“I would prefer even to fail with honor that win by cheating.”

-Sophocles

What Sophocles is trying to say is that, he would prefer to fail something but still have his honor that to win something by cheating. For example, if you are taking a test and you cheat, you will win something by cheating and that is something that you would not like following you for the rest of your life. On the other hand, if you are taking the test and you don’t cheat then, you will fail but at least you will still have your honor.