亡羊补牢（详读本）

从前cóng qián，有yǒu一yī个人gè rén养yǎng了liǎo一yī圈juàn羊yáng。每měi天tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā都dōu要yào数shǔ一yī数shǔ羊yáng的de数目shù mù。

Long ago a man kept a pen of sheep. Every morning he counted them.

一yī天tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā发现fā xiàn少shǎo了liǎo一yī只zhī羊yáng。仔细zǐ xì一yī看kān，原来yuán lái是shì羊yáng圈juàn破pò了liǎo一yī个gè洞dòng，夜里yè li狼láng从cóng洞dòng里lǐ钻zuān进来jìn lái，把bǎ羊yáng叼diāo走zǒu了liǎo。

One morning he found a sheep missing. Looking closely, the pen had a hole, and a wolf had slipped in at night and carried the sheep off.

邻居lín jū知道zhī dào了liǎo，劝quàn他tā说shuō：快kuài把bǎ羊yáng圈juàn修xīu一yī修xīu，把bǎ那nà个gè洞dòng堵dǔ上shàng吧ba。

A neighbor urged him: fix the pen quickly, block up that hole.

他tā却què摇yáo摇头yáo tóu说shuō：羊yáng已经yǐ jīng丢dīu了liǎo，还huán修xīu羊yáng圈juàn干什么gàn shén me？他tā没有méi yǒu听tīng邻居lín jū的话de huà。

He shook his head: the sheep is already lost, what use is mending the pen? He did not listen.

第dì二èr天tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā发现fā xiàn又yòu少shǎo了liǎo一yī只zhī羊yáng。狼láng又yòu从cóng那nà个gè洞dòng里lǐ进来jìn lái，把bǎ羊yáng叼diāo走zǒu了liǎo。

The next morning another sheep was gone. The wolf had come through the same hole again.

这zhè一yī次cì，他tā非常fēi cháng后悔hòu huǐ。他tā马上mǎ shàng找zhǎo来lái木头mù tou和hé绳子shéng zi，把bǎ羊yáng圈juàn修xīu得děi结jiē结实jiē shi实shí，那nà个gè洞dòng也yě堵dǔ得děi严yán严yán实shí实shí。

This time he deeply regretted it. He fetched wood and rope at once, mended the pen firmly, and sealed the hole tight.

从cóng那nà以后yǐ hòu，他tā的de羊yáng再也zài yě没有méi yǒu丢dīu过guo。

From then on, he never lost another sheep.

有人yǒu rén问wèn他tā：第dì一yī次cì丢dīu羊yáng的de时候shí hou为什么wèi shén me不bù修xīu？他tā红hóng着zhuó脸liǎn说shuō：当时dāng shí我wǒ觉得jué de丢dīu了liǎo就jìu丢dīu了liǎo，没想到méi xiǎng dào狼láng还huán会huì再zài来lái。

Someone asked him: why didn't you repair it after the first sheep? Blushing he said: I thought what was lost was lost, and never imagined the wolf would return.

这zhè个gè小xiǎo小xiǎo的de故事gù shi后来hòu lái变成biàn chéng了liǎo一yī句jù成语chéng yǔ：亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láo，为wéi时shí未wèi晚wǎn。错cuò了liǎo没关系méi guān xi，马上mǎ shàng改gǎi就jìu来得及lái de jí。

The small story became an idiom: mending the pen after the lost sheep is never too late. Being wrong is fine; fix it at once.

亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láo的de意思yì si是shì：出chū了liǎo问题wèn tí以后yǐ hòu想xiǎng办法bàn fǎ补救bǔ jìu，还huán不算bù suàn晚wǎn。怕pà就jìu怕pà明明míng míng知道zhī dào错cuò了liǎo，却què不肯bù kěn改gǎi。

Mending the pen after losing sheep means: fixing a problem after it happens is still not too late. The real danger is knowing you are wrong and refusing to change.