soul、ghost与spirit这些名词均含“灵魂、心灵”之意。
soul : 指超越身体之外,永远存在的无形的东西,即所谓灵魂,亦可作人解。
- 他的作品是经典与流行音乐有趣的混合,可以给你疲惫的心灵充注活力。
His work is an interesting hybrid of popular and classical music. It can replenish your weary soul.
ghost : 普通用词,主要指死者的灵魂。
- 'Oh! don't, Miss Catherine!' I cried. 'We're dismal enough without conjuring up ghosts and visions to perplex us. Come, come, be merry and like yourself! Look at little Hareton! HE'S dreaming nothing dreary. How sweetly he smiles in his sleep!'
“啊,别说啦,凯瑟琳小姐!”我叫着,“用不着招神现鬼来缠我们,我们已够惨的啦。来,来,高兴起来,像你本来的样子!看看小哈里顿——他梦中想不到什么伤心事。他在睡眠中笑得多甜啊!”
——《呼啸山庄》(Wuthering Heights)
spirit : 当指与body相对而言的所谓灵魂时,可与soul互换使用,但强调人的精神素质,也指神仙、精灵等。
- 为了实现中华民族伟大复兴,中国共产党团结带领中国人民,自力更生、发愤图强,创造了社会主义革命和建设的伟大成就。
To realize national rejuvenation, the Party united and led the Chinese people in endeavoring to build a stronger China with a spirit of self-reliance, achieving great success in socialist revolution and construction.
——习近平在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上的讲话