傳道書 4
1 我又轉目注視在太陽下所行的一切暴行：看，受壓迫者眼淚汪流，卻無人安慰；壓迫人者手中只有權勢，卻無人加以援助。
Then I turned to consider all the ways people oppress others here on earth. Look at the tears of the oppressed—there's no one to comfort them! Powerful people oppress them, and there's no one to comfort them!
2 於是我聲稱那已死去的人，比現今還活著的人更為有福。
I congratulated those who were already dead, for the dead are better off than those who are still alive and being oppressed.
3 那還沒有出世的人，比這兩等人更為有福，因為他還沒有見到太陽下所行的惡事。
But best of all are those who have never existed—they haven't seen the evil things people do to each other here on earth.
4 我也看出各種勞苦和一切工作的技巧，都是出於人彼此間的競爭：這也是空虛，也是追風。
I observed that every skill in work comes from competition with others. Once again this is hard to understand, like trying to hold on to the elusive wind.
5 愚人交臂叉手，是自食己肉。
Fools fold their arms and do nothing—so in the end they're all used up.
6 捧一把安逸，勝過兩把勞苦和追風。
It's better to earn a little without stress than a lot with too much stress and chasing after the wind.
7 我又轉睛，看見在太陽下有件空虛的事：
Then I turned to consider something else here on earth that is also frustratingly hard to understand.
8 有個孤獨無伴的人，既沒有兒子，又沒有兄弟，卻時常勞苦不息，他的眼總是貪得無厭，從來不問：「我辛辛苦苦，節制享樂，究竟是為誰﹖」這也是空虛和大不幸。
What about someone who has no family to help him, no brother or son, who works all the time, but isn't satisfied with the money he makes. “Who am I working for?” he asks himself. “Why am I preventing myself from enjoying life?” Such a situation is hard to explain—it's an evil business!
9 兩人勝過一人，因為兩人工作，酬報優厚：
Two are better than one, for they can help each other in their work.
10 若一個跌倒了，另一個可扶起自己的同伴。哀哉孤獨者! 他若跌倒了，沒有另一人扶起他來。
If one of them falls down, the other can help them up, but how sad it is for someone who falls down and doesn't have anyone to help them up.
11 又如兩人同眠，都感溫暖；若孤獨一人，怎能暖和﹖
In the same way, if two people lie down together, they keep each other warm, but you can't keep yourself warm if you're alone.
12 若一人抵不住一人，兩人就能抵住。－－三股繩，不易斷。
Someone fighting against one other person may win, but not if they are fighting against two. A cord made of three strands can't be torn apart quickly.
13 一個貧寒而明智的青年，勝過一個年老昏愚，而總不採納忠言的君王。
A poor young person who's wise is better than an old and foolish king who no longer accepts advice.
14 這青年雖在國中出身貧寒，但由獄中出來，執政為王；
He may even come out of prison to reign over his kingdom, even though he was born poor.
15 我看見一切在太陽下行走的活人，都擁護青年人，新繼位者，來代替老王。
I observed everyone here on earth following the youth who takes his place.
16 擁護他為領袖的人民，多得無數；但日後，那些後來的人卻不喜歡他：這也是空虛，也是追風。
He is surrounded by crowds of supporters, but the next generation isn't happy with him. This also illustrates the passing nature of life whose meaning is elusive, like pursuing the wind for understanding.
