Meaning of the Idiom
yan er dao ling
Covering One’s Ears to Steal a Bell
Once upon a time, a man saw a doorbell hanging from someone’s door and wanted to steal it.
But he knew that if he were to steal the bell, it would start ringing the moment his hand touched it. If he were discovered, not only he couldn’t get the bell, but he himself might also be caught.
He thought this over and said to himself:
“Why will there be trouble when a bell rings? This is because our ears can hear it. If I cover my ears, I won’t be able to hear it. This way I won’t be caught.”
Later, he eventually got an idea. He first covered his own ears, then went on to steal the bell. However, in the end he was still discovered and caught red-handed.
Later, people have used the set phrase “plugging one’s ears while stealing a bell” to refer to the ignorance and foolishness of the person who deceives himself as well as others.
掩耳盗铃
yǎn ěr dào líng，意思是偷铃铛怕别人听见而捂住自己的耳朵。比喻自己欺骗自己，明明掩盖不住的事情偏要想法子掩盖。
出自《吕氏春秋·自知》。
例句
如果不去努力，只会用谎言自欺，就是掩耳盗铃。
别以为自己聪明，可以掩饰所做的坏事，其实是掩耳盗铃，自欺欺人。
你女朋友站在背后痴痴地笑，说你这叫掩耳盗铃。
Reading The Paragraphs!
Meaning of Words
| 词语 | 华文解释 | 英文解释 |
|---|---|---|
| 思来想去 | 指在多方面想了又想。 例句：他思来想去，还是觉得无法为自己的失误找到合适的借口。 | think about |
| 卯（mǎo）足了劲 | 卯 ，也作“铆”。表示集中（全部力量）。 例句：经过整个假期的训练，球员都卯足了劲准备在赛场上一较高下。 | accumulate strength for a take-off |
| 手足无措（cuò） | 形容举动慌张或无法应付。 例句：面对警探的突然提问，嫌疑人一时间只觉的口舌打颤竟而说不出话来，直急得手足无措。 | to have no idea what to do with one’s hands and feet |
| 身不由己 | 意为身体不能由自己做主。指行为不能由自己支配。 例句：看书入了迷，他常常身不由己地站起来踱步，拍手叫好！ | involuntarily |
| 顺势 | 指趁势；趁机会；顺着某种情势；顺应形势。 例句：他忽然把酒杯往桌上一放，顺势拍了一下桌面。 | take advantage |
| 不由自主 | 意思是由不得自己，控制不住自己。 例句：公车在崎岖的山路上颠簸的厉害，乘客们都不由自主地跟着摇晃着身体。 | beside oneself |
| 茅塞（máo sè）顿开 | 意思为心里好像有茅草堵塞着，现在忽然被打开了。现在形容闭塞的思路，由于得到了某种事物的启发，忽然想通了。 例句：文新翻看了一些过去的笔记，忽然感觉茅塞顿开，立刻有了解题思路。 | become enlightened at once |
| 蜂拥而至 | 意思是像一窝蜂似地拥来，形容很多人乱哄哄地朝一个地方聚拢。 例句：特价广告发布后几小时，就有数百消费者蜂拥而至，商场门前立刻排起了长队。 | swarming |
| 束（shù）手就擒 | 意思是捆起手来让人捉住。指毫不抵抗，乖乖地让人捉住。 例句：眼看警察已经团团围住了银行，抢劫犯只好束手就擒。 | allow oneself to be seized without putting up a fight |
Daily Language 