Chapter 19 Chapter 9: On Humor

Westerners, of course, have no doubts about the word humor, and everyone accepts it.But for Chinese readers, it is inconceivable that an editor of a newspaper or magazine would set aside a page to write about the relaxing aspects of life.It is equally inconceivable that a senior Chinese official would say a humorous remark at a press conference.Former US President Kennedy, when a reporter asked him why he chose his younger brother as the chief prosecutor, he used his quick wit to reply that after becoming the chief prosecutor, he would be more experienced as a lawyer. The "New York Times" hosted by Russell Baker is well-known, and Baker's column is welcomed by thousands of readers.He has insight, conscience, and wit, and dares to say things that ordinary editorials dare not say in a funny and humorous manner.American writer Mark Twain's humor is completely inseparable from the simplicity and nature of ordinary people.Once, when he arrived in London to attend an important meeting, he formally apologized for being late, saying that the reason was that he had to rent a tuxedo without a tail, so as to fit the style of the upper class in cultural relics, but this kind of dress was not It has been taken up by all the civilized gentlemen who attended the banquet.At that time, Mark Twain went to the banquet and deliberately did something against the etiquette. He made a joke and said, "I've already eaten it." Other gentlemen pretended that they hadn't eaten it yet.

We usually exaggerate, talk about doing benevolence and righteousness decisively, and doing this and that, in fact, we should be down-to-earth, return to the truth, and be practical to be effective. There is a lot of confusion between the word "humor" and the old Chinese word "funny".The word funny includes low-grade jokes, which simply mean that one deliberately tries to amuse.I would like to make the word humor refer to "equal and humorous", and its intention lies in "compassion and compassion".When I was making a lot of money in Shanghai, one of the printing shareholders thought that the magazine should belong to him.I said, "Well, it's up to you." My friend took it.The magazine soon degraded to the character of a farce, and then died out.I later published "Human World" and "Cosmic Wind", which also featured leisurely essays—it continued for a period of time until the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, and even after the Japanese occupation of Shanghai.

I've written about humor in a publication I started.Entitled "On Humor," I myself find it a satisfactory essay, based on George Meredith's "On Comedy." Although modern prose has broken the shackles of the past, which advocated the use of writing to convey the truth, that rigid righteousness still has a dominant force over Chinese essayists.Su Dongpo held a tolerant view, while Cheng Yichuan held an arbitrary and rigid view.In the Song Dynasty, after the courtiers held a solemn funeral for Sima Guang, all courtiers should go to another festival ceremony.The Neo-Confucianist quoted Confucius' saying, "A son cries every day, but he doesn't sing."This caused Su Dongpo's fierce criticism of Neo Confucianists.We have many examples of such unreasonable things.There was a Neo Confucianist who did not visit his sick son, but his nephew, in order to conform to the "rituals of Confucius and Mencius", because it was more in line with the ancient etiquette to visit his nephew than his own son.

The first fortnightly magazine in China that advocated humor, which I founded, has easily become the most popular publication among college students.Luo Jialun, the principal of Central University, said to me: "If I have something to announce on the bulletin board, I just need to post it on yours." I invented the word "humor". I'm known as a "master of humor".And this name has been used ever since.But it's not because I'm a top-notch humorist, but because I'm the first important person to call everyone's attention to humor in our country where hypocrisy is abundant and humor is extremely scarce.Now the word "humor" has become popular, and the new saying "humor" means to say a sarcasm to someone or make a joke to him.

Once, I attended a graduation ceremony at a school in Taipei. Before I could speak, there were many long speeches.It was half past eleven when it was my turn to speak.I stood up and said: "A gentleman's speech should be like a woman's skirt, the shorter the better." Everyone was taken aback for a while, and then burst out laughing.It came out in the papers and became one of my first class jokes, actually blurted out on a whim. In addition, the joke I said has spread all over the world. It is: "The ideal life of Datong in the world is to live in the countryside of England, with American water, electricity, gas and other pipes installed in the house, a Chinese cook, a Japanese wife, and A French mistress."

I said this at a rally in Brazil. A joke I read in Reader's Digest is: "The change of women's clothing styles is nothing more than between their two wishes: one is a verbal desire to wear clothes; the other is a verbal desire to wear clothes; A stated desire - to undress in front of men or in front of oneself."