白领也得会点儿"黑色幽默"

Even President Obama used it recently. In a March '60 Minutes' interview, he chuckled when discussing the dire state of parts of the economy. 'I just want to say that the only thing less popular than putting money into banks is putting money into the auto industry,' he said with a laugh, the AP reported.

甚至连奥巴马总统也不能免俗。今年3月，他接受“60分钟”(60 Minutes)节目采访时谈到了美国部分经济领域的困难状况。据美联社报导，奥巴马笑着说，我想说的是比向银行注入资金还不受欢迎的一件事就是向汽车业注资了。

Interviewer Steve Kroft asked how that laughter might be perceived, given the economy's troubles. 'There's got to be a little gallows humor to get you through the day,' Mr. Obama said.

负责采访的克罗夫特(Steve Kroft)问，在到当前的经济困境之下，这有什么好笑的。奥巴马说，总得有点儿黑色幽默让人们撑下去。

It may seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste, to find humor in such dark times. Some co-workers may disprove. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress.

在如此阴郁的当下去寻找幽默似乎是种错误，或至少是种恶趣味。一些人可能对此无法苟同。但心理学家们认为，黑色幽默可能成为一种重要的解压方式。

'Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it's not,' says James M. Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware.

特拉华大学(University of Delaware)心理学教授琼斯(James M. Jones)说，幽默令你觉得自己掌控着局面，并让你觉得一切都没问题，即使实情并非如此

Psychologists say that just because you're laughing doesn't mean you're wasting time. You're actually making yourself─and those around you─better employees. Occasional teasing and banter among colleagues, particularly if it revolves around things associated with the job, can boost creativity, departmental cohesiveness and performance, they say.

心理学家们说，你在笑并不意味着你在浪费时间。你实际上是在让自己以及周围的人成为更好的员工。他们说，同事之间偶尔开开玩笑逗逗乐，尤其是如果围绕着与工作相关的事，可以提高创造力和部门凝聚力，并提升工作表现。

'There are a lot of stressors out there,' says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist and corporate consultant with the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning in Chicago. 'Humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult.'

芝加哥的情绪智商研究院(Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning)心理学家、企业顾问Ed Dunkelblau说，现在存在着许多让人紧张的因素，幽默是令麻烦事变得不那么烦的一种方式。

This is as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be motivating people─not mocking them. 'Anything that would lift morale in terms of the company would be good humor,' says Thierry Guedj, a professor of business and psychology at Boston University. 'Before you say or do anything, think about, 'How is this helping my employees' morale?'' Unlike when Michael Scott makes jokes on 'The Office' ('He gets people demotivated,' Dr. Guedj says), you want to boost the staff's confidence and increase its solidarity.

只要幽默用对了地方就能达到这样的效果。其重点应当在于给人以激励，而不是嘲笑。波士顿大学商务和心理学教授Thierry Guedj说，只要能提升公司的士气，那就是好的幽默。在你说或做任何事之前，想想“这样对员工的士气有什么帮助？不要像斯科特(Michael Scott)在情景剧《办公室的故事》(The Office)里开玩笑那样（Guedj说，他就是在给其他人泄气），而应当提高员工的信心、增进团结。

You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don't make observations that are aggressive, sarcastic or alienating. 'Avoid anything that stereotypes people,' Dr. Guedj says. Most obviously, he says, don't make comments about people's ethnicity, physical appearance, sexual preference or faith. An easy check for what to do or say in murkier territory: If you have any doubt it's appropriate, don't go through with it.

你得让员工和同事有归属感，因此不要说具有攻击性、讽刺挖苦或是挑拨离间的话。Guedj说，要避免对人们带有成见的言论。最显著的是，不要评论他人的种族、长相、性取向或宗教信仰。对于不太明确的领域什么该说什么不该说，有一个简易的衡量方法：如果你对自己想说或者想做的存在疑问，那就不要做。

Or take aim at the one person you know won't be offended: Yourself. 'If there's going to be a butt to a joke or story, it should be you,' Mr. Dunkelblau says. For example, if you're a marketing manager reviewing a failed campaign you authorized, begin with a line like, 'The guy who signed off on this deal might just be looking for work next week.' That's gallows-humor gold.

或者将靶子对准你知道不会得罪的那个人：你自己。Dunkelblau说，要是一个笑话或是故事得有个笑料，那应该是你自己。比如说，如果你是市场推广经理，评价你自己授权的一个失败的广告宣传活动，那你就可以用这句话作为开场白：签字批准这个活动的家伙下周可能就得去找新工作了。这是黑色幽默的精髓所在。

'People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves too,' Mr. Jones says. 'And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself.'

琼斯说，能够自嘲的人会让其他人也可以自嘲。而要是能自嘲的话，你就会对自己感觉好一点儿。