Pun 双关

Definition:
The pun, also called paronomasia [,pærənəu'meiʒə] , is a form
of word play which suggests two or more meanings,
by exploiting multiple meanings of words,
or of similar-sounding words, for an intended
humorous or rhetorical [ri'tɔrikəl, -'tɔ:-] effect.

双关指的是借助语言文字上的 同音异义或同形异义现象使一个词语
或句子具有两种不同的意思。在英语中，同音异义或同形异义词是
构成双关的最简便的方法，在语义上，它是一种模棱两可，显而易
见的词汇歧义。使用多义词，以便在话语中暗示该词有两种或多种
词义；或使用同音异义词来创造使用者所需要的效果。
双关有如下三种表现形式：
 Homophonic [,hɔməu'fɔnik] puns 谐音双关
.The homophonic pun, a common type, utilizes the exploitation
[,eksplɔi'teiʃən] of word pairs which sound alike (homophones) but
are not synonymous.

A homophonic pun exploits words which are spelled the same

(homographs) but possess different meanings and sounds.
Because of their nature, they rely on sight more than hearing,
contrary to homophonic puns. They are also known as
heteronymic puns.
谐音双关指的是借助话语在 发音上的完全相同或相似而构成的双关。这
种双关在英语中首先巧妙的运用同音异形异义词，紧扣双重语境，诗人
产生由表及里的联想，增添不同的感情色彩，能收到语言新鲜活泼、诙
谐有趣、滑稽幽默、生动形象的修辞效果。
例句：
1.On Sunday they pray for you and on
Monday prey on you.
星期天他们为你祈祷，星期一他们却向
你榨取。
2.Seven days without water makes
one weak (week) .
七天不喝水，虚的拉不动腿。
 Homographic [,hɔməu'ɡræfik] puns 词义双关
. Homonymic puns, another common type, arise from the
exploitation of words which are both homographs and
homophones.
A homonymic pun may also be polysemic, in which the words
must be homonymic and also possess related meanings, a
condition which is often subjective. However, lexicographers
define polysemes as listed under a single dictionary lemma (a
unique numbered meaning) while homonyms are treated in
separate lemmata.
语义双关是利用同形异义词 (homonyms) 或者利用一词多义
（ polysemy ) 的特点，紧扣双重语境，表达两层意思，造成诙谐
的效果。语义双关的先决条件是一词多义。它有两种情况：一是某
词只出现一次，其字面意义与内涵不同；二是某词出现多次，因意
境的不同而词义不同。英语的幽默也常常靠双关这种语音手段来实
现。它的表现形式有两种，一种是同形异义词 homonyms ；一种是
一词多义polysemy .
Homonyms ['hɔmənims] ：
Why is an empty purse always the same?
Because there is never any change in it.
钱包为什么老是瘪的？
因为它里面从来就没有零钱。
Polysemy [,pɔli'si:mi, pə'lisəmi, 'pɔlisi:mi]

We eat what we can and what we can’t we

can .
我们能吃的就吃，不能吃的就做成罐头。
 Asteismus
岐解双关（ asteismus) 即后者在回答前者的
话时有意（无意）地曲解原意，造成不同理解，
进而形成岐解双关。
1.A professor tapped on his desk and
shouted: “Gentlemen , order !”
The entire class yelled “Beer!”
一位教授敲着桌子喊道：“先生们，安静！”
全班同学异口同声地喊“啤酒”。
双关语的语义范围
双关语为世界各国人民所喜爱和使用。在汉语中，双关语的例证
比比皆是。
双关语既可用于故事、笑话、谜语、儿歌等，又可以用于正式场
合，表达严肃的思想和深邃的感情。
（一）广告
Give your hair a touch of Spring.
给你的头发洒满春色 ,让你的头发富有弹性。
（二）笑话
What’s the difference between a soldier and a young girl?
One powders the face ,the other faces the powder.
一个士兵和一个年轻姑娘的区别是什么？
一个往脸上抹粉，一个面对火药。
（三）谜语
1.What is black and white and red all over.
这则谜语的谜底是 newspaper .black 和white
是表示颜色，而谜语中的 red (read) 则是read
的过去分词，与红颜色（ red) 发音相同。巧妙
的同音而不同义，构成了谜语。
2.What is that which, though black itself,
enlightens the world?
谜底是： ink.
Enlighten 字面的意思 是：“照亮”，其内涵
是“给人以智慧或启迪”。墨水（ ink) 自身乌
黑但它却照亮了世界。
3. What weather does mice most dislike?

--When it is raining cats and dogs.

"Cats and dogs" 是倾盆大雨的意思。

Exercises
1. Then there was a man in the restaurant.
“You’re not eating your fish,” the waitress said to him
“Any thing wrong with it?”
“Long time no sea . (see)” the man replied.
这时，饭馆里坐着一位男士。
女招待对他说：“怎么啦？为什么不来一份鱼？”
“ 鱼不新鲜，”那个人说道。
谐音双关

2.Why are lawyers all uneasy sleepers? Because they lie

first on one side, and then on the other, and remain wide
awake all the time.
为什么 律师都 很难入睡？因为他们首先在这一边撒谎，然后又
在另一边撒谎，并且未免出错，还要一直保持高度的清醒。

语义双关
3.A little boy came up to his mother. “Ma,” he
said, “I have some to tell you. My teacher
kissed me.”
“Well, were you a good boy and did you kiss
her back ?” “Of course not!” he denied
indignantly, “I kissed her face.”
小男孩来到身边，说：“妈，跟你说件事，老师吻
了我。”
“ 那好啊，乖孩子，你也吻她了吗？”
“ 当然没有！”他气气冲冲地否认道，“我吻她脸
了。”

歧解双关