Humor

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of utilizing humorous versus non-humorous texts on receptive and productive vocabulary learning. This research is also conducted to seek whether language proficiency of the participants would be a factor influencing the effectiveness of two types of treatments used in the study. The materials employed in the present study include 17 humorous and 17 non-humorous texts which contain the target words. 87 students at two proficiency levels participated in the study and almost half of them were exposed to the target words through humorous texts and the second half learned the words through non-humorous texts. The target words with their English definitions were presented to the participants. Each text was accompanied by some comprehension questions, either in the multiple choice format, fill in the blanks or open ended questions. Following the treatment, an unannounced immediate post-test was administered to measure the effectiveness of two text types on vocabulary learning. After a three-week interval, an unannounced delayed post-test was administered to check the efficacy of text types on long-term vocabulary learning. The findings suggest significantly better vocabulary learning both in immediate and delayed post-tests for the less proficient participants learning target words through humorous texts. However, in the case of the more proficient learners, it turns out that humor is considerable in long-term learning of the target words. Based on the results, it is recommended that teachers and materials developers include more elements of humor in the language classes and course books.

In recent years, audiovisual translation (AVT) has become omnipresent in different parts of the world; however, dubbing humor restrictions may hamper the translation in that maintaining the humor in the target language (TL) requires a high level of knowledge. Although several studies have attempted to describe the distribution of translation strategies, few systematic attempts are made to analyze the employed AVT strategies in humor series. The present study analyzed the Persian humor expressions’ appropriacy and their translated versions in English through a qualitative study. To this aim, the dominant strategies used to render humor in the translated versions of 3 dubbed Iranian series (i.e., Shamsolemareh, Chimney, and Medical Building ) were analyzed. Furthermore, the typologies of the employed audiovisual humor in the series were analyzed. Data analysis illustrated that clumsiness and parody were the most frequent humor typologies used in the series. The 3 strategies of omission, word-for-word translation, and free translation were the most frequent ones. In conclusion, the results indicated the failure to accommodate the Iranian series’ humorous level, preventing the target audience from appreciating humor. Findings can contribute to the improvement of the quality of humor translation.

Translating humorous expressions in novels, especially those containing culture-bound concepts, has always caused insurmountable hurdles for translators in delineating SL characters in TL contexts. In recognition of this, the current research aimed to first study the constraints of translating humor in Iran‘s War Literature, as a representative of highly-culture bound texts, and second to examine the extent that the strategies used by the translator in translating humors affected character delineation in their English translations. To this end, the humorous expressions in four novels on Iran‘s War Literature were identified and their constraints of their translations were categorized on the basis of Attardo‘s (2002) adaption of the General Theory of Verbal Humor for translation. As for the first research question, the findings indicated that Script Opposition can be the most problematic factor in translating humor. As for the second research question, it was revealed that the translator translated 91.17% of the humorous expressions literally, which can cause the characters sound strange and bizarre in the target language translations. It is argued that literalist translation can be used as a means of gathering information about the would-be colonized since it provides colonizers with accurate and reliable information, free from distorting names or any other cultural attributes.

Purpose : The aim of this study was the effectiveness of family therapy in Bowen's systemic approach on humor and intimacy of couples. Methodology : The research design was quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design with experimental and control groups. The statistical population of the study was all couples in Tehran in 2020. The statistical sample size of the study is 50 couples who, after consultation and explanation of the research conditions and the satisfaction of the sample, are divided into experimental and control groups (25 in the experimental group and 25 in the control group). The experimental group was exposed to the Bowen systemic approach during eight sessions of family therapy, and the controls did not receive any training from the researcher. The research instruments were the Thompson and Walker Marital Intimacy Scale 1983 and the 2003 Martin Humor Questionnaire. Analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Findings : Data analysis showed that the experimental group in the post-test phase after receiving family therapy Bowen systemic approach in the variables of humor and intimacy had a positive difference compared to the control group and the research hypotheses were confirmed. Conclusion : Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that Bowen's systemic approach to family therapy has an effect on couples humor and intimacy.

The present study made an attempt to determine the translator’s choices made, both at macro and micro levels, to render humor from English into Persian. To this end, the English version of Teule’s (2008) The Suicide Shop and its Persian translation, which was made by Karamveisi (2017), was carefully investigated to extract humor and Persian translations. Then, Chiaro’s (2010) taxonomy of translation strategies, including replace the source VEH with a different instance of VEH in the TL , replace the source VEH with an idiomatic expression in the TL , ignore the VEH altogether , and leave the VEH unchanged , were applied to examine the translation strategies employed by Karamveisi to cope with humor. Karamveisi’s overall strategy for the whole text was also probed on the basis of Nida’s (1964) formal and dynamic equivalences. As the results indicated, Karamveisi was interested in the employment of the TT-oriented translation strategies rather than the ST-oriented ones that led his overall strategy at macro level to be the TT-oriented and his translation to be dynamic. Hence, Karamveisi was able to create the humorous effect on the recipients and amuse them successfully.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19), started in late 2019 and developed into a pandemic by March 2020 and has become a global problem. Following the global outbreak and coronavirus spreading around the world, the WHO reported a statement on January 11, 2020, announcing the new Coronavirus outbreak as the sixth significant public health emergency in the world. In the stressful situation caused by the coronavirus epidemic, many jokes and Humor about this disease were distributed on social networks. In these circumstances, the question arises: Why do some people continue to make jokes about it, despite the mass perception of the coronavirus epidemic? The present research method was qualitative and Strauss and Corbin's version of the grounded theory was used. Participants were included the Telegram Social Network Comic Channel “https://t.me/s/jokcom” Members, which had more than 2879 members and those on Instagram and Twitter members who liked the corona content to the jokes about the covid-19 pandemic inside Iran. Based on the result, we found the effects and consequences of corona jokes. There was several factors involved in shaping the phenomenon of covids jokes. Joke and Humor are like a double-edged sword; in some situation, can be both harmful and helpful.

This paper intends to examine Woody Allen’s films from the perspective ofIris Murdoch’s moral philosophy. By exploring the possible relationshipbetween humor and unselfing, we try to highlight the moral dilemmas of thecharacters and the audience’s ironic response to the use of humor. Focusingon three films (Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hanna and Her Sisters), it isargued that the films depict morally complex scenarios where humor has atherapeutic function as well as a morally ambivalent one. In Manhattan andAnnie Hall, Isaac and Alvy’s form of self-deprecating humor does come offas self-love but it falls short of unselfing. Their self-love is only in the serviceof ego, while on the other hand, Mickey in Hannah and Her Sisters, and Tracyin Manhattan show how considering the singularity of other people’sexperience will help one unself. Mickey is the only character in these threemovies that achieves unselfing through humor and the attendant detachment.If the audience is caught up in the ego trip of the characters, they will miss awhole other level of humor