One day, King Li of the State of Chu announced to the people: If any emergency occurs in our country, the drum will be beaten as a signal. The moment the people hear the drum, they must assemble outside the palace gate at once.

 

One day, King Li out drunk, when he passed by the drum stand, he xiaogushi8.com started to beat the drum at random¹. When the people heard the drum, they ran from all directions to the palace gate, thinking that some emergency had occurred in the country. They stood all around in a dense² mass.

 

King Li sent someone to tell them: "Just now the King beat the drum, but nothing urgent had happened, it was only because the King got drunk and when he passed by the drum stand, he beat the drum just for fun."

 

All the people returned to their homes , feeling angry.

 

A few months later, some emergency really occurred in the State of Chu. The drum outside the palace gate sounded from early morning until night. Though the people heard the drum, they no longer cared about it and didn't rush to the palace gate.

 

一天，   楚厉王通告老百姓：假如国家发生急事，就以击鼓为信号，老百姓一听到鼓声响，就必须立刻到宫门外集合。

 

有一次，厉王喝醉了酒，从鼓架旁边走过，就胡乱地击起鼓来。老百姓听到鼓声，以为国家发生了什么急事，都从四面八方到宫门外来了，黑压压地站了一片。

 

厉王派人告诉大家说：“刚才国王喝醉了酒，走过鼓架旁边，为着好玩，才击了一阵子鼓。”

 

老百姓都回家去了，但是都很气愤。

 

隔了几个月，楚国真的发生了紧急情况，宫门外的鼓“咚咚咚”地从早晨响到晚上。可是，老百姓虽然听到鼓声，却不再把它当做一回事而赶到宫门前来了。

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