The Best Medicine最佳灵药1 As I approach the hospital wearing my white coat, I look just like any other doctor. That is until I put on my curly rainbow wig, big red nose, and add my name badge “Doctor Larry Laugh-Out-Loud”. I walk through the doors into the waiting area, where there’s a familiar atmosphere of boredom and tension. People sit uncomfortably on plastic chairs, looking through old magazines, all of which have been read hundreds of times previously. Anxious parents do what they can to comfort nervous and crying children.当我穿着白大褂走进医院时，我看起来和其他医生没什么两样——直到我戴上卷曲的彩虹色假发和大红鼻子，别上我的名牌“拉里，笑哈哈医生”。我穿过一道道门进入候诊区，这里充斥着常见的厌烦和紧张情绪。人们别扭地坐在塑料椅上，翻阅着那些已经被读过数百遍的旧杂志。焦虑的父母们正尽其所能安抚紧张哭闹的孩子。2 In the middle of this particular scene I spot a small girl whose ankle is twice its normal size. I speak with the on-duty nurse, who tells me that Lara’s parents rushed her to the hospital after she fell off her bicycle. Since getting here, Lara has spent her time crying in pain. Although it’s the doctors and nurses who will treat her injury, it’s my job to make her feel better.在这个特别的场景里，我注意到一个小女孩，她的脚踝肿成了原来的两倍。我和值班护士交谈时她告诉我，劳拉从自行车上摔下来，她父母赶紧将她送到医院。自从来到这里，劳拉就因为疼痛而一直大哭。尽管为她治疗伤痛的是医生和护士，但让她的心情变好则是我的工作。3 Scientific studies show that laughter produces chemicals to make people feel better, which means clown doctors can be helpful. We are specially trained clowns who work as part of a programme known as “hospital clowning”. I chose this career because of my experience of going to hospital when I was a kid. Although the doctors and nurses did a great job, hospitals weren’t really designedfor children. I spent much of the time when I was there feeling frightened and more than little bored! Being a clown doctor means I can help people by entertaining them.科学研究表明，欢笑能产生使人心情变好的化学物质，这就意味着小丑医生能帮到患者。我们是受过专门培训的小丑，是“医院小丑”项目的成员。我之所以选择这个职业，是因为我自己小时候去医院的经历。尽管当时医生和护士都尽职尽责，但医院实在不是个适合孩子们待的地方。我在那里度过的大部分时间要么觉得害怕，要么感到非常无聊！而成为小丑医生意味着我可以通过娱乐人们的方式来帮助他们。4 Visiting hospitals and other health care facilities, we clown doctorswork together with medical professionals. On a typical day, we spend our time cheering up patients, their families, and more often than not, the hospital staff, too! We do this by doing magic tricks, singing songs, telling stories and, of course, telling silly jokes. Some


必须非常善解人意，并且与医护人员密切合作，他们会为我们
提供每个病人的最新情况tr5 And my magic medicine does indeed seem to do the 。ick. While the doctor concentrates on examining Lara’s ankle, I get her attention by doing a magic trick. Although she is clearly still in somepain, her scared and anxious look has been replaced—first by a small smile, and then by loud laughter as I “magically” produce her sock from out of my pocket. Seeing their daughter so much happier has in turn made Lara’s parents more relaxed.而我的灵药
似乎确实起作用
了。当医生集中精力检查劳拉的脚踝时，我用魔术来吸引劳拉的注意力。尽管她
显然仍然有些痛苦， 但她恐惧和焦虑的表情已经不见了：先是一个小小的微
笑，接着变成了大笑——因为我“魔术般地”从我的口袋里变出了她的一只袜
子。看到女儿破涕为笑，劳拉的父母也松了一口气t6 And as for me? Well, when I 。ake off my wig and my red nose, I’m still wearing a big smile, as I remember all the fun and laughter of the day. While there might be more hospital visits ahead for Lara and others, I hope that clown doctors help make it a friendlier place to visit. After all, it really is true that “laughter is the best medicine”.至
于我呢？当我摘下假发和红鼻子的时候，我脸上仍然带着大大的微笑，因为我
记得这天所有的乐趣和欢笑。也许将来，对于劳拉或者其他人来说，他们还有
更多到医院就诊的需要，但我希望，小丑医生能够帮助医院成为一个更温暖友善
的就诊场所。毕竟，“欢笑是最佳灵药”，这句话是真的。Page 8 Developing ideasThe Importance of Humour幽默
