וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֶֽל־הַנָּחָשׁ֮ כִּ֣י עָשִׂ֣יתָ זֹּאת֒ אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ מִכָּל־הַבְּהֵמָ֔ה וּמִכֹּ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה עַל־גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃
耶和華上帝對蛇說：「因為你做了這事，你必受咒詛，比所有的牲畜和田野的活物更為可咒。你必用肚子行走，終生吃土。」
耶和华上帝对蛇说：「因为你做了这事，你必受咒诅，比所有的牲畜和田野的活物更为可咒。你必用肚子行走，终生吃土。」
Yēhéhuá Shàngdì duì shé shuō: “Yīnwèi nǐ zuò le zhè shì, nǐ bì shòu zhòu zǔ, bǐ suǒyǒu de shēng chù hé tián yě de huó wù gèng wéi kě zhòu. Nǐ bì yòng dù zi xíng zǒu, zhōng shēng chī tǔ.”
The LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.”
1. Vocabulary Breakdown
| Chinese Character | Pinyin | Meaning | Grammar Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 耶和華 / 耶和华 | Yēhéhuá | The LORD | Proper noun |
| 上帝 | Shàngdì | God | Proper noun |
| 對 / 对 | duì | To, towards | Preposition |
| 蛇 | shé | Serpent | Noun |
| 說 / 说 | shuō | To say | Verb |
| 因為 / 因为 | yīn wèi | Because | Conjunction |
| 你 | nǐ | You | Pronoun |
| 做了 | zuò le | Did, have done | Verb |
| 這事 / 这事 | zhè shì | This thing | Noun phrase |
| 受咒詛 / 受咒诅 | shòu zhòu zǔ | To be cursed | Verb phrase |
| 牲畜 | shēng chù | Cattle | Noun |
| 田野 | tián yě | Field | Noun |
| 活物 | huó wù | Living creatures | Noun |
| 肚子 | dù zi | Belly | Noun |
| 行走 | xíng zǒu | To walk | Verb |
| 終生 / 终生 | zhōng shēng | All one’s life | Adverbial phrase |
| 吃土 | chī tǔ | To eat dust | Verb phrase |
2. Grammar Explanation
Sentence Structure:
- 耶和華上帝對蛇說：「因為你做了這事 (Yēhéhuá Shàngdì duì shé shuō: ‘Yīnwèi nǐ zuò le zhè shì’): The LORD God addresses the serpent and explains the reason for its punishment.
- 你必受咒詛，比所有的牲畜和田野的活物更為可咒 (Nǐ bì shòu zhòu zǔ, bǐ suǒyǒu de shēng chù hé tián yě de huó wù gèng wéi kě zhòu): Declares the serpent as cursed above all other creatures.
- 你必用肚子行走，終生吃土 (Nǐ bì yòng dù zi xíng zǒu, zhōng shēng chī tǔ): Details the specific punishment of the serpent.
Key Grammar Points:
- 因為 / 因为 (yīn wèi): A conjunction indicating cause or reason, meaning “because.”
- 必 (bì): A modal verb expressing certainty or inevitability, meaning “must” or “shall.”
- 比 (bǐ): A preposition used to make comparisons, meaning “compared to.”
3. Pronunciation Practice
Pinyin: Yēhéhuá Shàngdì duì shé shuō: “Yīnwèi nǐ zuò le zhè shì, nǐ bì shòu zhòu zǔ, bǐ suǒyǒu de shēng chù hé tián yě de huó wù gèng wéi kě zhòu. Nǐ bì yòng dù zi xíng zǒu, zhōng shēng chī tǔ.”
