亡羊补牢

"Better Late Than Never"

很久以前，在一个小村庄里，住着一个农夫。他有一个很大的羊圈，里面养了很多羊。羊圈原本是由坚固的木头和竹子建造的，但是由于时间久了，一个角落的木头开始腐烂，留下了一个洞。

Long ago, in a small village, there lived a farmer who had a large sheepfold filled with many sheep. Originally constructed from sturdy wood and bamboo, over time, the wood in one corner began to rot, leaving a hole.

农夫每天都很忙，要照顾羊群，还要去田里干活，所以他总是想着“明天再修”，但明天又变成了明天，修补的事一直拖延着。直到有一天晚上，一只小羊发现了那个洞，它钻出了羊圈，结果在夜里被潜伏在附近的狼吃掉了。

Busy every day with caring for his flock and working in the fields, the farmer always thought, "I'll fix it tomorrow." But tomorrow kept turning into another tomorrow, and the repair was continually delayed. One night, a young lamb discovered the hole, squeezed through it, and was unfortunately eaten by a lurking wolf.

第二天，农夫发现少了一只羊，非常伤心。他找遍了周围的树林和田野，最后在不远的草丛中发现了羊的羊毛，他明白自己的疏忽给羊群带来了危险。这次的事件让农夫非常后悔，他决定立刻行动。

The next morning, heartbroken upon discovering one sheep missing, the farmer searched the surrounding woods and fields. Finding the sheep's wool not far away in some bushes, he realized his negligence had endangered the flock. Filled with regret, he decided to take immediate action.

他用了整整一天的时间，用新的木头和竹子重新加固了羊圈，确保没有任何的漏洞。

He spent the whole day using new wood and bamboo to reinforce the pen, ensuring there were no gaps.

从那以后，农夫的羊圈再也没有出过问题。他经常用自己的教训告诫村里的人们，“亡羊补牢，为时未晚”的道理，即意识到错误并及时改正，是非常重要的。

From then on, the farmer's sheepfold never had another problem. He often used his own lesson to admonish the villagers about the importance of acknowledging mistakes and correcting them promptly, embodying the principle of "Better late than never."