Introduction

The theme of my qualification work: «Linguistic and cultural features of

British humor (using the example of the translation of scripts of episodes of
the Fry and Laurie Show)»

British humor is one of the most characteristic and recognizable elements of

British culture, permeating both everyday life and the spheres of art. He is
distinguished by his sharpness, sarcasm, and sometimes irony, which form his
unique style and enrich the diversity of worldviews. In the context of humor
translation, a wide range of researchers and translators are engaged in the
peculiarities of the British cultural code and its linguistic expression. This aspect
becomes especially relevant in the context of translating scripts for episodes of
comedy shows such as Fry and Laurie, which are a prime example of British
humor.

It is often difficult to translate a comic text, especially with regard to English

humor. It is often said about English humor that no one except the British
themselves understands it. Nevertheless, British humorous shows, comedy films,
comedians, etc. have been and are being translated. Therefore, this work, aimed at
highlighting the difficulties encountered in translating English humor, is relevant.

The relevance of the research topic lies in the fact that British humor plays
a significant role not only in British culture, but also has an impact on the global
cultural environment. He is an important element of the country's soft power,
defining its image abroad and drawing attention to British culture and language.
The study of the linguistic and cultural features of British humor on the example of
the translation of scripts of episodes of "The Fry and Laurie Show".

The purpose of the study is to determine how possible it is to convey a

comic effect in translation, and whether the result of such a translation can be
considered a good translation.

To achieve this goal, the research sets and solves the following tasks:
5
 1) Identification of the key stylistic features of British humor present in the
scripts of episodes of The Fry and Laurie Show.
2) The analysis of translation techniques and strategies used in the transfer
of British humor to other languages and other cultural contexts.
3) The study of the influence of linguistic and cultural characteristics on the
interpretation and perception of humor in various cultural environments.
4) Evaluation of the effectiveness of translation in preserving the sharpness,
sarcasm and irony characteristic of British humor.
5) Formulation of practical recommendations for translators and linguists
working with humorous texts in order to improve the quality of
translation and preserve the original spirit and style of humor.

The object of research in this thesis is the linguistic and cultural features of
British humor, manifested in the scripts of episodes of The Fry and Laurie Show.
This object includes a variety of phenomena and elements of British comedy, such
as specific forms of jokes, sarcasm, irony, the use of humorous terms and
phraseological units, as well as cultural references and contexts characteristic of
Great Britain.

The subject of this work is the analysis of the linguistic and cultural
features of British humor using the example of the translation of scripts of episodes
of The Fry and Laurie Show. This subject of research covers a wide range of
phenomena and elements of British comedy, which are characterized by
originality, sharpness and specificity of the cultural context.

The theoretical value of the research lies in the approach to understanding

British humor, taking into account its national characteristics, (using the example
of translating scripts of episodes of The Fry and Laurie Show)

The practical value of this research is of practical importance both for

professionals in the field of translation and intercultural communication, and for a
wide audience interested in British culture and humor.

6
 The theoretical basis of the research includes a number of key concepts
and methods necessary for analyzing the linguistic and cultural features of British
humor using the example of translating scripts from episodes of the «Fry and
Laurie Show».

About the opinion of J. Gorera, as already mentioned, the aggressiveness of

the British has not disappeared anywhere, it was just strictly limited and kept under
control, humor is one of the ways of this control. In television and radio broadcasts
of a humorous nature, especially those designed for a mass audience, there are
constantly comic episodes based on the humiliation and insult of a certain
participant in communication.

The methodological base of the study of text analysis, including both

qualitative (content analysis, discourse analysis) and quantitative (frequency
analysis, statistical methods), will help to more fully cover various aspects of
humor in scripts and their translation.

The structure of the work consists of an introduction, two chapters, conclusion

and list of sources used in the process of writing this qualification paper.

Since this work is devoted specifically to the linguistic and cultural features
of English humor, it is necessary to present the main provisions of this scientific
knowledge. Linguoculturology is a young scientific discipline of a synthesizing
type, an independent branch of linguistics that took shape in the 90s of the XX
century.

7
 Chapter 1. Linguistic and cultural features of English humor and
mentality.
English humor and mentality have a number of unique linguistic and cultural
features that make them distinctive from other national cultures. Here are some of
them:1

Irony and sarcasm: English humor is often based on the use of irony and
sarcasm. This manifests itself in witty remarks, jokes and unexpected semantic
transitions that may not always be understood without context.

Allusions and wordplay: English humor often involves the use of allusions to
cultural phenomena, literature, history, and politics. Wordplay, ambiguity and
ambiguity are also characteristic, which requires a wide range of cultural and
linguistic baggage from the audience.

Business and Formal formality: English humor often uses elements of business
and formal formality, such as adopting a courteous tone and using formal phrases
that can be ironically inverted or used to create a comic effect.

Black humor: English humor can sometimes be saturated with black humor,
which is based on themes considered tragic or taboo in other cultures. This shows
the ability of the British to find the comic in the most inappropriate situations.

Self-irony and self-criticism: The British are usually not afraid to make fun of
themselves and their national characteristics. Self-irony and self-criticism are often
key elements of English humor, which makes it even more attractive and
acceptable to a wide audience.

These linguistic and cultural features of English humor and mentality create
a unique style and character that often sets it apart from other national cultures.

1
Девкин В.Д. Омонимы и паронимы в каламбурном словообразовании // Актуальные проблемы
современного языкового образования в вузе. Вопросы теории языка и методики обучения. Коломна, 2007. С.
30-35.
8
They also influence the way English humor is interpreted and perceived in various
cultural contexts.

Vague English humor is not always understandable to the inhabitants of the

continent, whereas in England it is truly considered the heritage of the nation.
Legends are made up about subtle English humor, while often ridiculing it for its
notes of snobbery and pretentiousness.

English humor has gained its ironic fame primarily because many people,
except the British themselves, do not understand it. British humor is a peculiar
national trait, without which it is difficult to imagine the culture of this country.
The British have no barriers to humor, they can laugh at themselves, at the
weather, at politics; what the British consider normal to laugh at, we might
consider not a funny and forbidden topic.2

The peculiarities of English humor are primarily related to the question of its
frequent misunderstanding by representatives of foreign-language culture. What is
"understanding" in itself? Understanding is a universal operation of thinking
associated with the assimilation of new content, including it in a system of well-
established ideas and ideas.

In psycholinguistics, understanding is mainly the result of semantic

perception of a speech message. Therefore, misunderstanding is the inability of an
individual to assimilate information and relate it to existing personal experience,
the inability to see what the communicative and cognitive difficulty is, and to
overcome it.

Misunderstanding, or on the contrary, understanding, occurs in the process

of a person receiving new information. For example, in the process of
communication, learning, reading a book or watching a TV show. The issue of
understanding is of great importance in the process of both intercultural
communication and in everyday human life.
2
Кожевникова В.М., Николаева П.А. Литературный энциклопедический словарь. М.: Советская
энциклопедия, 1987. 751 с.
9
 A sense of humor is considered an individual characteristic of a person. One
person can be said to have a great sense of humor, and another that he has no sense
at all. However, in matters of understanding national humor, everything is
somewhat more complicated, since it has a number of specific features. The
problem of understanding the national English humor in this matter was no
exception.

What are the features of national English humor that make it difficult for
foreigners to understand? In the mid-90s of the XIX century, various TV shows
began to be translated into Russian en masse, and British ones were no exception.
Humorous programs such as "The Fry and Laurie Show," "The Benny Hill Show,"
"Monty Python," "Mr. Bean." It was then that the Russian audience first
encountered the phenomenon of English humor. 3

The jokes from these shows seemed incomprehensible, absurd, often even
flat, and caused confusion to the public. Sometimes translators even had to not just
translate, but replace jokes, phrases or words so that their meaning could be
understood by the Russian audience.

Humorous images of the grimacing characters from "The Benny Hill Show"
or "Mr. Bean" did not fit in with the images of cold and prim Englishmen. In order
to understand the specifics of the humor of these shows, it was necessary to know
the culture and mentality of the British well, and often the language itself.

The main problem with understanding English humor is that it is extremely

difficult for a person who does not know English and is not familiar with English
speech patterns to understand the meaning of a joke based on wordplay.

The English anecdote is characterized by extreme surprise at minor events

and unflappable restraint in serious incidents. Since the restraint characteristic of
the British has long been considered their hallmark, they themselves enjoy making
fun of it with great pleasure.
3
Лилиенталь Г.Г. К вопросу о возможности разграничения лингвистического и ситуативного юмора URL:
[Link] s09/s09v2/[Link] (дата обращения: 2020).
10
 For the everyday life of the British, the most characteristic humorous form is
a joke, i.e. something said or done not seriously to amuse others. J.'s research work
is interesting. A book dedicated to the English national character. This work is of
particular interest, because despite its solid, almost half a century old age research
materials, these materials can help in understanding the nuances and general
principles of the British national character.

As the point of departure of his research, [Link] accepted the obvious

discrepancy between historical data and the status quo. For example, according to
eyewitnesses, the inhabitants of England of Shakespeare's time stood out with a
high degree of aggressiveness: scuffles constantly broke out on the streets, carrying
weapons was considered the norm, young women risked being subjected to
violence if they left the house unaccompanied.

Even leisure options contributed to this trend - a favorite way of entertaining

the crowd was watching dog and cockfights, as well as bull baiting. To understand
the situation, it is worth telling in more detail about the latest way of entertainment.
The crowd bought a young animal from a cattle drover, hammered peas into his
ears and chased him down the street, urging him on with screams and stabbing
with sharpened sticks.

This horror continued until the animal, distraught with fear and pain, fell
from fatigue or from the onset of death. National humor is a method of self-
expression of a creative personality, on the basis of which works of comic genres
are created. Noting the comicality inherent in any national flavor, it is worth
bearing in mind that the concept of comic is divided into two components: satire
and humor. Satire is characterized by exposure human vices, the humiliation of a
negative phenomenon, showing it in a ridiculous, ugly light.

Humor, on the other hand, is aimed at cognizing the world by sharpening the
inconsistencies of life, evaluating it and comprehending the comical hidden in it.
The task of humor is to create an effect and inspire the addressee with a new look

11
at familiar things. Humor is a very multifaceted phenomenon associated with the
mental, social and cultural aspects of being.

Humor is a universal phenomenon, which, of course, is characterized by a

national flavor. Speaking of the national flavor of the British, it is necessary It
should be noted that their humor in the world is considered subtle and aristocratic.

However, one of the weighty reasons for misunderstanding true English

humor is an elementary lack of knowledge in the field of grammar, as well as
vocabulary, since the English are characterized by playing jokes using
hyperbolization, wordplay, repetition, hint, paradox and even absurdity.

