亡羊补牢

Wáng Yáng Bǔ Láo

羊跑了才修补羊圈。比喻出了问题以后及时补救，还不算晚。

Mend the pen after losing the sheep — it's not too late to fix a problem once you've noticed it.

从cóng前qián，有yǒu一yí个gè牧mù羊yáng人rén，养yǎng了le一yī群qún羊yáng。一yī天tiān早zǎo上shàng，他tā去qù羊yáng圈juàn一yī看kàn，发fā现xiàn少shǎo了le一yī只zhī羊yáng。原yuán来lái羊yáng圈juàn破pò了le一yí个gè洞dòng，夜yè里lǐ狼láng从cóng洞dòng里lǐ钻zuān进jìn来lái，把bǎ羊yáng叼diāo走zǒu了le。

邻lín居jū劝quàn他tā：“赶gǎn快kuài把bǎ洞dòng补bǔ好hǎo吧ba，不bù然rán还hái会huì丢diū羊yáng的de。”牧mù羊yáng人rén却què说shuō：“羊yáng已yǐ经jīng丢diū了le，补bǔ还hái有yǒu什shén么me用yòng？”他tā没méi有yǒu动dòng手shǒu。

第dì二èr天tiān，他tā又yòu去qù看kàn羊yáng，果guǒ然rán又yòu少shǎo了le一yī只zhī。他tā这zhè才cái明míng白bái过guò来lái，赶gǎn紧jǐn找zhǎo来lái木mù头tou和hé草cǎo，把bǎ那nà个ge洞dòng堵dǔ得de结jiē结jiē实shí实shí。从cóng此cǐ，他tā的de羊yáng再zài也yě没méi丢diū过guò。

后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù说shuō：“亡wáng羊yáng补bǔ牢láo，未wèi为wéi晚wǎn也yě。”——丢diū了le羊yáng再zài补bǔ羊yáng圈juàn，并bìng不bù算suàn晚wǎn，只zhǐ要yào肯kěn改gǎi，还hái来lái得de及jí。

Long ago, a shepherd kept a flock of sheep. One morning, he counted his flock and found one missing. The pen had a hole in the fence, and in the night a wolf had slipped through and carried a sheep away.

A neighbor told him, “Fix that hole right now, or you'll lose more.” The shepherd shrugged. “The sheep is already gone — what's the point?” And he did nothing.

The next day, sure enough, another sheep was missing. This time he understood. He grabbed wood and straw and patched the hole tightly. From that day on, he never lost another sheep.

People came to say: “Mending the pen after losing a sheep is not too late.” As long as you are willing to fix the problem, there is still time to set things right.