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English translation: People follow the examples of their superiors.

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Chinese term or phrase:上行下效
English translation:People follow the examples of their superiors.
Entered by: Smartrans He

00:01 Dec 14, 2001
Chinese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary
Chinese term or phrase: 上行下效
a Chinese idiom
mingyung
Local time: 01:26
People follow the examples of their superiors.
Explanation:
People follow the examples of their superiors.

or

The inferiors imitate the superiors.
Selected response from:

shcheong
Singapore
Local time: 08:26
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3People follow the examples of their superiors.
shcheong
4 +2Subordinates will imitate the actions of their superiors.
liberation
5Superiors lay down the rules and inferiors follow them.
Haichao Wang
5the follower follows the behavior of his boss
Donglai Lou (X)
5Whatever has been done by the higher-ups will be followed by their subordinates
Raymond Chu
4What's done higher up will surely by copied in the lower ranks
Francis Fine
4What's done higher up will surely by copied in the lower ranks
Francis Fine


  

Answers


50 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
People follow the examples of their superiors.


Explanation:
People follow the examples of their superiors.

or

The inferiors imitate the superiors.

shcheong
Singapore
Local time: 08:26
PRO pts in pair: 21
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement. KudoZ.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Perry Svensson
1 hr
agree  jinshi
2 hrs
agree  petty001: Yes
24 days
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Superiors lay down the rules and inferiors follow them.


Explanation:
Superiors lay down the rules and inferiors follow them.

Haichao Wang
Local time: 17:26
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 51
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Subordinates will imitate the actions of their superiors.


Explanation:
I believe the key here to good translation is getting the relationship between "shang" and "xia" correct. I interpret this phrase as referring to "superiors" and their "subordinates;" Thus the use of "people" (too general) or "inferiors" (implies low-class) strike me as not quite right. There is nothing in this phrase, as I understand it, to justify the phrase "lay down the rules," because "xing" refers to "taking an action" or "putting into practice."


liberation
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 15

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  David Cheng (X): Yes, and also the superiors needs not LAY DOWN the rules consciously or actively, according to the historical background of the idiom.
1 hr
agree  Zhong
1 day 4 hrs
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4 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
the follower follows the behavior of his boss


Explanation:
the follower follows the behavior of his boss

Donglai Lou (X)
China
Local time: 08:26
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese
PRO pts in pair: 467
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1 day 14 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Whatever has been done by the higher-ups will be followed by their subordinates


Explanation:
I believe the word xing means more than action or behaviour. It connotes any doing, especially doings against ethics or moral doctrines. shang4 can be translated into higher-ups or superiors, and xia4 subrodinates or the inferiors. Therefore, this Chinese idiom can be translated into:

1) Whatever has been done the higher-ups (or superiors) will be followed (or imitated) by their subordinates (or by the inferiors); or
2) Whatever doings of the higher-ups are imitated by their subordinates.

Raymond Chu
Taiwan
Local time: 08:26
PRO pts in pair: 161
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11 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
What's done higher up will surely by copied in the lower ranks


Explanation:
Most of us are pretty close. So, it is a matter of nuance. I give some weight to the idea "surely" though the word is not in the original. And I use "copy" in the place of "follow" or "imitate."
It seems clear that the phrase does not mean an order by the superior. Nor is it a fashion or fad set by those of the upper echelons.

Francis Fine
United States
Local time: 17:26
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 89
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11 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
What's done higher up will surely by copied in the lower ranks


Explanation:
Most of us are pretty close. So, it is a matter of nuance. I give some weight to the idea "surely" though the word is not in the original. And I use "copy" in the place of "follow" or "imitate."
It seems clear that the phrase does not mean an order by the superior. Nor is it a fashion or fad set by those of the upper echelons.

Francis Fine
United States
Local time: 17:26
Native speaker of: Native in ChineseChinese, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 89
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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