笑这个字，也就是英文里的laugh经常出现在美国的成语或俗语里。人们经常会做一些事，纯属为了高兴。

这在英文里就是：Just for laughs。

Just for laughs这个俗语在不同情况下，它的意思也就不同。首先，它可以解释为：做某件事纯属为了高兴，就像我们上面讲的那样。我们来举个例子吧。

Come on and get your jacket -- let's go out and have a couple of beers just for laughs.

来吧，穿上你的外套，我们到外面去喝两杯啤酒高兴高兴。

可是，Just for laughs有时也可以指做愚蠢的事，或有害的事。下面的情形就是一个例子：

Just for laughs they tossed Mary in the swimming pool with all her clothes on. Then they found out she didn't know how to swim.

就是为了开玩笑，他们把玛丽连衣服带鞋的整个扔进了游泳池，结果他们发现，玛丽根本不会游泳。

开这种恶作剧的玩笑实在是不应该。我们再来举一个高兴一点的例子吧：

I really enjoyed that movie last night. It won't win any prizes, but it has two funny guys in it that are worth watching just for laughs.

我很喜欢昨晚看的那个电影。这个电影不见得会得什么奖，但是那两个滑稽的角色值得一看，非常好玩。

下面要讲的一个和laugh这个字有关的习惯用语不一定会使当事人高兴。To laugh up one's sleeve

Sleeve就是衣服袖子。To laugh up one's sleeve从字面上来看是在袖子里笑，实际上也就是偷偷地笑。To laugh up one's sleeve的真正意思就是偷偷地笑话某人，因为这个人有些可笑的地方，而他本人还没有发现。例如：

We were all laughing up our sleeves at the teacher when he was up at the blackboard explaining the math problem. He had a rip in the back of his pants and didn't know it.

当老师在黑板前讲解数学题的时候，我们都偷偷地笑，因为他裤子后面有个裂缝，他自己还不知道。

其实，这种情况是经常发生的。下面又是一个例子：

We were all laughing up our sleeves at our brother when he sat down at the dinner table. He'd seen his girl off at the airport and had lipstick on his face and didn't know it.

当我们的哥哥坐下吃晚饭的时候，我们都在偷偷地笑他，因为他刚去机场送他的女朋友，脸上留下了口红，他还不知道。

今儿讲了两个和笑（laugh）这个字有关的习惯用语。

第一个是：Just for laughs，这是纯属为了取乐的意思。

第二个是：To laugh up one's sleeve，这是指暗暗发笑的意思。

出处：VOA美国之音