2023年4月17日发(作者：寅山申向) PUN
所谓pun，通常是指利用一个单词的两个含义，或者利用两个特定的单词，达到“一语双
关”的目的。
双关语（pun）是英语中一种常见的修辞手法。该修辞格巧妙利用词的谐音、词的多义或
歧义等，使同一句话可同时表达不同意义，以造成语言生动活泼、幽默诙谐或嘲弄讥讽的修
辞效果，使人读来忍俊不禁、英语中双关语的构成通常需要两个基本条件，即双重情境
（double context）和多义词或同音异义词。其构成方式主要有以下四种：
1）同音异义双关（谐音双关）
指在一个语境中巧妙运用两个或多个词语的同音或谐音达到讽刺或具诙谐意味的效果。
eg1. Seven days without water makes one weak.
七天不进水，人就会虚弱。
weak和week是同音异义词。因此这句话听起来可以理解为：Seven days without water
makes one week.
eg2. You earn your living and you urn your dead.
生前劳碌奔命，死后化灰入土。
earn与urn(火化)同音异义，用在一起显得俏皮，别有趣味。
2）同词异义双关（多义词双关）
指在同一语境中运用一个词语的两种意思巧妙地达到幽默风趣的效果，使读之别有韵
味。
eg1. A: What's the longest ntence in the world?
世上最长的句子是什么？
B: Prison for life. 无期徒刑。
ntence既有“句子”的意思，也有“刑期”的含义。
eg2. Women have a wonderful n of right and wrong, but little n of right and left.
女性对善恶感觉惊人，而对左右感觉麻木。
该句借用同词异义双关讽刺女性方向感差，开车左右不分。
must all hang together, or we shall all hang -parately. 我们必须团结一致，否则将一一
被绞简谱怎么看
死。
本句运用多义双关，深刻而幽默地说明了不团结便灭亡的道理。短语动词hang together作“团
结一致”解，但hang亦可作“吊死”、“绞死”解。因此这句话也可被误解为“我们必须在一起
上吊，否则我们就会一个个地被绞死。”
3）语意歧解双关
指运用一词多义使语境产生微妙的歧义，从而达到幽默诙谐的效果。
eg1. Customer: Waiter, will the pancakes be long?
煎饼还是要等很久吗？
Waiter: No, sir. Round. 不，先生，是圆的。
顾客使用的long指的是时间的漫长，而服务员把它曲解为（形状的）“长形”，趣味由此而
生。
eg2. Customer: Have you got any chicken's legs?
你有鸡腿吗？
Waiter: No, sir, I always walk this way!
不，先生，我一直是这样走路的呀！
这个对话表现出顾客同服务员之间的误解。顾客想吃鸡腿，问服务员是否有这道菜。服
务员误解为顾客嘲笑他像用鸡腿走路的那副样子，于是反驳道：“我一直是这样走路的呀！”
eg3.A: Can you e a female? 你能会见一位女士吗？
B: Of cour, I can e a female as easily as a male. Do you suppo I'm blind?
当然可以（看得见），我看女士和看男士是一样地容易。难道你认为我是个瞎子？
第一句话中的e本意是“约见，会见”之意，而B把它歧解为“能看见（have the ability of
eing）”。
4）延伸双关
指巧妙运用某些语言现象（构词、发音等），展开联想，临场发挥，适度引申，从而达
到某种幽默风趣的效果。
eg1. A: What is the worst kind of fish? 最坏的鱼是什么鱼？ B: Selfish. 自私。
lfish（自私）单词碰巧里面含有一个fish。作者巧妙地运用这一语言现象，答非所问，
歪打正着，却意味深远，发人深思，风趣隽永。
eg2.A: Which is the longest word in English?
英语中最长的单词是哪一个？
B: Smiles, becau there is a "mile" between the first letter "S" and the last letter "s".
是Smiles，因为从第一个字母S到最后一个字母s，中间相隔一英里（mile）。
回答者把smiles（微笑）拆分成s-mile-s,趣味天成。
现在举几个有趣的英语双关例子：
1.-What is the worst weather for mice ?
-When it rains cats and dogs.
2.-Which can run faster , heat or cold ?
- Heat. Becau everyone can catch cold.
3.-Why is the bride always unlucky on her wedding ?
-Becau she can never marry the best man.
然后，再看看下面这些有趣的问答：
1. —Why is a river rich?
—Becau it has two banks.
【提醒】bank有两个意思：一是表示“银行”，二是表示“河岸”。
2. —Why does a man’s hair become grey before his mustaches?
—Becau a man’s mustaches come up after his hair.
【提醒】答语句意为：因为人们先长头发后长胡须。
3. —Why is a ship one of the most polite things 戴尔卡内基
on earth?
—Becau it always advances with a bow.
【提醒】bow有两个意思是：一是表示“鞠躬”，二是表示“船首”。
4. —Why is your no in the middle of your face?
—Becau it is a scenter.
【提醒】动词scent 意为“嗅”，其派生名词scenter 意为“嗅的东西”，而scenter刚好与 center
读音相同
5. —Why s小麦怎么种
hould fish be well educated?
—Becau they are so often found in schools.
