洁身自好 jié shēn zì hǎo keep oneself clean

Explanation

保持自身纯洁，不受世俗污染。也指为了避免麻烦，只顾自己好，不关心公众事务。

Maintain one's purity and not be contaminated by the world. Also: to avoid trouble, only care about oneself and not care about public affairs.

Origin Story

年轻的书生李白，怀揣着满腔抱负来到京城，却目睹了官场上的尔虞我诈。他看到许多官员为了升官发财，不择手段，甚至做出违背良心的事情。李白心灰意冷，他不想成为他们中的一员，于是他决定洁身自好，远离官场纷争。他潜心读书，写下了许多流传千古的诗篇。虽然他并没有获得功名利禄，但他却活得坦荡磊落，成为了千古传颂的诗仙。

nián qīng de shū shēng lǐ bái, huái chuāi zhe mǎn qiāng bào fù lái dào jīng chéng, què mù dǔ le guān chǎng shang de ěr yú zhá. tā kàn dào xǔ duō guān yuán wèi shēng guān fā cái, bù zé shǒu duàn, shèn zhì zuò chū wéi bèi liáng xīn de shì qing. lǐ bái xīn huī yì lěng, tā bù xiǎng chéng wéi tā men zhōng de yī yuán, yú shì tā jué dìng jié shēn zì hǎo, yuǎn lí guān chǎng fēn zhēng. tā qián xīn dú shū, xiě xià le xǔ duō liú chuán qiān gǔ de shī piān. suī rán tā bìng méi yǒu huò dé gōng míng lì lù, dàn tā què huó de tǎn dàng lěi luò, chéng wéi le qiān gǔ chuán sòng de shī xiān.

The young scholar Li Bai, with his heart full of ambition, came to the capital, but witnessed the intrigue and deception in the officialdom. He saw many officials resorting to any means to gain power and wealth, even doing things against their conscience. Li Bai was disheartened, and he didn't want to be one of them, so he decided to keep himself clean and stay away from the struggles of the officialdom. He devoted himself to reading and wrote many poems that have been passed down through the ages. Although he did not gain fame or wealth, he lived a life of integrity and became the immortal poet.

Usage

用于形容一个人品格高尚，不受世俗诱惑，保持自身纯洁。也用来形容一个人为了避免麻烦，只顾自己好，不关心公众事情。

yòng yú xíng róng yī gè rén pǐn gé gāo shàng, bù shòu shì sú yòu huò, bǎo chí zì shēn chún jié. yě yòng lái xíng róng yī gè rén wèi le bì miǎn má fán, zhǐ gù zì jǐ hǎo, bù guān xīn gōng zhòng shì qing.

Used to describe a person's noble character, not tempted by worldly temptations, and maintaining their own purity. It is also used to describe a person who only cares about themselves and does not care about public affairs in order to avoid trouble.

Examples

• 他洁身自好，从不参与那些勾心斗角的事情。

  tā jié shēn zì hǎo, cóng bù cān yǔ nà xiē gōu xīn dòu jiǎo de shì qing.

  He keeps himself clean and never participates in those intrigues.

• 在官场上，洁身自好才能立于不败之地。

  zài guān chǎng shàng, jié shēn zì hǎo cáinéng lì yú bù bài zhī dì

  In the officialdom, only by keeping oneself clean can one remain undefeated..

Related Idioms

• 明哲保身

• 清廉

Opposite Idioms

• 同流合污