但又不能光明正大地给他立碑
“but couldn't erect a monument openly.”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
昊生敬仰路成南的为人
“Haosheng admired Lu Chengnan's character”
但 又 不能 光明正大地 给他立碑
“but couldn't erect a monument openly.”
于是
“So”
“He deserved full public honor, but the political reality made it far too dangerous to do so openly.”
Erecting a commemorative stele is a sacred act of formal recognition in Chinese tradition; being unable to do so indicates political taboo or factional controversy surrounding the deceased.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
open and aboveboard; honorable and public
A frequent idiom describing actions performed openly without deceit or secrecy.
to erect a stele / monument
Used literally for gravestones or memorial plaques, and figuratively for cementing someone's legacy.