一、升格——是宣泄积郁的另一种重要手段，言语形象的新颖化，言语活动的技巧化。催生幽默的修辞活动，必然表现为一定的技巧性和新颖性，而升格型幽默对技巧性和新颖性的要求格外突出。

　　低级动物升格到高级动物，就会叫人忍俊不禁。例如：Mother rat , as well as his children ,isplaying game. Suddenly a big spotted cat comes near , so theratsflee for lives hurriedly. The little rats are too young torunquickly to be caught by the cat in no time. Just at that momentthemother rat stops to turn round to howl （狼、狗的嚎叫，怒号）at thecatregardless of personal safety: Bark, bark .Sounds likeacur（恶狗，坏种）. The spotted cat gets muddled（使混乱）, taking tothewilds(落荒而逃).Mother rat summons together the children seizedwithterror, saying in sincere words and earnest wishes（语重心长）: Youseehow important it is to master a second language!

　　译文：老鼠妈妈正带着孩子们玩耍，突然过来一只大花猫，老鼠们于是赶紧逃命。小老鼠们跑不快，眼看就要被猫逮住。这时，老鼠妈妈停了下来，转过脸奋不顾身地向猫咆哮：“汪，汪。”听起来有如一只恶狗。花猫懵了，落荒而逃。老鼠妈妈召集起惊魂未定的孩子，语重心长地说：“看，学一门外语多重要！”迷你小贴士——词义辨析summons：正式，带有权威性的召集。beckon：招手示意。Call：常用词。例二：Twosardineswere living in New York harbor. One day the big sardinesuggested: “Let’s go downtown for the weekend.” The small onesaid: “ That willbe such a long swim.” “ How about taking the citybus?” The smallone complained: “I would rather (接不带to的不定式) hatebeing so packedthere likeatease.”译文：纽约港里生活着两条沙丁鱼，大鱼对小鱼说：“咱们到市中心度周末吧。”小鱼说；“那得游多远的路呀？”“咱们可以坐公共汽车吗。”小鱼说：“我才不愿像人那样挤在里面连气都出不来呢。例三：MissPandamakes a suit(求婚，恳求) on the computer , requesting the otherparty:Lives in the Southern Hemisphere, and prefers to weartheswallow-tailed coat with white underclothes(衬衣), with the mannerofconductor. As a result Mr Penguin(企鹅) appears. At the momentofwedding ceremony, Miss Panda says: “Let’s have a color couplephototaken to mark the occasion. Sir Penguin says: Itseemsindifferent to us. However hard we try, it will beablack-and-white photograph.

　　译文：熊猫小姐在电脑上征婚，要求对方：生活在南半球的先生，喜穿燕尾服，白衬衣，有指挥家风度。结果，她找到了企鹅。结婚之际，熊猫小姐说：“咱们来张彩照合影吧。”企鹅先生说：“无所谓，别管怎么照，洗出来都是黑白照片。”升格型幽默表现为顶真（上一句的句末作下一句的开头，蝉联向前）、惯口（即口若悬河，滔滔不绝。对方只有听的份儿，没有思考的空挡，只得报以掌声）、绕口令、小辙儿（由北京话的儿化音构成）等，人们常常称之为文字游戏。它们是曲艺说唱者的必修课，而现代修饰学家多认为土气低俗，不屑评议。当然，即便是绕口令似的的幽默，也不乏精品存在。例如：Fathertaughthis toddler (学步的孩子) son at the age of one and a half years:Daddyis baby’s daddy; baby is daddy’s baby. The sonprattled（唠叨，喁喁儿语）:Daddy is baby’s baby ; baby is daddy’s daddy.A week later, the sonbabbled (咿呀学语,胡言乱语): Daddy is daddy’s daddy; baby is baby’s baby.

　　译文：爸爸对的一岁半的学步的儿子说：“爸爸是宝宝的爸爸，宝宝是爸爸的宝宝。”儿子学道：“爸爸是宝宝的宝宝，宝宝是爸爸的爸爸。”一周后，儿子喁喁念叨：“爸爸是爸爸的爸爸，宝宝是宝宝的宝宝。”（接下页）

　　二、降格——人为地降低所要表述的事物的精神层次，变崇高为鄙俗，变庄严为油滑，抹杀其尊严，从而达到宣泄自我内心被压抑的情绪。

　　例一：

　　A professor of the medical faculty asked a student majoringinnursing: What are advantages about feeding on mother’smilk?Thatstudent answered: Both constant temperature and easy tocarryabout.

