Chinese language vocabulary 汉语词汇 东施效颦 (Dōngshī xiàopín)

Chūnqiū shí, Yuèguó yǒu yí wèi měinǚ míng jiào Xī Shī, tā de yìjǔ-yídòng dōu shífēn xīyǐn rén, dànshì tā de shēntǐ bù hǎo, yǒu xīn kǒu téng de máobìng.
春秋时，越国有一位美女名叫西施，她的一举一动都十分吸引人，但是她的身体不好，有心口疼的毛病。

During the Spring and Autumn Period, in the State of Yue, there was a beautiful woman named Xi Shi. Her every movement was extremely attractive, but her body was not very healthy. She had heart problems.

Yǒu yí cì, zài huíjiā de lù shàng, Xī Shī xīn kǒu téngtòng de bìng yòu fàn le, yúshì tā yòng shǒu wǔ zhù xiōngkǒu, shuāng méi zhòu qǐ. Suīrán tā kàn qǐlái hěn bù shūfú, dàn cūnmín men què dōu chēngzàn tā bǐ píngshí gèng měilì le.
有一次，在回家的路上，西施心口疼痛的病又犯了，于是她用手捂住胸口，双眉皱起。虽然她看起来很不舒服，但村民们却都称赞她比平时更美丽了。

once when she was returning home, her heart pain flared up again, so she was grasping her chest with her hand and wrinkling her brows in pain. Although it was obvious that she was very uncomfortable, the villagers still praised her saying she was even more beautiful than normal.

Tóng cūn yǒu wèi míng jiào Dōng Dhī de nǚhái, xiàngmào pǔtōng, tā jiàn cūn lǐ rén dōu shuō Xī Shī wǔ zhù xiōngkǒu de yàngzǐ měilì, yúshì yě xué Xī Shī, wǔ zhù xiōngkǒu, zhòu zhe méitóu, zài rén men miànqián zǒu lái zǒu qù, yǐwéi zhèyàng jiù huì yǒu rén chēngzàn tā. Jiéguǒ, cūnmín kàn dào tā zhī hòu, yǒu de gǎnjǐn guān shàng le dàmén, yǒu de jímáng lā zhe qī’ér yuǎnyuǎn de duǒkāi, tāmen bǐ yǐqián gèngjiā yànwù Dōng Shī le.
同村有位名叫东施的女孩，相貌普通，她见村里人都说西施捂住胸口的样子美丽，于是也学西施，捂住胸口，皱着眉头，在人们面前走来走去，以为这样就会有人称赞她。结果，村民看到她之后，有的赶紧关上了大门，有的急忙拉着妻儿远远地躲开，他们比以前更加厌恶东施了。

In the same village there was a young woman named Dong Shi who looked very ordinary. She saw that the villagers all praised Xi Shi as beautiful when she clutched her chest, so she copied Xi Shi and clutched her chest as well, knitting her brows and walking back and forth in front of people. She thought people would then praise her as well. The result was that when people saw her, some of them quickly closed their doors while others grabbed their wives and ran away to hide. They detested her all the more.

Words:
一举一动yījǔyīdòng : every movement and every action (n.)
捂wǔ: to cover (v.)
相貌xiàngmào: appearance (n.)
普通pǔtōng: ordinary; plain ( adj.)
称赞chēngzàn: to praise (v.)
厌恶yànwù: to detest (v.)

Meanings:

东施效颦：“效”的意思是“模仿”，“颦”的意思是“皱眉”。“东施效颦”原指东施模仿西施捂着胸口、皱着眉头的样子，但是却受到了村民的厌恶。比喻不知道别人的优点和自己的缺点在哪里，胡乱模仿，效果很差。

The meaning of "效(xiào)" is "imitate" and "copy",and the meaning of "颦(pín)" is to "knit the brows". "东施效颦(Dōngshī Xiào Pín)" refers to Dong Shi copying Xi Shi as she clutches her chest and wrinkles her brows, but is still despised by the villagers. This is an analogy for someone who, without understanding other people's strength and their own weakness, tries to copy others, achieving a very unsatisfactory result.

Sentences:

1. Zài xuéxí yí gè guójiā wénhuà de shíhou,yào dǒngdé qúshě, rúguǒ mángmù xuéxí jiù huì fàn “dōngshīxiàopín ”de cuòwù.
在学习一个国家文化的时候,要懂得取舍，如果盲目学习就会犯“东施效颦”的错误。

When you are studying the culture of a country, you must understand what is necessary and what can be left out. If you just blindly study you will commit the mistake of " Dōngshī xiàopín ".

2. Tā xǐhuan mófǎng míngxīng de chuānzhuó dǎbàn ，dàn jiéguǒ què zǒngshì dōngshīxiàopín 。
她喜欢模仿明星的穿着打扮，但结果却总是东施效颦。

She likes to dress up like the stars, but the result always becomes " Dōngshī xiàopín ".