Today on Ask a Teacher, we answer an email from a reader.在今天的名师答疑节目中，我们来回复一封读者发来的电子邮件。

He writes:他在邮件中写道：

Question: I would like to know the difference between the verbs laugh and smile. They look like the same, but I am not sure how to use them. Could you help me? - Vicente问题：我想知道动词laugh和smile之间的区别，它们看上去一样，我不确定如何使用这两个单词，你能帮帮我吗？——维森特

Answer:回复：

Hello, Vicente! Yes, I can help. The verbs "laugh" and "smile" both describe what happens when people are happy. Both words can also be used as nouns.维森特你好，是的，我可以帮你。动词laugh和smile都描述了人们快乐时会发生什么，这两个单词也都可以用作名词。

In the Encyclopedia of 20th-Century American Humor, Alleen and Don L. F. Nilsen say one difference between smiling and laughing is that laughing is a social event. People are more likely to smile when alone instead of laughing.在20世纪美国幽默百科全书中，艾伦·尼尔森和唐·尼尔森（ Alleen and Don L. F. Nilsen）表示，smiling和laughing之间的区别之一是laughing是一种社交活动。人们在独自一人时更可能smile，而不是laughing。

Laugh大笑

As a verb, laugh means "to smile while you are making a sound from your throat." When writing, Americans often use the words "ha ha" to express this sound.作为动词，laugh意思是指“从喉咙里笑出声来。”美国人在写作中经常使用哈哈这个词来表示这种笑声。

Now, let's listen to an example of how to use "laugh" as a verb.下面让我们来看一个如何把laugh用作动词的例子。

I laughed at the comedian on television.我被电视上的喜剧演员逗笑了。

The English language has two noun forms for the word "laugh." Both mean the action or sound of laughing. One is "laugh," which is a count noun. You can make it plural if you wish. For example:Laugh的名词在英语中有两种形式，两者都意味着笑的动作或声音。其中一个是laugh，这是可数名词。只要你愿意，你可以使用复数形式。例如：

We had a lot of laughs at the cookout yesterday.昨天我们野餐时笑声不断。

Then there is another, noncount noun "laughter," as in this sentence: The crowd broke out in waves of laughter.另一种形式是不可数名词laughter，例如在这句话中：人群中爆发出一阵笑声。

Smile微笑

Now, we turn to the second part of Vicente's question. To smile means "to turn up the corners of your mouth silently."现在我们转向维森特的问题的第二部分。微笑是指“嘴角无声地上扬。”

Nilsen and Nilsen write, "Smiles are more likely to express feelings of satisfaction or good will, while laughter comes from surprise." We laugh when something unexpected happens.艾伦·尼尔森和唐·尼尔森写道：“微笑（smiles）更多是表达满足感和善意，而大笑（laugher）则来自于惊喜。”当发生一些预期以外的事情时我们会laugh。

A smile is "an expression on your face that makes the corners of your mouth turn up and that shows happiness."微笑（smile）是“脸上的一种表情，让你嘴角上扬，展现出快乐。”

Expressions and songs短语和歌曲

There is an old saying in English, laughter is contagious. It means that one person laughing can make others start laughing. You also may have heard the saying laughter is the best medicine. That means laughing can make the person doing it feel better.英语中有句老话说，笑声具有传染力（laughter is contagious），意思是指一个人笑可以让其他人跟着笑。你也可以说笑声是最好的药（laughter is the best medicine），这是指笑声可以让笑的人感觉更好。

We also have many expressions about smiles. Someone who is very happy is all smiles. You can give someone a smile and make them feel better. But laughing at someone can make that person feel bad in most cases.我们也有很多关于smile的短语。幸福的人满脸笑意（Someone who is very happy is all smiles）。你可以给别人一个微笑，让他们感觉更好。但是大多数情况下，嘲笑某人会让这个人感觉不爽。

There are many songs about smiles. Nat King Cole's "Smile" tells us to smile when we are sad:还有很多关于smile的歌曲。纳京高（Nat King Cole）的《Smile》教会我们在悲伤时微笑：

"Smile though your heart is aching“微笑，尽管内心伤痛

Smile even though it's breaking...微笑，尽管它在破碎……

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by当天空飘过白云，你便会忘记悲伤

And there are songs about laughter, as in Neil Sadaka's "Laughter in the Rain"还有一些关于laughter的歌曲，例如尼尔·萨达卡（Neil Sadaka）的《Laughter in the Rain》：

Oh, I hear laughter in the rain,哦，我听见雨中的欢笑

Walking hand in hand with the one I love和我爱的人牵手散步

Oh, how I love the rainy days and the happy way I feel inside哦，我多么喜欢雨天，和我内心的快乐

And that's Ask a Teacher.以上就是今日名师答疑的全部内容。

I'm Jill Robbins.我是吉尔·罗宾斯。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)

Today on Ask a Teacher, we answer an email from a reader.

He writes:

Question: I would like to know the difference between the verbs laugh and smile. They look like the same, but I am not sure how to use them. Could you help me? - Vicente

Answer:

Hello, Vicente! Yes, I can help. The verbs "laugh" and "smile" both describe what happens when people are happy. Both words can also be used as nouns.

In the Encyclopedia of 20th-Century American Humor, Alleen and Don L. F. Nilsen say one difference between smiling and laughing is that laughing is a social event. People are more likely to smile when alone instead of laughing.

Laugh

As a verb, laugh means "to smile while you are making a sound from your throat." When writing, Americans often use the words "ha ha" to express this sound.

Now, let's listen to an example of how to use "laugh" as a verb.

I laughed at the comedian on television.

The English language has two noun forms for the word "laugh." Both mean the action or sound of laughing. One is "laugh," which is a count noun. You can make it plural if you wish. For example:

We had a lot of laughs at the cookout yesterday.

Then there is another, noncount noun "laughter," as in this sentence: The crowd broke out in waves of laughter.

Smile

Now, we turn to the second part of Vicente's question. To smile means "to turn up the corners of your mouth silently."

Nilsen and Nilsen write, "Smiles are more likely to express feelings of satisfaction or good will, while laughter comes from surprise." We laugh when something unexpected happens.

A smile is "an expression on your face that makes the corners of your mouth turn up and that shows happiness."

Expressions and songs

There is an old saying in English, laughter is contagious. It means that one person laughing can make others start laughing. You also may have heard the saying laughter is the best medicine. That means laughing can make the person doing it feel better.

We also have many expressions about smiles. Someone who is very happy is all smiles. You can give someone a smile and make them feel better. But laughing at someone can make that person feel bad in most cases.

There are many songs about smiles. Nat King Cole's "Smile" tells us to smile when we are sad:

"Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking..."

When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

And there are songs about laughter, as in Neil Sadaka's "Laughter in the Rain"

Oh, I hear laughter in the rain,

Walking hand in hand with the one I love

Oh, how I love the rainy days and the happy way I feel inside

And that's Ask a Teacher.

I'm Jill Robbins.

Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

What makes you smile? What makes you laugh? Write to us in the Comments Section.

______

throat – n. the passageway leading to the back of the mouth

comedian – n. someone who makes other people laugh; funnyman

plural – adj. more than one in number

goodwill – n. friendly or helpful feelings

contagious – adj. able to be passed from one person or animal to another by touching