conscience

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++con·science /ˈkɒnʃəns $ ˈkɑːn-/ noun [countable, uncountable] 1 MINDGOOD/MORALthe part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong 良知，良心a guilty/troubled conscience 愧疚的内心/不安的良心 It was his guilty conscience that made him offer to help. 他是因为心中有愧才提出帮忙的。 Well, at least I can face them all with a clear conscience (=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong). 好吧，至少我可以问心无愧地面对他们所有人。prisoner of conscience (=someone in prison because of their beliefs) 政治犯，思想犯 I can’t tell you what to do – it’s a matter of conscience (=something you must make a moral judgement about). 我不能告诉你怎么办——这是良心问题。 a crisis of conscience among medical staff (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do) 医务人员中的良心危机 ► Do not confuse with consciousness (=the condition of being awake and aware of things).不要和 consciousness (神志清醒；意识)相混淆。2 a guilty feeling that you have about something bad you have done 良心的责备，内疚，愧疚twinge/pang of conscience Ian felt a pang of conscience at having misjudged her. 伊思因为错看了她而感到一阵良心上的愧疚。have no conscience (about something) (=not feel guilty about something) （对某事）不内疚 They’ve no conscience at all about cheating. 他们对欺骗毫不内疚。3 on your conscience GUILTY/FEEL GUILTYif you have something on your conscience, it makes you feel guilty 内疚，受到良心的谴责 He didn’t want somebody’s death on his conscience. 他不愿某个人的死成为他良心上的负担。 Could you live with that on your conscience? 你能背着那样的良心包袱生活吗？4 not in (all/good) conscience formalBAD BEHAVIOUR OR ACTIONS if you cannot in all conscience do something, you cannot do it because you think it is wrong 凭良心不能做某些事情〔因认为它是错的〕 I couldn’t in all conscience tell him that his job was safe. 出于良心，我不能对他说他的工作肯定保得住。n COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa clear conscience (=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong)I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.a guilty/troubled conscience (=the knowledge that you have done something wrong)His guilty conscience kept him awake at night.a social conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be or how you can help it)The writer’s strong social conscience is obvious in all his novels.a moral conscience (=an idea of what is right and wrong)At what age do children develop a moral conscience?the public conscience (=people’s idea of what is right or wrong)This scandal shocked the public conscience.the individual conscienceDecisions like this are a matter for the individual conscience.the human conscienceThe human conscience is a product of civilization.verbshave a clear/guilty etc conscienceDoes he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?wrestle/struggle with your conscience (=struggle to decide whether it is right or wrong do something)She wrestled with her conscience for weeks before deciding not to leave him.prick somebody’s conscience (=make someone feel guilty)Some of the things he’d done still pricked his conscience.phrasesbe a matter of conscience (=something that you must make a moral judgment about)Whether you vote or not is a matter of conscience.a crisis of conscience (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do)He had a crisis of conscience about whether to take on the legal case.the voice of conscience (=something in your mind that tells you what is right and wrong)Other leaders urged him to listen to the voice of conscience and hold free elections.a prisoner of conscience (=someone who is in prison because they have followed their beliefs about what is right or morally good to do)Vaclav Havel was a prisoner of conscience who later became president of Czechoslovakia.

Examples from the Corpus

conscience• They acted out of a conscience that patriots despised but at least could understand.• As adults we have active consciences which help us do the right thing.• However the appointment of staff to fill the new posts meant that our overall complement was little changed and consciences were salved.• Marie got up especially early to do all her work so that she could enjoy herself afterwards with a clear conscience.• It was a guilty conscience that made him admit stealing the money.• Her conscience would not let her take all the credit for their work.• His conscience warred with the whispered promises of the semi-sentient sword.• She hurried home, conscience- stricken about having left all the dishes for Natalie to do.• I have to do what my conscience tells me.• Great issues of conscience are thrashed out in impassioned, eloquent language.• Parker displayed a remarkable lack of conscience about what he had done.• Her murderer was a psychopath with a total lack of conscience.• Later Protestantism favoured liberty of conscience.• They affected him not only as a man of conscience but as a politician.• He was capable of making the most ruthless decisions with no apparent pangs of conscience.• What we gain from this is obvious: our own consciences are clear, and we're no longer implicated.• He was a man of strong social conscience, who actively campaigned against poverty in all its forms.twinge/pang of conscience• As he sat in Riddle's chair he experienced a pang of conscience but also a guilty thrill.• And they say she would have gotten away with the murder were it not for a pang of conscience.• She wouldn't be a burden just because he was having a pang of conscience.• A pang of conscience sent a light wash of pink into her cheeks.• They do, on occasion, have pangs of conscience regarding self-centredness.Origin conscience (1200-1300) Old French Latin conscientia, from conscire “to be conscious (of being guilty)”, from com- ( → COM-) + scire “to know”

con·science noun →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable

whether your mind tells Corpus that the of you part

conscience
con‧science /ˈkɒnʃəns $ ˈkɑːn-/

noun [uncountable and countable]

