Afghan ‘Charlie Chaplin’ Gives People a Reason to Laugh

 

Afghanistan has its own version of the famous British comedy actor Charlie Chaplin.

His name is Karim Asir. He wears makeup¹ and clothes to look like Charlie Chaplin did in movies. Asir also uses similar physical movements. He performs on the streets and at events in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Afghanistan has dealt with many years of deadly civil conflict, foreign military invasion and widespread destruction.

The 25-year-old actor says his goal is to use humor to help take people’s minds off the difficulties they face every day. “It is very simple, I want to give Afghans a reason to smile,” he said.

Charlie Chaplin rose to fame during the silent film age in the 1920s. His movies became popular around the world.

One of his most memorable² characters was a funny-looking man known as “The Little Tramp.” This character had no money and was always getting into trouble. The creative methods he used to get out of trouble were always humorous.

Asir told Reuters news agency that his family fled to Iran after the Islamic Taliban group took control of Afghanistan in 1996. He said as a child there he would watch Chaplin’s movies on television.

When the family returned to Afghanistan, Asir started wearing makeup and recreating Chaplin’s characters. He also began performing in public, even though his parents expressed concerns about him making this his job.

Asir recently spoke³ to Public Radio International’s show The World. He said his parents wanted him to seek more steady work choices, such as a politician or doctor. But he said he felt his interests and skills would be better used in other ways.

“I said to my father and to my mother that I can’t be a doctor but I have [the] skill to become an artist,” he told The World. He added that his parents showed understanding over time and he decided⁴ to study theater at Kabul University.

Now, Asir says he parents are pleased when they see his videos getting more than 1 million views on YouTube. And he said they like that people line up on the street to take pictures with him.

But it is not always easy for Asir to perform in a city that suffers repeated attacks by Taliban rebels and suicide bombers⁶. Militants⁷ have threatened Asir, whose performances, they say, are un-Islamic.

But Asir still performs in public parks, homes for needy⁸ youth, as well as private parties and international aid agencies’ events.

“I want to give my people a chance to forget their problems such as war, conflicts and insecurity in Afghanistan,” he told Reuters.

To do this, he keeps smiling while performing around the city and meeting with fans. But Asir says that inside, he cannot help but feel fearful about possible attacks.

“I am afraid of getting attacked by a suicide bomber⁵ or an explosion, but these issues cannot stop me from being Charlie Chaplin,” he said.

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

comedy – n. entertainment such as a film, play, etc. that is funny

makeup – n. colors applied⁹ to the face for beauty

smile – n. make a happy or friendly expression in which the corners of your mouth curve up

character – n. a person included in a story

1 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

2 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

6 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。