話說英語的雙關(guān)（ENGLISH PUN）
雙關(guān)語（pun）英語中一種常見的修辭手法.該修辭格巧妙利用詞的諧音、詞的多義或歧義等,使同一句話可同時(shí)表達(dá)不同意義,以造成語言生動(dòng)活潑、幽默詼諧或嘲弄譏諷的修辭效果,使人讀來忍俊不禁、英語中雙關(guān)語的構(gòu)成通常需要兩個(gè)基本條件,即雙重情境（double context）和多義詞或同音異義詞.其構(gòu)成方式主要有以下四種：
1）同音異義雙關(guān)（諧音雙關(guān)）
指在一個(gè)語境中巧妙運(yùn)用兩個(gè)或多個(gè)詞語的同音或諧音達(dá)到諷刺或具詼諧意味的效果.
eg1. Seven days without water makes one weak.
七天不進(jìn)水,人就會(huì)虛弱.
weak和week是同音異義詞.因此這句話聽起來可以理解為：Seven days without water makes one week.
eg2. You earn your living and you urn your dead.
生前勞碌奔命,死后化灰入土.
earn與urn(火化)同音異義,用在一起顯得俏皮,別有趣味.
2）同詞異義雙關(guān)（多義詞雙關(guān)）
指在同一語境中運(yùn)用一個(gè)詞語的兩種意思巧妙地達(dá)到幽默風(fēng)趣的效果,使讀之別有韻味.
eg1. A: What's the longest sentence in the world?
世上最長(zhǎng)的句子是什么?
B: Prison for life. 無期徒刑.
sentence既有“句子”的意思,也有“刑期”的含義.
eg2. Women have a wonderful sense of right and wrong, but little sense of right and left.
女性對(duì)善惡感覺驚人,而對(duì)左右感覺麻木.
該句借用同詞異義雙關(guān)諷刺女性方向感差,開車左右不分.
eg3.We must all hang together, or we shall all hang se-parately. 我們必須團(tuán)結(jié)一致,否則將一一被絞死.
本句運(yùn)用多義雙關(guān),深刻而幽默地說明了不團(tuán)結(jié)便滅亡的道理.短語動(dòng)詞hang together作“團(tuán)結(jié)一致”解,但hang亦可作“吊死”、“絞死”解.因此這句話也可被誤解為“我們必須在一起上吊,否則我們就會(huì)一個(gè)個(gè)地被絞死.”
3）語意歧解雙關(guān)
指運(yùn)用一詞多義使語境產(chǎn)生微妙的歧義,從而達(dá)到幽默詼諧的效果.
eg1. Customer: Waiter, will the pancakes be long?
煎餅還是要等很久嗎?
Waiter: No, sir. Round. 不,先生,是圓的.
顧客使用的long指的是時(shí)間的漫長(zhǎng),而服務(wù)員把它曲解為（形狀的）“長(zhǎng)形”,趣味由此而生.
eg2. Customer: Have you got any chicken's legs?
你有雞腿嗎?
Waiter: No, sir, I always walk this way!
不,先生,我一直是這樣走路的呀!
這個(gè)對(duì)話表現(xiàn)出顧客同服務(wù)員之間的誤解.顧客想吃雞腿,問服務(wù)員是否有這道菜.服務(wù)員誤解為顧客嘲笑他像用雞腿走路的那副樣子,于是反駁道：“我一直是這樣走路的呀!”
eg3.A: Can you see a female? 你能會(huì)見一位女士嗎?
B: Of course, I can see a female as easily as a male. Do you suppose I'm blind?
當(dāng)然可以（看得見）,我看女士和看男士是一樣地容易.難道你認(rèn)為我是個(gè)瞎子?
第一句話中的see本意是“約見,會(huì)見”之意,而B把它歧解為“能看見（have the ability of seeing）”.
4）延伸雙關(guān)
指巧妙運(yùn)用某些語言現(xiàn)象（構(gòu)詞、發(fā)音等）,展開聯(lián)想,臨場(chǎng)發(fā)揮,適度引申,從而達(dá)到某種幽默風(fēng)趣的效果.
eg1. A: What is the worst kind of fish? 最壞的魚是什么魚? B: Selfish. 自私.
selfish（自私）單詞碰巧里面含有一個(gè)fish.作者巧妙地運(yùn)用這一語言現(xiàn)象,答非所問,歪打正著,卻意味深遠(yuǎn),發(fā)人深思,風(fēng)趣雋永.
eg2.A: Which is the longest word in English?
英語中最長(zhǎng)的單詞是哪一個(gè)?
B: Smiles, because there is a "mile" between the first letter "S" and the last letter "s".
是Smiles,因?yàn)閺牡谝粋€(gè)字母S到最后一個(gè)字母s,中間相隔一英里（mile）.
回答者把smiles（微笑）拆分成s-mile-s,趣味天成.

現(xiàn)在舉幾個(gè)有趣的英語雙關(guān)例子：
What is the worst weather for mice ?
When it rains cats and dogs.
Which can run faster , heat or cold ?
Heat. Because everyone can catch cold.
Why is the bride always unlucky on her wedding ?
Because she can never marry the best man.
然后,再看看下面這些有趣的問答：
1. —Why is a river rich?
—Because it has two banks.
【提醒】bank有兩個(gè)意思：一是表示“銀行”,二是表示“河岸”.
2. —Why does a man’s hair become grey before his moustaches?
—Because a man’s moustaches come up after his hair.
【提醒】答語句意為：因?yàn)槿藗兿乳L(zhǎng)頭發(fā)后長(zhǎng)胡須.
3. —Why is a ship one of the most polite things on earth?
—Because it always advances with a bow.
【提醒】bow有兩個(gè)意思是：一是表示“鞠躬”,二是表示“船首”.
4. —Why is your nose in the middle of your face?
—Because it is a scenter.
【提醒】動(dòng)詞scent 意為“嗅”,其派生名詞scenter 意為“嗅的東西”,而scenter剛好與 center讀音相同
5. —Why should fish be well educated?
—Because they are so often found in schools.
【提醒】school 有兩個(gè)意思：一是指“學(xué)?！?二是指“魚群”.
6. —Why is the letter A like a flower?
—Because the B is after it.
【提醒】字母B與bee讀音相同.
7. —Why does the letter T look like an island?
—Because it is in the middle of “water”.
【提醒】答句的字母意思是：因?yàn)樽帜窽在單詞water的中間.既然在“水”的中間,當(dāng)然看起來像是“島”.
8. —Do you know why birds fly to south in the winter?
—Because it’s too far to walk there.
【提醒】太遠(yuǎn)不能走著去,當(dāng)然要飛著去.
9. —Why is a room full of married couples empty?
—Because there is not a single man in the room.
【提醒】there is not a single man 有兩個(gè)意思：一是指“沒有一個(gè)單身未婚男人”,二是表示“沒有一個(gè)人”.
10. —Why did the student take a ladder to school?
—Because he/she was going to high school!
【提醒】由于按傳統(tǒng)思維,人們一般會(huì)將ladder（梯子）與high（高）聯(lián)系在一起.
11. —Why did the man throw the butter out the window?
—He wanted to see the butterfly.
【提醒】butterfly 的意思是“蝴蝶”,但若將butterfly分開,則成了butter（黃油）和fly（飛）.

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以下是何毓琦教授列出的一些有助于理解西方文化的pun,我基本上都不明白,看來還要好好學(xué)習(xí),天天向上.
1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
15. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
16. A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
17. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
18. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
19. A backward poet writes inverse.
20. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
21. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!