English Original
During the Spring and Autumn period, Zhi Bo of the State of Jin destroyed the Fan family. Seizing this opportunity, a man went to the Fan residence intending to steal. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw a large bell hanging there. The bell, cast from high-quality bronze, was exquisite in design and craftsmanship. The thief was delighted and decided to take it home. However, the bell was too large and heavy to move. After much thought, he concluded that the only solution was to break it into pieces and carry them home separately.
The thief found a large hammer and struck the bell with all his might. A tremendous crashing sound erupted, startling him. Flustered, he realized the noise would alert others to his theft. In a panic, he threw himself onto the bell, trying to muffle the sound with his arms—a futile effort, as the resonant tones continued to spread far and wide.
The more he listened, the more frightened he became. Instinctively, he covered his ears with his hands. "Ah! The sound is fainter; I can't hear it!" he exclaimed happily. "Perfect! If I cover my ears, I won't hear the bell!" He immediately fashioned two cloth plugs, stuffed them into his ears, and thought, "Now no one can hear the sound." Relieved, he resumed striking the bell, blow after blow. The resounding clangs traveled great distances, leading people to the scene where they captured the thief.
This story originates from "Knowing Yourself" in The Annals of Lü Buwei. The phrase "plugging one's ears while stealing a bell" is used to describe a foolish, self-deceptive act of covering up the truth.
中文翻译
春秋时期，晋国贵族智伯灭掉了范氏。有人趁机跑到范氏家里想偷东西，一进院子就看见吊着一口大钟。这口钟由上等青铜铸成，造型和图案都十分精美。小偷非常高兴，决定把这口精美的钟背回家。可是钟又大又重，怎么也挪不动。他思来想去，认为唯一的办法就是把钟敲碎，然后分批搬回家。
小偷找来一把大锤，用尽全力朝钟砸去。一声巨响把他吓了一大跳。他慌了神，心想这下糟了，这声音不就等于告诉别人他在这里偷钟吗？情急之下，他扑到钟上，张开双臂想捂住钟声——但这根本无济于事，悠扬的钟声依然传向远方。
他越听越害怕，不由自主地抽回双手，使劲捂住自己的耳朵。"咦，钟声变小了，听不见了！"他立刻高兴起来，"妙极了！把耳朵捂住就听不见钟声了！"他马上找来布片做成两个布团塞住耳朵，心想这下谁也听不见钟声了。于是放心地砸起钟来，一下又一下。响亮的钟声传到了很远的地方，人们闻声蜂拥而至，把小偷捉住了。
这个故事出自《吕氏春秋·自知》。成语"掩耳盗铃"（原为"掩耳盗钟"）比喻愚蠢自欺的掩饰行为。