摘 要

林语堂是第一个将“幽默”的概念翻译成汉语的人。他一向为提倡幽默文学摇旗呐喊，被列为是中国幽默文学的先锋人物之一。然而,长期以来，人们对林语堂幽默风格的研究多限于他的中文散文名篇，对其用英文写出的散文鲜有涉及。本文从其首部在西方文坛成名的英文著作《吾国与吾民》中研究，旨在探求林语堂书中体现的幽默美学。另外，该书写得豪放瑰丽，幽默而优美、严肃而愉悦，可以称之为林语堂幽默文笔的代表。

本文分为六个部分：第一部分是对林语堂和幽默进行简要的概述，第二部分介绍幽默的诞生和众学者对林语堂幽默的研究现状；第三部分展示了林语堂通过选材，修辞和幽默内涵来具体化他的幽默美学风格；第四部分描述林语堂独特的选材、对比修辞和独有的幽默观在《吾国与吾民》中的体现；第五部分，结合实际，从林语堂的幽默美学中，感悟如何运用幽默活得闲适淡然而又不惧悲剧之感；最后是基于本文的结论。

关键词：林语堂；幽默；《吾国与吾民》

Abstract

Lin Yutang was the first Chinese who translated the word from English “humor” into “you mo” in Chinese. He endeavored to establish humorous genre in literature, and was regarded as one of the pioneers in its field. People had studied Lin’s humor style in his famous Chinese works for a long time, but they had not focused on Lin’s English work. Basing on his first famous and popular English work My Country and My people, this paper aims to analyze Lin Yutang’s humor aesthetics. The work is written proudly and humorously and with beauty, seriously and with gaiety.

There are six parts in my paper. The first part is a brief introduction to Lin Yutang and humor. The following part is introduction to the development of humor, and previous studies on Lin’s works. The third part focus on Lin’s selection of unique materials, combination of multiple rhetoric devices and connotation of humor value. In the fourth part, the ways describe how Lin achieved humor aesthetics in My Country and My people by using unique materials, contrastive rhetoric and humor value are discussed. The fifth part is the enlightenment of Lin’s humor for our modern life. Connecting with reality, the author shows the ways of people how to live leisurely and fight against tragedy with humor. And the final part is a conclusion.

Key Words: Lin Yutang; Humor; My Country and My people

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Literature Review 2

2.1. Previous Studies on Humor 2

2.2 Previous Studies on Lin’s Works 3

3 Humor Aesthetics and Lin’s works 4

3.1 Selection of Unique Materials 4

3.2 Combination of Multiple Rhetoric Devices 5

3.3 Connotation of Humor Value 6

4 Humor Aesthetics in My Country and My People 7

4.1 Publication of My Country and My people 7

4.2 Ways to Achieve Humor Aesthetics in This Work 7

4.2.1 Ordinary and common theme 7

4.2.2 Technique of comparison and contrast 8

4.2.3 Optimistic and dark humor 9

5 Enlightenment of Lin’s Humor for Our Modern Life 12

5.1 Learn to Live Leisurely 12

5.2 Fight Against Tragedy with Humor 13

6 Conclusion 15

References 16

Acknowledgement 17

Humor Aesthetics In Lin Yutang’s

My Country And My People

1 Introduction

Language as kind of human communication, promotes social development and construction of tools whose derivative humor brings more different things. Humorous language is acceptable in rhetoric theories. Language differences exist between countries, while humor can not found in different countries.

Lin’s My Country And My People is Chinese first book on the history of literature in English on Chinese culture comprehensively and systematically introduce books. Nobel Prize laureate Pearl Buck made a praise, It is truthful and not ashamed of the truth ; it is written proudly and humorously and with beauty, serious and with gaiety, appreciative and understanding of both old and new.

However, with the perspective of contemporary Chinese people to see this book, you will inevitably feel the book is full of Chinese people's prejudices and puzzles, or even think that the author is a Chinese-speaking foreigners who made a racial discrimination there. Of course, the master Lin Yu-tang didn’t make himself into the awkward situation of identity. It was his good humor words resolve this embarrassing. The primary means for Lin to achieve that purpose is to re-interpret traditional Chinese culture, both Taoist and Confucianist, along humorous lines. And it is in such cross-cultural interaction that Lin Yutang developed his philosophical notion of youmo as “tolerant irony” based on the Taoist ironical stance towards life as well as the Confucian “Spirit of Reasonableness.” It is prove that the humor aesthetic is necessary.

Lin Yutang as the first Chinese who translated the word from English “humor” into “you mo” in Chinese, he endeavored to establish humorous genre in literature, and was regarded as one of the pioneers in its field. People had studied Lin’s humor style in his famous Chinese works for a long time, but they had not focus on Lin’s English work. Basing on his first famous and popular English work My Country and My people, this paper aims to analyse Lin Yutang’s humor aesthetics.

2 Literature Review

In this chapter, I will briefly introduce the origin and development of humor and scholar’s studies on Lin’s works. I hope readers could have a fundamental understanding of humor and Lin’s works from this chapter.

2.1. Previous Studies on Humor

The word “humor” originated in the United Kingdom. Britain created the word “humor” to express relaxed and happy feeling about disposition and intelligence. It resulted from natural climate and national habits.

In fact, Humor represents distinctive emotional and cultural norms in the Western context. Some people even believe that Humor is untranslatable “ethnic disposition”. Western World had given deep research on humor from different sides, such as medicine, psychopathology, literature, philosophy and aesthetics.

In the end of 16th century, the English playwright Ben Jonson(1560) firstly used the word “humor” as literary terms in Every man in his humor. He has promoted the category of humor to the field of comedy.”(Chen, 1989)

Until the 18th century, humor was formally identified as a specific factor of aesthetic conception. Byron, Voltaire, and Madame de stael researched on the phenomenon of humor in depth. Since then, the word “humor” has become an unique category of aesthetic. The Laugh by Bergson(1899) defined the humor as a creative literary form. The Humor by Robert Escarpit(1990) in 20th century confirmed that humor as “an art of living” has its unique value to dig in depth. Moreover, the famous American humorist Robert Stern(1913) said “Using humor to guide the road of life” in Art of Humor.