　　译文：医学院的教授问一护士专业的学生：“母乳喂养有什么好处？”那个学生答：“恒温，携带方便。”

　　迷你小贴士——词汇辨析

　　faculty：大学里的院系，全体教师。gown：大学全体师生。集合名词。staff：全体职工，全体员工。Thecompanystaff（公司全体员工）stuff：原料，材料，题材。What the stuff is this jacketmadeof?（这茄克是什么料子做的？））

　　例二：

　　Mrs. Grant ardently (热情，强烈) loved keeping a dog. She led thedogwherever she went. One day she and her husband went to a theater,taking the pet along of course. The inspector told her that anypetwouldn t be allowed in. It was hard for her. She looked atthedog, then her husband; she looked at her husband again, thenthepet. At long last she said to her husband craftily（狡黠地）: Ihaveto put you to great inconvenience to stay outside.

　　译文：格兰特太太酷爱养狗，她走到哪就把她的狗带到哪。一天她和丈夫去看戏，当然也没忘了她的狗宝贝。到了检票口，检票员告诉她不准带宠物入内。这可难住了这位太太，她看了看狗，看了看丈夫，又看了看丈夫，看了看狗，最后狡黠地对丈夫说：“只好委屈你呆在外边了。”

　　例三：

　　Someone brought back a basketful of papayas from homeandpresented it to his superior who liked papayas. Hissuperiorpretended to decline: “ Since you spent money for me, Ireally feelapologetic(表示歉意的).”That man had a slip of the tongue（说走了嘴） out ofdelight: These things are cheap enough to be used toraise the pigat my hometown.

　　译文：有人从老家带回一篮木瓜，送给他喜欢木瓜的上司。上司假装推辞：“还让你破费，真过意不去。”那人一高兴，竟说走了嘴：“这东西很便宜，在老家都用它喂猪。”

　　例四：

　　During a rush hours of going off work on a rainy day, agirlstudent of high school squashed in a city bus, with a box ofmilkin her hand. Then packed into a crowd of people soon.Passengersfelt more congested（拥挤） inside. Suddenly, that girlstudentshrieked: Do not push, my milk was extruded !

　　译文：一个阴雨天的下班高峰期，一女中学生手拿一盒牛奶上了公共汽车，很快又上来许多人，车内骤然拥挤起来。忽听那女中学生说：“别挤了，奶都挤出来了！”

　　迷你小贴士——词义辨析

　　squash：将某人（物）向某方向挤，挤进去。extrude：挤压出，使喷出，从管子里压出。

　　降格的手法有比喻、比拟、较物、夸张、借代等。

　　1． 比喻，指不同事物之间的比较、比方。

　　例一：

　　When phoenix （凤凰） spent his birthday, the bat did notattend,saying: I have four legs, so I belong to a beast. I shouldnotattend. When Kylin spent his birthday, the bat did notattendeither , saying: I have the wing,so I belong to a bird. Aday thePhoenix had a conversation(注意词形conservation ：资源保护区) with thekylinabout this matter, then both were filled withcentereousindignation（义愤填膺）: How can be this kind of thing neitherbird norbeast existing in the world .

　　译文：凤凰过生日时，蝙蝠不去，它说：“我有四条腿，属于走兽，不该去。”麒麟过生日时，蝙蝠也不去，它说：“我有翅膀，宜算飞禽。”一天，凤凰和麒麟谈起这事，无不义愤填膺：“世界上竟还有这么个不禽不兽的东西。”

　　例二：

　　A newly arrived Greek sailor wondered why the ships markedVictoria or Elizabeth . He askedtheoldtimer（老前辈，老资格的人；predecessor: z前辈，前任） captain：“Why are theshipsfrequently named after female name？”The old captain said withasmile: Youngster, Presuming （Presuming，Assuming,Granted,Given后接名词或从句，构成条件假设句型）you know how astonishing theirmaintenanceexpenses are , you wont ask such an immature（幼稚的）question.

　　译文：一个新来的希腊水手见船舶的名字要么是“维多利亚”号，要么是“伊丽莎白”号。他很纳闷，去问船长：“为什么船舶往往以女性的名字来命名？”老船长笑着说：“年轻人，你要知道她们的维修费用是多么惊人，你就不会问这幼稚的问题了。”

　　例三：

　　The Spring Festival approaching near(独立结构), an old man hadboughta sheet of Taoist priest instead of door-gods. His wife putblameon him: All door-gods are armed with the sword and the ax,sothose ghosts and monsters (妖魔鬼怪) fear them . However, thepicturesyou stuck look honest and considerate, can it work? Theold mansaid with a severe countenance: Do not speak so. Nowadaysthosewho look honest and considerate play tricks moremaliciously(恶毒，蓄意).

