成语故事：亡羊补牢 Idiom Story: Mending the Pen After the Sheep Are Lost

从前cóngqián，有yǒu一yí个ge人rén养yǎng了le很多hěn duō羊yáng，每měi天tiān晚上wǎnshang都dōu把bǎ羊yáng关guān在zài羊圈yángjuàn里li。

Once upon a time, a man kept a lot of sheep, and every evening he shut them in the sheep pen.

一yì天tiān早上zǎoshang，他tā去qù羊圈yángjuàn看kàn羊yáng，发现fāxiàn少shǎo了le一yì只zhī。

One morning he went to check on the sheep in the pen and found that one was missing.

原来yuánlái羊圈yángjuàn上shang有yǒu一yí个ge洞dòng，晚上wǎnshang狼láng从cóng这zhè个ge洞dòng进去jìnqu，把bǎ一yì只zhī羊yáng吃chī掉diào了le。

It turned out there was a hole in the pen; at night a wolf had got in through it and eaten one of the sheep.

邻居línjū看见kànjiàn了le，对duì他tā说shuō：“快kuài把bǎ洞dòng补bǔ上shang吧ba，否则fǒuzé还hái会huì丢diū羊yáng的de。”

His neighbour saw this and said to him: "Patch up that hole quickly, or you'll lose more sheep."

他tā却què说shuō：“羊yáng已经yǐjīng丢diū了le，现在xiànzài补bǔ羊圈yángjuàn还hái有yǒu什么shénme用yòng呢ne？”

But he said: "The sheep is already gone — what's the use of mending the pen now?"

第二天dì-èr tiān早上zǎoshang，他tā去qù看kàn羊yáng，发现fāxiàn羊yáng又yòu少shǎo了le一yì只zhī，这才zhè cái后悔hòuhuǐ没méi听tīng邻居línjū的de话huà。

The next morning he went to see the sheep and found another one missing — only then did he regret not listening to his neighbour.

他tā马上mǎshàng把bǎ洞dòng补bǔ好hǎo了le，从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu，他tā的de羊yáng再也zài yě没有méiyǒu丢diū过guo。

He patched the hole at once, and from then on he never lost another sheep.

现在xiànzài，人们rénmen用yòng“亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láo”来lái说shuō：出chū了le问题wèntí以后yǐhòu马上mǎshàng改gǎi，还hái不bú算suàn晚wǎn。

Nowadays people use 亡羊补牢 to say: if you put a problem right as soon as it happens, it still isn't too late.

小李Xiǎo Lǐ上shàng次cì考试kǎoshì因为yīnwèi语法yǔfǎ错cuò得de太tài多duō，没有méiyǒu通过tōngguò，这zhè次cì他tā每měi天tiān晚上wǎnshang都dōu花huā一yí个ge小时xiǎoshí做zuò语法yǔfǎ练习liànxí。

Xiao Li failed his last exam because he made too many grammar mistakes; this time he spends an hour every evening doing grammar exercises.

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Key words 生词

亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láoto mend the pen after a sheep is lost (to fix a problem before it gets worse)

羊圈yángjuànsheep pen

狼lángwolf

洞dònghole

补bǔto patch; to mend

后悔hòuhuǐto regret

原来

"It turns out (that)" — introduces the real reason you only discover afterwards: 原来羊圈上有一个洞。

他今天没来上课，原来是生病了。 — He didn't come to class today; it turns out he was ill.

这才……

"Only then" — something happens later than it should have, after a trigger: 发现羊又少了一只，这才后悔没听邻居的话。

考试前一天，他这才开始复习。 — Only the day before the exam did he start reviewing.

再也没（有）……过

"Never … again" — something stopped happening from a certain point on: 他的羊再也没有丢过。

那次以后，他再也没有迟到过。 — After that time, he was never late again.

1. Why did a sheep go missing the first time?

2. What did the man say when his neighbour told him to fix the pen?

3. How is Xiao Li like the man at the end of the story?