He himself believed in freedom, so much so that he would rather die than live without it.

他本人如此信奉自由，以至于宁死也不愿没有自由地活着。

《柯林斯英汉双解大词典》

He thought he would rather die than touch it again.

他想他宁死也不愿再碰它。

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He would rather die than go back on his friends.

他宁死也不出卖他的朋友。

youdao

And I would rather die a thousand deaths."

VOA: special.2009.12.17

And the other would accept war, rather than let it die.

VOA: special.2009.12.10

An oft-quoted study suggests that executives would rather die than speak.

FORBES: The Only Reason To Give A Speech In 2011

The former foreign minister, who said on the eve of the war he would rather die than be taken into U.S. custody, had suffered two recent heart attacks.

CNN: U.S. hoping Aziz will talk

Or is it possible that the lists have been compiled by snarky, unscrupulous young journalists who would rather die than visit Waco or Des Moines or Traverse City, much less live there?

WSJ: Joe Queenan on Lists of Best Cities to Live In | Moving Targets