there was a merchant who sold spears and shields.
有一个商人，他卖矛和盾。
He said, "My spear is so sharp that it can pierce anything."
他说：“我的矛非常锋利，可以刺穿任何东西。”
Then he said, "My shield is so strong that nothing can pierce it."
然后他又说：“我的盾非常坚固，什么都不能刺穿它。”
Someone listened and asked him, "What will happen if you use your spear to pierce your shield?"
有人听了，问他：“如果用你的矛刺你的盾，会怎么样？”
The merchant was stunned and didn’t know how to answer.
商人愣住了，不知道怎么回答。
He thought for a moment and realized that his words didn’t make sense.
他想了想，觉得自己说的话不对。
He couldn't say that the spear could pierce anything and also say that the shield couldn’t be pierced.
他不能同时说矛能刺穿任何东西，又说盾不能被刺穿。
Everyone laughed because his statement was contradictory.
大家都笑了，因为他的说法自相矛盾。
The merchant finally understood that he couldn't make two opposing statements at the same time.
商人终于明白了，他不能说两种相反的话。
He realized that he had made a wrong promise.
他意识到，自己做了一个错误的承诺。
From then on, he stopped making these contradictory claims.
从此以后，他不再说这些矛盾的话。
This story teaches us to be careful with our words and avoid contradictions.
这个故事告诉我们，说话要小心，不要自相矛盾。
If we cannot do something, we should not make promises easily.
如果做不到，就不要轻易承诺。
We must align our words with our actions to earn others' trust.
要做到言行一致，才能获得他人的信任。
