1、 Unit 8 Humor Interpretation in Intercultural EncountersCulture is a Bridge.English gas stationnAll Greek to me:nMeaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read,speak,or understand any of the Greek language would be.n nAll In The Same Boat:nWhen everyone is facing the same challenges.n
2、 nAn Arm And A Leg:nVery expensive.A large amount of money.English gas stationnA Taste Of Your Own Medicine:nWhen you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.nBeat A Dead Horse:nTo force an issue that has already ended.nBeating Around The Bush:nAvoiding the main topic.Not speaking directly a
3、bout the issue.n英格兰人谈论苏格兰人和爱尔兰人的3则笑话:1.一个爱尔兰人给旅游公司打电话：“我坐飞机到伦敦将用多长时间？”办事员想看看飞机时刻表，对他说：“（请等）一分钟，先生！”“非常感谢！”爱尔兰人满意地答道并挂上了电话。2.一个苏格兰人从英格兰回到了家。家人问道：“在伦敦怎么样？”苏格兰人答道：“还行！就是那些英格兰人很奇怪。我住在旅馆时，他们像疯子一样在我隔壁敲了一夜墙。”“那你当时干什么呢？”“我没干什么！我只是吹了一夜笛子！”3.一个爱尔兰人前来伦敦度假，住进一家高级饭店。服务生拿起箱子，带他去房间。爱尔兰人生气地说：“看着点儿！别以为我来自爱尔兰，就让我住进这么
4、个小房间！”服务生连忙解释道：“别生气，先生！这是电梯。”United Nations SurveynLast month,a world survey was conducted by the UN.The only question asked was:Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world.The survey was a huge failure.nIn Africa they didnt know what food
5、meant.nIn Eastern Europe they didnt know what honest meant.nIn Western Europe they didnt know what shortage meant.nIn China they didnt know what opinion meant.nIn the Middle East they didnt know what solution meant.nIn South America they didnt know what please meant,and nIn the USA they didnt know w
6、hat the rest of the world meant.Humor Failure to understand humor is a common occurrence.n“You are also human”nA compliment in America,but cause embarrassment in China.Chapter 1:Humor as a Pathway to Intercultural Communication CompetencenHumor goes beyond language.nLearning how to explain humor and
7、 how to ask questions about humor is important for intercultural communication.nA two-stage process is involved in sharing humor between native and non-native speakers.Stage 1:making new conversational rules.nThere are many reasons why it is hard to explain humor.n vocabularyn sayings and idiomsn ba
8、ckground knowledgen some stereotyped images Elements that may hinder our understanding of English humornVocabulary n“Quid”is the modern word for what was once called a shilling”.nfriends are called“tossers”.nIf you are fond of someone,you should tell him he is a“great tosser”-he will be touched.nSay
9、ings and idiomsnas close as an oyster 嘴很紧 npolish the apple 讨人欢心;拍马屁 nBackground knowledgen“Were not amused.”nThis celebrated remark was from Queen Victoria,who was expressing her dissatisfaction toward something meant to be humorous.Some stereotyped imagesScientists are considered nerdy and ugly.Ru
10、le for Nonnative Speakers1.Abandon the old conversational rule：2.Make the new conversational rule：3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rule：1.Abandon the old conversational rule：Admitting incomprehension（不理解）and asking questions about humor is stupid.2.Make the new conversational rul
11、e：nasking questions about humor is acceptable and it is a sign of courage rather than incompetence（无能力）nAs Confucius said,it is better to be stupid for three minutes than for an entire lifetime.3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rulenAsking questions and regulating conversations in
12、 terms of idiomatic verbal and nonverbal expressions.Cultural and personal idiomatic verbal and nonverbal expressionsnIdiomatic verbal expressionsnits way over my head!nI didnt get it.nIt left me out in the cold.nWhoa!That was too quick for me.nIdiomatic nonverbal expressionsnA“T”gesture.nRaising th
13、e palm of the hand beginning at the middle of the forehead up over the head accompanied by a jet light sound n A”T”gesturesnRaising the palm of the hand beginning at the middle of the forehead up over the head accompanied by a jet light sound Rule for Native Speakers1.Abandon the old conversational
