掩耳盗铃Plug One's Ears While Stealing a Bell

Plug One's Ears While Stealing a Bell （成语 掩耳盗铃 英文）


A Fan(1) family deserted their homestead and went elsewhere. Someone caught sight of a bell they had left behind, and he was eager to carry it home. But the thing was too big for hime, and so he used a sledge hammer and tried to break it to pieces. His first hit produced a clangour so loud that he was afraid people would hear it and come to take the bell from him. As quick as could be, he plugged his own ears.

To be worried that people may hear the sound is within reason, but to fear that he himself hear it only shows his muddleheadedness.

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(1) a famous surname.

掩耳盗铃(chinese idioms)

晋国的大夫范氏灭亡的时候，有个老百姓得到一只钟，想要把它背走。只是钟太大，没法背。于是就用锤去把它打碎，这样钟又轰轰地响起来，那个老百姓怕别人听到响声来抢这只钟，赶忙把自己的耳朵堵起来，以为自己听不见，别人也就听不见了。

掩耳盗铃,比喻自欺欺人。