Treason is the crime of betraying your own country — helping its enemies, passing secrets to them, or trying to overthrow the government by force. It is not simply disagreeing with the government or hating it; in most countries the law asks for a real act of help to an enemy or a real attempt to bring the state down.

Treason is the crime of betraying your own countrytreason是背叛自己國家的罪 — helping its enemies, passing secrets to them像是幫助敵人、把秘密洩露給他們, or trying to overthrow the government by force或是想用武力推翻政府。It is not simply disagreeing with the government or hating it這不只是單純不同意政府或討厭政府; in most countries the law asks for a real act of help to an enemy大部分國家的法律要求要有真正幫助敵人的行為 or a real attempt to bring the state down或是真正企圖推翻國家的行動

That narrowness matters, because treason has always been the heaviest charge a state can bring: for centuries it carried death, and in some countries it still can. In Britain there is also the older phrase 'high treason', which meant betraying the monarch.

That narrowness matters這種狹窄的定義很重要, because treason has always been the heaviest charge a state can bring因為treason一直是國家能提出的最重罪名: for centuries it carried death幾百年來這個罪要判死刑, and in some countries it still can在有些國家現在還是可能判死刑。In Britain there is also the older phrase 'high treason'在英國也有一個更古老的說法「high treason」, which meant betraying the monarch意思是背叛君主

Outside the courtroom, people use the word much more loosely and often half-jokingly, for any deep disloyalty to a group you belong to — 'Supporting the other team? That's treason in this house.' You can hear the difference at once: the legal use is cold and serious, the everyday use is warm and exaggerated.

Outside the courtroom在法庭之外, people use the word much more loosely and often half-jokingly大家用這個字會鬆散得多，也常常帶點開玩笑的意味, for any deep disloyalty to a group you belong to用來形容對你所屬的團體有很深的不忠 — 'Supporting the other team? That's treason in this house.'像「Supporting the other team? That's treason in this house.」You can hear the difference at once你馬上就能聽出差別: the legal use is cold and serious法律上的用法冷冽又嚴肅, the everyday use is warm and exaggerated日常的用法則溫暖又誇張

Note that treason is uncountable — 'he was charged with treason', never 'a treason'.

Note that treason is uncountable要注意treason是不可數名詞 — 'he was charged with treason', never 'a treason'「he was charged with treason」，不能說「a treason」