Self-preservation is the protection of your own life and body when something threatens you. In a fire, a flood, or a fight, it is the push that makes you run, hide, or strike back. Biologists talk about a survival instinct; ordinary English often calls that instinct self-preservation.

Self-preservation is the protection of your own life and bodySelf-preservation是保護你自己的生命和身體, when something threatens you當有什麼東西威脅到你的時候。In a fire, a flood, or a fight在火災、水災，或打鬥的時候, it is the push that makes you run, hide, or strike back它就是那股推著你逃跑、躲藏，或反擊的力量。Biologists talk about a survival instinct生物學家會談到survival instinct（求生本能）；ordinary English often calls that instinct self-preservation一般英文常常把那種本能叫做self-preservation。

Though actually, people stretch it a long way from real danger. A sense of self-preservation at work can mean knowing when to stop arguing with the boss. And when someone says it was just self-preservation, they sometimes mean I looked after myself, even if that left you exposed — not a crime, but not a noble story either.

Though actually不過其實，people stretch it a long way from real danger人們會把這個字用得離真正的危險很遠。A sense of self-preservation at work職場上的self-preservation意識, can mean knowing when to stop arguing with the boss可以指知道什麼時候該停止跟老闆爭論。And when someone says it was just self-preservation而當有人說那只是self-preservation的時候, they sometimes mean I looked after myself他們有時候的意思是「我只是保護了自己」, even if that left you exposed就算那讓你暴露在風險裡 — not a crime, but not a noble story either不算犯罪，但也不是什麼高尚的故事。

The word is a little formal, but news and everyday speech both use it. It is about keeping you safe, not about keeping jam or old buildings.

The word is a little formal這個字有點正式, but news and everyday speech both use it但新聞和日常口語都會用它。It is about keeping you safe它講的是保護你的安全, not about keeping jam or old buildings而不是保存果醬或老建築。