Rat race 并不是真的指的是老鼠的比赛，其英文释义为：“a way of life in modern society, in which people compete with each other for power and money”，指“疯狂竞争； (大城市里为财富、权力等的)你死我活的竞争”。接近于我们常说年轻人的“卷；内卷”。

参考双语例句：

We are taught to believe that only by going to the best schools and getting the best grades can we escape the rat race and build a better future.

我们被教育要相信，只有上最好的学校，取得最好的成绩，才能逃脱你死我活的竞争，创造更美好的未来。

Ostwald bought the land for 30,000 two decades ago with the aim of eventually building his own home and escaping the rat race.

奥斯特瓦尔德20年前花了3万英镑买下这块地，当时打算最终建造他自己的住宅，并逃离疯狂竞争。

Moreover, they are never taught the power of passive income streams and how to really break free from the rat race of working 9-to-5.

而且，从来没有人教我们认识消极收入流的能力，以及如何真正从朝九晚五的激烈竞争中解放出来。