In the process of learning English, it is important to pay attention to subtle

English jokes, because it is through humor that English culture and the authentic
mentality of the British are revealed. Studying the features British humor is also
important because English has long played an important role in international
communication and its norms, encoded in the English-speaking picture of the
world, are actively being introduced into the collective consciousness of all native
speakers of English as a foreign language. 4

This helps to penetrate deeper into the essence of someone else's culture
against the background of a better understanding of the peculiarities of their own
culture. Thus, the special national features of the British often include prudery and
restraint on emotions and manifestations of feelings, but it is impossible not to
mention their special subtle sense of humor.

In relation to themselves, to their homeland, as well as to the whole world,

the British are characterized by irony, it is completely natural for them to laugh at
themselves and at others. This property of the British has been cultivated for
centuries, being considered the most important human dignity.

Irony, according to the British, is the main ingredient of real English humor.
For residents of Albion, there is no taboo on topics for jokes, because they do not
4
Мечковская Н.Б. Семиотика. Язык. Природа. Культура. М.: Академия, 2007. 432 c
12
shy away from ridiculing even what has been considered sacred for centuries: the
government and the royal family.

This special gift of the nation is evidenced by the voluminous baggage of

humorous literary works, starting with Geoffrey Chaucer and his "Canterbury
Tales", created by Benjamin Jones genre household comedy, comic characters,
situations in Shakespeare's plays, Jonathan Swift's political satire in the work
"Journey Gulliver, Lewis Carroll, Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Jerome Klapk Jerome
and special humor in the plays of Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde and ending with
today - Stephen Fry, Douglas Adams and Tom Sharp.5

Humor must be viewed as a prism through which writers, and not only
English speakers, look at the world as a whole and at any individual phenomena
that attract their attention. As vivid examples of English humor, we will give some
quotes from the works of S. Fry "Hippopotamus" ("Hippopotamus") and P.G.
Wodehouse "Keep it up, Jeeves!" ("Carry on, Jeeves").

It is worth noting that Stephen Fry is currently one of the national treasures
of Britain, the owner of perfect pronunciation and a master of the word. Pelham
Granville Woodhouse is also a famous writer Known for a large number of
humorous stories, he wrote 96 books throughout his creative career.

As Stephen Fry said in an interview, the main type of comedic British heroes
are losers who are trying to change your life for the better, well, or at least just
survive. Such heroes can be found both in the above-mentioned work by P.G.
Wodehouse, where Bertie Wooster, the main character, getting involved in new
adventures, could not cope without the clever advice of his servant Jeeves, and in
S. Fry, where the main The hero, poet Ted, is fired from the newspaper because of
his scandalous behavior and alcohol problems.

To describe comical situations, both S. Fry and P.G. Wodehouse use the
following key humorous techniques. So, in the work "Keep it Up, Jeeves" ("Carry

5
Ожегов С.И. Толковый словарь русского языка. М.: АСТ, 2014. 736 с
13
on, Jeeves"), P.G. Wodehouse uses wordplay. Wordplay is the creation of a comic
effect due to the semantic difference of the main structural units of the language.
This technique is also called "charades", which are often found in the dialogues of
Bertie and his servant Jeeves. 6

The speech of the hero Jeeves, which it consists of complex sentences, is

saturated with terminological and bookish vocabulary that sounds ridiculous and
artificial in everyday life.

It sounds especially contrasting in comparison with Bertie's vocabulary,

which is famous for its meager intellectual baggage. Note that Bertie often cannot
remember a word or expression, but only gives a "fragment", according to which
Jeeves restores the searched word: "Who was that lad they used to try to make me
read at Oxford? Ship-Shop-Schopenhauer" ("What was the name of the guy whose
books I was forced to study at Oxford? Spike... Shop…

It is worth noting that the structure of the English language has an

evolutionary advantage + alliterative rhyme. This rhyme of English versification
affects the way of remembering in English culture.

The English type of versification can serve as a factor that influenced the
principle of recollection, since words rhyme according to the initial letter (see in
more detail:).

The English writer Wodehouse also applies hyperbolization (the most

typical scene of the reunion of lovers under Wodehouse's pen acquires an
exaggeration to comically great importance): “We had come back within view of
the cottage, and there in front of is stood six children, a nurse, two loafers, another
nurse, and the fellow from the grocer`s.

They stared at the veranda without taking their eyes off it. More raced to the
scene, not wanting to lose the attractive sight five children, a dog, three men and a
teenager"; and a repetition: "It then remained me to find Ocean Rest. And
6
Прохоров А.М. Большой энциклопедический словарь. М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия, 2004.
14
eventually, after visiting Ocean View, Ocean Prospect, Ocean Breeze, Ocean
Cottage, Ocean Bungalow, Ocean Nook and Ocean Homestead, I trailed it down"
("Now all I have to do is find a "Vacation by the Ocean". And after going through
"Ocean View", "Ocean Panorama", "Ocean Breeze", "Ocean Cottage", "Bungalow
next to the ocean", "Ocean Shelter" and "Ocean Manor", I finally got to the goal"). 7

According to O.K. Ilyina, "hyperbolization is the creation of a comic effect

on the basis of strengthening the meaning"; "repetition is a technique for creating a
comic effect by repeating words or statements".

Analyzing Stephen Fry's novel Hippopotamus, we highlight the following

humorous techniques: paradox "Sounds a reasonable idea. Probably more
appropriate than a restaurant, say, or a football stadium" - "A sound idea, as it
seems to me.

Anything is better than taking her to a restaurant or, say, to a football game"
and absurdity "Given our respectful weights, it would probably be fairer if the
horse got on me back and road me" - "With our weight ratio," I replied, "it would
be perhaps more honest to let the horse perch on my back and ride a little".

1.1 Subject, methods and problems of linguoculturology.

Linguoculturology is a scientific discipline that studies the relationship

between language and culture, as well as the influence of cultural factors on

7
Санников В.З. Язык в зеркале языковой игры. М.: Языки русской культуры, 1999. 544 с.
15
language and its use. The subject, methods and problems of linguoculturology
include the following aspects:8

1)The subject of linguoculturology:

 The study of the relationship between language and culture.

 Analysis of linguistic phenomena in the context of cultural practices and
ideas.
 The study of the influence of cultural factors on linguistic norms, structure
and functions of language.
 Analysis of cultural differences in language systems and communicative
behavior.

2)Methods of linguoculturology:

 Comparative analysis of languages and cultures of different peoples.

 Corpus analysis of texts and dialogues in order to identify cultural nuances
and peculiarities.
 Ethnographic research, including questionnaires, interviews and observation
of communication practices in various cultural environments.
 Cognitive analysis of cultural concepts and mental models through linguistic
expressions and metaphors.

3)Problems of linguoculturology:

 Cross-cultural communication issues, including cross-cultural

misunderstandings, stereotypes and bias.
 Adaptation and translation of texts from one culture to another, including the
difficulties of transferring culturally specific elements.
 The study of the impact of globalization and intercultural exchange on
linguistic and cultural changes.
 The study of issues of identity and social inclusion in the context of
language and culture.
8
Словарь многих выражений. URL: [Link] (дата
обращения: 2020
16
 Linguoculturology is an important area of research that allows us to understand
the complex interrelationships between language and culture, as well as improve
intercultural interaction and communication.

Linguistics of the XXI century and the direction in which language is

considered as the cultural code of the nation, and not just an instrument of
communication and cognition. The fundamental foundations of this approach are
in the works of V. Humboldt, A.A. Potebni and other scientists. The connection of
language with culture.

The history of linguoculturology As a separate field in linguistics,

linguoculturology took shape in the 90s of the XX century. The term
"linguoculturology" itself appeared only in the last decade in connection with the
works of the phraseological school headed by V.N. Telia, the works of Yu.S.
Stepanov, A.D. Arutyunova, V.V. Vorobyov, V. Shaklein, V.A. Maslova and other
researchers.

Von Humboldt was one of the first to consider language precisely from the
point of view of its connection with man, with the nation in the XIX century. In his
work "On the difference in the structure of human languages and its influence on
the spiritual development of the human race." He initiated the anthropological
trend in linguistics.

Humboldt introduced the concept of "linguistic consciousness of the people".

The linguistic consciousness of the people can be understood as a form of
existence of human ideas, knowledge and concepts reflected in the language.
Humboldt believed that "every language describes a circle around the people to
whom it belongs, from which one can only leave if one enters another circle," that
is, one learns another language.

Also, one of the first, in contrast to the metaphysical understanding of the

existence of language as something unchangeable, Humboldt asserts and justifies
the position that the true form of the existence of language is its development.

17
 For more than thirty years, the assertion of linguoculturology as a new
anthropocentric paradigm of scientific knowledge is associated with an ongoing
complex and contradictory process of formation of its structure and typology, the
formation of a terminological system and, consequently, the difference between
theoretical and applied aspects, which, in turn, is value-laden and sets a new
linguistic methodological reality in the description and teaching of languages
"through culture". Today it is already possible to structurally identify some
common markers - delimiters of theoretical and applied linguistic and cultural
knowledge, reducing their essence to the following positions.9

Unlike fundamentally - the theoretical level of linguistic and cultural cognition

aimed at the formation and development of the theory of interaction between
language and culture, explanatory models and concepts of linguistic personality,
the linguistic picture of the world, on obtaining generalized knowledge about
linguistic and cultural phenomena and processes, i.e., incrementally, obtaining new
knowledge about language and culture as a whole and about its individual
components, the task of linguistic and cultural knowledge of an applied nature is to
scientifically provide solutions to practical problems of teaching Russian as a
foreign language and non-native and other foreign languages based on the most
effective use of theoretical knowledge about the language - culture - personalities.

At the same time, if the requested theoretical knowledge is formed, first of all,
within the framework of the internal logic of the movement of this knowledge
itself, which reveals the need to build missing explanatory schemes, conceptual
generalizations, then the development of applied, practical-oriented knowledge is
primarily due to the "social order of teaching Russian as a foreign and non-native
language" and the scientific development of a solution to one or another really
existing problem.

9
Толковый словарь русского языка Дмитриева. URL: [Link] ru/doc/dictionary-dmitriev/[Link]
(дата обращения: 2021
18
 As you know, the problem of the relationship between language and culture has
been considered for a long time and is being developed in our country in various
directions.

The first attempts to solve this problem are reflected in the writings of V.
Humboldt. The main provisions of his concept:

1) material and spiritual culture are embodied in language;

2) every culture is national, its national character is expressed in language through

a special vision of the world; language has an internal form specific to each nation;

3) The internal form of language is an expression of the "national spirit", its

culture;

4) language is a link between a person and the world around him.

Even speaking the same language, people cannot always understand each other
correctly, and the reason for this is often precisely the divergence of cultures. A
person's speech consists of words. Words are needed so that it is possible to
communicate, without them communication is "possible, but it is both difficult and
poor".

Words connect people, words unite people through communication. Without

communication there is no society, without society there is no social person, no
cultural person, no reasonable person. All words add up to a language.

The word "culture" has the Latin "Colere" as its source, which means
"cultivation, upbringing, development, veneration, cult." Since the XVIII century,
culture has been understood as everything that appeared due to human activity, his
purposeful reflections. Since the second half of the XVIII century, this word began
to be used as a scientific term. The term "culture" has many meanings. The term
"culture" is used by different authors in different meanings.

