English Original
During the Spring and Autumn period, after Zhi Bo of the State of Jin destroyed the Fan family, a man took the opportunity to sneak into the Fan estate to steal. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw a large bell. It was beautifully designed and cast from high-quality bronze. The thief was delighted and decided to take it home.
However, the bell was too big and heavy to move. After much thought, he concluded he must break it into pieces to carry it away. He found a large iron hammer and struck the bell with all his might. The blow produced a loud, resonant crash that terrified him. In a panic, he threw himself onto the bell, trying to muffle the sound with his arms, but to no avail. The clear sound continued to travel far and wide.
The more he listened, the more frightened he became. He instinctively covered his ears with his hands. "Ah! The sound is fainter now, almost inaudible," he thought cheerfully. "How wonderful! Covering my ears blocks the sound." He immediately found some cloth, made two plugs, and stuffed his ears. Believing that no one could hear the bell now, he felt relieved and began striking it repeatedly.
The resounding noise, however, was heard in the distance. People followed the sound and caught the thief.
This story originates from "Knowing Yourself" in The Annals of Lü Buwei, compiled just before the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC). It is said that when Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Li Yuan, reigned 618–907) read this story, he found it utterly ridiculous and remarked, "This is what is called plugging one's ears while stealing a bell."
Later, the idiom "plugging one's ears while stealing a bell" came to describe the foolishness of those who deceive themselves while trying to deceive others.
中文翻译
春秋时期，晋国的智伯灭了范氏家族。有个人趁机溜进范家偷窃。一进院子，他就看到一口大钟。钟造型优美，由优质青铜铸成。小偷非常高兴，决定把它搬回家。
然而，钟又大又重，根本搬不动。他想了又想，认定必须把钟敲碎，分块运走。他找来一把大铁锤，用尽全力砸向大钟。撞击产生了洪亮震耳的巨响，把他吓坏了。慌乱中，他扑到钟上，想用胳膊捂住声音，但无济于事。清脆的钟声依然传向远方。
他越听越害怕，下意识地用双手紧紧捂住耳朵。“嘿！声音变小了，听不见了，”他立刻高兴起来，“妙极了！捂住耳朵就听不见钟声了。”他马上找来一些碎布，卷成两个团塞住耳朵。他认为这样一来就没人能听见钟声了。放下心后，他开始一下接一下地敲钟。
洪亮的钟声传到了远处，人们闻声赶来，抓住了小偷。
这个故事出自秦朝建立前编纂的《吕氏春秋·自知》。据说，唐高祖李渊读到这个故事时，觉得十分可笑，说道：“此所谓掩耳盗铃也。”
后来，人们便用成语“掩耳盗铃”来指那些自欺欺人者的无知和愚蠢。