In a village, a dog often shitted by the side of a well.

一个村子里，有条狗常常在井台边上拉屎。

Several tens of families in the whole village drew water from the well.

全村几十户人家，都在这口井里打水。

They all hated the dog, and wanted to tell its master to have it kept under control.

大家都讨厌这条狗，很想把这事告诉狗的主人，让主人把狗管住。

But whenever the people who wanted to lodge¹ a complaint against it came near the gate of its master's house, the dog would pounce² upon them, barking and biting, which frightened them so much that no one dared to come to the house.

可是，每次当告状的人走近这位主人的大门的时候，这条狗就扑上来又叫又咬，吓得谁也不敢上门。

It seems that people who are afraid to have their shortcomings revealed are probably like this dog, always trying to block the way so that others dare not lodge complaints against it.

看来，凡是怕别人揭发自己缺点的人，大概也跟这条狗一样，总要挡住别人，使人们不敢告它的状。