Abstract

Humor is an abstract concept. It is not only rich in cultural connotations, but also a mean of cultural dissemination.
British humor is a general term for the humorous verbal expressions or actions produced in the United Kingdom and some of its former colonies, and it covers a wide range of topics. The emotional component of humor is often hidden beneath the surface, thus making it difficult for people from other cultures to understand.
Humorous language only offers the possibility to achieve humor. The recipient has to try to turn this possibility into reality. This thesis chooses to study British humor from the perspective of Relevance Theory in an attempt to reveal how the recipient of British humor   finds the humor sender’s intention, discovers the disharmonious factors and finds out how humorous effects are eventually achieved.

Keywords: Humor; British humor; Relevance Theory; Harry Potter

摘 要

幽默是语言的艺术，同时又高于语言，即便是一个简单的肢体动作或是一个眼神同样可以达到幽默的目的。幽默不仅承载着文化的内涵，同时更是文化的实现形式和传播手段。
英式幽默，是对某种产生于英国和它的前殖民地的某些有喜剧效果的语言或行动的总称。强烈的讽刺和自嘲的主题贯穿英式幽默。有时候，这种幽默对非英联邦国家的人来说可能显得很奇怪和难以理解。
本文从关联理论的角度对英式幽默的产生机制进行了研究，发现幽默话语只是提供了实现幽默的可能性，要理解英式幽默，幽默接受者要将这种可能性变成事实，必须发现幽默发出者的意图，发现不和谐因素，根据语境及背景知识找出其中的和谐，并获得愉悦。

关键词：幽默; 英式幽默; 关联理论; 哈利•波特