【英語力向上】大作戦！

[大阪公立大(2024)]

次の下線部 (1) (2) の内容を英語で表現せよ。

₍₁₎ 現代は人間側を「人工」と表し、それ以外の地球の営みを「自然」と区別しがちだが、人間も地球が育んだ生き物だ。海外のシロアリは巨大なアリ塚をつくる。極端な言い方をすれば、人間が建てた建造物もアリ塚と同じ「自然」の産物とみなせる。
　人間と地球の関わり方を考えたとき、難題を抱えた現代は人間（人工）と自然の二項対立の議論では問題は解決しない。人間だけを自然から排除しても何も変わらない。
　むしろ ₍₂₎ 人間が手を加えた地球環境は人間にしか元に戻せないのかもしれない。それは罪滅ぼしではなく、人間の知恵で地球を守るという意味だ。
　二項対立を打開するために少なくとも人間がすべきなのは、自虐的でも思い上がるわけでもなく、自らの影響力を適度に自覚して行動していくことだ。

₍₁₎ In modern times, the human side is referred to as “artificial,” while the rest of the Earth’s workings are distinguished as “natural.” However, humans are also creatures nurtured by the Earth. Termites overseas build enormous mounds. In an extreme sense, structures built by humans can also be seen as natural products, just like termite mounds.
　When we consider the relationship between humans and the Earth, the issues of the modern age, which are fraught with difficulties, cannot be solved through a binary opposition of humans (artificial) and nature. Excluding only humans from nature changes nothing.
　Rather, ₍₂₎ the global environment altered by humans may only be restorable by humans themselves. This is not an act of atonement, but rather an expression of human wisdom to protect the Earth.
　In order to overcome this binary opposition, what humans must at least do is not indulge in self-hatred or arrogance, but rather act with appropriate awareness of their own influence.

よりカジュアルな表現

　₍₁₎ These days, we tend to call everything made by people “artificial” and everything else on Earth “natural.” But hey, humans are also living beings raised by the Earth. Termites in other countries build huge mounds. If you think about it, buildings made by humans aren’t all that different — they could be seen as “natural” too.
　So when we think about the relationship between humans and the planet, trying to divide everything into just humans (artificial) and nature doesn’t really help. Kicking humans out of “nature” doesn’t change anything.
　In fact, ₍₂₎ maybe only humans can fix the environmental damage they’ve caused.
That’s not about making up for our mistakes — it’s about using our brains to protect the Earth.
　To move past this black-and-white thinking, we humans at least need to be aware of our impact and act responsibly — not out of guilt or arrogance, but just with some self-awareness.

よりフォーマルな表現

　₍₁₎ In contemporary discourse, human activity is often labeled as “artificial,” in contrast to the rest of the Earth’s processes, which are categorized as “natural.” However, humans themselves are living beings nurtured by the Earth. Termites in other regions construct vast mounds; in that sense, human-made structures may likewise be regarded as natural products, much like termite mounds.
　When reconsidering the relationship between humanity and the planet, the modern challenges we face cannot be resolved through a simplistic dichotomy of humanity (artificial) versus nature. Excluding humanity from nature alone does not yield any meaningful change.
　On the contrary, ₍₂₎ it may be that only humans possess the capacity to restore the environment they have altered.
This is not a matter of atonement, but rather an expression of the wisdom required to protect the Earth.
　In order to transcend this binary opposition, humans must, at the very least, act with a balanced awareness of their own influence—not from a place of self-reproach or arrogance, but from a sense of measured responsibility.