中文里有很多“成语”，每个成语的后面都有一个故事，今天我们来看“画蛇添足”的故事。
Chinese has many "chengyu" — idioms — and behind each one there is a story; today let's look at the story of 画蛇添足, "drawing a snake and adding feet".
很久以前，几个人得到了一壶好酒，可是酒太少，只够一个人喝。
Long ago, a few men were given a pot of good wine, but there was too little of it — only enough for one person.
于是他们决定比赛：每个人在地上画一条蛇，谁先画完，酒就是谁的。
So they decided on a contest: each would draw a snake on the ground, and whoever finished first would get the wine.
一个人画得非常快，他看别人都还没画完，就得意地说：“我还有时间，再给蛇添几只脚吧！”
One man drew extremely fast; seeing that the others were still not done, he said smugly: "I still have time — let me add a few feet to my snake!"
可是就在他画脚的时候，另一个人画完了蛇，拿起酒壶说：“蛇本来就没有脚，你画的是什么呢？”
But just as he was drawing the feet, another man finished his snake, picked up the wine pot and said: "A snake has no feet to begin with — what on earth did you draw?"
说完，他就把酒喝了，那个画得最快的人却什么也没得到。
With that, he drank the wine — while the man who had drawn fastest ended up with nothing at all.
从那以后，人们就用“画蛇添足”来说这样的事：东西本来已经很好了，有人却还要做一些没有用的事，结果反而更差了。
Ever since, people have used 画蛇添足 for situations like this: something was already fine, yet someone insisted on doing something useless, and as a result made it worse.
学习和工作也是一样：有时候，做得多不一定做得好，知道什么时候应该停下来，也是一种聪明。
It's the same with study and work: sometimes doing more doesn't necessarily mean doing better — knowing when to stop is a kind of wisdom too.
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Key words 生词
画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúto draw a snake and add feet (to ruin something with unnecessary additions)
成语chéngyǔidiom (usually four characters)
蛇shésnake
添tiānto add
酒壶jiǔhúwine pot (壶 hú: pot; also a measure word for liquids)
得意déyìpleased with oneself; smug
Grammar note 语法点
谁……，谁就……
A question word used twice refers to the same (not yet known) person, like "whoever": 谁先画完，酒就是谁的。
谁先到，谁就先买票。 — Whoever arrives first buys the tickets first.
却
却 marks a contrast, "however / yet"; it comes after the subject and before the verb: 那个画得最快的人却什么也没得到。
他学了很久，却还没学会。 — He studied for a long time, yet still hasn't mastered it.
反而
"On the contrary; instead" — the result is the opposite of what you would expect: 结果反而更差了。
吃了药，他反而更不舒服了。 — After taking the medicine, he felt even worse instead.
Check yourself 小测验
1. Why did the men decide to hold a drawing contest?
2. What did the fastest man do after finishing his snake?
3. What lesson does the story teach?