Most of us know someone great at telling jokes. It takes exceptional talent, however, to become a successful stand-up comedian. These people stand up on stage with just a microphone and try their hardest to get as many __1__ from the audience as possible.
In countries like the US and the UK, top stand-up comedians are among the best-known celebrities. Most focus on a specific type of comedy in their act. One of the most common is observational comedy, __2__ jokes are made about aspects of everyday life. Another is political satire, which makes fun of people in politics.
Early versions of stand-up comedy date back to the 19th century. However, the style that people are familiar with today — one person standing before an audience telling jokes— started __3__ in the 1930s. In the 1970s and 1980s, special comedy clubs like The Laugh Factory and the Comedy Cellar began appearing in cities.
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As early as the 1960s, however, stand-up comedians had been performing regularly on late-night television talk shows, such as The Tonight Show. This development was __4__ in introducing stand-up comedy to a much wider audience, enabling people who had never seen a live show to enjoy this unique form of entertainment.
These days, it’s common for performers to have their act filmed and __5__ on video streaming services. And while stand-up comedy, like jazz and rock music, is primarily an American art form, other countries and cultures have warmly embraced it.
我們大多數人都認識某個擅長講笑話的人。然而,要成為一名成功的單口喜劇演員,需要非凡的才能。這些人站在只有一支麥克風的舞臺上,卯足全力地想從觀眾席中得到愈多笑聲愈好。
在美國和英國等國家,頂尖的單口喜劇演員也都是名聲非常響亮的名人。大多數人的表演專注於特定類型的喜劇。最常見的喜劇之一是觀察型喜劇,其中的笑話是關於日常生活的各個層面。另一種是開政治人物玩笑的政治諷刺。
單口喜劇的早期版本可以追溯到十九世紀。然而,現今人們熟悉的風格──一個人站在觀眾面前講笑話──在1930年代開始漸受歡迎。在1970年代和1980年代,像笑匠工廠和喜劇酒窖這樣的特殊喜劇俱樂部開始在城市中出現。
然而,早在1960年代,單口喜劇演員就經常在深夜的電視脫口秀節目(如《今夜秀》)中表演。這一發展在把單口喜劇介紹給更廣泛的觀眾上很有影響力,能讓從未看過現場表演的人享受這種獨特的娛樂形式。
如今,表演者通常會錄下他們的表演,並發表在影音串流服務上。雖然單口喜劇像爵士樂和搖滾樂一樣,主要是美國的一種藝術形式,但其他國家和文化已經熱情地接受了它。
What Did You Learn?
1. (A) tears (B) laughs
(C) signs (D) frowns
2. (A) when (B) how
(C) why (D) where
3. (A) building confidence
(B) causing offense
(C) gaining popularity
(D) raising awareness
4. (A) influential (B) optimistic (C) sensitive (D) ridiculous
5. (A) deposited (B) released (C) scattered (D) furnished
參考答案
1.(B) 2. (D) 3. (C) 4. (A) 5. (B)
Word in Use
1. exceptional a. 非凡的,卓越的
Alex showed an exceptional talent in art at a very young age.
艾力克斯很小的時候就展露出他非凡的藝術天分。
2. comedian n. 喜劇演員
The comedian is known for mimicking the voices of several celebrities.
那名喜劇演員以模仿多位名人的聲音而聞名。
3. celebrity n. 名人
The media seems to monitor everything that celebrities say and do.
名人的一言一行似乎都受到媒體的監控。
media為集合名詞,在現代美式英語中,常將其視為單數。
4. aspect n. 層面、方面
The older generation tends to be more conservative in many aspects.
老一輩的人在很多方面都比較保守。
5. version n. 版本
The novel has been adapted into a shorter version for children to read.
這本小說被改編為較短的版本供兒童閱讀。
Practical Phrases
1. try one’s hardest to V 盡某人最大的努力做…
I will try my hardest to make sure the show is a success.
我會盡全力確保演出成功。
2. focus on 專注、著重於 = concentrate on
It was so noisy outside that I couldn’t focus on my studies.
外面太吵了,所以我無法專注唸書。
3. make fun of... 開…玩笑,取笑…
Tina was upset because her classmates made fun of her new hairstyle.
蒂娜很生氣,因為同學嘲笑她的新髮型。
4. date back to + 時間點/時期
追溯到某一時間點/時期
The history of this castle dates back to the early 15th century.
這座城堡的歷史可追溯至十五世紀初期。
5. be familiar with... 熟悉…
Jack isn’t familiar with the company rules yet.
傑克尚未熟悉公司的規則。
聽文章朗讀及講解: https://ivy.pse.is/455bfu
本文出自常春藤解析英語雜誌: www.ivy.com.tw
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