VOA慢速英语2020--卫生纸幽默拯救短缺时期的美国

Toilet Paper Humor Saves America During Shortage¹

It is no secret that 2020 has been a very memorable² year so far. But fears over the coronavirus and what will happen in the weeks to come have led to a welcome way of coping: laughter.

And the current health crisis³ has brought out some of the funniest memes and social media posts in the history of the internet.

You might be wondering how anyone could make jokes about such a serious subject. Yet the jokes are not about the virus itself or the problems it has caused. Instead, they are about how we, as human beings, are behaving during such strange times.

Americans are great at being able to laugh at the absurdities⁴ of human behavior. Evidence of this can be found online in our toilet paper memes.

The soft paper we use in the bathroom is our new favorite subject on the internet because, well, it is becoming so hard to find.

Recently, stores nationwide have been experiencing huge shortages⁵ as some Americans hoard⁶ the supply. But the stores are finally starting to wise up – they are limiting how much shoppers can buy.

The shortages have led to some of the most creative jokes we will – hopefully – ever have to see on this subject.

With that in mind, here are four great toilet paper, or "tp," memes on social media this week.

How to catch a hoarder⁸

Anyone who has ever seen an old-fashioned mouse trap might enjoy this first joke. It has been appearing all over social media for a few days. The picture really speaks for itself. It is of a huge trap, large enough to catch a person. Inside the trap sits... Well, what could it be? Naturally, a roll of toilet paper!

As you could probably imagine, the idea is that anyone buying up a lot of toilet paper will run directly into the trap and be caught.

And, of course, if you catch the hoarder, it will lead you to the toilet paper supply of your dreams. Or is that wishful thinking?

What's in your panic room?

Next up is some panic room humor. A panic room is a room set up in a home or business to provide a safe shelter or hiding place in case of a home invasion, weather disaster or other threat.

Many of us can relate, even if only humorously, to the thought that a panic room is not a bad idea in times like these. Usually, people put things like food and water, medicine, guns and video cameras in a panic room. But not in this meme. In the picture, the person has filled the safe room with only two things: a toilet and toilet paper. The message reads, "I finally finished my panic room."

Let us hope they never have reason to use that room.

Save those CVS receipts!

And now for a joke about an American company.

CVS is a business that most every American knows. Its stores can be found throughout the country. Many people go there to buy things like medicines, beauty care and cleaning products, snack foods and...toilet paper.

And anyone who has shopped at CVS over the past few years knows that, when you buy something, the store gives you a very long receipt. Some people use these pieces of paper to save money on future purchases, but some shoppers do not use them at all. They throw them away.

In our next meme, the shopper⁷ has second thoughts about the uselessness of such receipts. This time, the person has kept them and put them in the place where the toilet paper used to be. The meme reads, "Those CVS receipts are finally paying off."

So, the receipts have a whole new use, if you know what I mean.

Guilty as charged: the Charmin bear

Our final meme for today is probably a favorite for many of us. It uses humor from the old television series Scooby-Doo.

Americans who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s will remember Scooby-Doo. The show was about a large dog and his group of friends, all of them young adults. Together, they would drive around in a vehicle and solve mysteries. Every story ended the same way: with Scooby and his friends catching⁹ the criminal and pulling off his mask.

In our final meme, the group leader, a young man named Fred, says, "Let's see who is really behind the coronavirus," and pulls of the mask.

Turns out, the inventor of the coronavirus is a famous mascot¹⁰ in the world of advertising¹¹: the Charmin bear. Charmin is an American manufacturer of toilet paper. The Charmin bear has been appearing in its advertising campaigns for years.

It's too bad that the innocent and friendly animal is not who he seemed! In the end, he just wanted to sell us more toilet paper.

Words in This Story

cope – v. to deal with problems and difficult situations and try to come up with solutions (gerund: coping)

meme – n. n amusing¹² or interesting picture or video that is spread widely through the Internet

post – n. a text, image, video or something else places on wall on social media or on a website

absurdity¹³ – n. a state or condition of extreme silliness or foolishness

hoard – v. to accumulate for preservation¹⁴ or future use in a hidden or carefully guarded place

receipt – n. a piece of paper on which the things that you buy are listed with the total amount paid and the prices for each

mask – n. a covering for your face or for part of your face

1 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

2 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

3 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

4 absurdities   

n.极端无理性( absurdity的名词复数 )；荒谬；谬论；荒谬的行为

参考例句：

• She has a sharp eye for social absurdities, and compassion for the victims of social change. 她独具慧眼，能够看到社会上荒唐的事情，对于社会变革的受害者寄以同情。 来自辞典例句
• The absurdities he uttered at the dinner party landed his wife in an awkward situation. 他在宴会上讲的荒唐话使他太太陷入窘境。 来自辞典例句

5 shortages   

n.不足( shortage的名词复数 )；缺少；缺少量；不足额

参考例句：

• Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时，世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 hoard   

n./v.窖藏，贮存，囤积

参考例句：

• They have a hoard of food in the basement.地下室里有他们贮藏的食物。
• How many curios do you hoard in your study?你在你书房里聚藏了多少古玩？

7 shopper   

n.购物者，顾客

参考例句：

• Hong Kong is a shopper's paradise.香港是购物者的天堂。
• She is one shopper who takes responsibility in bagging her own goods.她是一名承担责任把食品装进袋子的顾客。

8 hoarder   

n.囤积者，贮藏者

参考例句：

• Was I becoming an eccentric hoarder? 是我变成了一个古怪的收藏者吗？ 来自互联网

9 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

10 mascot   

n.福神，吉祥的东西

参考例句：

• The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
• We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。

11 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

12 amusing   

adj.有有趣的，好玩的

参考例句：

• The girl was amusing herself with a doll.那女孩在玩洋娃娃自娱。
• He related some amusing stories in his childhood to his children.他向孩子们述说了他少年时代的一些趣事。

13 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

14 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。