In the Spring and Autumn period, a man passing a house saw a great bell hanging at the gate and decided to carry it off and sell it. But it was far too big and heavy to move.
He thought: smash it into pieces with a hammer, then carry the chunks away. So he swung the hammer - DONG! The bell rang out loud and clear.
Afraid the sound would bring people, he quickly covered his own ears, reasoning: if I cannot hear the bell, surely no one else can either.
As he raised the hammer again, the neighbours, following the sound, ran up and caught him.
The idiom "covering ears to steal a bell" means deceiving yourself - pretending others cannot see what is obvious, while fooling only yourself.
Usage: "Skipping revision and praying for a high score - is that not covering your ears to steal a bell?"
The tale: a man wanted to steal the great bell at someone door. Too heavy to carry, he decided to smash it into pieces.
He struck it; it rang loudly. Fearing being heard, he covered his ears - thinking if he cannot hear, others cannot either.
From Lüshi Chunqiu, mocking self-deceivers.
"Yǎn ěr dào líng" means: deceiving oneself. Thinking covering your ears silences others; thinking pretending all is well removes the problem.
Today it criticises self-deception: knowing wrong yet comforting oneself; problem right before your eyes yet pretending not to see.
It reminds us: facing a problem, first admit it exists. Self-deception fools you briefly, solves nothing.
For learners the image is humorous: a man stealing a bell with ears covered - absurd. Remember the image, remember the idiom.
Remember: bells ring and facts surface. To truly solve problems, first face them.
It has a twin idiom, "zì qī qī rén" - deceiving oneself and others. Both remind: honesty is the first principle.
In study, the worst is self-deception: pretending to understand in class, pretending to know homework, exposed at the exam.
True learning honestly faces "I do not know" and seriously learns it. Such "diligent work" is the wisest way.
It reveals an expensive truth in study: pretending to understand costs the most. Those who nod "I understand" in class and those who review at home score far apart. An old saying: "learn and practise often - is that not a joy?" The key is "shí xí" - regular practice. If you find yourself ear-covering - faking understanding - change at once. Face each "I do not know" honestly, and you find Chinese is not as hard as imagined.
From today, be an honest learner: ask when unsure, practise when unskilled. When you stop covering your ears, the world sounds - including Chinese - become clear.
One-sentence summary: facing truth is the best beginning. Stop self-deceit and you see the road you truly must walk.
