When nervous, unsure, etc, etc, tone betrays the internal personal uncertainty as to whether the question being asked is the right one. As to whether the question is being asked to the right one. Self-doubt is an inhibitor, yet also a potent self-defense mechanism. And but when in doubt about self-doubt—which by construction is self-doubt about self-doubt even if it is not the doubt that is doubtful, losing the reflexivity—is there a good litmus test?
I meant to toy with TranslationParty on LanguageHat’s post. He quotes TechCrunch’s description, which indeed is precise:
The site is incredibly simple: you enter any English phrase you can think of, and it uses Google’s automated translator to convert it into Japanese. And then it translates it back into English. And back into Japanese. At each step along the way, the words you began with gradually take shape to form something entirely different and (hopefully) awesome. The retranslations continue until you reach what the site calls ‘equilibrium’, when the English and Japanese words translate back and forth into exactly the same thing. Fortunately, it usually takes at least a few steps for your words to reach equilibrium, and the resulting sentences are often hilarious.
full-of-self-doubt-polite-and-unimposing-tone. The question Do you want to be my girlfriend? (which I tried second) is in equilibrium. Now, the first time I tried it, I used the form I have used most in the past when in the obvious situation that leads to it. Insecurity abounds, as it oft does with me. Just maybe not about the answer but the question. Run through TranslationParty, a question becomes A question (and runs through other doubts):
would you like to be my girlfriend?
ﾞｪﾌ]ﾅｷｩH
Want me to her?
ﾍﾞﾉｵｽ｢ﾅｷｩH
What I want for her?
ﾍﾞﾆﾍｽｩH
I am with her?
ﾍﾞﾆ｢ﾁｵﾅｷｩH
What I find her?
lﾍﾞﾉｽｩﾂｯｩH
How do I find her?
ﾇ､ｷﾎﾞｩﾂｯﾌﾅｷｩH
What if I find her?
ﾇ､ｷﾎﾞｩﾂｯｩH
Damn! The equilibrium phrase sends me into sinuous and spiralling thoughts.
I have not tried anything else, but I am now wary of meeting the Roscharchs of my tones…
UPDATE: I tried another variant.
will you be my girlfriend?
ﾈｽｪﾌK[thﾌﾅｷｩH
How do I get my girlfriend?
ﾞﾍﾇ､ｷﾎ｢ﾌﾅｷｩH
What is she to do?
ﾞﾍｽs､ﾉﾍｽﾅｷｩH
What is she to do?
What if I find her?
