Laughter is a universal language for humans to connect with each other and form social bonds. Even as babies, we giggle when our parents pull funny faces, and then gradually learn to make others laugh as we grow up. But, is it a uniquely human experience? Scientists have observed behaviours in animals that suggest that your pets might be secret jokesters… 

笑声是人类相互联系并形成社会纽带的通用语言。 当我们还是婴儿的时候，当我们的父母做鬼脸时，我们就会咯咯地笑，然后随着我们长大，我们逐渐学会让别人笑。 但是，这是人类独特的体验吗？ 科学家观察到的动物行为表明，你的宠物可能是秘密爱开玩笑的人…… 

Have you ever seen dogs let people come close to their toy, and then playfully run away with it? Biologist Charles Darwin saw this as the dog's version of a practical joke. Marc Bekoff, biology professor at the University of Colorado, also observed dogs playfully teasing each other by approaching slowly and then quickly running away. His work concluded that dogs just want to have fun, and he's also said that animals may goof around as a way to cope with stress. 

您是否见过狗让人们靠近它们的玩具，然后顽皮地带着它逃跑？ 生物学家查尔斯·达尔文认为这是狗版的恶作剧。 科罗拉多大学生物学教授马克·贝科夫（Marc Bekoff）也观察到狗会缓慢地接近，然后迅速逃跑，开玩笑地互相戏弄。 他的研究得出的结论是，狗只是想玩得开心，他还表示，动物可能会通过闲逛来应对压力。 

In a 2024 study, Isabelle Laumer and colleagues watched four ape species interact with each other and observed 18 distinct teasing behaviours. They saw young apes sneak up behind an adult, poke them to surprise them and then wait and watch the response, behaviour similar to that shown by human children. So, a sense of humour may have appeared early in our evolutionary timeline. 

在 2024 年的一项研究中，Isabelle Laumer 及其同事观察了四种猿类之间的相互作用，并观察到了 18 种不同的戏弄行为。 他们看到年幼的猩猩偷偷地走到成年猩猩身后，戳戳它们让它们大吃一惊，然后等待并观察其反应，这种行为与人类儿童的行为类似。 因此，幽默感可能出现在我们进化时间表的早期。 

What about laughing? While playing, dogs sometimes produce a breathy snort that could sound like laughter. Dolphins let out sounds of joy when play-fighting. Rats make a joyful squeak similar to a giggle when they are tickled, says Jeffrey Burgdorf, professor at Northwestern University. 

笑又怎样？ 玩耍时，狗有时会发出喘息声，听起来像是笑声。 海豚在嬉戏打斗时会发出欢乐的声音。 西北大学教授杰弗里·伯格多夫说，老鼠被挠痒痒时会发出类似于咯咯笑的快乐吱吱声。 

But, is a rat's giggle really a sign of a sense of humour? Are the apes in Laumer's study really joking around or just attention-seeking? What would be the evolutionary purpose of animals teasing and pranking? "In humans, humour can serve as like an ice-breaker, removing social barriers and strengthening relationships," says Laumer. "We don't know if it's the same in apes or other animals, but it's possible." 

但是，老鼠的咯咯笑真的是幽默感的标志吗？ 劳默研究中的猩猩到底是在开玩笑还是只是在寻求关注？ 动物戏弄和恶作剧的进化目的是什么？ “对于人类来说，幽默就像破冰船一样，可以消除社交障碍并加强人际关系，”劳默说。 “我们不知道猿类或其他动物是否也有同样的情况，但这是有可能的。”

词汇表

laughter 笑，笑声
giggle 咯咯地笑
pull a funny face 扮鬼脸
make (someone) laugh 逗（某人）笑
jokester 喜欢讲笑话或开玩笑的人
playfully 闹着玩地
practical joke 恶作剧
tease 戏弄，招惹
have fun 玩乐
goof around 瞎胡闹
sneak up 悄悄靠近
poke （用手指）戳
sense of humour 幽默感
play-fight 玩耍打闹
joyful 高兴的
tickle 挠痒痒，胳肢
joke around 闹着玩，开玩笑
prank 玩笑，恶作剧