的重要m1 Humour has been an essential part of hu性an behaviour for thousands of years. There is comedy in the texts of Ancient Greece, and medieval writings are filled with jokes. While these same jokes might not be as funny to us now as they were then, their authors understood that humour could not only entertain but also throw new light on sensitive or emotive issues.数
年千来，幽默人一是直类行为的重要组成部分。古希腊的文字中记载
有喜剧，而中世纪的作品中也常常出现笑话。虽然那笑话些对现来在我们的说可能不像
当时那么有趣，但是它们的作者明白，幽默不仅乐大娱众，而且们可以人使对敏感问题或
有争议的问题产生新的认识s2 Closer to modern time。, someone who is remembered for his ability to combine humour with more serious messages is American writer, Mark Twain. Twain’s particular style of writing is funny and often mischievous. For example, in his classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he
children, though, don’t feel like laughing, especially if they’re in pain. We have to be very sensitive and work closely with the doctorsand nurses, who keep us updated on each patient.我们小丑医生和专业医疗人员一起工作，要走访医院和其他的医疗机构。我们一天的工作内容通常是为病人、病人家属，甚至是医院的工作人员带来欢乐！为此，我们会变魔术、唱歌、讲故事，当然还会讲一些滑稽的笑话。不过，有些孩子并不想笑，特别是在他们很疼痛的时候。所以我们


近现代，美国作家马克·吐温
因擅长用幽默的方式表肃严达的内容而著称。独温吐特的写作风格幽默风趣，而有常常带且
调侃意味。例如，在他的经典小耶《汤姆说索·历险记》中有一句名言“写作很容
易，你要做就的是误把错的单词划掉。”他日常与人交流中的同诙谐论言样出名。比如
有一，次在演国做巡回美讲时，马克·吐温走进一家理发店去理发和刮脸。理发有师没
出认他来，问场他有没这有演讲的门票，说克马吐温·有。没理发师，告诉他去果他想如
演听讲就只能站为着了，因剧院里已经没有位座。了：马·吐温克答说回“真倒霉
。只要那个家伙演讲，我总是要站 ！”3 Like Twain, but on the other着side of the world, Lin Yutang was soon to become famous for his unique brand of humour. A well-known bilingual writer, Lin brought the concept of humour to modern Chinese literature. In 1924, he creatively borrowed “youmo” from Ancient Chinese as the translation for the English word “humour”. “Youmo” is still being used in this way today.和
似克·吐温类马，在世界的另一端，林语堂很快也因其独特的幽默风格
而闻为名。作著名的双语，家作林语堂将幽默的概引念入了中国现代文1。学924年，他
造性创地古借汉语中用“的幽默”作为英文单词的humour”“翻译。今，“天默幽
”一词仍在以这种方式被人们使用e 4 Lin’s quick wit helped make him famous as a master of humour. Once,having been invit。d to dinner at a university, he was put on the spot when the president suddenly asked him to give a speech. Thinking on hisfeet, Lin started to tell a story about a cruel Roman emperor who tried tofeed a man to wild animals. First came a lion. The man whispered something in the lion’s ear, after which the lion shook its head and walked away unhappily. Then along came a tiger. Again, the man whispered in the tiger’s ear. The tiger looked shocked and hurried away. “What did you say to my animals?” said the emperor, astonished. “I told them they had to make a speech after eating me for dinner.” Lin’s audience roared with laughter. With this little joke, Lin was able to make people laugh, while gently telling off the president.林语堂
的机智使他成为著名的
幽默大师。有一次，他被邀请去一所大学吃晚饭，当校长突然让他做演讲时，他感到很为
难。林语堂急中生智，开始讲述一个残忍的把马皇帝试图罗一个人喂给野兽的故事。
先首来一了狮头人子，那对狮子耳语了几句，狮子摇了摇头，不高兴地走开了。然后
来了一只老虎，那人语又老虎耳对了几句，老虎起来很看震惊，开急忙跑了。“你对我的
动物们说了什么？” 皇帝惊讶地说诉。“道告我它们，把我作为饭晚吃掉后，它们
须必要演讲一番。”堂林语 的听众们哄堂，笑。大过这个小笑话通林语堂既让大能，哈哈大笑家
同时也委婉地表达了对校长的不满。
famously says, “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrongwords.” But he is equally well known for his witty remarks in his everyday interactions with people. For instance, while on a lecturing tourof the United States, Twain went into a barber’s shop to get a haircut and a shave. The barber, not recognising him, asked if he had a ticket to the lecture. When Twain replied that he didn’t, the barber told him that ifhe wanted to go to the event he would have to stand, as there were no se