Chinese Idiom Story – Wang Yang Bu Lao

“My sheep already died, why should I cover up the hole?”

Simplified Chinese

很久以前,有一个牧羊人。他养了很多羊。

一天早上,牧羊人去放羊。他发现他的羊少了一只。他看了一圈,发现羊圈里有一个地方坏了;有一个窟窿。晚上,狼就会从那个窟窿钻进来,把羊叼走。

邻居劝牧羊人,说:“你要赶快把羊圈修一修,把窟窿补起来。”牧羊人回答:“我的羊已经死了,为什么我还要把窟窿补起来?”

第二天早上,牧羊人去放羊。他发现他的羊又少了一只。他看了一圈,发现狼还是从那个窟窿钻进来,把羊叼走了。

牧羊人很后悔,不听邻居的话。现在他的羊少了两只。他赶快把窟窿补起来,把羊圈修好。这样,狼没办法进去把羊叼走了。

现在,人们用“亡羊补牢”这个成语来提醒“补救错误是不会太晚的”。你可以做错,但你要及时补救,以后不会再犯一样的错误。

怎么用“亡羊补牢”这个成语呢?我给你们两个例句:

1)你发现做错了以后,一定要亡羊补牢。

2)门锁虽然坏了,但只要及时修理,就能亡羊补牢。

Traditional Chinese

很久以前,有一個牧羊人。他養了很多羊。

一天早上,牧羊人去放羊。他發現他的羊少了一隻。他看了一圈,發現羊圈裡有一個地方壞了;有一個窟窿。晚上,狼就會從那個窟窿鑽進來,把羊叼走。

鄰居勸牧羊人,說:「你要趕快把羊圈修一修,把窟窿補起來。」牧羊人回答:「我的羊已經死了,為什麼我還要把窟窿補起來?」

第二天早上,牧羊人去放羊。他發現他的羊又少了一隻。他看了一圈,發現狼還是從那個窟窿鑽進來,把羊叼走了。

牧羊人很後悔,不聽鄰居的話。現在他的羊少了兩隻。他趕快把窟窿補起來,把羊圈修好。這樣,狼沒辦法進去把羊叼走了。

現在,人們用「亡羊補牢」這個成語來提醒「補救錯誤是不會太晚的」。你可以做錯,但你要及時補救,以後不會再犯一樣的錯誤。

怎麼用「亡羊補牢」這個成語呢?我給你們兩個例句:

1)你發現做錯了以後,一定要亡羊補牢。

2)門鎖雖然壞了,但只要及時修理,就能亡羊補牢。

English Translation

A long time ago, there was a shepherd. He raised a lot of sheep.

One morning, [when] the shepherd let the sheep out to pasture. He noticed that one sheep was missing. He looked around and saw that the sheep pen was broken in a place, there was a hole. At night, the wolf could enter through that hole and bring it away in its mouth.

The neighbor advised the shepherd: “You should repair the sheep pen immediately, cover up the hole.” The shepherd answered: “My sheep already died, why should I cover up the hole?”

The next morning, the shepherd went to let the sheep out to pasture. He noticed that, again, one sheep was missing. He looked around, and noticed that the wolf had entered through that hole, and carried away sheep in his mouth.

The shepherd was very regretful that he hadn’t listened to the neighbor. Now he was missing two sheep. He immediately covered up the hole and repaired the sheep pen. This way, the wolf had no possibility to enter and carry away sheep in his mouth.

Nowadays, people use the expression “Wang Yang Bu Lao (to repair the pen after the sheep is lost)” to remind that “it’s not too late to fix a mistake.” You can make mistakes, but you have to fix them promptly, so that you won’t make the same mistakes again.

How to use the expression “Wang Yang Bu Lao”? Let me give you two examples:

1) After you notice that you made a mistake, you definitely need to “Wang Yang Bu Lao” (fix the mistake as soon as possible).

2) Even though the door lock is broken, you only have to fix it promptly, then you have done “Wang Yang Bu Lao”.

Indonesia Translation

Dahulu kala, ada seorang gembala. Dia memelihara banyak domba.

Suatu pagi, gembala membawa domba pergi merumput. Dia menyadari bahwa dombanya berkurang satu. Dia melihat sekeliling dan menemukan ada bagian kandang domba yang rusak; ada sebuah lubang. Di malam hari, serigala bisa masuk melalui lubang itu dan membawa kabur seekor domba.

Tetangga pun menasehati gembala: “Kamu harus segera memperbaiki kandang domba itu, tutup lubangnya.” Gembala itu menjawab: “Domba saya sudah mati, kenapa saya harus menutup lubangnya?”

Keesokan paginya, gembala membawa domba pergi merumput. Dia menyadari bahwa dombanya berkurang satu lagi. Dia melihat sekeliling, dan menemukan bahwa serigala itu masuk melalui lubang itu lagi, dan membawa kabur seekor domba.

Gembala itu sangat menyesal tidak mendengarkan perkataan tetangga. Sekarang dia kehilangan dua dombanya. Dia segera menutup lubang dan memperbaiki kandang domba. Dengan begini, serigala pun tidak bisa masuk dan membawa kabur domba lagi.

Saat ini, orang menggunakan ungkapan “Wang Yang Bu Lao (untuk memperbaiki kandang setelah domba hilang)” untuk mengingatkan bahwa “tidak ada kata terlambat untuk memperbaiki kesalahan.” Anda dapat membuat kesalahan, tetapi Anda harus segera memperbaikinya, sehingga di lain hari Anda tidak akan membuat kesalahan yang sama lagi.

Bagaimana cara menggunakan ungkapan “Wang Yang Bu Lao”? Mari saya kasih dua contoh kalimat:

1) Setelah kamu sadar bahwa kamu telah membuat kesalahan, kamu harus “Wang Yang Bu Lao” (memperbaiki kesalahan saya sesegera mungkin).

2) Meskipun kunci pintu rusak, akan tetapi cukup dengan memperbaikinya segera, maka Anda telah melakukan “Wang Yang Bu Lao”.

Photo source here.

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