画蛇添足

Huà Shé Tiān Zú

画蛇的时候又给它添上了脚。比喻做多余的事,反而把事情弄坏。

Drawing a snake and then adding feet — doing something extra and unnecessary that only ruins what you had.

古gǔ时shí候hòu,楚chǔ国guó有yǒu几jǐ个gè人rén一yì起qǐ喝hē酒jiǔ。酒jiǔ只zhǐ有yǒu一yì壶hú,大dà家jiā都dōu想xiǎng喝hē,却què不bú够gòu分fēn。有yǒu人rén出chū主zhǔ意yì说shuō:“我wǒ们men每měi个gè人rén画huà一yì条tiáo蛇shé,谁shuí先xiān画huà好hǎo,这zhè壶hú酒jiǔ就jiù归guī谁shuí。”大dà家jiā都dōu同tóng意yì了le。

大dà家jiā拿ná起qǐ笔bǐ来lái,埋mái头tóu画huà起qǐ蛇shé。有yǒu一yí个gè人rén画huà得de最zuì快kuài,一yí会huì儿r就jiù画huà好hǎo了le。他tā拿ná起qǐ酒jiǔ壶hú,正zhèng要yào喝hē,却què一yì边biān得dé意yì地de看kàn着zhe别bié人rén,说shuō:“我wǒ画huà得de又yòu快kuài又yòu好hǎo,还hái能néng给gěi蛇shé添tiān上shàng几jǐ只zhī脚jiǎo呢ne!”

他tā说shuō着zhe,就jiù在zài蛇shé的de身shēn边biān添tiān上shàng了le脚jiǎo。这zhè时shí,另lìng一yí个gè人rén也yě画huà完wán了le,一yì把bǎ抢qiǎng过guò酒jiǔ壶hú说shuō:“蛇shé本běn来lái没méi有yǒu脚jiǎo,你nǐ画huà上shàng脚jiǎo,那nà就jiù不bú是shì蛇shé了le。这zhè壶hú酒jiǔ应yīng该gāi归guī我wǒ。”说shuō完wán,他tā就jiù把bǎ酒jiǔ喝hē了le。

那nà个gè画huà蛇shé添tiān足zú的de人rén只zhǐ能néng又yòu后hòu悔huǐ又yòu生shēng气qì,一yì口kǒu酒jiǔ也yě没méi喝hē到dào。

“画huà蛇shé添tiān足zú”这zhè个gè成chéng语yǔ就jiù是shì从cóng这zhè里lǐ来lái的de,用yòng来lái形xíng容róng那nà种zhǒng多duō此cǐ一yì举jǔ、把bǎ事shì情qíng弄nòng坏huài的de做zuò法fǎ。

Long ago in the state of Chu, a few friends sat down to share a jug of wine. There was only one jug, and it wasn't enough for everyone. Someone suggested, “Let's each draw a snake on the ground. Whoever finishes first wins the whole jug.” They all agreed.

They bent over their drawings. One man finished very quickly. He reached for the jug, but instead of drinking right away, he smiled proudly at the others and said, “I was so fast, I even have time to add feet to my snake!”

He began drawing feet beside the snake. Just then, another man finished his own drawing, snatched up the jug, and said, “Snakes don't have feet. What you drew isn't a snake anymore — so the wine is mine.” And he drank it down.

The man who had added the feet could only sit there regretting it, without a single sip of wine.

From this comes “drawing a snake and adding feet” — doing one extra thing that spoils everything you had already earned.