“学校”,二是指“鱼群”.

6.—WhyistheletterAlikeaflower?

—BecausetheBisafterit.

【提醒】字母B与bee读音相同.

7.—WhydoestheletterTlooklikeanisland?

—Becauseitisinthemiddleof“water”.

【提醒】答句的字母意思是：因为字母T在单词water的中间.既然在“水”的中间,当然看起来像是“岛”.

8.—Doyouknowwhybirdsflytosouthinthewinter?

—Becauseit’stoofartowalkthere.

【提醒】太远不能走着去,当然要飞着去.

9.—Whyisaroomfullofmarriedcouplesempty?

—Becausethereisnotasinglemanintheroom.

【提醒】thereisnotasingleman有两个意思：一是指“没有一个单身未婚男人”,二是表示“没有一个人”.

10.—Whydidthestudenttakealaddertoschool?

—Becausehe/shewasgoingtohighschool!

【提醒】由于按传统思维,人们一般会将ladder（梯子）与high（高）联系在一起.

11.—Whydidthemanthrowthebutteroutthewindow?

—Hewantedtoseethebutterfly.

【提醒】butterfly的意思是“蝴蝶”,但若将butterfly分开,则成了butter（黄油）和fly（飞）.

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以下是何毓琦教授列出的一些有助于理解西方文化的pun,我基本上都不明白,看来还要好好学习,天天向上.

1.TheroundestknightatKingArthur'sroundtablewasSirCumference..Heacquiredhissizefromtoomuchpi.

2.IthoughtIsawaneyedoctoronanAlaskanisland,butitturnedouttobeanopticalAleutian.

3.Shewasonlyawhiskeymaker,buthelovedherstill.

4.Arubberbandpistolwasconfiscatedfromalgebraclassbecauseitwasaweaponofmathdisruption.

5.Thebutcherbackedintothemeatgrinderandgotalittlebehindinhiswork.

6.Nomatterhowmuchyoupushtheenvelope,it'llstillbestationery.

7.Adoggavebirthtopuppiesneartheroadandwascitedforlittering.

8.AgrenadethrownintoakitcheninFrancewouldresultinLinoleumBlownapart.

9.Twosilkwormshadarace.Theyendedupinatie.

10.Timeflieslikeanarrow.Fruitflieslikeabanana.

11.Atheismisanon-prophetorganization.

12.Twohatswerehangingonahatrackinthehallway.Onehatsaidtotheother,'Youstayhere;I'llgoonahead.'

13.Iwonderedwhythebaseballkeptgettingbigger.Thenithitme.

14.Asignonthelawnatadrugrehabcentersaid:'KeepofftheGrass.'

15.Asmallboyswallowedsomecoinsandwastakentoahospital.Whenhisgrandmothertelephonedtoaskhowhewas,anursesaid,'Nochangeyet.'

16.Achickencrossingtheroadispoultryinmotion.

17.Theshortfortune-tellerwhoescapedfromprisonwasasmallmediumatlarge.

18.Themanwhosurvivedmustardgasandpeppersprayisnowaseasonedveteran.

19.Abackwardpoetwritesinverse.

20.Indemocracyit'syourvotethatcounts.Infeudalismit'syourcountthatvotes.

21.Don'tjoindangerouscults:Practicesafesects!