The Large Encyclopedic Dictionary defines the term as follows: "Culture is a

historically defined level of development of society, creative forces and human
19
abilities, expressed in the types and forms of organization of people's lives and
activities, in their relationships, as well as in the material and spiritual values they
create".10

The Cambridge Dictionary offers the following definition of the term "culture":
"Culture is the way of life, especially general customs and beliefs of a particular
group of people at a particular time".

Taylor E.B. formulated an ethnographic definition of the phenomenon of

culture: "culture is composed in its entirety of knowledge, beliefs, art, morality,
laws, customs and some other abilities and habits acquired by a person as a
member of society".

Vezhbitskaya A. adheres to the definition given by Clifford Hertz: "Culture is a

historically transmitted model of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of
inherited representations expressed in the form of symbols, through which people
communicate with each other and on the basis of which their knowledge about life
and life attitudes are fixed and developed".

It follows from this definition that the symbols by which people communicate
are the language. In other words, culture is a historically transmitted model of
meanings embodied in language. Language is the best proof of the reality of
"culture". Consider the relationship between language and culture. Their close
relationship is obvious.

Language and culture have a lot in common: language and culture are forms of
consciousness that reflect a person's worldview; culture and language exist in
dialogue with each other (since the subject of culture and language is an individual,
the means of interaction between individuals is language, and language can be a
means of transmitting culture from generation to generation, then we can say that
there is a "dialogue" or transfer of information between culture and language);

 the subject of culture and language is an individual;

10
Трач A.C. Экономия и избыточность сегментных средств в комическом тексте // Логический анализ языка.
Языковые механизмы комизма. М.: Индрик, 2007. С. 175-185.
20
  language and culture have a common feature - normativity;

One of the important properties of culture and language is historicism.

Considering the above, we can come to the following conclusion: language and
culture are interconnected in communicative processes; in the formation of human
linguistic abilities; in the formation of a social person.

The term "linguoculturology" has appeared in the last decade in connection

with the work of the phraseological school headed by [Link].
"Linguoculturology is a branch of linguistics that arose at the junction of
linguistics and cultural studies and explores the manifestations of the culture of the
people, which are reflected and entrenched in the language".11

"Linguoculturology is a relatively young philological discipline of a

synthesizing type, which arose at the junction of linguistics and cultural studies
and considers language as the embodiment of culture".

Telia V.N. defines linguoculturology as a part of ethnolinguistics devoted to the

study and description of the correspondence of language and culture in their
synchronous interaction.

It follows from these definitions that the subject of linguoculturology is the

study of the cultural semantics of linguistic signs, which is formed by the
interaction of two different codes, namely language and culture.

1.2 Aspects and characteristics of British humor

British humor is a unique phenomenon with many characteristic aspects and

features. Here are some of them:

1. Irony and sarcasm: British humor is often based on irony and sarcasm.
People can express their thoughts and feelings through contradictory
statements or statements that can be interpreted as ridicule or sarcasm.
11
Шоу Фрая та Лори. [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу: [Link]
SHou_Fraya_i_Lori-[Link]

21
 2. Ambiguity: British humor often contains ambiguous jokes or wordplay.
This requires careful perception and intellectual play from the listener or
viewer.
3. Self-irony: The British often joke about themselves and their
peculiarities. They can enjoy mocking their stereotypes and behavioral
characteristics.
4. Spirituality in everyday life: British humor often manifests itself in
everyday situations, whether it's discussing the weather or another cup of
tea. The British are able to find humor in the most mundane situations.
5. Black humor: The British are known for their black humor, which can be
witty, but sometimes causes discussion and controversy due to its
provocativeness.
6. Satire: British humour is often based on satire, ridiculing political events,
social trends and cultural peculiarities. Satirical shows and comedy
shows are a great part of British culture.
7. The ability to express emotions without emotion: British humor is often
characterized by the ability to express emotions without openly showing
them. This may include using suppressed humor or a funny approach to
serious topics.
8. Cultural references: British humour is often full of cultural references and
references to literature, history and television shows. Understanding these
references may be the key to understanding the true meaning of humor.

These aspects vary depending on the individual's sense of humour and context,
but in general they help to describe British humour in its diversity and uniqueness.

In the modern sense, humor is a kind of comic, which has a world-view

character and a complex tone in assessing life, where the serious is hidden under
the mask of the ridiculous. The fantasy of humor reveals, according to N.V. Gogol,
"tears invisible to the world" - for the insignificant great, for the madness wisdom,
22
for the funny sad. The parable of humor says that joy and sorrow met in the forest;
without recognizing each other, they entered into a marriage union, from which
humor was born.

The concept of "humor" is ambiguous. In a broad sense, humor is defined as a

non-malicious and mocking attitude towards individual phenomena of life and the
world as a whole. In a narrower sense, it is a method of self-expression of a
creative personality, on the basis of which works of comic genres are created.
There are high and comic forms among them. 12

The former include works of fiction and art, the latter include parodies, jokes,
anecdotes, tales, jokes, ditties, caricatures, friendly cartoons. Humor is also
characterized by a national flavor. So, English humor it is considered to be subtle
and aristocratic.

It is distinguished by hypertrophied calmness and elegance. Researchers believe

that English humor is based on the centuries-old habit of the British to suppress the
external expression of their emotions.

The British have a special ability to say funny things with unflappable
seriousness. This special gift of the nation is evidenced by the works of classics of
English fiction: Shakespeare, Byron, Thackeray, Oscar Wilde, Jerome K. Jerome,
Aldous Huxley and the Hungarian George, beloved by all Englishmen Mikish,
recognized as an English writer not by birthright, but by spirit.

Researchers of the English character agree that humor is a national trait of the
British. For them, joking is as natural as breathing. The famous Czech writer Karel
Chapek noted that "the British are incredibly serious, solid and respectable, but
suddenly something will flare up, they will say something very funny, sparkling

12
Шоу Фрая та Лори. [Електронний ресурс]. – Режим доступу: [Link]
SHou_Fraya_i_Lori-[Link]

23
with humor, and immediately they will become solid again, like an old leather
armchair". They willingly laugh at themselves and at others. 13

This is a property in England It has been cultivated for centuries, being

considered the most important human dignity. The authors of old English books on
good manners insist that a sense of humor can and should be cultivated; a person
without a sense of humor is far from perfect.

Humor haunts the Englishman everywhere: in TV and radio shows, in books, in

periodicals and in everyday life. Native English speakers no longer feel it as
acutely as foreigners, because this is their peculiar method of thinking.

Probably, in no country do they know how to laugh at themselves like in

England. Here there are no barriers to humor, the British laugh at everything that
can cause a smile, including what has been considered sacred for centuries: the
powerful of this world, the government and even members of the royal family.

The most popular humorous form, characteristic of the daily life of the British,
is a joke or fun, fun, something that is not done seriously, but for general fun. You
can joke at any time and in any place. It is not necessary to be well-reasoned for a
joke. Her goal is to psychologically elevate the joker over the opponent, to put the
latter at a disadvantage.

Jokers perceive a joke, especially an offensive one, in completely different

ways. Among the speakers of Russian culture, the question often arises: "What is
English is the joke different from the English joke?" Unlike the Russian language,
where the word anecdote refers to a fictional funny situation, an English anecdote
is a short story related to a historical hero or precedent, and the described situation
is not always funny.

Many English jokes are grouped together based on the commonality of

phenomena that create a comic effect. So, in the piggy bank of English humor
there are:
13
Cambridge Dictionary. URL: [Link] (дата обращения: 2020.
24
ethnic slurs - (этнические шутки), which play out the peculiarities of national
characters in an exaggerated manner. For example: An American walking through
the streets of London, passed under Canary Wharf (London's biggest building). As
he stood there looking up, a lad joined him. After a while the American turned to
the kid and said, «Do you realize, son, that we have buildings like that in the
States, only they’re three times the size? » «I’m not surprised, » said the kid.
«That’s a Lunatic Asylum! » (Американский турист, прогуливающийся по
улицам Лондона, останавливается около самого большого здания в городе
Canary Wharf. Пока он рассматривает его, глядя снизу вверх, к нему
подходит юноша. Американец оборачивается к нему и говорит:
«Представляешь, сынок, у нас в Штатах есть похожие здания, только в
три раза больше». «Неудивительно, - отвечает паренёк, - это
психиатрическая клиника.»)

dry humour – (ироничные шутки), in which mockery is hidden under the mask
of seriousness. For example, a student asks the professor to let her go from a
lecture, to which he responds quite seriously: I am sure it’ll break my heart, but
you may leave. (Я уверен, это разобьёт мне сердце, но вы можете идти.)

shaggy-dog stories - (шутки), They are detailed and boring stories about events
that seem interesting and funny except to the speaker himself. They have an
unexpected, often ridiculous or absurd ending. Jokes of this kind are made up in
the image and likeness of a tale about a shaggy dog: A boy owned a dog that was
uncommonly shaggy. Many people remarked upon its considerable shagginess.
When the boy learned that there are contests for shaggy dogs, he entered his dog.
The dog won first prize for shagginess in both the local and the regional
competitions. The boy entered the dog in ever-larger contests, until finally he
entered it in the world championship for shaggy dogs. When the judges had
inspected all of the competing dogs, they remarked about the boy’s dog: “He’s not
so shaggy”. (У мальчика была необычайно лохматая собака. Многие люди
отмечали её повышенную лохматость. Когда мальчик узнал, что

25
существуют конкурсы лохматых собак, он записал её как участницу.
Собака получила первый приз за лохматость на местном и региональном
конкурсах. Мальчик не остановился и продолжал записывать её на более
масштабные конкурсы, пока не добрался до чемпионата мира для лохматых
собак. Когда члены жюри осмотрели всех соревнующихся собак, они
высказали мнение, что собака мальчика недостаточно лохмата.)

Irony (Ирония) is a category that characterizes the discrepancy between

intention and result. For example, an English teacher writes the following words on
the blackboard: "woman without her man is nothing" and asks students to
punctuate correctly. A young student does it like this: "A woman, without her man,
is nothing." (Женщина без своего мужчины - ничто).

A paradox (Парадокс) is a surprise, an inadequate reaction to a statement.

Instead of the expected answer, the interlocutor hears something absurd, which
radically changes the situation, causing laughter. For example: Sir, did you have a
good holiday? - Yes! I want to France, to Paris. - Did you have much trouble with
your French when you were there? - No, I didn’t but the Parisians did. (Вы
хорошо провели отпуск? - Да, я был во Франции, в Париже. - У вас было
много проблем с французским? - Нет, но у парижан были.)

The absurdity (Нелепость), that lies in a situation that contradicts common

sense and life experience. которая кроется в ситуации, противоречащей
здравому смыслу и жизненному опыту. For example: Young husband: This
meat is not cooked, nor is it the pie. Young wife: I did it the way the cookery-book
advised; but as the recipe was for four people and we are two I took half of
everything and cooked it for half the time it said. (Молодой супруг: Мясо не
готово, и пирогом это также не назовёшь. Молодая супруга: Я всё делала по
5 рецепту поваренной книги, он рассчитан на четверых, но нас двое,
поэтому я взяла всего по половине и наполовину сократила время
приготовления.)

