What is the greatest reward of being alive? Is it chocolate, sex, ice cream, tropical vacations, hugs from children, a perfect night’s sleep, or the satisfaction of a job well done? A thousand people, a thousand different answers. But one supreme pleasure that spans all people is laughter.

　　Little can compare to the feeling of a deep, complete, heartfelt laughing spell. No matter your age, wealth, race, or living situation, life is good when laughter is frequent.

　　Life is also healthier. Research finds that humor can help you cope better with pain, enhance your immune system, reduce stress, even help you live longer. Laughter, doctors and psychologists agree, is an essential component of a healthy, happy life.

　　As Mark Twain once said, “Studying humor is like dissecting a frog — you may know a lot but you end up with a dead frog.” Nonetheless, we’re giving it a try. Here are 19 tips for getting — or growing — your sense of humor, based partly on the idea that you can’t be funny if you don’t understand what funny is.

　　人生的最大追求是什么？ 是巧克力，性爱，冰激凌，热带地区的观光，孩子们的拥抱，美美的睡上一觉，还是做好工作带来的满足感？ 每个人给出的答案都会不同。 但是有一样极致的乐趣雅俗共赏，那就是欢笑。

　　没有什么能与一阵开怀大笑的感觉相提并论。 不论年龄，种族，身体状况或是生活境况，只要笑口常开，生活就是美好的。

　　生活也会更健康。 研究表明，幽默可以帮助你战胜病痛，提高免疫功能，减轻压力，甚至有益于延年益寿。 医生和心理学家也认为，欢笑是健康幸福生活的一个重要元素。

　　正如马克·吐温曾经说过，“研究幽默就像解剖一只青蛙—也许你能获益良多，但最终得到的只是一具青蛙尸体。” 不管怎样，我们还是要试一试。 下面给出19条小贴士，帮你培养幽默感，或是助你一臂之力，前提思想是如果你不明白好笑之处，你就不会惹人笑。

　　1. First, regain your smile. A smile and a laugh aren’t the same thing, but they do live in the same neighborhood. Be sure to smile at simple pleasures — the sight of kids playing, a loved one or friend approaching, the successful completion of a task, the witnessing of something amazing or humorous. Smiles indicate that stress and the weight of the world haven’t overcome you. If your day isn’t marked by at least a few dozen, then you need to explore whether you are depressed or overly stressed.

　　1. 首先，重拾微笑。 微笑和欢笑不尽相同，但两者又紧密相连。感到一般的乐趣时一定要微笑—看到孩子们玩耍，爱人或朋友朝自己走来，圆满完成了一项任务，目睹了令人称奇或是幽默的什么事情。微笑说明你还没有为生活的压力和负担所压倒。 如果你一天内几十次的微笑都没有，那你就需要问问自己是不是患了忧郁症或是压力过大。

　　2. Treat yourself to a comedy festival. Rent movies like Meet the Parents; Young Frankenstein; Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure; Monty Python and the Holy Grail; This Is Spinal Tap; Animal House; Blazing Saddles; Trading Places; Finding Nemo. Reward yourself frequently with the gift of laughter, Hollywood style.

　　2. 给自己找些乐子。 租一些电影录像回来看，比如说“拜见岳父大人”，“新科学怪人”，“妙人怪谭”，“巨蟒与圣杯”，“摇滚万万岁”，“动物屋”，“神枪小子”，“颠倒乾坤”，“海底总动员”。 经常奖励自己一点欢笑，好莱坞式的那种。

　　3. Recall several of the most embarrassing moments in your life. Then find the humor in them. Now practice telling stories describing them in a humorous way. It might take a little exaggeration or dramatization, but that’s what good storytelling is all about. By revealing your vulnerable moments and being self-deprecating, you open yourself up much more to the humorous aspects of life.

　　3. 回想你平生最尴尬的几个时刻。 然后从中找到幽默。 再练习编织故事，用幽默的形式表达出来。 也许需要加点夸张或戏剧色彩，但好故事都是这么讲出来的。 要是自曝短处，自我嘲笑，你就更加融入幽默的生活方式了。