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?
After this reading
Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.
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