【又中又英】The Straight and Narrow

作者：Alice的学习笔记

原文

A friend heard an expression on an English language radio station he didn’t understand. The expression was “the straight and narrow”. This expression originated from the Bible. Many people want to be on the straight and narrow but it is not easy. The expression means to behave in a way that is honest and moral. If you keep on the straight and narrow, it means you live an honest and virtuous life. Ordinary people expect politicians and business leaders to keep on the straight and narrow. But many people believe politicians and business leaders are dishonest.

The expression can be used in many ways. For example, after a bank robber is released from jail, his family may tell him to keep on the straight and narrow and never rob banks again. Or a judge may decide not to jail young people for minor offences **on condition **they keep on the straight and narrow. The original expression from the Bible describes the path to God’s house. It says the path to destruction is wide. But the path to the house of God is straight and the entry gate is narrow. It is a common belief that being an honest and moral person is much harder than being a bad person.

Another expression which is similar but not exactly the same is “take the high road” or “take the moral high road”. This means to behave in a moral way, especially when others are not. If your competitor in an election uses fake news to accuse you of lying to voters, you can say you will “take the high road” with an honest election campaign instead of using fake news to attack him. Former First Lady Michelle Obama changed the expression when she said “when they go low, we go high” in July 2016. Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton were candidates to become the US president. Obama meant when Trump’s Republican Party used unfair tactics, the Democratic Party should choose the moral high road.

单词、短语

• the straight and narrow
  循规蹈矩（安分守己）的生活，英文解释为：an honest and morally good way of life。
           All her efforts to keep him on the straight and narrow have been rewarded.
           她为了让他走正道所作出的一切努力都得到了回报。
           He finds it difficult to stay on/stick to the straight and narrow for long.
           他觉得长期地坚持走正道很难。

• robber
  强盗，盗贼，抢劫犯。

• jail
  可作名词，表示监狱、看守所；也可以作动词，表示使入狱；监禁；If someone is jailed, they are put into jail.
           He was jailed for twenty years.
           他被判了20年监禁。

• on condition
  条件是/有一个条件，在……条件下，英文解释为：only if a particular thing is agreed to。
           He spoke to reporters on condition that he was not identified.
           在不披露身份的条件下，他接受了记者的采访。
           You can go out on condition that you wear an overcoat.
           你要穿上外衣才能出去.

• destruction
  破坏，毁灭，消灭。

• take the high road
  最好（或最有把握）的途径，最保险的方式，最正当的方式，英文解释为：If you say that someone is taking the high road in a situation, you mean that they are taking the most positive and careful course of action.
           Daley has taken the high road in his campaign.
           戴利在竞选活动中采取了正派的方式。
           He took the high road in his campaign.
           他在竞选活动中采取了最积极的方针。

• tactic
  手法，策略。
           a tactic employed to speed up the peace process
           为推进和平进程而采取的策略
           delaying tactics (=something you do in order to give yourself more time)
           拖延战术

翻译

一位朋友从英语电台听到一个他不很明白的习语，那个习语是“the straight and narrow”。这个习语来自《圣经》。许多人都想on the straight and narrow，但那并不容易。这个习语的意思是走在正道上，坦荡正直地做人。若你keep on the straight and narrow，意味着你诚实做人且品德高尚。一般人都会期望政客与商界领袖会坚持坦荡而正直（the straight and narrow），但许多人认为，政客与商界领袖都不很诚实。

这个习语可以有多种用法，譬如，一个银行劫匪刑满出狱后，他的家人会叫他循规蹈矩（the straight and narrow），勿再抢劫银行了。又或者，一个法官决定不因年轻人所犯的轻微罪行而判囚，条件是他们要走正途（the straight and narrow），不再重犯了。原本这个习语来自《圣经》，形容引到天家的路。它说，引到灭亡的路是宽的，但引到永生的路则是直的，门是窄的。大众普遍认为，要作坦荡正直的人，比去做一个坏人要难得多。

另一个意思相近但不完全一样的习语就是“take the high road”或“take the moral high road”。它的意思是要以符合道德、正当的手法处事，尤其是当他人并非这样做时。若你的竞选对手用假新闻抹黑你向选民撒谎，你可以说你不会跟他一般见识，而是“take the high road”，用正当的竞选活动而非用假新闻反攻。美国前第一夫人米雪‧奥巴马在二○一六年七月，将这句习语改了一下，说成“when they go low, we go high”。当时共和党的唐纳德‧特朗普与民主党的希拉莉‧克林顿正在竞逐美国总统之位。米雪‧奥巴马说这话的意思是，当特朗普的共和党用上不正当的手段时，民主党应该坚持走合乎道义之正途。

原文作者：Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
中文翻译：七刻

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