画蛇添足（详读本）

楚chǔ国有guó yǒu一家人yī jiā rén祭jì完wán祖zǔ以后yǐ hòu，赏shǎng给gěi帮忙bāng máng的de人rén一yī壶hú酒jǐu。

A family in Chu, after finishing an ancestral rite, rewarded their helpers with a pot of wine.

帮忙bāng máng的de人rén有yǒu好hào几jǐ个gè，酒jǐu却què只有zhǐ yǒu一yī壶hú，大家dà jiā一起yī qǐ喝hē不够bù gòu。

There were several helpers but only one pot, not enough for everyone to share.

有人yǒu rén提议tí yì：我们wǒ men来lái比赛bǐ sài吧ba，每měi个人gè rén在zài地上dì shang画huà一yī条tiáo蛇shé，谁shéi先xiān画huà完wán，这zhè壶hú酒jǐu就jìu归guī谁shéi。大家dà jiā都dōu同意tóng yì了liǎo。

Someone proposed: let us compete. Each draws a snake on the ground; whoever finishes first gets the wine. All agreed.

比赛bǐ sài开始kāi shǐ了liǎo。有yǒu一yī个人gè rén画huà得děi特别tè bié快kuài，不一会儿bù yī huì er就jìu把bǎ蛇shé画huà好了hǎo le。

The contest began. One man drew especially fast and finished his snake in no time.

他tā拿ná起qǐ酒jǐu壶hú，看见kàn jiàn别人bié ren还huán在zài慢慢màn màn地dì画huà，心里xīn li很hěn得意dé yì，说shuō：我wǒ还huán能néng给gěi蛇shé添tiān上shàng几jǐ只zhī脚jiǎo呢ne！

He picked up the pot, saw the others still drawing slowly, and said proudly: I can even add feet to my snake.

可是kě shì，他tā的de脚jiǎo还huán没méi画huà完wán，另lìng一yī个人gè rén已经yǐ jīng把bǎ蛇shé画huà好了hǎo le。那nà个人gè rén一yī把bǎ拿ná过guo酒jǐu壶hú，说shuō：蛇shé本来běn lái就jìu没有méi yǒu脚jiǎo，你nǐ画huà的de不bù是shì蛇shé！

But before his feet were done, another man had finished his snake. That man grabbed the pot and said: snakes have no feet, what you drew is not a snake.

说shuō完wán，他tā仰yǎng头tóu把bǎ酒jǐu喝hē了liǎo。那nà个gè给gěi蛇shé添tiān脚jiǎo的de人rén，只能zhǐ néng站zhàn在zài旁边páng biān看kān着zhuó，后悔hòu huǐ也yě来不及lái bu jí了liǎo。

Then he drank it down. The man who added feet could only stand there watching, too late for regret.

其他qí tā画huà画huà的de人rén看见kàn jiàn了liǎo，都dōu催cuī他tā：快kuài喝hē吧ba，我们wǒ men都dōu要yào画huà完了wán le。他tā却què不bù着急zháo jí，慢慢màn màn地dì给gěi蛇shé画huà脚jiǎo。

The other painters saw and urged him: drink quickly, we are nearly done. But he took his time, adding feet to his snake.

后来hòu lái人们rén men说shuō：蛇shé画huà得děi好好hǎo hǎo的de，添tiān上shàng脚jiǎo就jìu不bù像xiàng蛇shé了liǎo。好事hǎo shì做zuò成chéng了liǎo，再zài加jiā一yī点diǎn多余duō yú的de东西dōng xi，就jìu坏huài了liǎo。

People later said: the snake was drawn well; adding feet made it not a snake. Good work, plus one needless thing, is ruined.

画蛇添足huà shé tiān zú告诉gào su我们wǒ men：做事zuò shì情qíng要yào恰到好处qià dào hǎo chù，多duō此cǐ一举yī jǔ，反而fǎn ér会huì把bǎ已经yǐ jīng做zuò好hào的de事情shì qing毁huǐ掉diào。

Adding feet to a snake teaches: do what is needed and no more. A needless extra can ruin finished work.