Chinese Fable：掩耳盗铃 - Stuffing his ears for the purpose of stealing a bell

掩耳盗铃 ： 在春秋战国时期，有一个小偷偷了一只钟。他准备把钟扛在背上带走。可是钟又大又沉，很难扛走。因此他想用锤子把钟敲成碎片，这样运起来就能多了。可是，他敲了一下，那只钟发出巨大的响声。他怕别人听到了钟声会来抢他的钟，于是他在锤子敲钟时捂上了自己的耳朵。不过，即使他这样做，别人还是听得到钟声的。所以掩耳盗铃是非常愚蠢的行为，就像把头埋在沙子中一样。 
-淮南子  

成语故事掩耳盗铃翻译：Stuffing his ears for the purpose of stealing a bell 

In the Spring and Autumn period, a thief had stolen a bell and intended to carry it away on his back, but the bell was too bulky and heavy to be carried, so he tried to break it into pieces with a hammer to make it easier for carrying. On his first hit, however, the bell made a loud noise. He thus feared that the ringing sound might be heard by someone, who would come to rob him of his bell. His fright made him plug his own ears, while hitting the bell with the hammer. The bell sound was, nevertheless, audible to others and therefore to stuff his ears for the purpose of stealing a bell was a stupid action it is as foolish as burying one's head in the sand.
-from Huai Nanzi  
  
小偷 thief 钟 bell 背 back 
沉 heavy 锤子 hammer 抢 rob 
捂 stuff 愚蠢 stupid 沙子 sand 
 
掩耳盗铃：原为盗钟掩耳，为一中国成语，偷钟怕别人听见而捂住自己的耳朵，明明掩盖不住的事情偏要想法子掩盖，比喻自己欺骗自己，通常是比喻自欺欺人的意思。出自《吕氏春秋·自知》里的一则寓言故事，原文为盗钟，后来钟演变成为铃，掩耳盗钟反而不常用了。近义词：自欺欺人、弄巧成拙。

　《吕氏春秋·自知》：“范氏之亡也①，百姓有得钟②者，欲负而走，则钟大不可负③；以锤④毁之，钟况然⑤有声。恐人闻之而夺己也，遽⑥掩其耳。 恶人闻之，可也；恶己自闻之，悖(7)也！
译文
　　范氏逃亡的时候，有个人趁机偷了一口钟，想要背着它逃跑。但是，这口钟太大了，不好背，他就打算用锤子砸碎以后再背。 谁知，刚砸了一下，那口钟就“咣”地发出了很大的响声。他生怕别人听到钟声，来把钟夺走了，就急忙把自己的两只耳朵紧紧捂住继续敲。 害怕别人听到钟的声音，这是可以理解的；但捂住自己的耳朵就以为别人也听不到了，这就太荒谬了。

掩耳盗铃汉语注音：yǎn ěr dào líng
　　成语释义：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。掩：遮蔽，遮盖.
　　盗：偷。
　　感情色彩贬义词成语用法作谓语、定语、状语；指自欺欺人；含贬义。
　　语法结构状语谓语的偏正式近义词自欺欺人、弄巧成拙反义词开诚布公押韵词肆意横行、相辅相成、功到自然成、明镜鉴形谜语聆成语出处《吕氏春秋·自知》