一個有幽默感的人，無論走到哪里，在何種境遇之下，都能讓尷尬局面變得輕松，讓緊張的氣氛得以緩和。在面對疾病、死亡等嚴(yán)肅事件時，他們也能幽上一默，用獨特的gallows humor笑對一切。

Gallows humor is humor in the face of or about very unpleasant, serious, or painful circumstances. Any humor that treats serious matters, such as death, war, disease, crime, etc., in a light, silly or satirical fashion is considered gallows humor. Gallows humor has been described as a witticism in the face of – and in response to – a hopeless situation. It arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations, often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending and unavoidable.

Gallows humor（絞刑架幽默）指在面臨極度不適、嚴(yán)肅或痛苦的情勢時表現(xiàn)出來的幽默。用有點輕快的、帶點傻氣的或者諷刺意味的幽默來對待死亡、戰(zhàn)爭、疾病及犯罪等嚴(yán)肅事物的幽默都可以被稱為“絞刑架幽默”。這種幽默被視為面臨無望境地時表現(xiàn)出的詼諧，多產(chǎn)生于極端壓力、痛苦或生命遇到威脅的情境，多數(shù)情況下死亡就近在眼前或者不可避免。

Gallows humor is typically made by or about the victim of such a situation, but not the perpetrator of it.

絞刑架幽默的創(chuàng)作者或中心人物一般是上述情境下的受害者，而非施害者。

For example:

At his public execution, the murderer William Palmer is said to have looked at the trapdoor on the gallows and asked the hangman, "Are you sure it's safe?"

殺人犯威廉?帕默爾被公開執(zhí)刑時，據(jù)說他看了看絞刑架上的活動門，然后問施刑者：“你確定那門安全嗎？”

There was once a convicted murderer by the name of James French. He was sentenced to death by electric chair. It is said that his final words were “How’s this for headline? French Fries”.

有個名叫James French的殺人犯被判有罪，判處電椅死刑。據(jù)說，他的臨終遺言是這么說的：“用French Fries做頭條標(biāo)題怎么樣？”

相關(guān)閱讀

圈內(nèi)人才懂的幽默 in-joke

英語點津2013年度十大英語新詞

做決定時不要越過“愚蠢線”

（中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen）

點擊查看更多英語習(xí)語和新詞