# 中絶 and 堕胎



## utop1a

Hello, I was wandering what was the difference between these two synonyms in this sentence.

「中絶する」といい張り鍵を返してもらったのだじゃら、堕胎しているかもしれないと思っているだろうに、妻と海水浴に興じられる神経がわからなかった。

So, if I understand well 堕胎 has a negative nuance.
The context is a couple of lovers (he's married) having a fight because she got pregnant and they don't know whether keep the baby or not.
This is what I got:

He gave me back my keys because I treatened him of aborting, so I couldn't understand how he could have been in the mood of going to have fun at the beach with his wife while he thought I could have done something so horrible. 

Am I overtranslating the difference between this two synonyms?

Thank you!


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## Wishfull

Hi,

The two synonyms has almost or complete the same meaning.
中絶する and 堕胎する are equally formal expressions.
おろす is the colloquial expression for that.

I think this is just a "paraphrasing." 
The writer avoid using the same word twice, probably because the writer thought it seemed childish.
Furthermore, it may sound a little bit odd.

中絶すると言っていたから、中絶しているかもしれないと思っている。・・・１
中絶すると言っていたから、堕胎しているかもしれないと思っている。・・・２
中絶すると言っていたから、すでに（中絶）しただろうと思っている。・・・３

In No.3, it seems less unnatural to use the same word again, although the second 中絶 is usually abbreviated.
In No.1, the sentence seems to be redundant, because of the repeating the same word again.
No.2 is a solution for that redundancy.

Hope this helps!


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## utop1a

Thank you for your help.
So you mean there isn't any negative nuance in 堕胎? Many dictionaries says it and they show also "feticide" as one of the possible translations for this word...
It's not commonly used in this way?


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## tokotoko109109

中絶:legal way(/operation) (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/jn2/114125/m0u/)
堕胎:illegal way(/operation) (http://kotobank.jp/word/堕胎)

the dictionary definition is something above.
but I think many people aren't conscious of this difference in real life.
the author also uses them as same meaning, i think.


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## Tonky

I personally don't find too much negative nuance in the word itself, however, there is this term 堕胎罪 as a crime in the Penal Code of Japan, although most official abortions by approved doctors are allowed by the Maternal Health Protection Law, and some people might like to call unapproved abortions and feticides 堕胎 but use other words for approved ones, which is probably why many dictionaries say so. 
In practice, most people do not distinguish it much as far as I'm aware, but I think 堕胎 sounds less colloquial than 中絶 or (子を)おろす. The reason why the writer used two different words is probably that the former is a part of the dialogue (or should I call it a line spoken by her) while the latter is written as a literary composition. 
Please note that it is my personal opinion, and MAYBE the original writer meant to have used the word 堕胎 exactly with certain negative nuance of "something to be blamed", as most professional writers usually go particular about their choice of words in their works. But you can only tell if the writer meant so or not by reading more than just a few lines.


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## utop1a

You can't find any negative nuance in this sentence neither?

わたしは子供をおろすことは信条に返するのではないかという論理で非難した

By the way, what does she wants to say whith this?


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## Tonky

It does have some negative nuance in it I believe, as it is the point of 非難, her/his blame.
わたしは[[[子供をおろすこと]は信条に反するのではないか]という論理で]非難した
I criticized by the logic that feticide is against the principal.


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## utop1a

Can anyone tell me if my translation of the first sentence in the thread is right?


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## Tonky

utop1a said:


> Can anyone tell me if my translation of the first sentence in the thread is right?


It is very vaguely right, but a bit too over-translating and you have broken up the composition too much.

A: 「中絶する」と言い張り鍵を返してもらった
I got my key back (from him) after insisting "I am having an abortion"
(or I insisted that I had decided on an abortion (in order) to get my key back (from him).

B: 堕胎しているかもしれないと思っているだろう
He must be wondering if I am at the surgery.
(or He should be aware of the possibility that I am at the surgery)

C: [A]のだから*(なの)に、妻と海水浴に興じられる神経がわからなかった
I couldn't ~ while  because [A]. (Change tenses accordingly.)*


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## utop1a

Tonky said:


> It does have some negative nuance in it I believe, as it is the point of 非難, her/his blame.
> わたしは[[[子供をおろすこと]は信条に反するのではないか]という論理で]非難した
> I criticized by the logic that feticide is against the principal.



So, she (the narrator is a woman and she's pregnant) criticized *herself* because the feticide is against *her *principle?


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## Tonky

I cannot tell if she criticized "herself" or not from that sentence only. I cannot tell if it is "her" principle or not either.


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## utop1a

he: 「やっぱりお互いの状況を考えると、中絶するしかないかもしれない」
わたしはごく普通の若い女のひとのように泣きたいと思った。そして、泣いた。
報道の仕事で難民キャンプを収財したこともある彼は、わたしとはどちらかといえば考えを異にするリベラルな人権主義者だった。彼が生んでほしいと懇願してくれたら、中絶を決断していたかもしれない。わたしは滑稽だと思いつつ、子供をおろすことは信条に反するのではないかという論理で避難した。

This is the context. In general, I think that abortion is against his principles. But in this particular situation (he's married) he wants to act against his own principles. But I still don't understand the underlined sentence. Anyone can help?

Have a nice day everybody!


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## utop1a

Anybody can help?


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## natrium

Hello, utop1a-san.

Your assumption is right. The sentence is 「子供をおろすことは信条に反するのではないか」という論理で（私は彼を）非難した.

The logic is probabley as follows,
(1)A humanist is a person devoted to the humanities.
(2)He is a humanist.
(3)Abortion is against his principle because it's to terminate what will be a human.

By the way, I don't know whether this will help your translation, but the act of abortion itself is, after all, negative. Any word couldn't make it positive. There are different opinions about abortion. Some think it will never be allowed, and others think it's the self-determination of the pregnant. But nobody would like to imagine a book titled "Abortion as an effective means of Dieting".

So whatever words may be used for abortion, it has more or less negative nuance. This is the concensus between the writer and the readers, I think.


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## utop1a

So she criticizes him because, despite it's against his principles, he wants her to abort ? It my understandig correct?

Thank you very much!!


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