She believed she was performing an "act of mercy", but she also admitted knowing that what she did was against the law.

虽坚信此举“出于仁慈”，她也承认知道自己的所作所为触犯了法律。

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They could keep for themselves the prestigious title of "chaste" even though they were obviously performing an act that almost anyone in an earlier period would assume disqualified them from being called chaste.

他们可以为自己享有这有声望的“贞节“称号“,尽管很显然他们所表现的行为,几乎早期的任何人都会认为,那是没有资格被称为贞节的。

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"Malfeasance" suggests wrongful doing, as in an individual intentionally performing an illegal act.

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