Does this one reflect a typical cultural divide?
Can you explain where the humour for a chines person might be?
I don think its a cultural issue, drunks doing silly things are in jokes here all the time.
Was the untranslated version humerous to you?
Some more explanation.
If the moon appeared red or orange or even something approximating those colours it would perhaps be funny.
In all of your other postings i was able to see where the humour was intended to come from even if it was not humerous to an english speaker.
I cannot see where the humour is intended to come from with this joke
I have just had a thought,.... sometimes the moon does appear yellow especially at dawn and dusk. Yellow can be the colour of the light between red and green. Maybe thats why the editor used a picture to remind people that the moon can be yellow.
sorry oristar it still doesnt work for me
@dadpad,
I come to work for you now, Dadpad. See the picture attached to the joke:
If the joke was not funny in Chinese ears, the editor would not draw a picture for it in particular. But if the editor did, the joke would be particularly funny in his ear.
The ninth joke seems a total failure in the context of English language.
And it seems hard to find out the reason buried within.
Let's just move along.
The cover of the issue that includes the Green Light Waiting joke.
I've edited it though.
reading along
this is a really great topic
@oristarA,
I get "Forbidden" when I tried to view both images you posted.
It's possible that the joke needed visual clarification to work, and that the picture the editor drew wasn't about how funny it was.
Here goes the tenth:
What Is It That Can't Fly?
Translated by OristarA
Dingding and his father go to dinner in Quanjude in Beijing, one of the most famous roast duck restaurants with long history in China. After the roast duck is served, Dingding says to his dad:"You are a plane pilot, so I'd ask you some questions about flying. You have to drink wine without going with the dish if you cannot give the right answer."
"A good idea, " the father replies, "who has ever defeated your father with questions? None!"
"The first question, " Dingding continues, " is why can a butterfly fly?"
"Okay, it has wings." is the answer.
"And why can a dove fly?"
" With wings!"
"Why can a plane fly?"
"It is equipped with wings!"
"Excellent! What is it that can't fly with wings, then?"
The dad sits dumb. Helplessly, he has to drink three cups of wine in a row. "Now, tell me, son! What is it?" he asks.
Dingding clicks the dish with chopsticks:"It is - the roast duck!"
@oristarA,
I was completely with you until the punchline. How does a roast duck fly?
@engineer,
Can't fly. It has wings, but it can't fly.
I think this one is translated fine (except for length) but is kind of a groaner -- I don't get that "yay, funny!" sort of feeling at the end, more of a "that's all?"
@sozobe,
Thanks, misread that one. Yes, this is a groaner.
@oristarA,
Can you access this ...
http://www.ajokeaday.com/Clasificacion.asp?ID=64
This link is to one-liners. There is a column on the right of the screen with different categories of jokes. It might help you understand more about the structure of North American jokes.
@ehBeth,
Yes, I can.
Thanks.
And why not make a better punchline for the tenth joke, guys?
Here goes the eleventh:
I Come Here for Business
Translated by OristarA
A man comes to the capital of the province for business.
After arriving the destination, he realizes that there is no parking position for his car. He has to pull over and leave a note on his windshield. It reads: I come here for business.
Having finished his work, he comes back and finds there is a parking ticket attached to the windshield, and another line added to his note: Me, too!
@oristarA,
I like that one just the way it is. I'd shorten it slightly as follows
A man drove to the capital on business only to discover that there was no place to park. He decided to double park and left a note on his car saying "I'm here on business." When he returned, he had a ticket with a note attached saying "Me too!"
@ehBeth,
See, those are funny!
Maybe just by comparison.
But much funniER.
@engineer,
ori, there's a joke over here that is similar.
There's a man at a bar having a cocktail. He has to use the bathroom and he's afraid someone will steal his drink so he asks the bartender for a pen and writes "I spit in this drink" on a napkin and covers the glass.
When he gets back he sees that somebody had added "Me too"