26
 The hint ( намек) is to create a comic effect by giving the interlocutor the
opportunity to figure out the essence of what happened on his own. For example:
Mother: I sent my little boy for two pounds of plums and you sent a pound and a
half. Grocer: My scales are all right, madam. Have you weighed your little boy?
(Мать: Я послала к вам своего малютку за двумя фунтами слив, а вы дали
ему только полтора фунта. Продавец: Мои весы в порядке, мадам. А вы
взвесили своего малютку?)

It is believed that an Englishman can be recognized by three signs: prudery,

arrogance and a sense of humor that will never be understood by foreigners who do
not speak English well. As the Czech writer Karel Chapek wrote in his "English
Letters", "the British are incredibly serious, solid and respectable, but suddenly
something will flare up, they will say something very funny, sparkling with humor,
and immediately they will become solid again, like an old leather armchair."

But, despite certain stereotypes, it is impossible to talk about the lack of humor
among the British. His understanding of the national flavor depends on the quality
of the translation and other aspects. For example, when translating into other
languages, its national peculiarity is lost, since some concepts cannot be translated
from English, in such cases it is necessary to select equivalents in the native
language in order to preserve the humorous effect. But sometimes, even this is
impossible.

1.3 Problems of understanding English humor by representatives of

a foreign language culture.

Understanding English humor can present certain difficulties for representatives

of a foreign language culture for several reasons:

27
 1. Cultural differences: Many aspects of British humour are rooted in unique
cultural and historical contexts that may be incomprehensible to people from
other countries. For example, humor based on British politics or television
shows may not be available to those who are not familiar with these aspects
of British culture.
2. Language features: English is rich in wordplay, ambiguities and idioms that
may be difficult to understand for speakers of other languages. Some jokes
may play on the consonance of words or have ambiguous meanings, which
makes them difficult to translate and understand.
3. Style and subtext: British humor is often based on subtext and hints that may
not be obvious to foreigners. It can be intentionally restrained or
contradictory, which requires tracking subtle hints and nuances in
statements.
4. Black humor: Some forms of British humor, such as black humor, can be
provocative and provoke discussions about acceptability. This can cause
misunderstanding and rejection on the part of people who have different
ideas about what is funny and appropriate.
5. Level of knowledge of the language: To fully understand British humor, it is
necessary to have a good knowledge of the English language and its
subtleties. Some jokes may be based on specific linguistic features, which
makes them difficult to understand for those who do not have a sufficient
level of language skills.

In general, understanding British humor requires not only knowledge of the

language, but also immersion in the appropriate cultural environment and context.
English humor has gained its ironic fame primarily because many people, except
the British themselves, do not understand it. British humor is a peculiar national
trait, without which it is difficult to imagine the culture of this country. The British
have no barriers to humor, they can laugh at themselves, at the weather, at politics;

28
what the British consider normal to laugh at, we might consider not a funny and
forbidden topic.

The peculiarities of English humor are primarily related to the question of its
frequent misunderstanding by representatives of foreign-language culture. What is
"understanding" in itself? Understanding is a universal operation of thinking
associated with the assimilation of new content, including it in a system of
established ideas and ideas.14

In psycholinguistics, understanding is mainly the result of semantic perception

of a speech message. Therefore, misunderstanding is the inability of an individual
to assimilate information and relate it to existing personal experience, the inability
to see what the communicative and cognitive difficulty is, and to overcome it.

Misunderstanding, or on the contrary, understanding, occurs in the process of a

person receiving new information. For example, in the process of communication,
learning, reading a book or watching a TV show. The issue of understanding is of
great importance in the process of both intercultural communication and in
everyday human life.

A sense of humor is considered an individual characteristic of a person. One

person can be said to have a great sense of humor, and another that he has no sense
at all. However, in matters of understanding national humor, everything is
somewhat more complicated, since it has a number of specific features. The
problem of understanding the national English humor in this matter was no
exception.

What are the features of national English humor that make it difficult for
foreigners to understand? In the mid-90s of the XIX century, various TV shows
began to be translated into Russian en masse, and British ones were no exception.
Humorous programs such as "The Fry and Laurie Show," "The Benny Hill Show,"
14
Liliental G.G. K voprozu o vozmoznisti razgranitchenija lingvisticheskogo i situativnogo jumora [On
distinguishing linguistic and situational humour]. 2020

29
"Monty Python," "Mr. Bean." It was then that the Russian audience first
encountered the phenomenon of English humor. 15

The jokes from these shows seemed incomprehensible, absurd, often even flat,
and puzzled the audience. Sometimes translators even had to not just translate, but
replace jokes, phrases or words so that their meaning could be understood by the
Russian audience.

Humorous images of the grimacing characters from "The Benny Hill Show" or
"Mr. Bean" did not fit in with the images of cold and prim Englishmen. In order to
understand the specifics of the humor of these shows, it was necessary to know the
culture and mentality of the British well, and often the language itself.

The main problem with understanding English humor is that it is extremely

difficult for a person who does not know English and is not familiar with English
speech patterns to understand the meaning of a joke based on wordplay.

The English anecdote is characterized by extreme surprise at minor events and

unflappable restraint in serious incidents. Since the restraint characteristic of the
British has long been considered their hallmark, they themselves enjoy making fun
of it with great pleasure.

For the everyday life of the British, the most characteristic humorous form is a
joke, i.e. something said or done not seriously to amuse others. J.'s research work
is interesting. A book dedicated to the English national character. This work is of
particular interest, because despite its solid, almost half a century old age research
materials, these materials can help in understanding the nuances and general
principles of the British national character.

As the point of departure of his research, [Link] accepted the obvious

discrepancy between historical data and the status quo. For example, according to
eyewitnesses, the inhabitants of England of Shakespeare's time stood out with a
15
Pocheptsov O.G. Yazikovaja mentalnost: sposob predstavlenija mira [Linguistic mentality: means to represent the
world]. Voprosi yazikoznanija [Issues of linguistics], 2000, vol. 6, pp. 110-122.

30
high degree of aggressiveness: scuffles constantly broke out on the streets, carrying
weapons was considered the norm, young women risked being subjected to
violence if they left the house unaccompanied. Even leisure options contributed to
this trend - a favorite way of entertaining the crowd was watching dog and
cockfights, as well as bull baiting. To understand the situation, it is worth telling in
more detail about the latest way of entertainment.

The crowd bought a young animal from a cattle drover, hammered peas into his
ears and chased him down the street, urging him on with screams and stabbing
with sharpened sticks. This horror continued until the animal, distraught with fear
and pain, fell from fatigue or from the onset of death.

Even in the fiction of England at that time, writes J. Gorer, every now and then
there are descriptions of manifestations of aggression, hatred and violence, not as
exceptional cases, but as a routine around which events took place. In much the
same way, in the Russian literature of the XIX century, events took place against
the background of the leisurely life of landowners, invariably accompanied by
plentiful dinners.16

So how did a nation of aggressive bullies, traditionally engaged in piracy, turn

into a law-abiding and friendly society in three or four centuries, where the word
gentle is one of the important characteristics of behavior? Four centuries from the
point of view of history is a rather small period.

According to J. Gorera, the fact is that aggression has received new channels to
exit, including sports, self-criticism (conscientiousness) and humor, moreover, the
national character itself has not undergone any special changes.

In addition, aggression encounters social obstacles in its path, including

legislative, institutional (for example, the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, as well as the socially respected police), economic (the middle

16
Chiaro D. Translation, Humour and The Media. London: Continuum, 2010. 259 р.

31
class, whose development has been stimulated at the state level for a long time, is
the guarantor of stability in the country).

In addition to the sublimation of aggression, J. Gorer identifies shyness as

national traits of the British, stemming from a clear awareness of one's own
belonging to a certain social class, sometimes resembling a caste division, high
self-control manifested in the suppression of the expression of emotions, as well as
conscious disregard for passion in love matters.17

As proof of his conclusions, the researcher cites a survey of five thousand

British respondents, who were asked to identify which qualities of the opposite sex
are the most and least valuable for them. The results of this survey are interesting.

For example, men, according to British women, should have a sense of humor
(24 percent of respondents), the appearance of women is not an important factor
for men (only five percent of respondents pay special attention to it), while the
distribution of characteristics is differentiated depending on age and social status.
As an example, it can be indicated that for representatives of the working class, the
culinary skills of a wife are much more important than her intellectual level,
whereas for the upper middle class, the opposite is the case.

Paradoxically, for the lower working class, too. A special point of pride for the
British is their attention to the problems and feelings of others, their attentiveness,
which was especially noted by 73% of men and 80% of women. 45% of men and
60% of women consider their short temper and intemperance shameful qualities.

The parallel drawn by the researcher between the traditional personal and moral
qualities of the British and the seven Christian ones is noticeable mortal sins.
Attractiveness, cleanliness, sociability and others are distinguished as personal
qualities, speaking of moral qualities, first of all they mean integrity, sincerity and
honesty.

17
Koestler A. The act of Creation. London: Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd., 1964. 752 p.

32
 According to a study by J. Unfortunately, the British suffer most often from
anger (more than 60% of respondents), gluttony and envy are almost non-existent.
Gluttony is not very common because of the quality of traditional English cuisine,
envy is often considered just a desire for justice, or simply is not highlighted by
respondents as something bad.

Avarice is also rarely noted, which, according to sociological research, is more

often recognized as a sin by villagers, whose percentage in highly urbanized
Britain is extremely low. Pride, or vanity in the traditional theological
interpretation of the biblical texts for the British is most often manifested in the
awareness of oneself as a representative of a certain social class, women more
often than men call themselves representatives of the middle class, which,
according to J. According to Gorer, it shows that for English women symbolic
values are more important than material ones. 18

About a quarter of the respondents declare their predilection for laziness, the
British understand laziness as different qualities: procrastination, procrastination,
procrastination, as well as lethargy, inertia, lack of initiative. Procrastination is
singled out as a sin of laziness by representatives of the upper middle class, and
lethargy and inertia by representatives of the working class.

The researcher also drew conclusions about the basis of the national character.
As key elements of this foundation, he highlighted the love of freedom, fortitude,
passivity in the field of intimate relationships, the opinion that education is one of
the most important elements of character formation, delicacy and consideration,
the high importance of marriage and family, both as an institution and an element
of society, for the average Englishman.

According to J. Gorera, as already mentioned, the aggressiveness of the British

has not disappeared anywhere, it was just strictly limited and kept under control,
humor is one of the ways of this control.
18
Urban Dictionary. URL: [Link] (дата обращения: 2020. References

33
 In television and radio broadcasts of a humorous nature, especially those
designed for a mass audience, there are constantly comic episodes based on the
humiliation and insult of a certain participant in communication. Even the physical
features of the body of the character being ridiculed, for example, excess weight,
speech defects, the presence of bald patches, etc., can serve as a reason for
humiliation.

