Scientists, for the sake of truth, would face nine deaths without a moment's regret.
Tips
history
From Qu Yuan's (屈原, Warring States, state of Chu) 《离骚》 ('Encountering Sorrow'): 亦余心之所善兮,虽九死其犹未悔 - 'These things my heart holds dear; though I should die nine deaths, I would still not regret.' The line has anchored two millennia of Chinese rhetoric around unshakable moral commitment.
usage
九 ('nine') here is a classical intensifier meaning 'many' rather than exactly nine. 虽 = 'even if,' 其 = emphatic particle, 犹未悔 = 'still would not regret.' Frequently quoted in eulogies, oaths, and mission statements.