14091
Can somebody explain the grammar and meaning of this expression in the
sentence below? It may be just my poor understanding of how なりません functions in
the language but I'd appreciate an explanation.

I have added my own translation and placed the previous sentence in [ ] to
indicate context.

> [人間を人類というより大きな範疇（＝カテゴリー）でみても、人間は「かろうじて生きている」のが現状ではないかと思う。しかし、]
>
> 人類はそうやすやすと滅びないように思えてなりません。
>
> [Even if I look at the human beings from wider perspective than as a members
> of the human race, it seems to me that humans are only just surviving.
> However,]
>
> I have to think that the human race will not be that easily defeated.

_For full context see: 中上級のにほんご Dec 2013, p37_

**My grammatical logic_ ___ __ ___ __ ___ __ ___ __ ___ __**

I have translated the whole expression as 'I have to think'(~ I cannot help
coming to the conclusion that..?) but when I compare to expressions such as
~なければならない (ie must) this does not seem logical. For example:

If : ~滅びると思いません ＜〜＞ 滅びないと思います

Then ~滅びると思ってなりません ＜〜＞ 滅びないと思わなけばなりません
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2014-01-07T06:20:02.357
14090
2014-01-07T06:37:54.490
1556
question
grammar
What is meaning of 「〜ないように思えてなりません」?
It's a little tricky since it's using two expressions that seem like they
could be one thing but are another. We may be able to think of
[思える](http://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%80%9D%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B?dic=daijisen&oid=02582900)
as its own word, meaning basically what you'd expect, to feel something will
be a certain way. Then take it in the てならない structure, which in this case
means "can't help (feeling this way)" (and not the "have to" meaning we can
sometimes get from ～て（は）ならない). It's like "no matter how I look at it I can't
see it being any other way," そのように思えて仕方がない.

But it's a [kind of set
phrase](http://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E6%80%9D%E3%81%88%E3%81%A6%E3%81%AA)
anyway, so if you just remember 思えてならない as its own unit meaning "can't help
but feel," you'll be fine. 思えてならない (in plain form) even has its own edict
entry!

So with that in mind, we can reinterpret that sentence as saying:

> However, I can't help feeling that humanity won't fall so easily.

Or, you know, something along those lines. You may want to review the てならない
grammar pattern to help you keep it separate from the しなくてはならない. The latter
also usually has a は in it, and I feel might more commonly be phrased with
いけない (but don't quote me on that one).
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2014-01-07T06:37:54.490
14091
2014-01-07T06:37:54.490
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14090
answer