大正時代の日本の売春制度
日本では、見たところ、事情はまるで違っているようである。売春は、(一つの)職業として認められ、尊重されており、親に言われて(頼まれて)この道を選ぶことさえある(at the instance of 依頼されて)。売春は、嫁入りのための持参金(結婚資金)をかせぐ手段(method of earning a marriage dowry)でさえある場合もめずらしくない。一部の権威者によると、日本人には、梅毒の免疫性が幾分あるという。その結果、日本における売春婦の職業には、道徳が一段と厳格なところでのような暗さ(汚らわしいさ)がない。売春がどうしても存続しなければならないのであれば、ヨーロッパで見慣れているものよりも、日本的な形式で存在するほうがよいことは、明らかである。どこにおいても、道徳の基準が厳格であればあるほど、売春婦(娼婦)の生活はいよいよ堕落していく(ひどいものになっていく)ことは、明白である。 |
Chapter XI: Prostitution, n.6Prostitution as it exists at present is obviously an undesirable kind of life. The risk of disease in itself renders prostitution a dangerous trade like working in white lead, but apart from that the life is a demoralizing one. It is idle, and tends to excessive drinking. It has the grave drawback that the prostitute is generally despised, and is probably thought ill of even by her clients. It is a life against instinct - quite as much against instinct as the life of a nun. For all these reasons prostitution, as it exists in Christian countries, is an extraordinarily undesirable career.In Japan, apparently, the matter is quite otherwise. Prostitution is recognized and respected as a career, and is even adopted at the instance of parents. It is even a not uncommon method of earning a marriage dowry. According to some authorities, the Japanese have a partial immunity from syphilis. Accordingly the career of a prostitute in Japan has not the sordidness that it has where morality is more stern. Clearly, if prostitution must survive, it is better that it should exist in the Japanese form than in that to which we are accustomed in Europe. It is obvious that the more strict the standard of morality in any country, the more degradation will attach to the life of a prostitute. |