How to write comedy - Jodie Houlston-Lau

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

A World War II veteran processes the devastation he’s witnessed

二次大戰的退役軍人 想著他所目擊的慘狀，

from the confines of an intergalactic zoo.

他身在銀河動物園的牢籠中。

As an estranged parent and child meet at a fraught family reunion,

當疏遠的親子在緊繃的 家庭聚會中見面，

a little girl mumbles, “How do you do?” from behind a dirty curtain.

小女孩從骯髒的簾子後面 含糊地說：「你好嗎？」

After the death of his best friend,

在最好的朋友過世後，寂寞的國王

a lonely king travels to the end of the world in search for answers and...

前往世界的盡頭尋找答案，且……

walks into a bar.

走進了一間酒吧。

It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story.

似乎很不合乎直覺，

但喜劇對於嚴肅故事而言 通常相當重要。

As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions,

身為作家，

不論寫什麼類型的作品， 都得讓你的讀者體驗到多種情緒。

no matter what your genre.

Whether you want to evoke fear, grief, or excitement,

不論你想讓讀者感到 恐懼、悲傷，或興奮，

when people are exposed to one emotion for too long,

當人長時間暴露在某一種情緒下，

they become desensitized to it.

就會對這種感覺麻木。

Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied emotional texture

經過測試證明， 用喜劇調劑的方式可以

創造出引人入勝的故事 所需要的情緒變化。

a compelling story needs.

So how can you create this effect in your own stories?

那麼，你要如何在你自己的 故事中創造出這種效應？

Whether you use characters, situations, language, or any combination of the three,

不論你要用的是角色、情境、 語言，或這三者的任意組合，

timing and contrast are crucial.

關鍵在於時機點和對比性。

Take the “Epic of Gilgamesh.”

以《吉爾伽美什史詩》為例，

This ancient Mesopotamian tale is possibly the oldest known work of literature,

這個美索不達米亞的古老故事， 可能是目前已知最早的文學作品，

and yet the story remains compelling today.

但至今這個故事仍然十分吸引人。

As King Gilgamesh approaches the end of the world,

當國王吉爾加美什 接近世界的盡頭時，

he walks into a bar.

他走進了一間酒吧。

We think we’re reaching the climax of his story—

我們以為他的故事 就要到達高潮了——

only to have our expectations subverted.

我們的期望卻被推翻。

That brief respite allows the tension to build even higher

短暫喘口氣，讓緊張感 能更上一層樓，

to a later, true climax.

導致後續真正的高潮。

It both relieves and creates tension.

它放鬆緊張感，也創造緊張感。

This lesson also applies to modern stories:

這個方法也適用於現代故事：

by briefly lightening the mood,

透過短暫放鬆心情，

you can build tension in your stories exactly when it’s needed.

你就能在你的故事中 必要的時刻製造緊張。

The moment at the bar doesn’t just amplify the audience’s emotional response—

酒吧的那段時刻不僅放大了 讀者的情緒反應——

it also complicates it.

還讓反應變複雜了。

The wise bartender questions the purpose of Gilgamesh’s quest—

明智的酒保質疑吉爾加美什 這趟追尋之旅的意義——

setting the stage for the final, more nuanced resolution.

為了最終更微妙的解答舖路。

You can use comic relief not only to create contrast with graver moments,

你不僅能用喜劇調劑 創造出重要時刻的對比，

but to comment on them.

還能對那些時刻發表意見。

Sidekicks are one of the most common and direct ways to do this:

最常見且直接的做法 就是設計一個副手角色：

they can supply sneakily perceptive commentary on the main action,

他們除了能悄悄地針對 主要行動提供精明的評論，

often while simultaneously serving as blundering, hapless punchlines.

同時又扮演粗笨、倒楣的點睛之筆。

Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” takes a different approach:

馮內果的《第五號屠宰場》 採用不同的方式：

the story continuously alternates between horrific war scenes

故事在可怕的戰爭場景

和古怪的科幻橋段之間不斷切換。

and wacky science fiction moments.

These scenes provide comic relief,

這些場景提供了喜劇調劑，

but also open a dialogue about what’s usually unspeakable,

但也開啟了對話， 談及通常難以形容的內容，

highlighting the arbitrary nature of human suffering

強調出人類苦難的本質 就是反覆無常，

in a way that makes it more impactful.

讓它變得更有衝擊性。

Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things”

阿蘭達蒂洛伊的《微物之神》

takes yet another approach to comic relief.

又用另一種方式來製造喜劇調劑。

The narrative style draws upon the perspective of children

她的敘事風格用的是孩童的視角，

to infuse a tragic story with poignant humor.

在悲劇性的故事中注入尖刻的幽默。

When the adults funnel decades of tensions over race, class, and family dynamics

當成人將數十年來由種族、 階級，及家庭動態所造成的緊張

into their expectations for their children’s behavior,

注入到他們對於自己孩子 行為的期望中，

you can’t help but chuckle with recognition when,

你會忍不住一邊點頭一邊竊笑，

at the moment she’s expected to put on a perfect performance of politeness,

因為當你預期她應該要端出 完美禮貌表現的時刻，

7-year-old Rahel “[ravels] herself like a sausage into the dirty airport curtain

七歲的瑞海兒

「用骯髒的機場窗簾 把她自己纏結成香腸

and [won’t] unravel.”

且不肯解開。」

At the same time, you know her failure to behave will only add to the tension.

同時，

你知道她無法表現檢點 只會緊張感更強烈。

Afterward, she thinks, “the play had gone bad.

後來，她心想

「這齣戲餿掉了，

Like Pickle in a monsoon.”

就像雨季的醃黃瓜。」

This punchline underscores the reality of the situation:

這句妙語強調出這個情境的現實面：

the reunion is so forced and formal,

這場團聚很強迫，很形式，

Rahel feels like her family are actors in a play,

讓瑞海兒覺得她的家人 是一齣戲中演員，

and she feels powerless in the storm of what’s happening.

置身在這些事件的風暴中 讓她感到無力。

To make the most of comic relief, think not only about what moment in your story

若要把喜劇調劑發揮到極至，

要思考的不僅是在故事中的哪個時刻

would most benefit from a splash of contrasting emotion,

丟出對比情緒會最有益，

but also: what message you’d like to convey that you can’t say directly?

也要想想你想要傳遞什麼 無法直言的訊息？

Which of your readers’ assumptions would you like to call into question?

你的讀者有哪些假設， 是你想要拿出來質疑的？