每日英語 #015: Taking the Moral High Ground

2024/06/01 更新2024/06/01 發佈閱讀 8 分鐘

Taking the Moral High Ground

“To take the moral high ground” means to keep one’s beliefs and to behave according to what is generally accepted as a high standard of good and correct behavior.

「站在道德制高點」意味著堅持自己的信念並按照普遍接受的高標準良好和正確的行為來行事。

When we talk about “morality” (noun) or “moral” (adjective) behavior, we are talking about our “principles” (important beliefs) about what is right and wrong, and what is good or bad.

當我們談論「道德」（名詞）或「道德的」（形容詞）行為時，我們指的是我們關於對錯和善惡的「原則」（重要信念）。

“High ground” is the term we use for a place or piece of land that is higher than the areas around it.

「高地」是我們用來描述比周圍地區更高的一塊地方或土地的術語。

That’s where you want to be if there is a “flood” (too much water over land), so you can stay dry.

如果有「洪水」（過多的水淹沒土地），你會希望在那裡，這樣你才能保持乾燥。

A person who has or takes the moral high ground in a debate or controversy is someone who has or wants to have the better moral position when compared to others involved, whether it’s “in their own eyes” (from their own point of view) or in the eyes of others.

在辯論或爭議中擁有或站在道德制高點的人是相對於其他參與者而言擁有或想要擁有更好道德立場的人，無論是「在他們自己的眼中」（從他們自己的觀點）還是他人的眼中。

If, for example, people at work are trying to “curry favor” (get someone to like them more by trying to please that person) with the boss by telling lies about their coworkers, you may want to take the moral high ground and not do the same thing, even if it means you will not gain the same advantage as your coworkers.

例如，如果同事通過說謊來「討好」（通過取悅某人來讓他們更喜歡自己）老闆，你可能會選擇站在道德制高點而不做同樣的事情，即使這意味著你不會獲得與同事相同的好處。

The opposite of taking the moral high ground is “to sink to (someone’s) level.”

站在道德制高點的反義詞是「降低到（某人的）水平」。

“To sink” means to fall or to drop to a lower level.

「降低」意味著掉落或降到更低的水平。

“To sink to (someone’s) level” means to lower one’s standards so that one behaves in a way that is similar to another person who has lower standards.

「降低到（某人的）水平」意味著降低自己的標準，使得自己行為方式類似於另一個標準較低的人。

For instance, if you’re in car race and one of the racers “routinely” (regularly) wins by “paying off” (giving money to someone so they’ll do or not do something) his competitors, you might say, “I won’t sink to his level to win.”

例如，如果你在一場賽車比賽中，而其中一個賽車手通過「賄賂」（定期地給錢讓對手做或不做某事）他的對手來獲勝，你可能會說，「我不會降低到他的水平來贏得比賽。」

So people who take the moral high ground are people who won’t sink to the level of others.

所以，站在道德制高點的人是不會降低到他人水平的人。

We often think highly or well of people who take the moral high ground, especially if it means there is some “sacrifice” (giving up of something important) on their part.

我們通常對站在道德制高點的人評價很高，尤其是如果這意味著他們做出了某些「犧牲」（放棄一些重要的東西）。