端本正源 duān běn zhèng yuán Get to the root of the matter

Explanation

端本正源，指从根本上加以整顿清理。

Duān běn zhèng yuán means to straighten things out from the root.

Origin Story

话说大宋朝时期，有一位名叫包拯的清官，他以刚正不阿，铁面无私而闻名于世。一日，京城发生一起重大盗窃案，失窃的财物价值连城，朝廷上下震动。包拯奉命彻查此案，他并没有草率行事，而是先仔细查阅了案卷，梳理了案件的来龙去脉。他发现，这起案件并非偶然，而是长期以来官场腐败，贪污成风的恶果。包拯深知，要解决这一问题，不能仅停留在抓捕盗贼的表面，而必须端本正源，从根本上铲除官场腐败的根源。于是，他冒着巨大的风险，揭开了诸多官员的丑恶行径，将贪官污吏绳之以法，一时间，朝野上下为之震动。同时，包拯还大力推行改革，整顿吏治，完善法律法规，从根本上杜绝了贪污腐败的滋生。几年后，京城再无重大盗窃案发生，百姓安居乐业，社会安定祥和。包拯的举动，也成为了后世官员效仿的榜样，他端本正源的治国理念，至今仍被人们所称道。

huì shuō dà sòng cháo shíqī, yǒu yī wèi míng jiào bāo zhěng de qīngguān, tā yǐ gāngzhèng bù'ē, tiěmiàn wú sī ér wénmíng yú shì. yī rì, jīngchéng fāshēng yī cì zhòngdà dàociè àn, shīqiè de cáiwù jiàzhí liánchéng, cháoting shàngxià zhèndòng. bāo zhěng fèngmìng chèchá cǐ àn, tā bìng méiyǒu cǎoshuài xíngshì, érshì xiān zǐxì cháyuè le ànjuàn, shūlǐ le ànjiàn de lái lóng qù mài. tā fāxiàn, zhè qǐ ànjiàn bìng fēi ǒurán, érshì chángqí yǐlái guānchǎng fǔbài, tānwū chéngfēng de èguǒ. bāo zhěng shēnzhī, yào jiějué zhè yī wèntí, bùnéng jǐn tíngliú zài zhuā bǔ dàozéi de biǎomiàn, ér bìxū duānběn zhèngyuán, cóng gēnběn shang chǎnchú guānchǎng fǔbài de gēnyuán. yúshì, tā màozhe jùdà de fēngxiǎn, jiēkāi le zhùduō guānyuán de chǒu'è xíngjìng, jiāng tānguān wūlì shéng zhī yǐ fǎ, yī shíjiān, zhāoyě shàngxià wèi zhī zhèndòng. tóngshí, bāo zhěng hái dàlì tuīxíng gǎigé, zhěngdùn lìzhì, wánshàn fǎlǜ fǎguī, cóng gēnběn shang dùjué le tānwū fǔbài de zīshēng. jǐ nián hòu, jīngchéng zài wú zhòngdà dàociè àn fāshēng, bǎixìng ān jū lèyè, shèhuì āndìng xiánghé. bāo zhěng de jǔdòng, yě chéngle hòushì guānyuán xiàofǎng de bǎngyàng, tā duānběn zhèngyuán de zhìguó lǐniàn, zhìjīn réng bèi rénmen suǒ chēngdào.

In the Song Dynasty, there was an upright official named Bao Zheng, known for his integrity and impartiality. One day, a major theft occurred in the capital, with invaluable treasures stolen, causing great shock throughout the court. Bao Zheng was tasked with investigating the case. He didn't act rashly, but meticulously reviewed case files, tracing the events to their origins. He discovered that the theft wasn't accidental, but a consequence of long-standing corruption and widespread embezzlement within the government. Bao Zheng understood that to solve this problem, he couldn't merely arrest the thieves but had to address the fundamental issue – the corruption itself. He risked great danger, exposing the scandalous acts of many officials and bringing corrupt bureaucrats to justice. This sent shockwaves through the court and the nation. Simultaneously, Bao Zheng implemented sweeping reforms, cleaning up the bureaucracy, and improving laws and regulations to eliminate corruption at its root. Years later, major thefts ceased, the populace lived in peace and prosperity, and society flourished. Bao Zheng's actions served as an example for future officials. His approach of addressing fundamental issues continues to be admired.

Usage

用于比喻从根本上解决问题。

yòng yú bǐyù cóng gēnběn shang jiějué wèntí.

Used to metaphorically express solving a problem fundamentally.

Examples

• 要解决这个问题，必须端本正源，从根本上解决。

  yaojiejué zhège wèntí, bìxū duānběn zhèngyuán, cóng gēnběn shang jiějué.

  To solve this problem, we must get to the root of the matter and solve it fundamentally.

• 这次改革，端本正源，效果显著。

  zhè cì gǎigé, duānběn zhèngyuán, xiàoguǒ xiǎnzhù.

  This reform has produced remarkable results by addressing the root causes of the issue.

Related Idioms

• 正本清源

• 追本溯源

Opposite Idioms

• 舍本逐末

• 治标不治本