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Learn Chinese IdiomsDrawing a snake and adding feet to it
zhàn
战guó 国shí 时dài 代yǒu 有gě 个chǔ 楚guó 国rén 人jì 祭tā 他de 的zǔ 祖xiān 先 。yí 仪shì 式jiē 结shù 束hòu 后 ，tā 他ná 拿chū 出yī 一hú 壶jiǔ 酒shǎng 赏gěi 给shǒu 手xià 下de 的jī 几gě 个rén 人 。dà 大jiā 家shāng 商liáng 量shuì 说 ： “wǒ 我men 们dōu 都lái 来huà 画shé 蛇 ，shéi 谁xiān 先huà 画hǎo 好shéi 谁jiù 就hē 喝zhè 这hú 壶jiǔ 酒 。 ”jī 其zhōng 中yǒu 有yī 一gě 个rén 人xiān 先huà 画hǎo 好le 了 。dàn 但tā 他kān 看dào 到tóng 同bàn 伴hái 还méi 没yǒu 有huà 画wán 完 ，jiù 就yòu 又gěi 给shé 蛇tiān 添shàng 上le 了jiǎo 脚 。zhè 这shí 时 ，lìng 另yī 一gě 个rén 人yě 也huà 画hǎo 好le 了 ，duó 夺guō 过jiǔ 酒hú 壶bā 吧jiǔ 酒hē 喝le 了 ，bīng 并jū 且shuì 说 ： “shé 蛇běn 本lái 来shì 是méi 没yǒu 有jiǎo 脚de 的 ，nǐ 你zěn 怎ma 么néng 能gěi 给tā 它tiān 添shàng 上jiǎo 脚nà 呢 ？ ”
“huà 画shé 蛇tiān 添zú 足 ”zhè 这gě 个chéng 成yǔ 语bǐ 比yù 喻zuò 做le 了duō 多yú 余ér 而bú 不qià 恰dāng 当de 的shì 事 ，fǎn 反ér 而bǎ 把shì 事qíng 情lòng 弄zāo 糟le 了 。 |
In the Warring States Period, a man in the State of Chu was offering a
sacrifice to his ancestors. After the ceremony, the man gave a beaker of
wine to his servants. The servants thought that there was not enough wine
to go around, and decided that every body draws a snake; the one who
finished the picture first would get the wine. One of them drew very rapidly.
Seeing that the others were still busy drawing, he added feet to the snake.
At this moment another man finished, snatched the beaker and drank the wine,
saying, 'A snake doesn't have feet. How can you add feet to a snake? '