Tone Practice:
- 耶和華 / 耶和华 (Yēhéhuá): 1st tone (flat) + 2nd tone (rising) + 2nd tone (rising)
- 上帝 (Shàngdì): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling)
- 對 / 对 (duì): 4th tone (falling)
- 蛇 (shé): 2nd tone (rising)
- 說 / 说 (shuō): 1st tone (flat)
- 因為 / 因为 (yīn wèi): 1st tone (flat) + 4th tone (falling)
- 你 (nǐ): 3rd tone (falling-rising)
- 做了 (zuò le): 4th tone (falling) + neutral tone
- 這事 / 这事 (zhè shì): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling)
- 受咒詛 / 受咒诅 (shòu zhòu zǔ): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling) + 3rd tone (falling-rising)
- 牲畜 (shēng chù): 1st tone (flat) + 4th tone (falling)
- 田野 (tián yě): 2nd tone (rising) + 3rd tone (falling-rising)
- 活物 (huó wù): 2nd tone (rising) + 4th tone (falling)
- 肚子 (dù zi): 4th tone (falling) + neutral tone
- 行走 (xíng zǒu): 2nd tone (rising) + 3rd tone (falling-rising)
- 終生 / 终生 (zhōng shēng): 1st tone (flat) + 1st tone (flat)
- 吃土 (chī tǔ): 1st tone (flat) + 3rd tone (falling-rising)
4. Character Learning
Key Characters:
- 咒詛 / 咒诅 (zhòu zǔ): Means “curse” or “condemnation,” used in both literal and figurative contexts to indicate a strong malediction.
- 牲畜 (shēng chù): Refers to domesticated animals or livestock, emphasizing their common association with human life.
- 肚子 (dù zi): Means “belly” or “stomach,” used both literally and idiomatically in Chinese.
- 行走 (xíng zǒu): Means “to walk,” often implying movement or progress.
5. Cultural Insights
- Serpents and Curses: In both Hebrew and Chinese traditions, serpents often symbolize deceit and are frequently associated with curses or negative outcomes.
- Symbolism of Eating Dust: The act of eating dust implies degradation and humiliation, a theme also seen in Chinese proverbs and literature.
- Comparison of Curses: The serpent’s punishment in Genesis resonates with Chinese moral tales where transgressors face symbolic and physical consequences.
6. Mnemonics for Retention
- 咒詛 / 咒诅 (zhòu zǔ): Imagine a scroll with ominous words written, symbolizing a curse being pronounced.
- 肚子 (dù zi): Picture a snake crawling on its belly as a visual cue for this word.
- 行走 (xíng zǒu): Visualize footprints or a path being formed to remember the action of walking.
7. Comparative Studies
- Comparison with Hebrew:
- אָר֤וּר אַתָּה֙ (Arur Attah): → 你必受咒詛 (Nǐ bì shòu zhòu zǔ): Both describe the serpent as cursed.
- עַל־גְּחֹנְךָ֣ תֵלֵ֔ךְ (Al Geḥonkha Telekh): → 你必用肚子行走 (Nǐ bì yòng dù zi xíng zǒu): Both specify the punishment of crawling on the belly.
- וְעָפָ֥ר תֹּאכַ֖ל (VeAfar Tochal): → 終生吃土 (Zhōng shēng chī tǔ): Both emphasize the serpent eating dust as a sign of degradation.
- Comparison with English:
- “You are cursed more than all cattle” aligns with 你必受咒詛，比所有的牲畜 (Nǐ bì shòu zhòu zǔ, bǐ suǒyǒu de shēng chù): Both emphasize the serpent’s unique curse among creatures.
- “On your belly you shall go” matches 你必用肚子行走 (Nǐ bì yòng dù zi xíng zǒu): Both highlight the mode of movement as a punishment.
- “And you shall eat dust all the days of your life” corresponds to 終生吃土 (Zhōng shēng chī tǔ): Both depict the lifetime humiliation of eating dust.
- Comparison with Chinese Cultural Concepts:
- Symbolic Punishment: The serpent’s punishment mirrors Chinese narratives where offenders are given lifelong symbolic penalties to signify their guilt.
- Humility and Submission: Crawling on the belly reflects themes of humility and submission, often used in Chinese literature to describe moral consequences.