【提醒】school 有两个意思：一是指“学校”，二是指“鱼群”。
6. —Why is the letter A like a flower?
—Becau the B is after it.
【提醒】字母B与bee读音相同。
7. —Why does the letter T look like an island?
—Becau it is in the middle of “water”.
【提醒】答句的字母意思是：因为字母T在单词water的中间。既然在“水”的中间，当然看
起来像是“岛”。
8. —Do you know why birds fly to south in the winter?
—Becau it’s too far to walk there.
【提醒】太远不能走着去，当然要飞着去。
9. —Why is a room full of married couples empty?
—Becau there is not a single man in the room.
【提醒】there is not a single man 有两个意思：一是指“没有一个单身未婚男人”，二是表示“没
有一个人”。
10. —Why did the student take a ladder to school?
—Becau he/she was going to high school!
【提醒】由于按传统思维，人们一般会将ladder（梯子）与high（高）联系在一起。
11. —Why did the man throw the butter out the window?
—He wanted to e the butterfly.
【提醒】butterfly 的意思是“蝴蝶”，但若将butterfly分开，则成了butter（黄油）和fly（飞）。
下面有一些例子：
1. He is not a grave (adj.严肃的)man until he is a grave (n.坟墓)man.
2. They pray(祈祷) for you today and prey (捕食)on you tomorrow.
3. He drove his expensive car into a tree and found out how the Mercedes bends.
他违章超速驾驶，结果将昂贵的名车撞到树上，他终于看到他的奔驰车(Mercedes)是怎样撞
弯(bends)的。这句话的幽默之处是将Mercedes Benz(奔驰车)中的Benz，故意改写成bends。
4. Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.
这句话乍一看，好象是说：时光像箭一样飞逝，水果像香蕉一样飞逝。其实这句话后半部分
的真正意思是：果蝇喜欢吃香蕉，也就是fruit flies/like/a banana。
5. A bicycle can't stand on its own becau it is two-tyred.
这句话的表面意思是：自行车自己站不起来，因为它只有两个轮胎(two-tyred)。而这句话的
另外一个意思是：这辆自行车被它的主人骑了很长时间，它现在太累了(too tired)。
wore a new hairpiece（假发） every day and was considered a big wig(大人物).
Wig原意指假发，口语中指要人，大亨
math teachers never die, they just become irrational.
老的数学老师永远不会死，他们只是失去理智了（变成无理数）。
a clock is hungry it goes back four conds.
这句话的表面意思是： 当时钟饿了就会往回走四秒钟. 但其实后半句是与短语"go back for
conds"谐音, "go back for cond's"的意思是"再要点吃的(go back for cond rving of
food)".
't trust people that do acupuncture(n.针刺疗法), they're back stabbers.
Backstabber n.阴谋暗算他人者，暗箭伤人者，背后中伤者，放暗箭者
而stabber意思是 n.刺(或戳)的人。
10.I wanted to lo weight so I went to the paint store. I heard I could get thinner there.
get thinner ,变得更瘦；但是thinner还有意思是稀释剂，冲稀剂，稀料 。
11.I wondered why the baball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
Wonder 想知道；惊奇
12.I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.
put down 写下来，记下来；（飞机等）降落。
我在读一本反重力的书，降落（写东西）是不可能的。
you hear about the guy who whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
Whole健康的，健全的；完整的
's not that the man did not know how to juggle, he just didn't have the balls to do it.
Juggle 变戏法，杂耍；have the balls to do ，ball的意思''球'和‘胆量’的意思。
15.I couldn't quite remember how to throw a boomerang, but eventually it came back to me.
boomerang n.1.(澳大利亚等地土著用作武器的)回飞镖，飞去来器2.自食其果的言行
(或计谋等)
was a sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center that said 'Keep off the Grass'.
drug rehab center 戒毒中心；grass “草地”的意思，但是俚语中是“大麻”的意思。
17.I was going to look for my missing watch, but I could never find the time.
后半句的意思 “但是我没有时间/但是我还没找到。”
18.I ud to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.
Hurdle n.跨栏赛跑；障碍赛跑;get over 克服(困难)的意思，但是直译就是成功跨过。
m is a non-prophet organization.
无神论是一个非先知的组织。Prophet意思是先知，预言者。没有先知/不需预言
20.I did a theatrical performance about puns. Really it was just a play on words.
theatrical剧场的；戏剧性的 play戏剧，表演；游戏
21.A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
nudist裸体主义者；天体营的墙壁上出现一个洞，警上海高考总分
察正调查此事（look into 还有往里看的
意思）
new weed whacker is cutting-hedge technology.
weed whacker除草机
cutting-hedge1.最前沿(用于商业、科技开发及类似领唐山卫校
域)，尖端，最前列，前峰(科学、艺术、
运动等的前沿)2.【工程设计】切削刃，刃口
an ark to save two of every animal? I noah guy who has the ticket..校园小品剧本
noah (诺亚)和know a 同音
were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Rest ：休息/其余的人
write with a broken pencil is pointless.
Pointless无意义的/不得分的
27-what lawyers do when they die?
-Lie still.
-律师们死后做什么？
-静静地躺着/仍然在说谎
