赏罚分明 Shǎng fá fēn míng Reward and punishment are clear

Explanation

指奖励和惩罚分明，公平公正。

Refers to a clear and fair distinction between reward and punishment.

Origin Story

汉宣帝时期，河内郡盗贼猖獗，百姓苦不堪言。宣帝任命张敞为河内太守，张敞到任后，深知要治理好河内，必须赏罚分明。他下令，凡是抓获盗贼者，不论官职大小，都重重有赏，并且根据抓获盗贼的数量给予相应的奖励。同时，对于那些徇私枉法、包庇盗贼的官员，张敞也毫不留情地严惩不贷。一时间，河内郡人人自危，不敢再为非作歹。张敞的赏罚分明，让河内郡的社会治安迅速好转，百姓安居乐业。张敞的成功，也让后世的人们认识到，赏罚分明是治理国家的重要法宝。

hàn xuāndì shíqī, hé nèi jùn dàozéi chāngjué, bǎixìng kǔ bù kān yán xuāndì rèn mìng zhāng chǎng wèi hé nèi tài shǒu zhāng chǎng dào rèn hòu shēn zhī yào zhìlǐ hǎo hé nèi bìxū shǎngfá fēn míng tā xià lìng fán shì zhuā huò dàozéi zhě bùlùn guānzhí dàoxiǎo dōu chóngchóng yǒu shǎng bìngqiě gēnjù zhuā huò dàozéi de shùliàng jǐyǔ xiāngyìng de jiǎnglì tóngshí duìyú nàxiē xùnsī wǎngfǎ bāobì dàozéi de guānyuán zhāng chǎng yě háo bù liúqíng de yánchéng bù dài yīshíjiān hé nèi jùn rénrén zìwēi bù gǎn zài wèifēi zuòdǎi zhāng chǎng de shǎngfá fēn míng ràng hé nèi jùn de shèhuì zhī'ān xùnsù hǎozhuǎn bǎixìng ān jū lèyè zhāng chǎng de chénggōng yě ràng hòushì de rénmen rènshí dào shǎngfá fēn míng shì zhìlǐ guójiā de zhòngyào fǎbǎo

During the reign of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, bandits were rampant in the Henan region, causing great suffering to the people. Emperor Xuan appointed Zhang Chang as the governor of Henan. Upon assuming office, Zhang Chang understood that to govern Henan well, he must have a clear distinction between reward and punishment. He ordered that anyone who captured bandits, regardless of their rank, would be handsomely rewarded, and the reward would be commensurate with the number of bandits captured. At the same time, Zhang Chang showed no mercy in severely punishing corrupt officials who shielded bandits. For a time, everyone in Henan was in fear, and dared not commit crimes again. Zhang Chang's clear distinction between reward and punishment quickly improved social order in Henan, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. Zhang Chang's success also taught later generations that a clear distinction between reward and punishment is an important tool for good governance.

Usage

形容处理事情严格而公正。

miáoshù chǔlǐ shìqíng yángé ér gōngzhèng

Describes the strict and just handling of matters.

Examples

• 公司实行赏罚分明的制度，员工工作积极性很高。

  gōngsī shíxíng shǎngfá fēn míng de zhìdù, yuángōng gōngzuò jījíxìng hěn gāo

  The company implements a clear reward and punishment system, and employees are very motivated.

• 这次考试，老师赏罚分明，鼓励了学生认真学习。

  zhè cì kǎoshì, lǎoshī shǎngfá fēn míng, gǔlìle xuésheng rènzhēn xuéxí

  In this exam, the teacher clearly rewarded and punished, which encouraged students to study hard.

Related Idioms

• 赏罚严明

• 赏罚分审

Opposite Idioms

• 赏罚不明

• 赏罚不当