We have come to believe that someone who has more educational merit badges, who is very good at some form of school discipline is "intelligent".

我们开始相信，那些拥有更多教育荣誉勋章的人，那些在某个学校学科方面非常优秀的人是“聪明的”。

youdao

Fashions almost by definition change with time, so if you can make something that will still look good far into the future, then its appeal must derive more from merit and less from fashion.

流行几乎一定要被时间改变，所以如果你能够制作在很远的将来看起来仍然很好的东西，那么它的吸引力一定是更多的来自品格的而不是风尚。

youdao

I do believe that those of us who have prospered should view our good fortune not as an indication of personal merit or entitlement, but as an obligation to recognize the needs of others.

我相信那些飞黄腾达的人不应该把财富看成是个人声誉与权利的象征，而应该是帮助不幸的人们的责任。

youdao

In Myanmar, where Buddhist temples and monks proliferate, merit is attained through good deeds such as the release of caged birds and trapped fish.

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You do a good job and you are rewarded with merit pay and get promoted.

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Luck, both good and bad, plays a part in every life--though people tend to imagine that the good luck is a consequence of personal merit, while the bad luck springs from some malevolent outside source.

FORBES: Magazine Article