Dānrèn píngshěn qījiān tā chùchù guātián bù nà lǚ, yǐmiǎn zhāozhì fēiyì.
While serving as a judge he was careful everywhere 'not to tie his shoe in the melon field' to avoid criticism.
Tips
history
From the 《乐府诗集·君子行》 (Yuefu folk poetry anthology, 'Song of the Gentleman'): 君子防未然，不处嫌疑间。瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 — 'The gentleman guards against what has not yet happened; he does not linger in places of suspicion. In a melon patch he does not adjust his shoe; under a plum tree he does not straighten his cap.' Bending to tie a shoe among melons or reaching up under plums would look like stealing, even if innocent.
usage
Always paired with its twin 李下不整冠 ('under a plum tree, do not straighten your cap'). The modern lesson: avoid the appearance of wrongdoing, especially in conflict-of-interest situations — a standard phrase in Chinese business ethics.
