Dotting the Dragon's Eyes

HSK 4 · 459 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 画龙点睛 - Dotting the dragon's eyes

很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián，南朝nán cháo有yǒu一位yī wèi画家huà jiā，名叫míng jiào张僧繇zhāng sēng yóu。A long time ago, during the Southern Dynasties, there was a painter named Zhang Sengyao.他tā到dào一座yī zuò寺庙sì miào画墙huà qiáng。He went to a temple to paint a wall.他tā画huà了le四条sì tiáo龙lóng，龙身lóng shēn有yǒu鳞lín有yǒu爪zhǎo，很hěn生动shēng dòng。He drew four dragons, with scales and claws, full of life.但是dàn shì每条měi tiáo龙的lóng de眼睛yǎn jing都dōu空着kōng zhe。But the eyes of each dragon were left blank.大家dà jiā觉得jué de奇怪qí guài，问wèn他tā为什么wèi shén me不bù画huà眼睛yǎn jing。People felt puzzled and asked why he didn’t paint the eyes.张僧繇zhāng sēng yóu笑着xiào zhe说shuō，先xiān别bié急jí。Zhang Sengyao smiled and said, “Don’t rush.”他tā说shuō，等děng我wǒ画上huà shàng眼睛yǎn jing，它们tā men就jiù会huì飞走fēi zǒu。He explained that once he added the eyes, the dragons would fly away.人们rén men不bù相信xiāng xìn，还hái以为yǐ wéi他tā在zài开玩笑kāi wán xiào。The crowd didn’t believe him and thought he was joking.过了guò le一会儿yī huìr，他tā拿起ná qǐ笔bǐ，在zài两条liǎng tiáo龙的lóng de眼睛yǎn jing上shàng轻轻qīng qīng一点yī diǎn。After a moment, he lifted his brush and lightly dotted the eyes of two dragons.天上tiān shàng忽然hū rán打雷dǎ léi刮风guā fēng。Suddenly thunder rolled and the wind began to blow.墙上qiáng shàng的de两条liǎng tiáo龙lóng仿佛fǎng fú活了huó le过来guò lái。The two dragons on the wall seemed to come alive.它们tā men从cóng墙上qiáng shàng飞出去fēi chū qù，飞上fēi shàng了le天tiān。They flew off the wall and up into the sky.另外lìng wài两条liǎng tiáo没有méi yǒu眼睛yǎn jing的de龙lóng，却què安安静静ān ān jìng jìng地de留在liú zài墙上qiáng shàng。The other two dragons without eyes stayed quietly on the wall.大家dà jiā这才zhè cái相信xiāng xìn张僧繇zhāng sēng yóu的de话huà。Only then did everyone believe what Zhang Sengyao had said.

后来hòu lái，人们rén men用yòng“画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīng”这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ来lái讲jiǎng一个yī ge道理dào li。Later, people used the idiom “huà lóng diǎn jīng” to teach a lesson.它tā的de意思yì si是shì：在zài一件yī jiàn已经yǐ jīng做得zuò de很好hěn hǎo的de事情shì qing上shàng，加上jiā shàng最后zuì hòu一个yī ge关键guān jiàn的de小xiǎo部分bù fen。It means adding a final, crucial detail to something already well made.这一点zhè yī diǎn虽然suī rán小xiǎo，却què能néng让ràng整个zhěng gè作品zuò pǐn立刻lì kè有yǒu精神jīng shén，有yǒu生命shēng mìng。This small touch can make the entire work feel spirited and alive.在zài说话shuō huà和hé写作xiě zuò里lǐ，它tā也yě指zhǐ一句yī jù抓住zhuā zhù重点zhòng diǎn的de话huà，让ràng别人bié ren的de理解lǐ jiě更gèng清楚qīng chu。In speaking and writing, it can also mean one sentence that hits the main point so others understand better.但是dàn shì要yào记住jì zhu，点睛diǎn jīng之前zhī qián，龙身lóng shēn要yào先xiān画好huà hǎo。But remember, before you dot the eyes, the body of the dragon must be well drawn.如果rú guǒ前面qián miàn的de基础jī chǔ不好bù hǎo，只靠zhǐ kào一点点yī diǎn diǎn装饰zhuāng shì，是shì不行bù xíng的de。If the foundation is weak, a tiny decoration won’t fix it.现在xiàn zài，我wǒ想xiǎng讲jiǎng一个yī ge今天jīn tiān的de故事gù shì。Now let me share a story from today.

小林xiǎo lín在zài学校xué xiào要yào做zuò一个yī ge社团shè tuán海报hǎi bào。Lin had to design a poster for a school club.他tā用了yòng le合适hé shì的de颜色yán sè，也yě排好了pái hǎo le图片tú piàn和hé文字wén zì。He chose good colors and arranged the pictures and words.看起来kàn qǐ lai整齐zhěng qí，但dàn好像hǎo xiàng少了shǎo le什么shén me。It looked neat, but something felt missing.老师lǎo shī看了kàn le说shuō，可以kě yǐ试着shì zhe加jiā一个yī ge简单jiǎn dān有力yǒu lì的de标题biāo tí。The teacher said he could try adding a simple, strong title.小林xiǎo lín把bǎ标题biāo tí改成gǎi chéng大字dà zì，放在fàng zài最上面zuì shàng miàn，还hái加上jiā shàng日期rì qī。Lin changed the title to big letters at the top and added the date.他tā又yòu在zài角落jiǎo luò里lǐ放了fàng le一个yī ge小小xiǎo xiǎo的de红hóng印章yìn zhāng图案tú àn。He also placed a small red seal icon in the corner.海报hǎi bào一下子yī xià zi有了yǒu le活力huó lì，同学们tóng xué men都dōu停下来tíng xià lái多duō看kàn几jǐ眼yǎn。The poster suddenly felt lively, and classmates stopped to take a longer look.大家dà jiā说shuō，这zhè一改yī gǎi真是zhēn shi“画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīng”。Everyone said this change was truly “huà lóng diǎn jīng,” the perfect finishing touch.