An old Chinese story.Have you ever heard that?
By rytnlxm
@rytnlxm (310)
China
August 17, 2008 7:26pm CST
Long,long ago,there were two neighbors lived in a small village,their names were Zhang and Li.One day,Zhang earned three hundreds dollars,since there was no bank around so he decided to hide it away.He put the dollars in a box and took the box to a deserted place.He dig a hole in the ground and put the box in the hole.After all that he did,he still could not set his heart at rest,so he stood a wood block and write a sentence as follows:There is not three dollars.Then he left.Unfortunately,his neighbor Li saw him and discover the dollars,he took the money away and in order to defecated that it was not he to take the money away,he write another sentence on the block "and Zhang's neighbor Li didn't steal it."
So there is a old saying that"There is not three hundreds dollars"to satirize those people who what to cover up something but act too much to make all people know that.
2 people like this
4 responses
@nilzerous1 (2434)
• India
18 Aug 08
Wonderful story. It relates to real life as well. I just recalled teenagers in our city often want to hide when they go out on dating. It is a conservative society, so, they have natural cause of worry - parents might just scold them. But they do so funny attitude that everyone understands that they are hiding some secrets.
We use banana to worship our God sometimes. There is a common proverb:
"Who is in the prayer room?" - It comes out from some elderly person, suspecting that some naughty fellow must have entered the prayer room and eating up bananas and sweets.
The proverbial reply: "I've not eater the bananas!", which tells the story with more clarity.
@nilzerous1 (2434)
• India
18 Aug 08
Secrets speak off themselves at times from within ourselves - no difference with me! Not with bananas but I've also spoken out more about something in an attempt to keep it a secret and which I would wish to keep a secret for my lifetime. Lol.
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Aug 08
I am a little lost in the second part of the story.
Read it a few times, and I am still not really clear about the moral of the story.
Probably lost in the translation.
Do you have the actual story to read?
Or can you explain the story a little clearer?
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
18 Aug 08
Hmm... I do not see anything wrong with your english.
Thanks for the explanation. That puts a lot of things in perspective now.
I can see what you mean a little clearer.
Hmm... it is a good story you got there.
Thanks for sharing it. Makes me think about things that people have done and try to cover up. Heh heh heh... the story does hold true to some sense.
Interesting!
@rytnlxm (310)
• China
18 Aug 08
I can not find the English edition of this story but I found a better translation
on net that is "A guilty person gives himself away by conspicuously protesting his innocence."Zhang didn't want other to discover his money so he write a sentence to told people there were no three hundreds dollars.He is so stupid because everybody will know the fact because of his conspicuously cover up.Zhang's neighbor Li saw Zhang hided the money,so he steal the money,but he is not a smart man too,he take the same mistake with Zhang:tell us it is he who steal the money through his stupid sentence"Li didn't steal the money".
Have you got my meaning?
Sorry for my poor English,and I think I should put in more time and energy to improve my English.
1 person likes this
@mipen2006 (5528)
• Australia
18 Aug 08
Thank you for sharing that old Chinese story with us. I understand the moral and know some people like Zhang and Li.
@PearlGrace (3171)
• United States
18 Aug 08
Hello rtnlxm.
Your story is quite interesting. You may want to look up "defecated" in your dictionary, as I don't think it was the word you were looking for here. Anyway, I am glad that you told us this story. It really makes me think. Take care.
