go so far as to do something

to be willing to do something that is extreme:
It’s good, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s great.
He went so far as to call his rivals dishonest.
The campaigners went so far as to sue every sherrif in the state.
He conducted negotiations with members of local tribes, going so far as to enlist some of them in his army.
One journalist went so far as to call him a terrorist sympathizer.

so + 形容词或副词+ as to do sth,as to do 不定式为结果状语,意为:如此之…以致于…。类似于 so … that 引导结果状语从句。不同之处只是前者用不定式表示结果,后者用that从句表示结果;前者不定式的逻辑主语就是句子的主语,后者that从句的主语可以与主句主语相同,也可以是不同的主语,通常不同于主句的主语。例如:

Barthes’ essay went so far as to claim ‘The Death of the Author’.

= Barthes’ essay went so far that it claimed ‘The Death of the Author’.

He was so excited as to be unable to say a word.

= He was so excited that he couldn’t say a word.

go so far as to do sth. 常用作习语,在肯定句中表示某人甚至于做某事;在否定句表示某事不至于做某事。例如:

Some really keen enthusiasts go so far as to build their own record players and radio transmitters. 有些真正的狂热家甚至自己制造电唱机和无线电发射机。

You won’t go so far as to cheat me, will you? 你不至于骗我吧?