惩一警百
警：警戒，也做“儆”。指惩罚一人以警戒众人。这个成语出自《汉书·尹翁归传》。
西汉时，有一年，河东太守田延年巡视来到平阳，召见当地官吏。田延年对大家说，有文才的站到东边，懂武艺的站在西边。众人都按太守的要求分别站立，惟有尹 翁归站在中间。田延年问他为什么不选择一边站立，尹翁归跪下禀道：”我文武兼备，听候太守任用。”田延年一听这话，就觉得尹翁归此人不简单。经过一番谈 话，确认他确实文武兼备，而且很有才干，便将他调到自己手下任职。尹翁归不负田延年所望，秉公办案，执法严正，田延年很器重他。
由于政绩卓著，后来尹翁归被提升为东海太守。到任后，他发现那里很不太平，便在所属的每个县都建立起簿籍档案，收录了各方面重要的材料。他一有空就认真阅 读这些档案材料，因此很快熟悉了郡内情况。当时郡里有个名叫许仲孙的豪强，经常鱼肉百姓，杀害无辜，远近的人都对他恨之入骨。但因他势力大，关系多，几任 太守都不敢得罪他。因此，他一直逍遥法外，为所欲为。
尹翁归到任后，迅速查清了许仲孙的罪行。他采取惩罚一个以警戒众人的方法，首先将这个坏蛋逮捕，并在热闹的市场上将他斩首。
严惩了许仲孙后，官吏和百姓对尹翁归都很敬服。其他大小豪强胆战心惊，不敢继续作恶。尹翁归终于把东海治理得安定起来。
To punish one in order to warn many.
The phrase cheng yi jing bai, which literally means to “punish one, frighten one hundred.” So you can guess the meaning – to punish or execute somebody as a warning to others. Here is the story behind it.
It happened during the Western Han Dynasty, about two thousand years ago. Huo Guang, a high official, enjoyed immense power in the palace because the late emperor had ordered that he be the senior advisor to the young emperor. Even his family servants back in his hometown outside the capital took advantage of their master’s powerful position. They did as they pleased at the local market, even threatening the vendors with knives and taking things without paying for them. The local officials turned a deaf ear to people’s appeals for help, for they dare not offend Huo Guang’s family. Then a man named Yin Wonggui was appointed market manager. He was well known for his expert swordsmanship, had served as a prison guard when he was young, and knew a lot about the law. Moreover, he was a man of high integrity. So after he took up his post, he didn’t spare anyone who bulled people at the market. Under Yin Wonggui’s strict but fair control, the market was soon running smoothly, and Huo Guang’s servants had to behave themselves.
One day, the head of the prefecture, Tian Yannian, came to the county where Yin Wonggui worked on an inspection tour. When receiving all the county officials, Tian ordered them to stand in two lines according to what they were good at, martial arts or literature. To Tian’s surprise Yin Wonggui stood between the two lines. When asked for an explanation, Yin Wonggui said: I’m very proficient in both polite letters and martial arts, and am ready for any task you set me. After a long private talk, Tian Yannian was convinced of Yin’s ability, and asked him to work by his side. Yin didn’t let Tian down, and did an excellent job. Later, thanks to his achievements, Yin was appointed head of another prefecture, a place where the local people lived in constant fear of the thugs and hooligans who had taken over. Soon after taking up his new position, Yin Wonggui looked into the matter and learned that the most powerful tyrant was Xu Zhongsun. He savagely oppressed the local people, who hated him as much as they feared him. But because he had a wide circle of very influential relations, the former heads of the prefecture dared not offend him. Yin Wonggui, however, was determined to see justice done. After careful investigation of Xu Zhongsun’s crimes, Yin had him arrested and executed in public. This frightened all the other bullies and evil people. After that, they had to abide by the law and the region was peaceful.
From Yin Wonggui’s making an example of the gang leader Xu came the idiom, Cheng yi jing bai: Punish one, warn one hundred. Actually, another Chinese idiom has the same meaning. It reads: sha ji xia hou, which literally means “to kill the chicken to frighten the monkeys.”
(Source:english.cri.cn)
