よく「人間は機械じやない！」といって、人間を機械のように酷使する社会のシステムを非難する人がいるが、私はその言い分に違和感を覚える。

People often say, “Humans aren't machines!” when criticizing social systems that overwork people as if they were machines, but I feel uncomfortable with that argument.

古くなれば動きが遅くなるし、できないことをやらせようとしてもできない。

As they age, they work more slowly, and if they are made to do something they cannot do, they simply cannot do it.

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

人間に無限の可能性や能力や忍耐力なんてない。

Human beings do not possess infinite potential, ability, or endurance.

（星野博美『迷子の自由』による）

(From Hoshino Hiromi, The Freedom of Being Lost)

機械屋の娘だからなのかどうかはわからないが、私は常々そう思っている。

I do not know whether it is because I am the daughter of someone who works with machines, but I have always thought so.

よく「人間は機械じやない！」といって、人間を機械のように酷使する社会のシステムを非難する人がいるが、私はその言い分に違和感を覚える。

People often say, “Humans aren't machines!” when criticizing social systems that overwork people as if they were machines, but I feel uncomfortable with that argument.

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

②人間が人間を人間と見なせば見なすほど、非人間性は増していく。

The more ② humans regard humans as “human,” the more inhumanity increases.

人間はもっと、③機械を見習ったらどうだろう。

Perhaps humans should learn more from ③ machines.

人間は案外、①機械と似ている。

Humans are, surprisingly enough, quite similar to ① machines.

機械はガソリンや電気が切れれば動かなくなるし、落としたり倒したりすれば壊れる。

Machines stop working when they run out of gasoline or electricity, and they break if they are dropped or knocked over.

とても正直だ。

They are very honest.

ところが人間は、給料、つまり人間にとってのガソリンを減らして前より「一層よく働け」と命令し、過酷な労働を「精神性で克服せよ」と無理難題を押しつけ、「疲れた」と申し出る人には「癒せ」と鞭を打ち、休んでいる人や生産性の低い人を「怠け者」と非難し、そしてとうとう壊れてしまった人を「弱い」と非難する。

Yet with humans, people reduce their wages—the gasoline of human beings—and order them to “work even better than before,” impose impossible demands such as “overcome harsh working conditions through spiritual strength,” whip those who say “I'm tired” while telling them to “heal yourself,” condemn those who rest or have low productivity as “lazy,” and finally criticize those who actually break down as “weak.”

人間はもっと、③機械を見習ったらどうだろう。

Perhaps humans should learn more from ③ machines.