The Thief and the Bell

HSK 4 · 318 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 掩耳盜鈴 - to cover one's ears and steal a bell

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó有yǒu一个yī ge小偷xiǎo tōu。Long ago, there was a thief in China.有一天yǒu yī tiān，他tā看到kàn dào一户yī hù人家rén jiā门口mén kǒu挂着guà zhe一个yī ge很hěn漂亮piào liang的de铃铛líng dang，非常fēi cháng喜欢xǐ huan，决定jué dìng半夜bàn yè偷偷地tōu tōu de把bǎ它tā拿走ná zǒu。One day, he saw a very beautiful bell hanging at the door of a household, liked it very much, and decided to steal it at midnight.

晚上wǎn shang，小偷xiǎo tōu开始kāi shǐ动手dòng shǒu偷tōu铃铛líng dang了le。At night, the thief began to steal the bell.可是kě shì当dāng他tā碰到pèng dào铃铛líng dang时shí，铃铛líng dang发出fā chū很大hěn dà的de声音shēng yīn，小偷xiǎo tōu吓了xià le一大跳yī dà tiào。But when he touched the bell, it made a loud sound, and the thief got a big scare.他tā心想xīn xiǎng：「糟糕zāo gāo！如果rú guǒ别人bié ren听到tīng dào这个zhè ge声音shēng yīn，一定yī dìng会huì把bǎ我wǒ抓住zhuā zhù！」He thought to himself: 'Oh no! If others hear this sound, they will definitely catch me!'

这时zhè shí，小偷xiǎo tōu突然tū rán想到xiǎng dào一个yī ge主意zhǔ yi：他tā用yòng手shǒu紧紧jǐn jǐn捂住wǔ zhù耳朵ěr duo，心里xīn li想xiǎng：「这样zhè yàng我wǒ就jiù听不到tīng bù dào铃铛líng dang声shēng了le。我wǒ听不到tīng bù dào，别人bié ren也yě就jiù听不到tīng bù dào！」At that moment, the thief suddenly had an idea: he covered his ears tightly with his hands, thinking to himself: 'This way, I won't hear the bell's sound. If I can't hear it, others won't hear it either!'

当然dāng rán，这是zhè shì一个yī ge非常fēi cháng愚蠢yú chǔn的de想法xiǎng fǎ。Of course, this was a very foolish idea.虽然suī rán小偷xiǎo tōu自己zì jǐ听不到tīng bù dào铃铛líng dang声shēng，但dàn其他qí tā人rén却què听得tīng de清清楚楚qīng qīng chǔ chǔ。Although the thief himself couldn't hear the bell's sound, others could hear it clearly.附近fù jìn的de人rén被bèi吵醒chǎo xǐng后hòu，马上mǎ shàng出来chū lái把bǎ小偷xiǎo tōu抓住了zhuā zhù le。The nearby people were awakened by the noise and immediately came out to catch the thief.

现在xiàn zài，人们rén men用yòng成语chéng yǔ「掩耳盗铃yǎn ěr dào líng」来lái形容xíng róng一个yī ge人rén明明míng míng有yǒu问题wèn tí，却què假装jiǎ zhuāng没méi看到kàn dào或huò不愿bù yuàn面对miàn duì现实xiàn shí，以为yǐ wéi问题wèn tí就jiù会huì消失xiāo shī。Nowadays, people use the idiom '掩耳盗铃' (covering one's ears to steal a bell) to describe someone who clearly has a problem but pretends not to see it or is unwilling to face reality, thinking that the problem will disappear.

例如lì rú，小明xiǎo míng向xiàng银行yín háng借了jiè le很多hěn duō钱qián却què不想bù xiǎng还hái。For example, Xiao Ming borrowed a lot of money from the bank but didn't want to pay it back.他tā不bù接jiē银行yín háng的de电话diàn huà，也yě不bù看kàn银行yín háng寄来jì lái的de信xìn，以为yǐ wéi这样zhè yàng就jiù没méi问题wèn tí了le。He didn't answer the bank's calls or read the letters sent by the bank, thinking that this way there would be no problem.小明xiǎo míng的de行为xíng wéi就是jiù shì「掩耳盗铃yǎn ěr dào líng」，因为yīn wèi逃避táo bì问题wèn tí并bìng不会bù huì让ràng问题wèn tí消失xiāo shī。Xiao Ming's behavior is exactly '掩耳盗铃,' because avoiding problems won't make them disappear.