A long time ago, there was a man who wanted to steal a bell hanging at someone’s door.

He was afraid the bell would make noise and attract attention, so he came up with a "clever" idea — he covered his own ears and continued trying to steal the bell.

He thought that if he couldn’t hear the sound, then no one else could either.

Of course, the bell rang loudly, alerting the owner, and he was caught on the spot.

Let’s review this idiom:

  • Idiom: 掩耳盗铃
  • Pinyin: yǎn ěr dào líng
  • Literal meaning: Cover one’s ears while stealing a bell; Deceive oneself
  • Extended meaning: This idiom is used to mock people who deceive themselves. Even though they know the truth, they pretend everything is fine and use absurd methods to avoid facing reality.

If he had studied properly, perhaps he wouldn’t have ended up like that. See you next time.