idiom : common saying > those in subordinate positions will follow the example set by their superiors; fish begins to stink at the head; when the upper beam is not straight,the lower ones will go aslant
Contents
上梁不正下梁歪
　　Explanation: Upper beam: means a superior or elder. Behavior of the people on the analogy is not correct, follow the following people do bad things.
　　Usage: Complex sentence; as object clause;
　　Source: Jin Yang Quan "thing theory": "on the errors, the next varied."
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
　　Comparison of high status or reputation of the person conduct is not good, down to the people to emulate and learn bad
Translated by Google
Behavior of the upper ranks who analogy is not correct, the following people do bad things to follow
　　Behavior of the upper ranks who analogy is not correct, the following people do bad things to follow. Language of the Shanxi Yang Quan "thing theory": "on the straight, the lower mixed." "Jin Ping Mei" second six back: "legend out, Hugh said that relatives of six neighbors joke, only the size of the family was concerned about where you do not. It is上梁不正下梁歪. "Mao Dun" exercise "23:" 上梁不正下梁歪, wounded soldiers are really doing too little, nor the availability of official reward for the people also lost purse. This is they are the first official had committed a crime! "
Translated by Google
No. 4
　　【词目】 上梁不正下梁歪
　　【发音】 shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
　　【释义】 上梁：指上级或长辈。比喻在上的人行为不正，下面的人也跟着做坏事。
　　【出处】 晋·杨泉《物理论》：“上不正，下参差。”
　　【示例】 不要怪他们，这叫做～。 ★清·玩花主人《缀白裘·〈铁冠图·夜乐〉》。王朔《永失我爱》：“这也就是我自个，换别人这样儿我也早急了，要不怎么说正人先正己上梁不正下梁歪。”
　　【故事】宋朝时，陈州接连发生自然灾害，朝廷派贪官刘得中和杨金吾开仓卖粮，他们假公济私抬高粮价，还在粮食里掺沙，分量还不够。老百姓对他们的这种行为极为愤慨，但也没办法，只有叹息：“上梁不正下梁歪”
　　【原文】
　　季康子问政于孔子。孔子对曰：“政者，正也。子帅以正，孰敢不正？”
　　【译文】
　　季康子向孔子问怎样治理政事。孔子回答说：“政的意思就是端正。您带头端正，谁敢不端正呢？”
　　【读解】
　　对于这个问题，孔子曾三番五次地论说：
　　“自身的行为端正，就是不发命令，下面的人也知道该怎么做；自身的行为不端正，即使三令五申也没有人听从。”（《子路》）
　　“如果自身行为端正，从政治国有什么困难呢？如果自身行为不端正，又怎么能够去端正别人呢？”（《子路》）
　　孟子也说：
　　“自己不正直是不可能使别人正直的。”（《孟子·滕文公下》）
　　一句话归总，就是——
　　上梁不正下梁歪，中梁不正垮下来。
　　儒学的政治学强调领导人的表率作用，这与我们今天所推行的廉政建设思想是一致的。
English Expression
  1. n.:  those in subordinate positions will follow the example set by their superiors; fish begins to stink at the head; when the upper beam is not straight,the lower ones will go aslant
  2. v.:  When the higher-ups (or parents) do not set a good example, the subordinates (or children) cannot be expected to behave well