[sumo] Re: How to translate "no"

[Brad Friedman]

In this scenario, how could one have known that Yuji didn't actually want to go to the game?  Is it just body language analysis, or would Yuji have said something else other than 'hai' (or 'yes' if the conversation was in English) if he _actually_ wanted to go to the game?

-----Original Message-----
From: sumo-bounces at webtrek.com [mailto:sumo-bounces at webtrek.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Anderson
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 6:49 AM
To: 'Sumo Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [sumo] Re: How to translate "no"

> Contrast carefully with the use of 'yes' in Japan, which
> (depending on how, when and where it is said) can sometimes
> mean maybe or even no
> ;-)

Ohhhhh yeah!  One afternoon I asked one of my English students, a
businessman named Yuji, to go to the Yakult Swallows baseball game with me
that night. The Swallows had just signed big Bob Horner from the Atlanta
Braves.  Yuji told me yes.  At the ball park, I thought we had a great time.
Yuji even brought some friends along.

The next mornung, another businessman student named Hideo came to class
early.

Hideo: Hey Jeff, Yuji's mad at you.

Me: Me? Why?

Hideo: He didn't want to go to the ballgame last night.

Me: But Hideo, when I asked him, he said yes!

Hideo: Hey Jeff, you have to learn when a yes means yes and a yes means no.

Me: ARGH!!!! :)

Gaijingai

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