掩耳偷钟
yan er tou zhong
Yan means “to cover” while er means “ears.” Tou, to steal; zhong means “bell.”
This proverb, taken literally, means that one covers his ears in order to steal a bell by breaking it into pieces. According to the work Spring and Autumn of Lü Buwei, someone found a huge bell and wanted to take it away on his back. However, the bell was too heavy to carry. He wanted to fracture it with a mallet, but it roared too loudly. Hence, he covered his own ears with both hands, believing by doing this no one could hear the noise.
This proverb is used metaphorically to say that one turning a blind eye to obvious things does not make them any less real. It has a similar meaning as the idiom “burying one’s head in the sand.”

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黄钟毁弃，瓦釜雷鸣
huangzhong huiqi, wafu leiming
Huangzhong means “bronze bells” which is a metaphor for virtuous people. Huiqi means “being destroyed and abandoned.” Wafu means earthen vessels which is a metaphor for mediocre people. Leiming means “making thunderous noise.” This proverb originated from the literary works of Qu Yuan (c.340-c.278 BCE). Taken literally, it means that bronze bells are abandoned or destroyed while earthen vessels make thunderous noise.
It is used metaphorically to say that virtuous and talented people suffer from slander while people without talent and ability enjoy great fame.

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以莛撞钟
yi ting zhuang zhong
Ting refers to the stem of an herb that is obviously soft. Zhuang means “to strike” while zhong means “bells.” This proverb, taken literally, means to strike a bell with the stem of an herb.
Dongfang Shuo (154-93 BCE) once wrote that “to look at the sky through a tube; to measure the sea with a ladle; to strike a bell with the stem of an herb.” Looking at the sky through a tube and measuring the sea with a ladle means having a very superficial view and shallow argument with someone of rich learning. And striking a bell with the stem of an herb now means that a shallow conversation or argument with someone who is well educated in specific domain of knowledge will not produce any promising results.