please correct my writing...

[amip]

Hi, I'm a university student in Kyoto and studying academic writtings.　I want to correct my following short essay, can someone tell me the faults of this?

What I think about Japanese is that most of us are missing the reason why they live for, and the way they live in this peaceful and plentiful country. Simultaneously to their lack of the guide, the global significant changes are emerging in Japan and the world, and becoming problems to resolve immediately. Thus these critical issues flood into and will swallow us.

Japanese text is below.
（平和で豊かな生活を、多くの日本人は、自分が何のために生きているのか、どのように生きていきたいのかを 、見失いつつあるように思われます。そして、その間にも、日本国内や世界のみならず地球規模での大きな変化 が日々生起し、解決すべき問題となって私たちの元に押し寄せてきます。）
If　you castigate my essay, I cannot be too grateful to you!!

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Hi, I'm new here, looking to meet friends, and to learn some Japanese. I'd like to help you if I can. Your essay is fine as far as the meanings it conveys, the only problem is just the order you put some of the words. This is how I would've written it to make the words flow a little bit better:

What I think an issue is with most Japanese people is that most of us are missing the reasons we live for in this peaceful and plentiful country. As well as having a lack of meaning, the significant changes that are occuring in Japan, as well as the world at large, are problems that need to be resolved immediately. These issues can not be ignored or they will flood in and overwhelm us all in the long run.

If you want to know why I changed certain things I would be more than willing to explain anything.
-Philip

[fritzmonkey]

I had some trouble interpreting your message but I think this stays true to the idea you are trying to convey.

I think that most Japanese people are forgetting the reasons why they live, and the reasons for the way they live, in this peaceful and plentiful country.
This is causing globally significant changes that are not only effecting Japan. These problems need to be solved immediately. We will become absorbed in these critical issues, and they will overwhelm us as time goes on.

[moofs]

Here's my stab at it...

For us Japanese, we are losing sight of what we live for, and how we want to live our lives, in this peaceful and plentiful country. In addition to our lack of guidance, the effects of the changes in the world at large are emerging in Japan and the rest of the world. These problems must be resolved immediately or the flood it creates will swallow us in the end.

I've always been told that it is not good to put things like "I think" or "In my opinion" in essays because the essay itself is your opinion, no need to explicity state that as it will make you look pretentious. And I just thought that since you used "us" in the beginning, it would be best if the essay was written from the view of a Japanese.

[Kyoko_desu]

Originally Posted by moofs

I've always been told that it is not good to put things like "I think" or "In my opinion" in essays because the essay itself is your opinion, no need to explicity state that as it will make you look pretentious. And I just thought that since you used "us" in the beginning, it would be best if the essay was written from the view of a Japanese.

Wow, I'm learning　alot.

By the way, I've been always wondering the difference between the words "problem" and "issue". They are both 問題 in Japanese. Can anyone clarify the difference? Or are they interchangeable?

amip-san, please don't take me trying to hijack your thread. I thought you might want to know this as well.

[Glenn]

I think that "issue" is more of a psychological problem that's deep-seeded and long-term, where a "problem" isn't so permanent. Lately, however, it seems that "issue" has come to be a more watered-down version of "problem," i.e., not quite as strong, so it's used when you don't want to say that there is a real problem.

Come to think of it, I suppose it has both meanings, depending on context. "He has some real mother issues," would be the psychological version, whereas "we seem to have an issue with the gas tank," would be the second usage. That's my sense of the word.

[Kyoko_desu]

ってことは、some real mother issues っていうと、マザコンみたいな精神的な問題をさして、
もしもこれを、mother('s) problem と書き換えると、ちょっと意味が変わってくる可能性が ありますか？

例えば、お母さんの病気とか、お母さんの金銭的問題と かだと、mother('s) problem の方がぴったりきますか？

[Glenn]

Interesting question. Yeah, I think you're right on about that. When I first read "mother('s) problem" I thought of things like the examples that you gave.

[Kyoko_desu]

Glenn-san, thank you very much!

[Supervin]

For an academic essay at university, this would be my take on it:

It is submitted that we, the Japanese people, are losing sight of the purpose of living and the way of life in this peaceful and plentiful country. At the same time, due to the lack of guidance, significant changes are emerging in Japan and the rest of the world, which are becoming problems that need immediate resolution. Consequently, these critical issues flood and envelop us.

Note: The given English text was the basis and I did not go into the accuracy of the Japanese-English translation.

If you decide to use the first-person, use 'I argue' or 'I submit that...' I usually prefer 'It is submitted...' Don't use 'I think' or 'In my opinion...' Other alternatives include 'It can be argued that...'

Basically, 'issue' is more severe and long-term than 'problem', but most academics often use 'issue' for the sake of emphasizing their argument.

[Kyoko_desu]

Originally Posted by Supervin

Basically, 'issue' is more severe and long-term than 'problem', but most academics often use 'issue' for the sake of emphasizing their argument.

Thanks for the clarification, Supervin-san.

[amip]

Thank you everyone.

I could learn and think deeply good English writings by this thread. The advice of not using "I think" or “in my opinion" is new to me, and differences between "problem" and "issue" are very beneficial information, so I cannot be too grateful to you.

[fritzmonkey]

Originally Posted by Supervin

For an academic essay at university, this would be my take on it:
It is submitted that we, the Japanese people, are losing sight of the purpose of living and the way of life in this peaceful and plentiful country. At the same time, due to the lack of guidance, significant changes are emerging in Japan and the rest of the world, which are becoming problems that need immediate resolution. Consequently, these critical issues flood and envelop us.
Note: The given English text was the basis and I did not go into the accuracy of the Japanese-English translation.
If you decide to use the first-person, use 'I argue' or 'I submit that...' I usually prefer 'It is submitted...' Don't use 'I think' or 'In my opinion...' Other alternatives include 'It can be argued that...'
Basically, 'issue' is more severe and long-term than 'problem', but most academics often use 'issue' for the sake of emphasizing their argument.

Why not use "I think" or "in my opinion"? If the question says, "what do you think about widgets?", Your answer isn't going to be, "widgets are stupid", because it presents it as fact. The same is true for "It can be argued that...". If the question asks for your opinion you need to make it clear to the reader that its only your opinion. Especially if you are answering a question because the reader may not always know what the question was.
All of this is, of course, my opinion. (And I don't really think that widgets are stupid.)