这个短语的字面解释就是“小鸡没孵出来就数数”。这是什么意思呢？请看对话：

    A: I will buy myself a new phone and a new watch after the boss gives me a raise this month.

    B: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

    Note: This idiom is often used in the sentence “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” It means: Don’t rely on something you are unsure about, because making plans based on assumptions can lead to disappointment. A Greek fabulist named Aesop, said to have lived from 620 to 560 B.C., is credited as using this expression. He has several written fables attributed to his name; today, these are collectively known as “Aesop’s Fables.” One of them is titled “The Milkmaid and Her Pail,” and there’s a line from the tale that reads: “Ah, my child,” said the mother. “Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.”