relate

[Taka]

What do you think this 'relate' means?

People in that country have always related themselves to nature.

And does the sentence above mean almost the same as these?

Life in that country has always been related to nature.
Life in that country has always had to do with nature.

 

[Barb_D]

It's an unnatural sentence in my opinion.

What is its source?

 

[Taka]

No source. I've been wondering how I rewrite 'People in that country have been living in harmony with nature' using 'relate'. Do you think it's impossible? If it's impossible, are there any other ways to rewrite it?

(And Do you think only the first one is unnatural? Or the last two don't seem to work either?)

 

[Barb_D]

None of the three are good. The one about "living in harmony with nature" is good. Why do you want to use "relate"? I"m sure it's not impossible, but why make a difficult task when the answer is right there?

 

[Barb_D]

None of the three are good. The one about "living in harmony with nature" is good. Why do you want to use "relate"? I"m sure it's not impossible, but why make a difficult task when the answer is right there?

 

[Taka]

Then what about this? Does this sound OK?

Nature has (always) been part of their life in that country.

If it worked, which among the two below would sound better as the same?

To the people in that country, nature has (always) been part of life.
For the people in that country, nature has (always) been part of life.

 

[Barb_D]

For people in that country, living with nature has always been important.
People in that country have always seen how their lives relate to nature. (There's a relate one for you. Still not better than the "in harmony" one.)

 

[Taka]

Thanks for the great alternatives!

And what about the one with 'part of their life'?

 

[Barb_D]

It's okay. I gave you the first sentence as an alternative to that one.

 

[Taka]

Good.

And about the prepositions 'for' and to', do they both work fine? Or is one better than the other?

To the people in that country, nature has (always) been part of life.
For the people in that country, nature has (always) been part of life.