掩耳盗铃

Yǎn Ěr Dào Líng

捂住耳朵去偷铃铛。比喻自己骗自己,做傻事却以为别人不知道。

Covering your own ears while stealing a bell — fooling yourself into thinking others can't see what's plainly in front of them.

古gǔ时shí候hòu有yǒu一yí个gè人rén,看kàn见jiàn邻lín居jū家jiā门mén口kǒu挂guà着zhe一yì只zhī漂piāo亮liàng的de大dà铃líng铛dāng,心xīn里lǐ很hěn想xiǎng把bǎ它tā偷tōu回huí家jiā。

可kě是shì铃líng铛dāng只zhǐ要yào一yí动dòng,就jiù会huì发fā出chū响xiǎng声shēng,别bié人rén一yì听tīng就jiù会huì跑pǎo来lái。他tā想xiǎng了le好hǎo久jiǔ,终zhōng于yú“想xiǎng”出chū了le一yí个gè办bàn法fǎ:“只zhǐ要yào我wǒ把bǎ自zì己jǐ的de耳ěr朵duo捂wǔ上shàng,就jiù听tīng不bú见jiàn铃líng声shēng了le,别bié人rén当dāng然rán也yě听tīng不bú见jiàn!”

于yú是shì,他tā伸shēn手shǒu捂wǔ住zhù自zì己jǐ的de耳ěr朵duo,另lìng一yì只zhī手shǒu去qù摘zhāi那nà只zhǐ铃líng铛dāng。铃líng铛dāng一yì响xiǎng,邻lín居jū们men马mǎ上shàng跑pǎo了le出chū来lái,把bǎ他tā抓zhuā住zhù了le。

这zhè个gè人rén以yǐ为wéi自zì己jǐ听tīng不bú见jiàn,别bié人rén也yě听tīng不bú见jiàn,真zhēn是shì又yòu可kě笑xiào又yòu糊hú涂tú。后hòu来lái人rén们men就jiù用yòng“掩yǎn耳ěr盗dào铃líng”来lái形xíng容róng那nà种zhǒng自zì己jǐ骗piàn自zì己jǐ、以yǐ为wéi别bié人rén看kàn不bú见jiàn的de傻shǎ行xíng为wéi。

Long ago there was a man who saw a beautiful bell hanging at his neighbor's gate. He wanted very much to steal it.

But the bell would ring at the slightest touch, and anyone who heard it would come running. After a long think, he believed he had found a clever trick: “If I just cover my own ears, I won't hear the bell — so of course no one else will either!”

He reached up and covered his ears with one hand, and with the other tried to lift the bell from its hook. The moment it rang, the neighbors came running and caught him on the spot.

He thought that if he couldn't hear it, no one else could either — silly and self-deceiving. Ever since, people use “covering your ears to steal a bell” to describe anyone who fools only themselves while pretending the truth isn't there.