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin conscientia, from conscire 'to be conscious (of being guilty)', from com- ( ⇨ COM-) + scire 'to know'

1. the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong
a guilty/troubled conscience

It was his guilty conscience that made him offer to help.

Well, at least I can face them all with a clear conscience (=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong).
prisoner of conscience (=someone in prison because of their beliefs)

I can’t tell you what to do – it’s a matter of conscience (=something you must make a moral judgement about).

a crisis of conscience among medical staff (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do)
  ► Do not confuse with consciousness (=the condition of being awake and aware of things).
2. a guilty feeling that you have about something bad you have done
    twinge/pang of conscience

Ian felt a pang of conscience at having misjudged her.
have no conscience (about something) (=not feel guilty about something)

They’ve no conscience at all about cheating.
3. on your conscience if you have something on your conscience, it makes you feel guilty:

He didn’t want somebody’s death on his conscience.

Could you live with that on your conscience?
4. not in (all/good) conscience formal if you cannot in all conscience do something, you cannot do it because you think it is wrong:

I couldn’t in all conscience tell him that his job was safe.

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ a clear conscience (=the knowledge that you have done nothing wrong) I was able to answer his questions with a clear conscience.
   ▪ a guilty/troubled conscience (=the knowledge that you have done something wrong) His guilty conscience kept him awake at night.
   ▪ a social conscience (=a moral sense of how society should be or how you can help it) The writer’s strong social conscience is obvious in all his novels.
   ▪ a moral conscience (=an idea of what is right and wrong) At what age do children develop a moral conscience?
   ▪ the public conscience (=people’s idea of what is right or wrong) This scandal shocked the public conscience.
   ▪ the individual conscience Decisions like this are a matter for the individual conscience.
   ▪ the human conscience The human conscience is a product of civilization.
■ verbs
   ▪ have a clear/guilty etc conscience Does he have a guilty conscience about his role in the crime?
   ▪ wrestle/struggle with your conscience (=struggle to decide whether it is right or wrong do something) She wrestled with her conscience for weeks before deciding not to leave him.
   ▪ prick sb’s conscience (=make somebody feel guilty) Some of the things he’d done still pricked his conscience.
■ phrases
   ▪ be a matter of conscience (=something that you must make a moral judgment about) Whether you vote or not is a matter of conscience.
   ▪ a crisis of conscience (=a situation in which it is very difficult to decide what is the right thing to do) He had a crisis of conscience about whether to take on the legal case.
   ▪ the voice of conscience (=something in your mind that tells you what is right and wrong) Other leaders urged him to listen to the voice of conscience and hold free elections.
   ▪ a prisoner of conscience (=someone who is in prison because they have followed their beliefs about what is right or morally good to do) Vaclav Havel was a prisoner of conscience who later became president of Czechoslovakia.

THESAURUS

   ▪ guilt the feeling you have when you have done something you know is wrong: Divorce often leaves people with feelings of guilt.
   ▪ shame the feeling of being guilty or embarrassed that you have after doing something that is wrong, when you feel you have lost people’s respect: I was too scared to help him, and I was filled with shame.
   ▪ regret a feeling of sadness about something, especially because you wish it had not happened: Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.
   ▪ remorse a strong feeling of being sorry for doing something very bad: a murderer who showed no remorse
   ▪ contrition formal a feeling of being guilty and sorry for something wrong that you have done: The company CEO expressed contrition for the errors that led to the crash. | He sounded full of contrition. | They wanted to perform some kind of act of contrition (=do something that shows you feel sorry for something ).
   ▪ penitence formal a feeling of being sorry for something that you have done wrong, when you do not intend to do it again: He expressed genuine penitence at the harm he had done her. | a period of reflection and penitence
   ▪ conscience the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong: My conscience has been troubling me ever since.

con·science

BrE

/ˈkɒnʃəns/

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NAmE

/ˈkɑːnʃəns/

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noun

[countable

, uncountable]