中國成語寓言故事78:Drawing a Snake and Adding Feet to It畫蛇添足(雙語)
In the past a family in the State of Chu made sacrificial offers to their ancestors, and after that they rewarded the people who helped in the ceremony with the pot of wine used in it.
從前，楚國有一戶人家，祭完祖宗以后，把一壺祭祀時用過的酒，賞給幫助辦事的人喝。
There were many helpers but only one pot of wine. Who should drink it? Someone suggested:
辦事的人很多，可是酒只有一壺，到底給誰喝呢?有人提議說:
"Each person is to draw a snake on the ground. Whoever draws fastest and most lifelike will get the pot of wine."
“各人都在地上畫一條蛇，誰畫得快、畫得像，就把這壺酒給誰喝。”
Everyone thought this was a good idea.
大家都認為這個辦法很好。
One man drew very fast, finished it in the twinkling of an eye, and was given the pot of wine. At this moment, he saw that the others had not yet finished, so he wanted to flaunt his skill once more. He said proudly:
有一個人畫得很快，一轉眼，就把蛇畫好了。這壺酒應該歸他。可是，這時候，他看看別人都沒有畫好，就想再炫耀一下自己的能耐。他得意洋洋地說:
"How slow you are! Let me add a few snake feet."
“你們畫得多慢啊，讓我再畫上幾只蛇腳吧!”
Holding the wine pot in his left hand, he began to add feet to the finished snake with his right hand. When he was just adding feet to the snake, another man finished his drawing. He grabbed the wine pot at once, saying:
他左手拿著酒壺，右手又開始給畫好了的蛇添上腳。當他正在添足的時候，另一個人卻把蛇畫好了，而且立刻把酒壺奪了過去，說:
"A snake has no feet. How could you add feet to it? The first one who finished drawing a snake is I, not you."
“蛇是沒有腳的，你怎么畫上了腳?第一個畫好蛇的是我，不是你哩!”
Having said this, the man drank the wine with an easy conscience.
那人說完話，就心安理得地喝起酒來。（編者注：如果喜歡本文章可以點擊文章右上方的關注或者右下角的贊哦！感謝各位讀者。）
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