JLPT N1Proverbs
李下に冠を正さず
- Meaning
- 疑いを招くような行動は避けるべきである
- Explanation
- If you readjust your cap under a plum (李) tree, you will be suspected of stealing the fruit. Therefore, it is a teaching to avoid actions that invite suspicion. c2, which reads it literally as 'tidy up your appearance,' and c4, which reads it in reverse as 'straighten your cap,' are mistakes led astray by the literal characters.
Original Japanese explanation
スモモ(李)の木の下で冠をかぶり直すと、実を盗むと疑われる。だから紛らわしい行動は避けよという教え。文字どおり身だしなみを整えよと読む c2 や、冠を正せと逆に読む c4 は字面に引きずられた誤りです。
Quick check
Choose the most appropriate meaning of what 「李下に冠を正さず」 expresses.
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