Dongshi Copies a Frown

HSK 3 · 134 characters · Idioms for Beginners

Dongshi copies the beautiful Xishi's frown, and everyone runs away.

从前cóng qián，有个yǒu gè女孩nǚ hái叫jiào西施xī shī。Long ago, there was a girl named Xishi.她tā很hěn美měi，大家dà jiā都dōu喜欢xǐ huan看kàn她tā。She was very beautiful, and everyone liked to look at her.

一天yī tiān，西施xī shī病bìng了le，觉得jué de很hěn难受nán shòu。One day, Xishi got sick and felt very bad.她tā皱zhòu着zhe眉头méi tóu，慢慢地màn màn de走zǒu。She frowned and walked slowly.大家dà jiā说shuō：“她tā这样zhè yàng也yě很hěn美měi！”Everyone said, "She is beautiful even like this!"

村cūn里lǐ还有hái yǒu一个yī ge女孩nǚ hái，叫jiào东dōng施shī。In the village there was another girl, named Dongshi.东dōng施shī长得zhǎng de不bù好看hǎo kàn。Dongshi was not pretty.她tā想xiǎng：“我wǒ也yě学xué西施xī shī吧ba！”She thought, "I will copy Xishi!"

东dōng施shī也yě皱zhòu着zhe眉头méi tóu走路zǒu lù。Dongshi also walked around frowning.可是kě shì大家dà jiā一yī看到kàn dào她tā，都dōu跑开pǎo kāi了le。But as soon as people saw her, they all ran away.

这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ是shì“东施效颦dōng shī xiào pín”。This idiom is "Dongshi copies the frown."意思yì si是shì：只会zhǐ huì学xué别人bié ren的de样子yàng zi，结果jié guǒ更gèng不好bù hǎo。It means: blindly copying someone else only makes things worse.例句lì jù：不要bù yào东施效颦dōng shī xiào pín，做zuò你nǐ自己zì jǐ就jiù好hǎo。Example: Don't copy others blindly — just be yourself.