Of course, since the situation is intended to be humorous, it is considered

harmless and does not cause rejection. At the same time, speaking of the traditional
British humor, it is impossible not to mention self-irony, which is very common
among the British and is almost never perceived in the right way by representatives
of other cultures.

Taking into account all of the above, we can say that the British have created
for themselves the national ideal of a strong character - a man of great willpower,
hardened by life, with a strong, almost militant rejection of any interference in their
personal space, both mental and material.

The isolationism characteristic of the British as a nation can be explained

subsequently by historical socio-cultural factors, for example, the absence of
slavery, the early legislative consolidation of personal freedoms, and the constant
increase in the welfare of the population.

However, it is impossible not to ignore the impact of globalization on the

national character of the British, in particular, the introduction of the American
way of life and thinking into the minds of the British in connection with the
massive penetration of electronic media.

Also, the consequence of this is a kind of unification of regional differences,

their neutralization. Initiatives to create a united Europe within the framework of
various cooperation programs, expanding the accessibility and geography of
tourism, as well as mass migration of residents of the former colonies of the British
Empire influenced the change in stereotypes of British behavior.

34
 However, with all this, the most important accumulator of culture is precisely
the English language, according to [Link], and that is why the essence of the
English national character is not radically changed.

Humor and the comic play an important role in a person's life, it is difficult to
find a field of activity with which he would not be associated in one form or
another. To the greatest extent, this connection can be traced when considering
issues of interpersonal relationships, problems of intercultural communication,
teaching a foreign language and teaching literature. 19

The study of humor allows you to get a more complete picture of the mentality
of representatives of other countries, to analyze the value system and behavioral
stereotypes that determine the identity of a particular culture, which is especially
important in the context of globalization and the need to form tolerance in modern
society.

Therefore, in the last three decades, there has been a growing interest in humor
among representatives of various scientific disciplines, which deserves careful
study and application in educational technologies.

From a psychological point of view, the processes associated with humor can
be divided into four components: social context, cognitive-perceptual process,
emotional reaction and vocal-behavioral expression of laughter. The social context
of humorous discourse implies the interaction of people in a playful way, i.e.
conditional forms of behavior that have a purpose in themselves.

The cognitive-perceptual process includes a complex of intellectual efforts that

must attach the author of a humorous work and, no less, and often more
importantly, his listener, viewer or reader. Creating humor is a complex way of
processing information in order to give it a playful form.

19
Kozhevnikov V.M., Nikolaeva P.A. Literaturnij entsiklopedocheskij slovar [Literature encyclopedic dictionary].
Moscow: Sovetskaja jenciklopedija, 2001, 751 p.

35
 The perception of humor is at the same time an understanding of the meaning of
a humorous statement action situation and an assessment of this meaning as
frivolous, playful information. The emotional aspect of humor presupposes its flow
on a positive emotional background, laughter is always associated with joy and
fun. The vocal-behavioral component of humor denotes its expressive component,
the external form of expression of the internal processes experienced.

Many researchers suggest that the main function of laughter as an easily and
unambiguously readable human reaction is to inform others that they are
participating in a game, rather than in a serious activity, and a way of imposing this
state on others (the contagiousness of laughter). In other words, laughter is a means
of exerting direct influence on communication participants, which has a powerful
motivational potential, which can be used, for example, to rally a group and
coordinate its actions, regulate its emotional climate. 20

The structure of humor as a special type of communication defines a number of

socio-cultural functions that it performs in various types of activities. Among
them, researchers distinguish three main categories: generating positive emotions,
ensuring interpersonal communication and influencing people, emotional
relaxation and stress relief.

According to the research of the American psychologist Alice Eisen, people

who experience positive emotions have significantly improved cognitive abilities
and social behavior characteristics: the flexibility of thinking increases, providing a
creative approach to problem solving; the organization of memory, assessment of
the situation, decision-making and planning of one's actions become more
effective; the level of social responsibility and socially oriented behavior
(responsiveness, generosity, etc.) increases. In 1998, American scientist Barbara

20
Delabastita D. Verbally expressed humor and translation: an overview of a neglected fields // Humor, special
Issue of international Journal of Humor Research. 2005. № 18 (2), рр. 135-145.

36
Fredrickson expressed the hypothesis of the expanding and constructive function
of positive emotions. 21

According to her concept, negative emotions narrow the field of perception,

concentrate attention and encourage simple and standard forms of behavior;
positive emotions expand the field of perception, distribute attention to various
objects, providing a non-standard approach to solving problems and increasing the
number of possible behavioral reactions of a person.

Chapter 2. The main difficulties in translating humor in episodes of

the «Fry and Laurie Show.

Translating humorous programs such as The Fry and Laurie Show is a difficult
task for translators. This is due to the need to preserve the original meaning, jokes
and cultural references, which may not always be understandable to another
audience. This paper examines the main difficulties encountered in translating
humor in episodes of this popular British TV show.22

21
Прохоров А.М. Большой энциклопедический словарь. М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия, 2004. 1456
с.

22
Delabastita D. Verbally expressed humor and translation: an overview of a neglected fields // Humor, special
Issue of international Journal of Humor Research. 2005. № 18 (2), рр. 135-145.

37
 Cultural references. One of the main difficulties is the translation of cultural
references. Jokes based on the specific realities of British culture may be
incomprehensible to viewers from other countries.

Examples: Mentions of famous British personalities, places or events may have

no analogues in the culture of the target audience. Historical or political contexts
are often lost in translation, making jokes ineffective.

Wordplay is an important part of the humor in "The Fry and Laurie Show."
Translating this kind of humor requires not only knowledge of the language, but
also a creative approach to preserve the semantic and humorous effect.

Examples: Puns and homonyms that work in English may be difficult to

translate into Russian due to differences in phonetics and semantics. Jokes based
on the ambiguity of words often require replacement with similar word games in
the target language, which can be a difficult task.

Idiomatic expressions often used in humorous dialogues are also difficult for
translators.

Examples: British idioms may not have direct equivalents in Russian, which
requires a creative approach to translation. Translating idioms often requires
adaptation to preserve their humorous effect in the target language.

Verbal and non-verbal nuances. The humor in "The Fry and Laurie Show" is
often based on nuances of speech, intonation, and nonverbal elements that are
difficult to convey in translation.

Examples: Tone and intonation can play a key role in a joke, but these aspects
cannot always be accurately conveyed in written translation. The gestures and
facial expressions of the characters can enhance the humorous effect, which
requires special attention when dubbing in another language.

38
 Localization. Successful translation of humor requires not only direct
translation, but also localization, that is, adaptation of jokes and context to the
cultural characteristics of the target audience.

Examples: Some jokes may require complete reworking in order to be

understandable and funny to viewers of another culture. Replacing original cultural
references with similar ones in the culture of the target audience can help preserve
the humorous effect.

Translating humor in episodes of The Fry and Laurie Show is a complex and
multifaceted process that requires a deep understanding of both cultures and
languages. Translators face many difficulties, including cultural references,
wordplay, idiomatic expressions and non-verbal nuances. Successful translation
requires not only an accurate understanding of the original text, but also a creative
approach to adapting jokes for the target audience.

The question of the transfer of the comic in the translation of cinema is of

undoubted interest for the theory of translation. The task facing the researchers is
to determine how possible it is to transmit a comic effect, and whether the result of
such a broadcast can be considered a good translation.

Of particular interest is the study of the perception of a work of art in the

receiving environment, which is especially important for cinema, which easily
"transcends the boundaries of the culture that gave rise to it both in time (from
generation to generation) and in space from nation to nation).

The presence of a translator lengthens the sender-viewer chain. Film translation

requires the translator to focus not only on the verbal message, but also on the
screen image, which may reinforce the visual series or contradict it. At the same
time, the translator is always "faced with a choice in the hierarchy of conflicting
dichotomies: the dichotomy of meaning and its expression, form and content,

39
oral /written and verbal/kinesic forms of text representation, meaning and
impact".23

Within the framework of the modern cognitive approach to translation activity,

it is postulated that in situations of interlanguage translation, all strategies are
implemented in the cognitive information field, the external boundaries of which
are determined by the context. -

The specific translation decisions depend on the translator's ability to use the
appropriate potential of the field. Circumstances preventing the meeting of the sign
They are called "breaks" and cause cognitive dissonance of the translator.

Cognitive dissonance (CD) is defined as "... the translator's knowledge that

there are meaningful differences between the texts of the I and the I and the
reaction to this knowledge". Undoubtedly, a film translator who works with the
source text and deals with puns, wordplay or cultural reminiscences experiences
CD, because in audiovisual translation, the translator's hands are "tied", since both
puns and wordplay can rely on some non-verbal signs.

A comic effect can be created based on the strong connection between verbal
and non-verbal means of expression and its transfer to another language can be an
impossible task, despite the degree of professionalism of the translator.

Modern audiovisual art of a comedic nature is an inexhaustible source of factors

that cause CD in translators. One of the types of such art can be attributed to a
sketch show (English sketch show, sketch comedy) - a comedy television series
built from a series of sketches (sketches) lasting from one to ten minutes, in which
comical situations and characters are presented.

A sketch show can be presented by a single actor, an acting duo, or an acting

troupe. The mechanisms for creating humor vary from sketch to sketch, so each

23
Koestler A. The act of Creation. London: Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd., 2004. 752 p.

40
scene is a separate text, but some elements may remain unchanged and repeat from
show to show.

A sketch show is a television product that, being a special genre of audiovisual

art, should be analyzed in within the framework of approaches applied to films,
according to which a film is interpreted as a special type of text - a film text. The
film text is "a coherent, integral and complete message expressed using verbal
(linguistic) and non-verbal signs, organized in accordance with the idea of a
collective functionally differentiated author using cinematographic codes, fixed on
a material medium and intended for reproduction on the screen and audiovisual
perception by viewers".24

From these positions, sketch shows can be attributed to a special genre variety
of the film text. The coherence and integrity of the audiovisual information of the
sketch show is provided by verbal and non-verbal signs, which are organized using
such special cinematic codes as angle, frame, light, plan, plot (each sketch has a
storyline), artistic space, installation, etc.

It can be argued that the set of cinematic codes used in the sketch-the show
does not differ in composition from the codes of other genres of cinema. But
according to the authors of the sketch show, these codes are organized in such a
way as to evoke certain psychophysiological reactions in the audience (smile,
laugh, etc.).

Any cinematographic and television product is a polycode object in which

verbal and non-verbal information acts on the principle of complementation. The
recipient receives information encoded in the film text through two channels:
visual and auditory. The visual series can both reinforce the auditory one and
contradict it, creating a comic effect.

24
Kozhevnikov V.M., Nikolaeva P.A. Literaturnij entsiklopedocheskij slovar [Literature encyclopedic dictionary].
Moscow: Sovetskaja jenciklopedija, 2006, 751 p.

