laughter

[jasonlulu_2000]

"Laughter isnothing else but sudden glory arising from sudden thought of feeling far better than others. "

"Laughter is only a way to laugh at others to make oneself feel better."

Do the two sentences mean the same?

Thanks!

Jason

 

[Rover_KE]

What is the source of those bizarre sentences?

 

[MikeNewYork]

The sentences make one want to forgo laughter altogether.

 

[emsr2d2]

Those sentences are certainly no laughing matter if they came from any sort of English teaching book?

 

[jasonlulu_2000]

[FONT=微软雅黑]Those sentences come from an exercise book:

A culture’s values can be mirrored by its humor. Humor has been evaluated by many great minds such as Thomas Hobbes, who, in “On Nature”, disliked humor, “Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from sudden thought of feeling far better than others.” He thought humor to be a negative quality of human narrow-mindedness. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]However, Mordechai Gordon, Ph. D of Education, insists, “Humor allows us to view the world from an angle that is amusing rather than serious.” I agree with Gordon. Learning to look at the world through humor is important.
[/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]In the United States, every four years an election occurs. Without humor as a way to express their feelings, how else would Americans keep from clawing their eyes out and going the way of lemming? Television shows like “The Daily Show” have become important parts of American culture. They are mothering the masses by metaphorically airplane-ing politics into our mouths. They make politics fun. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]Of course, politics is only one type of humor. Social humor helps people through the twists and turns of the human condition. American pop culture promotes an unhealthy self- image. On the topic of self-image, Hari Kondabolu stands out. He has a joke about the popular musical group “The Pussycat Dolls”, describing their hit song “Don't Cha” as a negative representation of women. He points out an obvious offence in American culture. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]A study from Loyola University of Maryland has shown that humor is one determining factor for selecting a mating partner. Amongst other things, mates look for an outstanding funny bone in a potential partner. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]Of course, humor is not always used for good purposes. Humor can be linked to vulgarity (粗俗)and racism, but, like everything else, it has potential to unite human beings by allowing us to laugh at ourselves, our failures and our connection with one another. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]Though 1ife may seem tough and depressing at times, all I have to do is look in the mirror at my increased wrinkles(皱纹) to know that there is a comedy out there that even Chaplin wasn’t aware of. [/FONT]
[FONT=微软雅黑]With that in mind, remember to laugh with humanity and sometimes at humanity.

1.[/FONT][FONT=微软雅黑]Hobbes believes that humor__________.[/FONT]

A．was for people to view the world from another angle

B．resulted in narrow-mindedness of human beings

C．had the power to mirror personal glory and national values

D．was only a way to laugh at others to make oneself feel better

[FONT=微软雅黑]
[/FONT]

 

[Roman55]

I am not a teacher.

The bizarre nature of this may be due to the fact that Hobbes wrote his sentence some 400 years ago.

 

[MikeNewYork]

He shouldn't have bothered. :shock:

 

[jasonlulu_2000]

So do the two underlined sentences mean the same grammatically?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Basically, the two sentences have the same meaning. It is not an issue of grammar.