# The more words that are spoken This can be stated in active form. AT: "The more words that people speak" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]]) # the more futility increases The more a person speaks, the more likely he will speak about meaningless things. AT: "the more meaningless those words are" # futility being useless, without profit # what advantage is that to a man? The author uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that there is no advantage for a man to talk a lot. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "that is no advantage to a man." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) # For who knows what is good for man ... he passes like a shadow? The author uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that no person truly knows what is good for man. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "No one knows what is good for man ... he passes like a shadow." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) # in his life during his futile, numbered days through which he passes like a shadow This speaks of how life passes quickly by saying that it is like a shadow that quickly disappears. The phrase "numbered days" emphasizes that a person's life is short. AT: "during his futile, short life, which he passes through as quickly as a shadow passes by" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]]) # Who can tell a man ... after he passes? The author uses this rhetorical question to emphasize that no one knows what will happen after a person dies. This question can be written as a statement. AT: "No one can tell a man ... after he passes." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]]) # what will come under the sun This refers to things that are done on earth. See how you translated "under the sun" in [Ecclesiastes 1:3](../01/01.md). AT: "what will happen on the earth" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]]) # after he passes This is a polite expression for death. AT: "after he dies" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism]]) # translationWords * [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/good]] * [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/shadow]]