# 言うわけにはいかない



## Liquid keystone

Hello, I got a question earlier today that was really driving me nuts. Can someone please help me? 

現実は、あの映画のように、迫っている天体を(       ) (       ) (       ) (       ) 言うわけにはいかない。

核兵器で   直前に   と   爆破する

Correct answer from the book is 現実は、あの映画のように、迫っている天体を直前に核兵器で爆破すると言うわけにはいかない, which drives me even crazier.

1. I don't understand how "直前に" fits in here, whose 直前に? 迫る is associated with "天体" and has nothing to do with "直前に", or does it automatically implies "before it hits the Earth"?

In other words, if let's say "destroying an approaching meteor with nukes before it self-destructs is impossible"("迫っている天体が自爆する直前にその天体を核兵器で爆破すると言うわけにはいかない"? Not sure if that's correct), I'd accept it with no problem.

2. I really don't understand why it says 言うわけにはいかない. When we say "わけにはいかない" doesn't it mean "it could be done, but because of certain reasons, we can't", for example, investing more $$ into a hopeless project.

While "destroying a meteor with nukes" is not something possible in real life, it just cannot be achieved, so shouldn't "わけがない" be used?

Many thanks


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## SoLaTiDoberman

直前に＝地球に衝突する直前に just before it hits the earth

迫っている天体を直前に核兵器で*爆破できるわけがない　*（This sentence is correct.)

迫っている天体を直前に核兵器で爆破すると言うわけにはいかない
＝『迫っている天体を直前に核兵器で爆破する』というアイデアは、実現不可能である。

～と言うわけにはいかない is a set phrase.


If a planet can be destroyed by the nuclear power, the weight or "mass" of the  planet still remains and affect the earth anyway. So the plan is impossible, impractical and logically wrong.

The expression said something like the above. 

Is it clear?


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## Liquid keystone

Yes, glass clear 

Thank you again for the help!


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## Howhey

Supplementary,

#1
I know your annoying. Sometimes words are omitted as "understood" and you need to see if the implied words such as "before it hits the Earth".

#2
と言う is a common phrase similar to "like that".
わけにはいかない like "cannot be (due to some strong reason/factor)".
While わけがない like "cannot be (with strong will/opinion)".

e.g. 爆破するというわけにはいかない can say "It cannot be blasted like that(because of an impractical solution)"


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## Liquid keystone

Howhey said:


> Supplementary,
> 
> #1
> I know your annoying. Sometimes words are omitted as "understood" and you need to see if the implied words such as "before it hits the Earth".
> 
> #2
> と言う is a common phrase similar to "like that".
> わけにはいかない like "cannot be (due to some strong reason/factor)".
> While わけがない like "cannot be (with strong will/opinion)".
> 
> e.g. 爆破するというわけにはいかない can say "It cannot be blasted like that(because of an impractical solution)"



Yes exactly. I kinda figured that but I wasn't 100% sure. I think it's dangerous to make assumptions, until I get an affirmative answer. I don't remember seeing it being used like this, and I wasn't able to find that in the dictionaries either.

Other stuff like "聞く" could mean either "ask" or "listen to", also slows me down when I try to understand something.

oh by the way, tread lightly with "I know your annoying", which sounds a bit unnatural. It can easily be interpreted as something like "あなたが嫌なやつだ" in a pretty offensive way ("your" is often used as a short form of "you're" when chatting online), usually it's "I know what you're confused about" or "I know you're annoyed".

It actually took me a few moments to figure that out, '

Thank you for the followup, though~


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## Howhey

Liquid keystone said:


> oh by the way, tread lightly with "I know your annoying", which sounds a bit unnatural. It can easily be interpreted as something like "あなたが嫌なやつだ" in a pretty offensive way ("your" is often used as a short form of "you're" when chatting online), usually it's "I know what you're confused about" or "I know you're annoyed".



Oh, I've improved! Thank you for the advise too!


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## frequency

Liquid keystone said:


> 迫っている天体


The approaching meteor doesn't destroy itself. (It doesn't do suicide bombing.)


> 迫っている天体が自爆する


The approaching meteor destroys itself. (It does suicide bombing.)
The original says the first.


> "destroying an approaching meteor with nukes before it self-destructs is impossible"("迫っている天体が自爆する直前にその天体を核兵器で爆破すると言うわけにはいかない"


Yes, this is correct per se if you want to say the meteor does so.


> does it automatically implies "before it hits the Earth"?


I think so, too. "it hits the earth" is left out. The speaker thinks that a hearer can roughly understand what he wants to say without it.



> "destroying an approaching meteor with nukes before it self-destructs is impossible"


Yes.

という　連語
1 二つの体言または体言に相当する*語句の間に用いる*。
Yours is ウ とりたてて言う意を表す。 「いざ－時」 「君－命の恩人」

わけにはいかない
Something is impossible. Something doesn't go as suggested. Guess what? A plan/idea. What is it? 爆破する。
爆破する（idea）------わけにはいかない
という is connecting the two pieces, and they're doing like わけにはいかない？何が？＝爆破することが。爆破することが？どうなの？＝わけにはいかない。
In your example (not the two in ウ), you can omit it: 爆破するわけにはいかない。



SoLaTiDoberman said:


> the plan is impossible, impractical and logically wrong.


Yes. In addition, morally wrong: お金がないからといって、泥棒するというわけにはいかない。お金がないからといって、泥棒するわけにはいかない。


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## Liquid keystone

Oh, hai, thank you for the additional explanation, frequency =D. That's actually interesting and helpful.

I think I do see that from day to day readings, but never really paid attention to it.


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## frequency

You're welcome. Are you talking about という? Roughly speaking, it's a connector.


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## federix

Just a side note... I believe it is more common to write that connector as という rather than と言う, when it functions as a grammatical element (connector, in this case). Generally speaking, I have the feeling that hiragana is preferred whenever a word that also has a general use with semantic value takes on a grammatical value, e.g. 方 spelled ほう in its role as a grammatical element to denote comparisons, 置く spelled おく when indicating "doing just in case"/"leaving as is", 訳 spelled わけ in the cases described in this thread, and so on...


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## frequency

federix said:


> 置く spelled おく when indicating "doing just in case"/"leaving as is"


Yes. In this case, the verb おく is working as a hojyo dōshi. Then it should be in hiragana, おく. It is different to the verb that means 'to set' in function.


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