41
 One of the main differences between sketch shows and other genres of
audiovisual art. The fact is that in them the transmission of significant verbal and
non-verbal information through visual and auditory channels is carried out with
greater intensity than in full-length films of any genre (drama, tragedy, comedy,
etc.) and its distribution in the film text has a much higher density.

Группа, смотревшая «A bit of Fray Группа, смотревшая «A bit of Fray

and Laurie» без перевода and Laurie» в переводе
On the use of turns of speech, On misunderstanding each other
metaphors, wordplay
On the wordplay On a misunderstanding
On the pun of words, on the absurdity On misunderstanding each other
of situations
On ambiguity, false On human stupidity,
interpretation of statements inattention
A play on words The stupidity of some people,
but I didn't find the rest funny
On the wordplay On misunderstanding each other
Polysemy of English words To repeat each other's words,
making one of the actors look stupid
On the wordplay On creating idiotic situations

These results allow us to draw an obvious conclusion about the significant

difference in the perception of the sketch show "A bit of Fray and Laurie" when
viewed in the original and in translation. While 75% of the surveyed students who
watched the material without translation responded positively to the question of
whether they found the material they watched funny, only 12.5% of the surveyed
students who watched the series in translation answered the same way. 25

25
Kolonneze J. Nonsens kak forma komizma [Nonsense as a form of humour]. Logitcheskij analiz yazika:
yazikovije mekchanizmi komizma [Logical analysis of the language: linguistic mechanisms of humour]. Moscow:
Indrik, 2007, pp. 254-262.
42
 2.1 Translation of the film text in the sketch show genre.

Translating the text of films in the sketch show genre is a unique challenge for
translators. Unlike traditional films, sketch shows often include many short,
independent scenes, each of which may contain different styles of humor, cultural
references, and language games. In this paper, the main aspects and difficulties
associated with the translation of text for films in the genre of sketch shows are
considered, and strategies for overcoming them are proposed.

Translating film texts in the sketch show genre requires translators to be highly
creative and have a deep understanding of both the source and target cultures. The
main difficulties include cultural references, wordplay, idioms, and non-verbal
elements that must be adapted to preserve humor. The use of localization
strategies, the search for analogues and the consideration of non-verbal elements
43
allows you to provide a high-quality translation that will be understandable and
funny to the target audience.

The genre of the sketch show is so simple that it seems as if nothing

outstanding can be born in these ghostly frames. Art always grows up in
limitations, but here they seem to be absent at all, and authors in such conditions
usually get bogged down in monotony and self-censorship.

So, a sketch show is just a set of scenes, most often of a comic nature, they are
actually called sketches. There are many stories in one episode at once so that you
can connect from anywhere. By the way, the comedians themselves, who shoot in
this genre, draw a line between sketches themselves and the so-called skits, and
this has nothing to do with monastic skits.

If a sketch for English-speaking authors is a full-fledged plot sketch that

explores a certain character, a situation, or just a certain concept in the broadest
sense of the word, then a skit is just a filmed short joke. "Skits" or "bits" , for the
most part, make up many well-known Russian sketch shows, for example, "6
frames", "Yeralash", the Soviet newsreel "Wick" and others like them.

The sketch show is firmly rooted in the tradition of American and British
television. They have already found out that the genre is not as primitive as it
might seem. It is easily adapted, for example, for animation, including for a
children's audience see Sesame Street, which, by the way, will soon return to the
air and sometimes serves satirical purposes as in the case of the parody series Mad,
based on the publications of the famous magazine of the same name, and also, if
desired, the authors easily develop to something more. 26

The classic of the genre is the legendary "Monty Python", which grew into a
real national British phenomenon, spawned several full meters ("Monty Python
and the Holy Grail", "The Life of Brian by Monty Python", "The Meaning of Life

26
Ожегов С.И. Толковый словарь русского языка. М.: АСТ, 2014. 736 с.

44
by Monty Python") and launched the directorial careers of some members of the
troupe - Terry Jones ("I Can Do Anything") and Terry Gilliam himself ("12
Monkeys", "Brazil", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", "The Fisherman King").

Today, branded British humor means something like what the Monty Python
troupe formulated and brought to life - surreal, paradoxical, self-made jokes, of
which it is unclear to the end whether they are jokes at all.

The sketches themselves are supplemented by recordings of interviews with

people on the streets, which are usually used by TV journalists to ridicule the
stupidity or inertia of the public unconscious, but British humor treats these street
testimonies quite respectfully, often deducing certain thoughts from them, which
he then continues in staged episodes.

Thus, random passers-by themselves become the protagonists of the

documentary sketches shot about them. A rather humanistic approach is to give
your unwitting heroes two minutes of screen fame.

To summarize the above: a sketch show is not necessarily cheap TV content

that is put on the schedule to score the broadcast with something simple, simple
and hypothetically funny for a tired viewer. With the help of this fragmented genre,
complex thoughts can be expressed and a cultural context can be formed.
Comedies are often denied the right to depth, and even more so sketch shows, but
this is just an annoying audience stereotype that it's time to abandon.

Another example of a sketch show, which, with all the desire, cannot be called
superficial and simple, is "Ki and Peel". Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele
created a seemingly traditional work in several seasons - in each of the episodes
they analyzed a certain social vice in several scenes where they played the main
roles. But, importantly, they often dealt with topics that showed the general and
eternal disunity of American society on issues related to race.

They both had cards in their hands-Ki and Saw mestizos from half-black, half-
white families. Accordingly, their sketches turned out to be eternally relevant. The
45
key one seems to be the one where Peel played Barack Obama, at that time still the
president of the United States, and Ki - his eternally eccentric translator.

Today, when the entire Zumerian, leftist and democratically minded American
population terribly misses the Obama era, and reveres Barack himself almost as a
saint, it seems that it was in "Key and Saw" that they began to create the image of
the most humane president of all time.

To adequately convey humor in audiovisual texts, it is important to use certain

translation strategies. There are various classifications of humor translation
strategies. For example, D. Delabastita presented the following classification of
wordplay translation strategies:

1. Word Game - a new word game. The wordplay of the source language is
transmitted using the new wordplay of the target language.

2. Wordplay - no wordplay. Wordplay of the source language

omitted in the target language.

3. Wordplay is another expressive means. The wordplay of the source language

is translated through another expressive means the target language.

4. Word game - a literal translation of the word game. The wordplay of the
source language is translated verbatim.

5. No wordplay - wordplay. Wordplay that is not present in the source language

occurs in the target language.

6. Note. The wordplay of the source language is explained using a footnote or

note.

This classification is quite detailed, but it only affects the translation of the
wordplay, and not the whole humor. In addition, it is difficult to apply some of the
techniques proposed by scientists to audiovisual texts. For example, a note is only

46
possible in the form of subtitles, however, the presence of such footnotes prevents
the viewer from perceiving the audiovisual text.

Thus, the issues of humor transmission in audiovisual translation seem to be

insufficiently studied. Despite the apparent sufficient elaboration of the research
issues, it is worth noting that the issues of translating verbal humor in an
audiovisual text in the entire set of means of its expression have not received
special coverage, including in a pair of English and Russian languages.

Moreover, the question of methods of indicating the comic effect in an

audiovisual text, as well as the development of a universal translation tool for
preserving the comic effect in a translated audiovisual text, which would not be
limited to listing basic translation transformations, and would allow taking into
account the specifics of cinema as a complex semiotic education. 27

The comic has very diverse forms. Forming a harmonious and comprehensive
classification of comic species is not an easy task, since the line between these
species is barely perceptible.

There are very few comparative analyses of the types of comic. As a rule, two
types of comic appear in comparative analyses: satire and humor, irony and humor,
satire and irony.

Only a few researchers have attempted to compare all four existing types of
comic, which is quite rare. So, there are four main types or forms of comic art –
these are satire, humor, sarcasm and irony. Satire is an incriminating discovery of
everything that does not coincide with accepted moral, socio-political and aesthetic
ideals, a kind of fierce ridicule directed at everything that will be on the way to
their full realization. Satire completely denies the mocked phenomenon and instead
opposes it with an ideal.

27
Прохоров А.М. Большой энциклопедический словарь. М.: Большая Российская энциклопедия, 2004. 1456
с.

47
 The main purpose of humor is to improve the world around us and try to
cleanse it of any flaws. Humor is considered a friendly laugh, although it is often
toothless. Comparing humor and satire, we can conclude that humor is entirely
aimed at improving, and not at destroying what is happening.

Humor implies the likelihood of pointing out any contradiction in life and the
ability to evaluate it, as well as the ability to evaluate the comic of the whole
situation. In other words, humor can be regarded as a special type of worldview.
According to A.A. Sychev, humor is a special type of comic, in which both
mockery and sympathy are combined (that is, when creating a comic effect, one
can trace the connection between the object and the subject of laughter).28

In everyday life, a sense of humor helps to cope with many life difficulties,
otherwise a person is overcome by incessant melancholy, and subsequently
depression. People need humor, which cannot be said about animals - for them, the
world around them does not seem so comic.

For example, when a person notices his pet sitting in a certain laughing
position, he begins to laugh, but he does so because this pose reminds him of
himself or someone he knows. In other words, a person laughs not at the animal
itself, but at the reflection of himself in it.

A comic statement becomes under such conditions that it is not able to evoke
other stronger emotions: anger, indignation, sympathy, pity, etc. From which it
follows that the study of the nature of humor lies in the field of psychology.
However, the very emergence of humor can be noticed both in the field of
linguistics and in the field of logic, since the basis of the comic is based on
illogical components that run counter to the basic laws of logic, on which the
comic effect is based.

28
Толковый словарь русского языка Дмитриева. URL: [Link] ru/doc/dictionary-dmitriev/[Link]
(дата обращения: 2021

48
 Irony is a kind of transitional stage between humor and satire. Irony is
characterized by greater aggressiveness than humor, and less social coloring than
satire. Irony is considered more intellectual than satire, it is more primitive
emotionally in comparison with humor.

Some scientists, such as L.I. Timofeev, also attribute irony to an intermediate

stage between satire and humor. Professor M.A. Kulinich, on the contrary, believes
that irony can enter both the field of satire and the field of humor.

British humor is a phenomenon that covers various aspects of the life of native
speakers (traditions, way of life, culture, etc.), it is expressed through such
techniques as a joke, satire, irony and others.

But many British jokes cannot be translated because they are based on a certain
combination of sounds or words. For example: to be or not to be - that is the fate,
too beer or not too beer - question of the time, two bees or not two bees - don't
drink so much.

English-language humor has several features:

1. English politeness. English politeness often becomes a topic anecdotes from

the British themselves. In addition, in other languages there are a huge number of
jokes that are associated with English politeness.

For example: "Where are the most polite policemen? - In England. First with an
electric baton, and then: Sir, does it hurt you?"

2. Equanimity. The comic effect of English jokes is often betrayed by an

unflappable response or the appearance of the speaker - this feature has been
adopted

by other countries. For example: "Barrymore, what do we have for breakfast

today? - Oatmeal, sir. - Barrymore, what do we have for lunch today? - Oatmeal,
sir.

