Make it funny in English, please

@InfraBlue,

Quote:

In the second joke, is the point of the joke ironic in that the neighbor is a miser, but the caller does not want to be thought of as a miser for not lending him his newspaper?

Why YES, I think you've got it there!

What's funny to me is that this is not at all funny in other cultures.

0 Replies

@chai2,

I like this thread, too!

I'm a bit ashamed to admit I know NO other languages than English, despite my 4 yrs of high-school French 30+ years ago... SO I've little or NO room to make fun of those who are earnestly trying to learn a 2nd language.

On the other hand, I loved your (Chai2's) shortened versions of these jokes.

0 Replies

@oristarA,

A reader calls the newsroom:"I will not subscribe to your newspaper if you continue to [serialise] run the story with the miser in it."

Amazed, the editor enquires:" Don't you like the story?"

"Yes I do. However, my neighbor is far more interested in it than I am. [do]"

"What?", the editor is further confused, "So what?"

With [the] anger, the reader replies, "I'm disturbed because everyday my neighbor comes to borrow the newspaper from me and though reluctant, I feel compelled to [borrow] lend it to him because the word Miser seems to be pointed right at me."

0 Replies

@chai2,

It would be funny if Desi pulled it on Lucy and you could see Lucy's face.

0 Replies

It might be interesting to translate english (american) jokes to chinese and see if they make chinese speakers laugh.

1 Reply

@dadpad,

Quote:

It might be interesting to translate english (american) jokes to chinese and see if they make chinese speakers laugh.

Great idea!

I'm betting Chinese folk won't think them funny at all, due to cultural differences.

1 Reply

@BorisKitten,

Right on Bori. I've tried to translate a bunch of Englsih jokes into Chinese and my folks didn't think they were funny.
For example, there are many jokes in the section of Jokes and Funny Stuff in www.neowin.net. But I feel what native English speakers there call "great", "lmao" are not funny at all in my eyes. Those "cool" jokes in the speakes are just vulgar in Chinese perspective.

0 Replies

I am delighted and encouraged by so many replies here. I will take time to reply one by one. In the past hours, my network connection was troubled, it seems, by worm virus and ran in a deadly slow speed.

Now it is okay.

0 Replies

@sozobe,

Quote:

I think the point is that it would be considered miserly in China to refuse to allow your neighbor to borrow your newspaper (is that true?).

Yes, that is the point! That is why the joke is ruined in the western cultural context.

0 Replies

I have to go now. I will be back at night. See you. Smile

0 Replies

@panzade,

You've used a new lock, Pan. Please consider what locks most of people have used.

2 Replies

@oristarA,

I like my deadbolt lock ori. It keeps me from locking myself out of the house by accident. Like what happened to your furious husband! Very Happy

http://www.miami-locks.com/pictures/deadbolt/schlage/schlage_deadbolt_lock_b_series.jpg

0 Replies

@chai2,

The original joke is from the most popular story magazine in China: Stories published by Shanghai Literature and Art Group. You may click www.storychina.com.cn, but it has Chinese version only.

And I translated it according to the rule of being "loyal, graceful and full in meaning" to the original work.

You shortened version doesn't seem funny in my eye.

That is the question we both have to solve.

0 Replies

@InfraBlue,

Quote:

In the second joke, is the point of the joke ironic in that the neighbor is a miser, but the caller does not want to be thought of as a miser for not lending him his newspaper?

The neighbor is considered as a normal person rather than a miser. One who does not want to lend a newspaper is regarded as a miser in Chinese perspective.

0 Replies

Quote:

You shortened version doesn't seem funny in my eye.

That is the question we both have to solve.

i dont see that this a problem that has to be solved.

Cultural differences help identify our nations as individuals.

What we do need to apply is some grace, understanding and recognition of the fact that there are these cultural differences.
We need to educate the general public of each of our nations that Sometimes people from one culture can SEEM to be saying or doing something wrong but in their own culture this is perfectly acceptable and be able to fogive any unacceptable actions.

0 Replies

@oristarA,

Quote:

Please consider what locks most [of] people have used.

most + [noun] or most of the + [noun], Ori.

But I think that you already know that.

0 Replies

Thank you all.

Here goes the third joke:

I am not tall enough

A woman, with her little girl Niuniu, feeds doves in park, when a dove flies over their head, pushes and drops its waste on the lady's dress. The mom says, hurriedly, to her girl:"Nuinui, the dove pushed. Get a napkin to wipe it away."

"Ah?" the little girl stands on her toe tips, pointing to the dove helplessly, "Mom, it flies too high for me to wipe its butt."

3 Replies

@oristarA,

"I don't care where you're from- that's funny right there

0 Replies

@oristarA,

oristarA wrote:

Thank you all.

Here goes the third joke:

I am not tall enough

A woman, with her little girl Niuniu, feeds doves in park, when a dove flies over their head, pushes and drops its waste on the lady's dress. The mom says, hurriedly, to her girl:"Nuinui, the dove pushed. Get a napkin to wipe it away."

"Ah?" the little girl stands on her toe tips, pointing to the dove helplessly, "Mom, it flies too high for me to wipe its butt."

Make it funny in English, please

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know