Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humor is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics.
    我们觉得一个笑话好笑与否很大程度上取决于我们在哪里长大。国民性格蜜汁决定了幽默感。
    PS: Whether we find a joke funny or not, 主语从句。
    PS++: The sense of humor, 幽默感。
    PS++++: A is mysteriously bound up with B, B蜜汁决定A。

    A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.
    举个例子，一个法国人可能很难对一个俄罗斯笑话发笑。同样，一个俄罗斯人也无法从另一个英国人笑出泪点的笑话中找人任何令人捧腹的点。
    PS: laugh to tears，笑出眼泪。

    Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Charlie Chaplin’s early films.
    大部分最搞笑的故事都是基于漫画情境的。尽管存在民族差异，某些有趣的情境还是会有普遍的吸引力。无论你住在哪，说起查理·卓别林早期的电影，你可能就很难忍住不笑了。
    PS: a universal appeal，普遍的吸引力。

    However, a type of humor, which stems largely from the U.S., has recently come into fashion. It is called ‘sick humor’.
    然而，最近，有一种正从美国蔓延开来的幽默，变得风靡起来。它被称作“病态幽默”。
    PS: stem from, 从…起源

    Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of ‘sick humor’ will enable you to judge for yourself.
    演员们将悲剧情景，例如暴死、重大事故来编造笑话。许多人认为这种笑话口味太重。接下来的“病态幽默”的例子，你可以自己判断下。
    PS: find … distasteful, 原意为“发现某事难以忍受”，这里译作“发现某事口味重”。

    A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on pestering his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home.
    圣诞节前几周，一个男人摔断右腿，住进了医院。从他来到医院开始，他便一再要求医生告诉他什么时间可以回家。
    PS: pester sb. to do，纠缠某人做某事。

    He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, the patient’s recovery was slow.
    他害怕不得不在医院过圣诞节。尽管医生尽了最大努力，但他的恢复还是很慢。
    On Christmas Day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed thinking of all the fun he was missing.
    圣诞节这一天，他的右腿仍然绑着石膏。在思索他所错过的乐趣中，他度过了一个难熬的圣诞节。
    PS: a miserable day, 难熬的一天（度日如年）。

    The following day, however, the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year Celebrations were good.
    然而第二天，医生来安慰他，告诉他，它可以在新年那天及时出院。
    The man took heart and, sure enough, on New Year’s Eve he was able to hobble along to a party. To compensate for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more was good for him.
    病人提振了信心。果然，在新年前夕，它已经可以瘸着腿去参加派对了。为了弥补他在医院的糟糕经历，他喝得比正常时候还多。
    PS: take one’s heart, 提振某人信心。
    PS++: compensate for, 弥补、补偿。

    In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.
    在此过程中，他恣意放纵，并不停地告诉所有人他有多恨医院。晚会结束时，他还在喃喃医院有各种不好。这时，他突然被一块冰滑倒，摔伤了左腿。。。
    PS: enjoyed oneself thoroughly，恣意放纵。