ジョークと言うとお笑いのようで簡単に思えますが、
英語のジョークとなるとなかなかストレートに笑えるかどうか
理解力を問われる英語のジョークの問題です。
ジョークの裏には文化の裏打ちがあります。
文化に疎いとなかなかすんなりジョークの理解もできません。
英語の勉強と同時に文化の勉強にもなるジョークを見てみます。
●A small child met his new teacher for the first time.
“Are you good?” asked the teacher.
“I am the sort of boy my mom tells me not to play with.”
●A man went to a shoe-shop to buy shoes.
He put many pairs on his feet.
Finally, he was satisfied.
“At last,” he said, ” I have found a pair of shoes that fit me.”
“I am not surprised,” replied the weary salesman,
“They are your own shoes.”
●A husband complained to his friend:
“I can never keep a secret from my wife.
She always knows when I lie.
I do not know why a scientist invented a machine to detect lies.
My wife is better than any machine.”
● At the optician’s, a customer asked,
“Are my new glasses ready?”
“Yes sir,” replied the optician who was a pretty gir. “Try them”
He did and was satisfied. He said,
” I can see you very well. Good-bye young man.”
● Father is reading Cinderella to his son to send him to sleep.
“Daddy,” interrupts the wide-awake boy,
“When the pumpkin changed into a golden carriage,
what did Cinderella declare on her tax return-extra income
or capital growth?”
● A teacher was giving a lesson on good manners.
“Suppose, by mistake, you step on a lady’s foot. What did you do?”
“I say Pardon me.”
“Very good. Now suppose the lady, to reward you, gives you a coin.
What do you do?”
“Step on the other foot to get a second one.”
●A policeman visited a fortune-teller.
“One of your clients has lodged a complaint against you.
I must arrest you for fraud.”
“Which client?” she demanded.
“But madam, surely you must know.”
英語のジョークですが、すんなり笑えたでしょうか？
英語の勉強にジョークを活用するのも時には効率的です。
文化の違いで笑えないのもあるかも知れません。
時間があったら英語のジョークも英語の勉強の教材にしてみましょう。