14、rule：2.Make the new conversational rule：3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rule：1.Abandon the old conversational rule：Checking whether the partner understands humor is treating him or her as an ignorant child,which is rude and inappropriate2.Make the new conversational rule：nactive
15、ly checking incomprehension and encouraging questions assists intercultural understanding,which is a sign of maturity and honesty rather than impropriety3.Behavior necessary to implement new conversational rulenDouble check nonnative partners comprehensionnIndicate the fact that even native speakers
16、 sometimes fail to understand the humornAffirm and encourage the necessity of asking questionsStep 2:explaining humorn“Out of the ordinary”nCulture is usually imparted in a tacit way.ntacit tsit adj.心照不宣的,缄默的,默示的 nThey have a tacit understanding.q他俩心照不宣。Comparison of syllogism and enthymemenSyllogis
17、m nMajor premise(s)n minor premise(s)nConclusion nEnthymeme nnminor premise(s)npremise premis,premis,primaiz n.前提 I wonder whether the whole premise is right.我怀疑整个前提是否正确。Concepts:nsyllogism nsildizm,sil.dizm n.三段论法,演绎推理,诡辩nA syllogism involves a three-step formal reasoning process associated with fo
18、rmal logic.It consists of three premises.nenthymemenen.mi:m n.省略推理法,省略三段论法nPieces of syllogism are usually missing.They are assumed to be understood.A speaker has to rely on his or her audience to provide the missing premises to reach the conclusion.nsyllogism nScientist are usually nerdy and ugly.(
19、the major premise)nSamuel is a scientist.(the minor premise)nSamuel is quite nerdy and ugly.(the conclusion)nenthymemenMajor premise(s)missingn minor premise(s)provided(humor or text)nConclusion missingChapter 2：Converting Enthymeme into SyllogismYou might get confusednMeat market?n beef?Pork?nMeet
20、marketn a bar or nightclub where people can meet for social or romantic purposesThree steps in converting:1.Explaining the Minor Premises2.Constructing the Missing Major Premises 3.(Not)Reaching ConclusionsStep 1 Explaining the Minor PremisesnExplain the explicit messages seen in the cartoonnA coupl
21、e of scientists in a bar try to“meet”peopleStep 2 Constructing the Missing Major Premises nMissing premise(a)n the ordinary meat market behaviornMissing premise(b)n the stereotypes of scientistsn (Scientists are often portrayed as“nerdy”,meaning awkward,unfashionable,boring,and socially inept)nNonna
22、tive speakers may understand:n A scientific meat market is a bar where nerdy people try to seek romantic encounters and strike up conversations by showing off impressive scholarly or academic credential rater than physical attractiveness,social status,and wealth.Step 2 Constructing the Missing Major
23、 Premises Step 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnReached in analogous cultural contextnIf not,humorous conclusions cannot be reached.na)their bars are different from the bars in Americanb)the stereotypes of scientists are positiveStep 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnUnder such condition,native speakers shou
24、ld ask:na)where do people seek romantic encounters?(e.g.Students dancing party)nb)who is the least desired in romantic encounters?(e.g.Military intelligence officers)Step 3 Reaching Conclusion or NotnThus nReconstruct the cartoon by using the partners cultural contextn (place the military intelligen
25、ce officers at a dancing party rather than scientists in the meat market)n n locating analogous cultural contextsChapter 3：SummaryAccomplishments:nFirstly:to improve procedural competencenSecondly:to know more about our own culture,and begin to actively identify and articulate tacit cultural assumptionsnThirdly:to know more about others cultures,thus to be more humble and cautious in intercultural communication
