conscience: [13] Latin conscīre meant ‘be mutually aware’. It was a compound verb formed from the prefix com- ‘with, together’ and scīre ‘know’ (source of English science). To ‘know something with oneself’ implied, in a neutral sense, ‘consciousness’, but also a moral awareness, a mental differentiation between right and wrong, and hence the derived noun conscientia carried both these meanings, via Old French, into English (the more general, amoral, ‘consciousness’ died out in the 18th century).
A parallel Latin formation, using *sci-, the base of scīre, was conscius ‘aware’, acquired by English in the 17th century as conscious. Conscientious is also a 17th-century borrowing, ultimately from Latin conscientiōsus. => science
conscience (n.)
early 13c., from Old French conscience "conscience, innermost thoughts, desires, intentions; feelings" (12c.), from Latin conscientia "knowledge within oneself, sense of right, a moral sense," from conscientem (nominative consciens), present participle of conscire "be (mutually) aware," from com- "with," or "thoroughly" (see com-) + scire "to know" (see science).
Probably a loan-translation of Greek syneidesis, literally "with-knowledge." Sometimes nativized in Old English/Middle English as inwit. Russian also uses a loan-translation, so-vest, "conscience," literally "with-knowledge."
双语例句
1. The Daily Mail has the headline "The Voice of Conscience"
《每日邮报》的头版标题为“良知的声音”。
来自柯林斯例句
2. I'm so glad he had a pang of conscience.
我很高兴他会有负疚感。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I would like your advice on a matter of conscience, Father.
我想就一件有关良心的事征求您的建议，神父。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Now the murderer has two deaths on his conscience.
现在，这个杀人犯背着两条人命，受到了良心的谴责。
来自柯林斯例句
5. Mr Garcia said his conscience was clear over the jail incidents.