緊張 and 緊迫: stage nerves and tense negotiations
Compare personal nervousness and trembling with tense scenes or negotiations, keeping a proposed break separate from an actual break or resolution.
Nervousness before speaking or going onstage
緊張 (きんちょう) means tension or nervousness. “大勢の前で話すと今でも緊張する。” says that speaking in front of many people still makes the speaker nervous.
“舞台に上がる直前、緊張で手が震えた。” says that the speaker's hands trembled with tension just before going onstage. The sentence does not state the performance's eventual result.
Tension in scenes and negotiations
緊迫 (きんぱく) describes a tense situation here. “劇の終盤では緊迫した場面が続く。” presents a series of tense scenes toward the end of the play.
In “交渉が緊迫する中、代表者は休憩を提案した。”, the representative proposed a break as negotiations grew tense. Preserve 提案した: an actual break or resolved negotiation is not stated.
Who feels nervous and what is tense
The 緊張 examples focus on the speaker's reaction and trembling hands; the 緊迫 examples focus on scenes and negotiations. Identify the target of tension and the action that follows.
This is not an absolute rule restricting 緊張 to individuals and 緊迫 to situations. The task is to distinguish the personal reactions and tense situations presented in these examples.
Does proposing a break while negotiations 緊迫する mean that the negotiations have already calmed down?
Show the answer and why
No. It states a proposal made amid growing tension. A break taken or a negotiation resolved is not stated. The stage example's 緊張 instead focuses on personal nervousness and trembling.