用同音异义或者一词二义来达到诙谐幽默的效果：表面上是一个意思，而实际上却暗含另一个意思，这种暗含的意思才是句子真正的目的所在。例如： A cannonball took off his legs, so he laid down his arms. (arms可指手臂或者武器) 一发炮弹打断了他的腿，所以他缴械投降了。 “Can I try on that gown in the window?” asked a would-be customer. “Certainly not, madam!” replied the salesman. 我可以试穿一下橱窗里的那件睡袍吗?或者：我可以在橱窗里试穿那件睡袍吗? Seven days without water make one weak (week). 七天没有水使一个人虚弱。或者：七天没有水就是一周没有水。 7. 反语 (irony) 使用与真正意义相反的词，正话反说或者反话正说，从对立的角度运用词义来产生特殊的效果。下面就是莎士比亚的戏剧 Julius Caesar 中的一个运用反语的很好的例子，Brutus出于野心刺杀了 Caesar, Caesar 的好友Antony 讥讽Brutus 说： Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest— For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men— Come I to speak in Caesars funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me: But Brutus says he was ambitious; And Brutus is an honorable man. 在 Antony 的话里反复使用 honorable这个词就是一个反语的例子。 8. 矛盾修饰 (oxymoron) 把相互矛盾的两个词用在一起的修辞方法。它利用词义表面的相互矛盾使表层的不和谐统一在思想内容的深层，从而揭示事物对立统一的本质特征，达到加深印象的目的。例如： She read the long-awaited letter with a tearful smile. 她带着含泪的微笑读那封盼望已久的信。 The coach had to be cruel to be kind to his trainees.教练为了对他的受训者仁慈就要对他们残酷。 During his useful life he often felt he was useless. 在他大有作为的一生中他老是感到自己无用。 其他还有sweet pain; thunderous silence; luxurious poverty; heavy lightness; living death; impossible hope 等等。
