Ecclesiastes 3:21|The “Spirit” of Man and Beast 傳道書3:21|人與動物的「靈」 ——— Ecclesiastes 3:21 (KJV) Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? 傳道書 3:21(和合本) 誰知道人的靈是往上升,獸的魂是下入地呢? ——— In Ecclesiastes 3:21, both “the spirit of man” and “the spirit of the beast” are described using the same English word: spirit. 然而,在傳道書3:21中,無論是「人的靈」還是「動物的靈」,英文原文都使用同一個詞——spirit。 However, the Chinese translation renders them differently as 「人的靈」 and 「動物的魂」, which may seem to suggest a distinction that is not explicit in the original wording. 但中文卻翻譯為「人的靈」與「動物的魂」,這在字面上形成了一種原文中未明確表達的區別。 ——— The main point of this passage is not to contrast the eternal nature of man and animals, but to emphasize a shared reality: both face physical death. 這段經文的重點並不是要對比人與動物在本質上的不同,而是指出一個共同的事實:兩者都會面對肉體的死亡。 In terms of earthly existence, man has no advantage over the beast—both return to the dust. 就地上的生命而言,人並沒有比動物更有優勢——都要歸於塵土。 ——— The “spirit” in this context refers to t...