In
a Melon Plot and Under a Plum Tree
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Pronunciation:
Gua(1) Tian(2) Li(3) Xia(4)
Explanation:
Meaning circumstances that tend to give rise
to suspicion.
The Story: Among the old folk songs
is one called "Song of the Gentleman",
which has these lines: "A gentleman must
prevent possible troubles and not place himself
under suspicious circumstances. He is not
to fasten his shoes in a melon plot or adjust
his hat under a plum tree." It means
that a gentleman must make himself respectable
and regulate his conduct so as to avoid being
misunderstood by others.
When
he walks by a melon plot, he is not to fasten
his shoes even when they have come loose;
and when he passes a tree laden with plums,
he should not raise his hands to adjust his
hat even if it has become to drop so that
no one will suspect him of trying to steal
melons or plums. From this, people will learn
how to be a gentleman.
Usage
Example (Pinyin): Wei(4) bi(4) mian(3)
gua(1) tian(2) li(3) xia(4) de kun(4) rao(3),
zhe(4) ge(4) shi(4) zhang(3) cong(2) bu(4)
jie(2) shou(4) qin(1) peng(2) hao(3) you(3)
de li(3) wu(4).
Usage
Example (English translation): To avoid
the worry of 'In a melon plot and under a
plum tree', this mayor never accept any relatives
and friends' presents.
Note:
The spoken Chinese Mandarin language has 4
spoken tones. We have attempted to re-create
those above where after each syllable we tell
you (1), (2), (3), or (4) as they correspond
to each of the 4 tones. We encourage you to
complement your Xianzai.com Chinese Idioms
newsletter with a good offline study program.
