The history of jokes would seem to go as far back as the beginnings of mankind-- before there were writing and language, there must have been certain movements and sounds that evoked laughter.
紀曉嵐的這幾句話，已不僅是一般笑談，而達到在緊張場面「化戾氣為祥和」的最高境界。笑開古今天下愁笑話存在的歷史，似乎是與人類出現的時間一樣長﹘﹘語言、文字未發明以前，應也有某些動作、聲音或情況特別引人發噱吧！