Drawing a Snake and Adding Feet

HSK 4 · 300 characters · Chinese Idioms

Story behind the idiom: 畫蛇添足 - to draw a snake and add feet

很久hěn jiǔ以前yǐ qián，在zài中国zhōng guó有yǒu一yī群qún朋友péng you一起yī qǐ喝酒hē jiǔ聊天liáo tiān。A long time ago, in China, there was a group of friends drinking and chatting together.他们tā men决定jué dìng比赛bǐ sài画画huà huà，看kàn谁shéi能néng最zuì快kuài画出huà chū一yī条tiáo蛇shé，赢yíng的de人rén就jiù能néng得到dé dào一yī壶hú好hǎo酒jiǔ。They decided to have a drawing competition to see who could draw a snake the fastest, and the winner would get a pot of good wine.比赛bǐ sài开始kāi shǐ后hòu，其中qí zhōng一yī个gè人rén很快hěn kuài就jiù把bǎ蛇shé画好huà hǎo了le。After the competition started, one of them quickly finished drawing the snake.他tā瞄miáo了le旁边páng biān的de朋友péng you一yī眼yǎn，发现fā xiàn他们tā men都dōu还hái没méi完成wán chéng，心里xīn li得意dé yì极了jí le。He glanced at his friends beside him and saw that they hadn't finished yet, feeling very smug inside.他tā想xiǎng：「时间shí jiān还hái很多hěn duō，不如bù rú再zài给gěi蛇shé画上huà shàng几jǐ只zhī脚jiǎo，让ràng它tā更gèng特别tè bié！」He thought, 'There's still a lot of time, why not add a few legs to the snake to make it more special!'正当zhèng dāng他tā刚gāng画完huà wán脚jiǎo时shí，另lìng一yī个gè朋友péng you也yě画好huà hǎo了le蛇shé。Just as he had finished drawing the legs, another friend also finished drawing the snake.另lìng一yī个gè朋友péng you直接zhí jiē拿起ná qǐ酒壶jiǔ hú，笑着xiào zhe说shuō：「蛇shé根本gēn běn没有méi yǒu脚jiǎo！你nǐ画错huà cuò了le，所以suǒ yǐ你nǐ输shū了le！」The other friend directly picked up the wine pot and said with a smile, 'Snakes don't have legs at all! You drew it wrong, so you lose!'就这样jiù zhè yàng，因为yīn wèi第一dì yī个gè人rén加jiā了le蛇shé本来běn lái没有méi yǒu的de东西dōng xi，他tā无法wú fǎ得到dé dào那nà壶hú酒jiǔ。Just like that, because the first person added something that snakes don't have, he couldn't get that pot of wine.

现在xiàn zài人们rén men用yòng成语chéng yǔ「画huà蛇shé添tiān足zú」来lái形容xíng róng做zuò了le多余duō yú、不bù需要xū yào的de事shì，结果jié guǒ反而fǎn ér把bǎ事情shì qing搞糟gǎo zāo。Now people use the idiom 'drawing a snake and adding feet' to describe doing something unnecessary and unneeded, which ultimately ruins a good thing.

比如bǐ rú，一yī位wèi女生nǚ shēng叫jiào艾米Ài mǐ，做zuò了le一yī场chǎng原本yuán běn很hěn棒bàng的de报告bào gào。For example, a girl named Aimi gave a presentation that was originally very good.当dāng她tā把bǎ重点zhòng diǎn已经yǐ jīng讲jiǎng得de很hěn清楚qīng chu后hòu，却què还hái不bù停tíng往下wǎng xià讲jiǎng，结果jié guǒ她tā越yuè讲jiǎng越yuè乱luàn，大家dà jiā也yě听tīng得de越来越yuè lái yuè糊涂hú tu。After she had already explained the key points very clearly, her explanation became increasingly disorganized, and everyone became more and more confused.艾米Ài mǐ的de做法zuò fǎ就是jiù shì「画huà蛇shé添tiān足zú」—加jiā了le不bù必要bì yào的de东西dōng xi，把bǎ好事hǎo shì弄坏nòng huài了le。Aimi's approach was 'drawing a snake and adding feet'—adding unnecessary things and ruining something good.