朝zhāo三sān暮mù四sì

很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián，有yǒu一yī个gè老lǎo人rén非fēi常cháng喜xǐ欢huan猴hóu子zi。

Long ago, there was an old man who loved monkeys very much.

他tā在zài家jiā里lǐ养yǎng了le很hěn多duō猴hóu子zi。

He kept many monkeys at his home.

他tā懂dǒng它tā们men，它tā们men也yě懂dǒng他tā。

He understood them, and they understood him.

它tā们men最zuì喜xǐ欢huan吃chī栗lì子zi。

Their favourite food was chestnuts.

有yǒu一yī年nián，他tā家jiā里lǐ没méi有yǒu多duō少shao钱qián了le。

One year, his family had little money left.

栗lì子zi也yě快kuài吃chī完wán了le。

The chestnuts were nearly gone, too.

他tā想xiǎng：“没méi有yǒu办bàn法fǎ，它tā们men要yào少shǎo吃chī一yī点diǎn儿r了le。”

He thought, “There's no other way: they'll have to eat a little less.”

他tā对duì猴hóu子zi们men说shuō：“从cóng明míng天tiān开kāi始shǐ，早zǎo上shang给gěi你nǐ们men三sān个gè，晚wǎn上shang给gěi你nǐ们men四sì个gè，好hǎo不bù好hǎo？”

He said to the monkeys, “Starting tomorrow, you'll get three in the morning and four in the evening. All right?”

猴hóu子zi们men一yī听tīng，都dōu很hěn生shēng气qì。

As soon as the monkeys heard this, they all got angry.

它tā们men叫jiào了le起qǐ来lai：“太tài少shǎo了le！太tài少shǎo了le！”

They started shouting, “Too few! Too few!”

他tā想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，说shuō：“那nà好hǎo吧ba。”

He thought for a moment and said, “All right then.”

“早zǎo上shang给gěi你nǐ们men四sì个gè，晚wǎn上shang给gěi你nǐ们men三sān个gè，这zhè样yàng可kě以yǐ吗ma？”

“Four in the morning and three in the evening. Is that all right?”

这zhè一yī次cì，它tā们men都dōu高gāo兴xìng地de跳tiào了le起qǐ来lai。

This time, they all jumped for joy.

“太tài好hǎo了le！太tài好hǎo了le！”

“Great! Great!”

老lǎo人rén看kàn着zhe它tā们men，也yě笑xiào了le。

The old man looked at them and smiled too.

其qí实shí，一yī天tiān还hái是shi七qī个gè栗lì子zi，一yī个gè也yě没méi有yǒu多duō。

In fact, it was still seven chestnuts a day, not a single one more.

可kě是shì，它tā们men只zhǐ看kàn见jiàn早zǎo上shang多duō了le一yī个gè，没méi有yǒu想xiǎng到dào晚wǎn上shang少shǎo了le一yī个gè。

But they only saw that there was one more in the morning, and never thought that there was one fewer in the evening.

“朝zhāo三sān暮mù四sì”本běn来lái的de意yì思si是shì用yòng好hǎo听tīng的de话huà骗piàn人rén。

Originally, “three in the morning, four in the evening” meant fooling people with nice-sounding words.

现xiàn在zài，人rén们men用yòng“朝zhāo三sān暮mù四sì”说shuō一yī个gè人rén常cháng常cháng改gǎi主zhǔ意yi，一yī会huì儿r这zhè样yàng，一yī会huì儿r那nà样yàng。

Today, people use “three in the morning, four in the evening” to describe someone who keeps changing their mind: one way one moment, another way the next.