Victor Hugo once said, “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” Up to now, nobody has been able to create laughter like Charlie Chaplin (1889—1977). He brightened the lives of millions through two world wars and the hard years in between.
Not that Charlie’s own life was easy. He was born to a poor family. Charlie learnt to sing and dance as soon as he could speak and walk. Every member of the family performed to help make money. By his teens, Charlie had, through his humor, become one of the most popular child actors in England.
Later, Chaplin began making silent films, where the story was told only through body language and movements. Usually, Chaplin appeared in these films as the Little Tramp, a poor man with a moustache (胡须), large trousers, worn-out shoes, and a round hat. He walked around stiffly (僵硬的) with a walking stick. Even though the Little Tramp was considered a failure in life, he always tried to turn his sadness into joy like Chaplin.
In the film The Kid (1921), the Little Tramp brings up an abandoned (遗弃的) child as his own. While the film has many funny moments, it also has times of great sadness. As Chaplin said, it was “a picture with a smile, and perhaps a tear”. Similarly, in The Gold Rush (1925), with nothing to eat, the Little Tramp treats one boot (靴子) as something delicious and makes you believe that this is one of the best meals he has ever tasted.
Chaplin once said, “My pain may be the reason for somebody’s laugh. But my laugh must never be the reason for somebody’s pain.” He is loved and remembered as a great actor who encouraged people during dark times.