英文中有一句成語（idiom) “not know whether to laugh or cry” 意思顯然不是中文的“啼笑皆非”因為英文解釋為“to be extremely upset by something bad that has happened”, 意指發生糟糕的事件之後, 心情極度鬱卒。而 “啼笑皆非”看看這句子“他們單位這次的招聘簡直是一場鬧劇，真讓人啼笑皆非。”所以 “啼笑皆非” 係指哭也不是，笑也不是，不知如何才好。形容處境艱難或既令人難受又令人發笑的行為。

          林語堂先生的“最新林語堂漢英詞典”則有絕譯, 他譯成“between tears and laughter”只是不知當我們說這句英文時, 外國人是否真能捉住其真義？“You are really in a situation between tears and laughter.”倒是有ㄧ位 Harius Hancu 在網路上回答過該問題, 值得參考 “ Have you ever heard someone say (in whatever language) "I don't know whether to laugh or cry?" Sometimes a situation is so ridiculous, you want to laugh, but it's so sad/aggravating/infuriating, you want to cry.

          There were times when my children were little that I felt that way a lot! They did something that made me really mad - so mad I wanted to cry - but you ask them WHY they would do such a thing, and their answer was so illogical from an adult's point of view but so heartfelt from theirs that I wanted to laugh.

         Or something awful has happened, but the way it happened was just so odd and unexpected that it's absurd. I can't think of a good example, but perhaps you are late getting to the airport. You have to speed on the highway, you don't stop for coffee, you don't bother doing something you really wanted to do before you left because you are going to be LATE... and then after a two-hour trip that has left you stressed and exhausted you get to the airport to find that your flight has been delayed for three hours. Can you imagine how you would feel between laughter and tears?”  他說的最後一句話, “Can you imagine how you would feel between laughter and tears?” 不就是大師的英譯嗎? 真讓人打從心底欽佩。