Gallows¹ humor is humor in the face of or about very unpleasant, serious, or painful circumstances. Any humor that treats serious matters, such as death, war, disease, crime, etc., in a light, silly or satirical fashion is considered gallows humor. Gallows humor has been described as a witticism² in the face of – and in response to – a hopeless situation. It arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations, often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending³ and unavoidable.

 

Gallows humor（绞刑架幽默）指在面临极度不适、严肃或痛苦的情势时表现出来的幽默。用有点轻快的、带点傻气的或者讽刺意味的幽默来对待死亡、战争、疾病及犯罪等严肃事物的幽默都可以被称为“绞刑架幽默”。这种幽默被视为面临无望境地时表现出的诙谐，多产生于极端压力、痛苦或生命遇到威胁的情境，多数情况下死亡就近在眼前或者不可避免。

 

Gallows humor is typically made by or about the victim of such a situation, but not the perpetrator of it.

 

绞刑架幽默的创作者或中心人物一般是上述情境下的受害者，而非施害者。

 

For example:

 

At his public execution, the murderer William Palmer is said to have looked at the trapdoor on the gallows and asked the hangman, "Are you sure it's safe?"

杀人犯威廉·帕默尔被公开执刑时，据说他看了看绞刑架上的活动门，然后问施刑者：“你确定那门安全吗？”

 

There was once a convicted murderer by the name of James French. He was sentenced to death by electric chair. It is said that his final words were “How’s this for headline? French Fries”.

有个名叫James French的杀人犯被判有罪，判处电椅死刑。据说，他的临终遗言是这么说的：“用French Fries做头条标题怎么样？”