此地无银三百两

Cǐ Dì Wú Yín Sān Bǎi Liǎng

想掩盖事情,反而让人更加知道。越想藏,越容易露馅。

Trying to hide something so clumsily that you give the whole secret away.

从cóng前qián,有yǒu一yī个gè人rén,好hǎo不bù容róng易yì攒zǎn下xià三sān百bǎi两liǎng银yín子zi。他tā怕pà被bèi别bié人rén偷tōu走zǒu,想xiǎng了le一yī整zhěng天tiān,终zhōng于yú想xiǎng出chū一yī个gè{LD}好hǎo办bàn法fǎ{RD}。

他tā趁chèn着zhe夜yè色sè,把bǎ银yín子zi埋mái在zài屋wū后hòu的de地dì下xià,又yòu用yòng土tǔ盖gài好hǎo。可kě是shì他tā还hái不bù放fàng心xīn,怕pà别bié人rén怀huái疑yí,就jiù在zài上shàng面miàn插chā了le一yī块kuài木mù牌pái,写xiě上shàng七qī个gè大dà字zì:“此cǐ地dì无wú银yín三sān百bǎi两liǎng。”

他tā的de邻lín居jū王wáng二èr,半bàn夜yè起qǐ来lái出chū门mén,一yī眼yǎn看kàn见jiàn了le那nà块kuài牌pái子zi,心xīn里lǐ一yī乐lè:“原yuán来lái这zhè里lǐ藏cáng着zhe三sān百bǎi两liǎng银yín子zi!”他tā偷tōu偷tōu把bǎ银yín子zi挖wā走zǒu,又yòu怕pà主zhǔ人rén怀huái疑yí自zì己jǐ,就jiù在zài牌pái子zi旁páng边biān也yě插chā了le一yī块kuài,上shàng面miàn写xiě:“隔gé壁bì王wáng二èr不bù曾céng偷tōu。”

第dì二èr天tiān早zǎo上shàng,埋mái银yín子zi的de人rén跑pǎo到dào地dì里lǐ一yī看kàn,银yín子zi没méi了le,旁páng边biān又yòu多duō了le王wáng二èr那nà块kuài牌pái子zi,他tā又yòu气qì又yòu想xiǎng笑xiào——原yuán来lái自zì己jǐ不bù说shuō,别bié人rén也yě不bù会huì知zhī道dào;自zì己jǐ一yī写xiě,反fǎn而ér什shén么me都dōu告gào诉sù人rén了le。

“此cǐ地dì无wú银yín三sān百bǎi两liǎng”这zhè个gè故gù事shì告gào诉sù我wǒ们men:有yǒu些xiē事shì情qíng,越yuè想xiǎng掩yǎn盖gài,越yuè容róng易yì被bèi人rén发fā现xiàn。

Long ago, a man finally saved up three hundred taels of silver. Afraid someone would steal it, he spent the whole day thinking and at last came up with what he called a “clever plan.”

Late at night, he buried the silver in the ground behind his house and covered it with dirt. But he was still worried. So he stuck a wooden sign into the spot with seven big characters: “There are no three hundred taels of silver buried here.”

His neighbor, Wang the Second, happened to go out at midnight and saw the sign. He grinned to himself: “So there's three hundred taels of silver here!” He quietly dug it up. Then, afraid the owner would suspect him, he planted his own sign next to it: “Your neighbor Wang the Second did not steal it.”

The next morning the man ran out to check and found the silver gone — and Wang's sign right beside his own. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If he had simply said nothing, no one would have known.

“There are no three hundred taels of silver buried here” now means trying so hard to hide something that you end up telling everyone.