“改过”常见的英文表达有 “correct one's mistakes” 或 “reform oneself” ,具体使用哪个取决于语境和想要强调的侧重点:
correct one's mistakes:更侧重于“改正错误”这一行为动作,强调对已经犯下的错误进行纠正。例如:He realized his mistake and promised to correct it immediately.(他意识到了自己的错误,并承诺立即改正。)
reform oneself:侧重于“自我革新、改过自新”,不仅包含改正错误,还带有一种自我提升、重新塑造自我的意味,通常用于描述较为彻底的转变。例如:After being in prison, he decided to reform himself and start a new life.(出狱后,他决定改过自新,开始新的生活。 )