Fairness Fosters Discernment and Integrity Creates Authority
處事公正才能明察是非,做人廉潔才能樹立威望。這是明清兩代一些正直廉潔的官吏用以自戒的座右銘。“公”即公正無私;“明”即明察是非,有很強(qiáng)的分辨力和判斷力;“廉”即廉潔;“威”即威望,有令人信服的公信力。時(shí)至今日,它仍是執(zhí)政者應(yīng)當(dāng)遵循的最重要的為官準(zhǔn)則:執(zhí)政當(dāng)公平公正,在國家法律和規(guī)定程序的框架內(nèi)進(jìn)行;官員當(dāng)以身作則,廉潔自律,克己奉公,不可以權(quán)謀私。
Only by being fair can one distinguish between right and wrong; only with moral conduct can one establish authority. These mottoes were used as reminders by upright officials of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Gong (公) means fairness and opposing pursuit of selfish interest. Ming (明) means discernment, namely, the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Lian (廉) means free from corruption. Wei (威) means authority or credibility. Today, these teachings have remained important principles which officeholders should abide by. They mean that governance should be exercised in a fair and just way and within the framework of laws and regulatory procedures of the state. Officials should lead by example, have moral integrity and be self-disciplined; they should put public interests above their own and not use their power to pursue personal gain.
引例 Citation:
◎吏不畏吾嚴(yán)而畏吾廉,民不服吾能而服吾公。公則民不敢慢,廉則吏不敢欺。公生明,廉生威。(年富《官箴》刻石)
官吏不害怕我的嚴(yán)厲但害怕我廉潔,百姓不信服我的才能但信服我的公正。我公正,百姓就不敢輕慢;我廉潔,官吏就不敢欺瞞。處事公正才能明察是非,做人廉潔才能樹立威望。
Officials have a sense of awe towards me not because of my being strict with them, but because of my upright conduct. People accept my authority not because of my ability, but because of my fairness. If I am fair, people will not dare to disobey my order; if I am morally upright, officials will not dare to deceive me. Only by being fair can one distinguish between right and wrong; only with moral integrity can one establish authority. (Nian Fu: Mottoes for Officials, from a stone carving)
推薦:教育部 國家語委
供稿:北京外國語大學(xué) 外語教學(xué)與研究出版社
責(zé)任編輯:錢耐安