49
 Barrymore, what are we having for dinner tonight? - Cutlets. - Hooray! - From
oatmeal, sir".

3. Grammar. Each language has certain grammatical norms that are commonly
used in communication. English grammar is the object of jokes and anecdotes. For
example: "Teacher: Paul, give me a sentence beginning with “I”. Paul: I is the…
Teacher: No, Paul. You must say “I am”, not “I is”. Paul: All right. I am the ninth
letter of the alphabet». In this case, there is a grammatical game.

4. The ambiguity of words. The peculiarity of the English language is the

presence of multiple meanings for a single word. This feature is widely used to
create a comic effect. For example: " - I was born in California. - Which part? - All
of me.

5. The game of sounds and words of the same sound. This feature is difficult to
translate while maintaining a comic effect. For example: " – Where did your
mother come from? – Alaska. – Don’t bother, I’ll ask her myself.

When pronounced quickly, the word "Alaska" sounds like "I'll ask her", which
creates a comical situation. This example cannot be translated into Russian while
preserving the comic.

2.2 Difficulties arising in the transfer of the comic in translation

based on the translation of the "Fry and Laurie Show"

Translating comics, especially those based on specific humor, like in "The Fry
and Laurie Show," presents a unique challenge for translators. The main task is to
preserve the original humor, meaning and cultural references, which may be
difficult for an audience of another language and culture to perceive. This paper
examines the main difficulties faced by translators when translating comics based

50
on the materials of The Fry and Laurie Show, and suggests strategies to overcome
them.29

The main difficulties of translating comics.

1. Cultural references

Comics, like the sketches of The Fry and Laurie Show, often contain jokes and
parodies of current events, famous personalities and cultural phenomena that may
be unknown to readers of another culture.

Example: Jokes based on British politicians or celebrities may be

incomprehensible to Russian or other audiences.

Strategy: Localization of jokes with the replacement of cultural references with

more familiar ones for the target audience. For example, replacing the mention of a
British politician with a Russian or internationally famous figure.

2. Wordplay

Wordplay is often used in comics and is one of the most difficult tasks to
translate, especially if it is based on phonetic or semantic features of the source
language.

Example: Puns that depend on the sound of words often lose their effect when
translated into another language.

Strategy: Search for similar word games in the target language. If this is not
possible, you should adapt the joke so as to keep it comical, even if the form
changes.

3. Idioms and stable expressions

Idiomatic expressions typical of English may not have direct equivalents in

Russian or any other language, which makes it difficult to convey humor.
29
Delabastita D. Verbally expressed humor and translation: an overview of a neglected fields // Humor, special
Issue of international Journal of Humor Research. 2005. № 18 , рр. 135-145.

51
 Example: English idioms such as "break the ice" (start a conversation) may not
have an exact counterpart in Russian.

Strategy: Using similar idiomatic expressions in the target language that convey
the same meaning and context.

4. Non-verbal elements

In comics, as in the Fry and Laurie Show sketches, much of the humor may
depend on non-verbal elements such as character facial expressions, gestures, and
visual gags.

Example: A non-verbal joke based on a facial expression or gesture may be

difficult to convey in a text translation.

Strategy: The integration of non-verbal elements into text hints or notes, as well
as the use of graphical tools to explain jokes.

5. Localization of visual elements

The visual elements of comics may contain text inscriptions, plaques or signs
that need to be translated and adapted for the target audience.

Example: Signs in English that are part of a joke require translation and
replacement into Russian.

Strategy: Translating and replacing text elements in visual images, as well as

adapting graphic details to match the cultural characteristics of the target audience.

Humor in audiovisual texts presents certain problems in translation. First of all,

these are difficulties in transmitting extralinguistic information. Humor is closely
connected with the national mentality and with the pressing problems of modern
society, be it politics, history, culture, society. Also, the translation of humor is
associated with the difficulties of conveying wordplay, reduced vocabulary, and
slangisms.

52
 A feature of the translation of humor in texts with a visual and verbal
component becomes a close connection these two components. The visual
component is both a limitation and an assistant in translation. On the one hand, the
visual image limits the choice of translation strategies. It is also important to take
into account the rapid turnover of personnel.

Compared to the translation of works of art, the translator of audiovisual

material does not have the opportunity to give a footnote or note at the end of the
book or make the translation much longer than in the original. On the other hand,
the non-verbal component helps the viewer to understand humor, even if the
translator did not fully succeed to convey all the subtleties of the joke.

Humor in audiovisual texts cannot be translated without using both channels of

information transmission, closely related to each other. Therefore, the analysis not
only considers translation options, but also describes the communicative situation
(non-verbal information).

As a result of the analysis of theoretical literature and work with practical

material, it is possible to propose an author's classification of translation strategies
in the translation of humor:

1. Cultural adaptation is the transfer of a unit of humor with the adaptation of

the cultural component to the target language.

2. Substitution – replacing one way of expressing humor with another.

3. Compensation is the replacement of a unit of humor in one part of the text

a unit of humor in another part of the text.

4. Literal translation is the translation of a unit of humor word for word.

5. Omission - omission of a unit of humor.

53
 The developed classification considers the translation of humor, not just
wordplay. In addition, it reflects all the techniques of humor translation that are
possible in audiovisual texts.

Special attention should be paid to the translation technique "cultural

adaptation", which takes into account the differences between the cultures of the
original language and the target language.

The choice of a translation strategy largely depends on the attitude of the target
audience. Many people tend to choose a film that touches on issues they are
familiar with. It is also obvious that when translating films, problems arise not only
of a linguistic, but also of a social, political, economic and cultural nature.

Of course, the translation of humor is a linguistic and cultural problem. In an

audiovisual text, the translation of humor is also complicated by the presence of
non-verbal codes that must be taken into account when translating. The
classification of translation strategies helps you choose the most appropriate way
to convey a unit of humor.

The classification we have developed takes into account cultural differences,

which manifest themselves in different idioms and the use of realities, as well as
non-verbal codes. When transferring we tried to solve the main problems of
translating humor in audiovisual texts: consideration of non-verbal communication
and cultural differences.

We used cultural adaptation to convey idioms, and literal translation to translate

general cultural realities. The results of the research can be applied in the field of
theory and practice of audiovisual translation, as well as in translation studies
classes.

This final qualifying work is devoted to the study of techniques for transferring
comic from English to English in a film discourse using examples taken from the
comedy series "The Fry and Laurie Show”.

54
 The translation of a comic was and is today a particularly difficult task that
requires the skill of a translator. When translating a comic, the translator must first
familiarize himself with the theoretical features of the translation of this
phenomenon. 30

That is why it is necessary to first consider the theoretical features of the comic,
its concept, functions, consider the techniques and means of creating the comic, as
well as determine the specifics of the translation of film texts.

Many scientists and philosophers have thought about the nature of the comic.
Some scientists, such as Yu.B. Borev, A. Bergson, I.V. Arnold, M.A. Kulinich,
[Link]. Propp, V.Z. Sannikov, A.A. Sychev, managed to make a tremendous
contribution to the study of this topic.

Other scientists have also addressed this issue, for example, such as S. Vlakhov
and S. Florin [Vlakhov, Florin 1980], K.A. Vorobyova [Vorobyova 2007], B.
Dzemidok [Dzemidok 1974], V.S. Vinogradov [Vinogradov 2001], A.D. Koshelev
[Koshelev 2007], E.M. Alexandrova [Alexandrova 2012], A.S. Trach [Trach
2007], I.B. Shatunovsky [Shatunovsky 2007], P.M. Aliyeva [Aliyeva 2016], S.Y.
Kapkova [Kapkova 2014], E.V. Safonova [Safonova 2013].

The phenomenon of the comic originates many centuries ago. Time passes, but
the need for laughter remains to this day. The essence of funny is not an easy
object to study, since many questions have not yet been answered: not all funny
phenomena can be defined, they are often difficult to separate from many other
phenomena.

There is always some kind of contradiction at the heart of the comic. However,
not every contradiction can be called funny, and not every innocent deviation from
the norm can cause laughter, for example, the presence of bad handwriting of one
person will not make another laugh. Similarly, in literature, the use of expressive
30
Ma Z., Jiang M. Interpretation of verbal humor in the Sitcom The Big Bang Theory // Theory and Practice in
Language Studies. 2013. №3(12), рр. 2220-2226.

55
means such as pun, litote, hyperbole, oxymoron can be directed not only to convey
a comic effect, but also to convey sadness and tragedy.

Democritus believed that laughter is a unified understanding of the world.

Laughter despises all kinds of honors, material benefits and fame. The basis of
laughter lies in the emptiness of people's actions. Despite this, he emphasizes the
fact that laughter should not express feelings of superiority of one person over
another.

Laughter is unacceptable in cases where people's suffering, troubles or grief

become the subject of ridicule. Subsequently, the famous philosopher Aristotle will
speak about the phenomenon of laughter as a "mistake that does not bring
suffering".

The judgments of Aristophanes were similar to those of Democritus.

Aristophanes was a famous comedian, so the main goal for him was to excite
laughter from the audience. In the works of Aristophanes , the theme of justice and
truth was fundamental, repeatedly in his works he mocked politicians, bribe takers,
their flattery and "empty" promises in every possible way.

2.3 Linguistic analysis of episodes of the «Fry and Laurie Show» as

an example of British humor

The Fry and Laurie Show is a British comedy television show created and
performed by Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, which aired from 1989 to 1995. The
show is known for its intelligent, satirical and sometimes absurd humor, which is
the quintessence of British comedy. The linguistic analysis of the episodes of The

56
Fry and Laurie Show allows us to reveal the main features of British humor, the
peculiarities of language use and cultural references.31

"The Fry and Laurie Show" is a prime example of British humor, which
includes irony, sarcasm, wordplay and absurdity. Linguistic analysis of the
episodes of the show reveals the peculiarities of language use and cultural
references that create a unique comic effect.

When translating, it is important to take into account lexical, grammatical and

phonetic features, as well as adapt cultural references to preserve original humor
and meaning. Since this work is devoted specifically to the linguistic and cultural
features of English humor, it is necessary to present the main provisions of this
scientific knowledge.

Linguoculturology is a young scientific discipline of a synthesizing type, an

independent branch of linguistics that took shape in the 90s of the XX century.
Language is a mirror of popular culture, its philosophy and psychology, as well as
the main source of historical knowledge about the studied country. Back in the late
XVIII and early XIX centuries, I.G. Herder and V. von Humboldt determined the
ability of language to influence the formation of folk culture.

In all spheres of cultural and discursive life, in the perception and

understanding of reality, language plays an important role. For the first time in
their works, M.M. Pokrovsky, G.V. Stepanov, D.S. Likhachev refer to
linguoculturology as a science studying the interaction of language and culture.