　　译文：快过年了，老汉买门神却买了张道士。妻子见了就埋怨：“门神都是掂刀举斧的，这样小鬼见了才怕。你贴的相貌忠厚，能管用吗？”老汉正色道：“可别这么讲。如今这世道，那些看似忠厚的人，下起手来更狠更毒。”(接下页)

　　2

　　2．比拟，把人拟成低档的物，或把物拟成高贵的人。

　　例如： Going Well With Each Other （般配）The wife is flustered（使慌张）andexasperated（惹恼，触怒）, snarling（咆哮，厉声叫喊） to his husband: “It willbeeven better to get married to dog than to you! Attention!Theclose relatives are banned （明令禁止） to get married. Thehusbandstill does not feel it vents（孔，发泄） his hatred enough,adding: Youare really too stubborn and seem not far from theKiang（野驴）.Seeing her turn comes, the wife has a swift responsebyvindictive(报复的，恶意的，惩罚性的) estimation: Just onestep.妻子气急败坏，冲着丈夫咆哮：“嫁给狗也比嫁给你强！”“注意！近亲不能结婚。”丈夫似乎还不解恨，又加一句：“你就是太犟，好象离野驴不远了。”一见机会来了，妻子目测了一下距离，打了个短评快：“一步之遥。”再如：王安忆在《命运交响曲》里写到：“会议室里没有一个人是我面熟的，我只能呆呆地站在那里等人认领。”

　　3．夸张就是夸大与张扬，就是言过其实。夸张未必幽默，只有夸张与精细连手才令人感到可乐。

　　例一：An American of Great Salt says: The water inouryonder(那边，在远处) is gaddamned(=very) salty. If aturnip(萝卜。Carrot：胡萝卜)drops down, it will become a pickle (腌菜，泡菜，逆境)tillpicked up.The Canadian Eskimo(爱斯基摩人) saysdisapprovingly(不以为然): Itis extraordinary cold in our place——Thereindeer will be frozen inmid-air and can’t drop down if it jumpsup; two persons cant hearone another at all when they are talking.After entering the snowhouse to warm the voice up, they can knowtheconversationalcontents.译文：美国大盐湖的人说：“我们那里的水特别咸，一个萝卜掉下去，拣起来就已是咸菜了。”加拿大的爱斯基摩人不以为然地说：“我们那里特别冷，驯鹿向上一腾跳，就冻在空中掉不下来了；两个人在我们说话根本就听不见，等回到雪屋暖和一下，才能知道说话的内容。”例二：Aladyconsulted great Spanish educator Slain: When should my childbeeducated? Slain asked: How old is your child now? The ladysaid:Just seven days. Slain exclaimed: Oh dear, lady. You havealreadysat on your hands (什么都不干) for aweek.译文：一个女士去请教西班牙大教育家西兰：“我的孩子该从什么时候接受教育好呢？”西兰问：“你的孩子现在多大了？”女士说：“才7天。”西兰叫起来：“哎呀，太太。你已经白白浪费他一周的时光了。”例三：Waltwasconsistently economical (economical: 节约的；economic：经济的，经济学的). Hesaidto Larry : I have used the fan for 20 years . How did youuse?Walt said: I divided it into 4 portions --one portionlasted 5years.. Frugal, Larry took exception to it and said: I haveused my fan for as long as my life so far. Walt inquired atonce: Please tell how. Larry said: I only opened my fan when Ifelthot. I just shook my head before the fan, but the fan didn tmoveat all. Walt listened to his pronouncements（见解，声明） as thoughtheywere divine oracles （圣言，神谕）.译文：一向节俭的瓦尔特说：“我这把扇子已经用里20年了。”拉里问：“你怎么用的？”瓦尔特说：“我把它分成4份，每一份用了5年。”“会过”，拉里又不以为然地说：“我这把扇子都用了一辈子了。”瓦尔特忙问：“愿听高明。”拉里说：“热时我把扇子打开，扇子不动，头对着扇子摆来摆去。”瓦尔特听了如醍醐灌顶。

　　4．借代立足于相关，借喻立足于相似。如把鲜活的人装入僵硬的物的外客之中，易于造成谐趣的效果。

　　例如：The teacher arranges to write an article concerningweekend,but Shigemitsu cannot write it up. His classmate Shiratorisays:It will

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