# 一線を越える



## wathavy

Hi.
I might be cheating by posting here this query, but forgive me if I am attacking forum rules.

Here the sentence 一線を越える which means one crosses over the point over which one decided not to go, because one regard it is not ethically proven to go.

For example, when one start taking a drug, one crossed over the line.
誰かが、麻薬を使用した。彼は一線を越えた。

Well, I am got a good Japanese writer either, but the nuance may be transferred by writing the above example, I hope.

What would be the English translation for 一線を越える?
Thank you.


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## kaito

In English, crossing the line is rather common and it's synonymous with going too far.

The "line" does not need to be an ethical/moral or anything special at all, there are no restrictions I can think of.

You can tell someone that (you think that) he crossed the line because he did something you would never do because you find it morally objectionable but you can also use it if you think someone isn't entitled to something while you are, for example if you hit someone you may consider it "normal" but if someone hits you, you may consider it that they crossed a line.


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## wathavy

Thank you Kaito.
So, you would say 'cross a line' or 'cross the line' would work out well.
Am I right?

Thanks.


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## kaito

Yes, I would say so.


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## Starfrown

wathavy said:


> Thank you Kaito.
> So, you would say 'cross a line' or 'cross the line' would work out well.
> Am I right?


The English idiom is almost always: "to cross *the* line." I don't think using "a" is impossible, but it is relatively unlikely.

I'm not sure that these will always work in translating your Japanese phrase. In some cases we might be more likely to use a non-set phrase such as: "to overcome one's reservations." I would probably have to see more examples of the Japanese phrase used in context to decide.

P.S. This is definitely the right forum for this question. In English Only, the mods do not allow any discussion whatsoever of foreign phrases.


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## kaito

I agree, "the" is better, but I couldn't find a good reason why "crossing a line" would not work.


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## Franzi

kaito said:


> I agree, "the" is better, but I couldn't find a good reason why "crossing a line" would not work.



Both are fine, but they have different nuances.

"You've really crossed the line this time!" -- It's obvious what the 'line' was; we all agree that the behavior was unacceptable or not normal.  You probably already know you did something unusual.

"You crossed a line when you [description of what you did]."  -- You might not have been aware of the 'line'; it's definitely one moral/ethical/social standard out of many.


I would be more likely to use 'a' when explaining exactly what the person did and 'the' when making a general statement about them having done something shocking.


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## wathavy

Thanks for your comment, Franzi.
So, the harder the impact you use 'the' and lesser the impact you prefer 'a'.
Am I following you?


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## Franzi

wathavy said:


> Thanks for your comment, Franzi.
> So, the harder the impact you use 'the' and lesser the impact you prefer 'a'.
> Am I following you?



Sort of.  As usual, you use 'the' when there is only one and 'a' when you're talking about one thing out of many.  That's why the standard idiom is "You've crossed the line!", "That crossed the line!", etc.  If you're talking about a situation where there are many possible "lines", you use 'a'.

For example, you might see uses like the following:

"You crossed the line when you killed him!"  (You have done something unacceptable and now I'll have to kill you/arrest you/hate you/whatever.)

"You crossed a line when you killed him."  (Now you'll have to live with the knowledge that you've killed another person, or now you'll be different because you've had this experience, or now something is going to be different because of what you did, etc.)

Crossing _the _line is more like crossing from acceptable to unacceptable.  Crossing _a _line is more like crossing from one state to another.


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## wathavy

Franzi, I seem to have gotten what you mean.
Thank you.

P.S.
Anyway, I might as well go with _the _first when I use it.


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