Linguoculturology studies the vision of the world through the prism of the
national language, because language is a means of expressing national mentality.
The linguoculturology is the units of language that have a figurative meaning in

31
Devkin V.D. Omonimi i paronimi v kalamburnom slovoobrazovnii [Homonyms and paronyms in pun word
formation]. Aktualnije problem sovremennogo yazikovogo obrazovanij v veuze [Advanced topics of contemporary
linguistic education in university]. Kolomna, 2007, pp. 30-35.

57
culture, recorded in folklore, legends, myths, proverbs and sayings, various
metaphorical turns, prose and poetic texts, as well as speech etiquette. 32

The methods used by linguoculturology include analytical techniques and

operations necessary to analyze the interrelationships of language and culture, as
well as linguistic and cultural analysis of texts.

By the end of the 19th century, issues related to the interaction of language and
culture began to worry the minds of linguists, cultural scientists and philosophers
based on anthropocentric principles of describing and cognizing the world.
Linguoculturology is one of the main directions of modern linguistics within the
framework of the anthropocentric paradigm.

The anthropocentric paradigm in linguistics is the analysis of the representation

of a person in language and language in a person. According to Baudouin de
Courtenay, language exists only in the consciousness and psyche of individuals
who make up a particular society. From an anthropocentric perspective, a person
learns about the world around him through awareness of himself and his activities
in it. With the advent of the anthropocentric paradigm, man and his existence in
culture become the center of linguistic analysis.

In the intercultural classification, linguistic and cultural studies are especially

relevant, because they determine the study of the culture of a people through its
language. According to V. N. Telia's concept, linguoculturology, unlike other
cultural disciplines, is designed to study living communicative processes in their
synchronous connection with the ethnic mentality operating in a given cultural
epoch. With this understanding of the tasks of linguoculturology, the subject of its
research becomes the "archeology of culture".

I researched the sketch show "The Fry and Laurie Show" - one of the most
popular sketch shows in the UK, which was broadcast from 1989 to 1995 on BBC

32
Koestler A. The act of Creation. London: Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd., 2004. 752 p.

58
2, translated by Novafilm. The main roles are played by British actors Stephen Fry
and Hugh Laurie.

It was she who became the director of the film "A Little Fry and Laurie". That's
why "You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs," says the author of the
article, the author of the telecommunications product. The main characters of the
episode are two businessmen Stu and Gordon who meet by chance in a restaurant.
They are served by an elderly waiter. A conflict arises between them and the
following dialogue takes place:

Оригинальная версия перевод

- Hey, sonny. Come here. If you’ve got - Эй, сынок, иди сюда. Если хочешь
any thoughts about making it in the работать в ресторанном бизнесе,
hotel business, then you better just тебе надо следить за своими
watch your lip, okey? словами.
- The kid’s just green, Stu. - Брось, Стю, он ещё зелёный пацан.

In the speech act in question, irony is achieved by using the lexemes "sonny",
"the kid", "green", which contradict the age of the character to whom they are
addressed. During the viewing of the sketch, the viewer sees an elderly waiter on
the screen, and the characters of Fry and Laurie carry out a subtle mockery of the
hero. The transfer of the comic in audiovisual translation is one of the most
difficult tasks that a translator is often unable to cope with due to limited
translation capabilities. Descriptive translation and a domestication strategy are
used here.

When watching one of the sketches " The Fry and Laurie Show ", which is
based on wordplay and polysemy, the recipient has a cognitive dissonance of the
interpreter of the translation. At the beginning of the scene, the viewer sees
Stephen Fry fixing a watch. At that moment, Hugh Laurie runs into the room and
tells Stephen the bad news. The following dialogue takes place between the
characters:
59
 Оригинальная версия перевод
- I promised Marjorie I’d mend this - Минуту, Джон, я обещал
clock for her. I wonder if you could Марджери починить часы. Не
give me a hand. желаешь ли оказать помощь?
- Big hand? - Большую?
- Little hand. - Маленькуюю

Then Hugh Laurie picks up a small hour hand from the table and hands it to
Stephen. It is worth noting that the comicality of this episode is based on:

1) polysemy: English hand as part of the idiom English to give a hand means
"помощь", and also has the meaning of "часовая стрелка";

2) the effect of deceived expectation, since after the phrase English. I wonder if
you could give me a hand the viewer expects Hugh Laurie to help Stephen Fry
repair the watch, but in fact Stephen asked Laurie to give him an arrow.

When translated into Russian, the text loses its polysemy and the effect of
deceived expectations occurs, in turn, losing its comicality. As a result of such
translations, we get the opposite effect: the viewer hears off-screen laughter, which
indicates that something funny is happening on the screen, but due to the
inadequacy of the translation, he cannot understand what is the matter. The
consequence of such situations is a violation of the integrity of the perception of
the material, which cannot but affect the overall perception.

Here is example from the sketch "The Burt", where Stephen Fry's character
interviews Peter, the hero of Hugh Laurie, who throughout the interview claims to
know many famous people, including Elizabeth Taylor and others.

In the absence of Russian equivalents, descriptive translation and domestication

are used. In the translation of invented names, calculus is used. The comic effect of
the "Names" sketch is the use of first and last names, the names of which mostly
contain a hidden or explicit meaning.
60
 Thus, the translator is faced with the task of adequate reproduction in order to
preserve the humorous intention underlying them. According to the story, Fry and
Laurie are the hosts of the program "We've had lots of letters" and asked viewers to
talk about people with funny names in letters.

The analysis of the above fragments showed that during translation there is a
loss of the comic fullness of the lexeme " The Fry and Laurie Show ". The
translator uses the transliteration of the name - Jervilian Swike. Such a translation
solution causes cognitive dissonance of the interpreter of the translation, since the
viewer sees on the screen the reaction of Fry and Laurie in the form of a smile and
hears offscreen laughter, while the translation equivalent is transliteration of the
character's first and last name. 33

We have found that the swike sema has a dictionary match "liar". We consider
it advisable to use the adaptation of the surname in the phonetic features of the
culture of the native language, characterized by the addition of the suffix -in,
characteristic of Russian surnames. In the text of the Russian translation, the
analogue is " The Fry and Laurie Show ".

The main thing in translating irony is for the audience to feel its presence in the
frame. Often, the actors' facial expressions and the intonation of their voices help
to understand this, but the lines themselves should also reflect the content of what
the director intended. In our examples, calculus and descriptive translation,
transliteration were used, because in the original the irony is very obvious and
there were no special difficulties in translating it into Russian.

As we can see, examples are given about fatherhood and the dog was conveyed
descriptively and with the help of calculus. If we talk about the translation strategy,
when transferring English-language irony into Russian, domestication was more

33
Devkin V.D. Omonimi i paronimi v kalamburnom slovoobrazovnii [Homonyms and paronyms in pun word
formation]. Kolomna, 2007, pp. 30-35.

61
often used in order to explain the meaning of the units to designate irony to
recipients in such a way that their meaning became clear.

This study examines the change in approaches to the translation of film-comedy

English in diachrony. The focus is on translation strategies, how they have been
used and how they have changed over the past 30 years, as well as the features and
difficulties of translating audiovisual comedies, in particular British ones. The
work is devoted to the study of comedic audiovisual text, namely jokes.

In the course of the work, definitions of audiovisual text, audiovisual

translation, comedy, sitcom will be given, as well as classifications of translation
strategies, types of jokes and types of audiovisual translation will be given. To
conduct the study, a corpus of jokes from the TV series "The Fry and Laurie
Show" and "Staging" was collected, consisting of 288 occurrences. As a result of
the conducted research, the trend towards the globalization of humor and,
accordingly, the trend towards the globalization of translation strategies was
revealed.34

It's a pity that "The Fry and Laurie Show" is short enough. At the same time,
several thousand episodes could have been released by others. Although, maybe
this is a good thing, they did not waste time on trifles, honestly followed the style
to the very end and went to the peak of popularity without losing a spark and
without having time to bother the audience.

There were not many episodes, but each of them can be considered a small
masterpiece. If you throw out all the breaks, you can see that the show was
released for only two years. However, such a large number of snobs managed to
eat through the bald patch, a hundred centuries ago it would have ended in a
bonfire. And considering how this show rattles to this day, it seems that they really

34
Почепцов О.Г. Языковая ментальность: способ представления мира // Вопросы языкознания. 2000. № 6. С.
110-122.

62
are sorcerers, but instead of a staff in their hands is a magic whip of satire and
humor.

Conclusion

The linguistic and cultural features of British humor, presented in the scripts
of the episodes of The Fry and Laurie Show, reflect the unique synthesis of
language and culture inherent in Great Britain. By analyzing the translations of
these scripts, we can identify key aspects that determine the nature of British
humor and its perception in other linguistic and cultural contexts.
63
 First of all, British humor is characterized by subtle irony and sarcasm that
permeate the dialogues and monologues of the characters of the show. This aspect
of humor requires the translator not only to have an accurate understanding of the
lexical and syntactic structure of the source text, but also the ability to convey the
same nuances in the target language. For example, sarcastic remarks by Stephen
Fry and Hugh Laurie can be difficult to understand without appropriate context and
intonation cues.

An important element of British humor is wordplay and puns, often based on

a multi-level game of meanings and sound analogies. The translation of such
elements requires not only the selection of equivalent words, but the creation of a
similar wordplay in the target language, which is sometimes impossible without
losing part of the original comic effect.

The absurdity and absurdity often found in the dialogues and situations of
The Fry and Laurie Show serve as another important feature of British humor. To
successfully translate such elements, it is necessary to preserve the spirit of the
absurd and find similar cultural and linguistic parallels that would resonate with
the target audience.

Lexico-semantic and syntactic analysis of scripts has shown that British

humor often uses complex syntactic constructions, archaisms and dialectisms. This
requires the translator to have in-depth knowledge not only of the source language,
but also of the cultural context in order to maintain stylistic and semantic accuracy.

Cultural references and references play a significant role in creating a comic

effect in The Fry and Laurie Show. The translation of such elements requires either
clarification or adaptation to make them understandable to the target audience.
Without this, many jokes can lose their meaning and sharpness.

The cultural aspect plays an important role in humor, since a person takes
the realities in which he lives as the basis for jokes. It can be difficult to understand
64
the humor of another people because of differences in their way of thinking,
traditions and life values. For example, Russians consider English humor to be
peculiar, and the stereotype that English jokes are not funny is very common. But
in order to understand English humor, you need to get to know the language and
culture of this people closely.
The conclusion underlines the importance of cross-cultural competence and
depth of linguistic knowledge for the successful translation of British humor. The
translator must be not only a master of the language, but also a cultural mediator
capable of conveying subtle nuances and preserving the comic effect of the
original. The Fry and Laurie Show is a vivid example of the difficulties and
challenges faced by a translator working with British humor, and highlights the
need for a comprehensive approach to translation, including linguistic, cultural and
contextual analysis.

Thus, the study of the translation of scripts of episodes of The Fry and
Laurie Show demonstrates the importance of understanding the linguistic and
cultural features of British humor and emphasizes the need to develop and apply
special translation techniques that take into account all its nuances.

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