画蛇添足 Huàshétiānzú

画蛇添足

Huàshétiānzú

Do not do something unnecessary

Idiom Story:
古代几个人在地上比赛画蛇，谁先画好，谁就可以喝
Gŭdài jĭ gè rén zài dìshàng bĭsài huà shé, shuí xiān huà hăo, shuí jiù kéyĭ hē
酒。有一个人最先画好了。他端起酒壶正要喝，右手
jiŭ. Yŏu yí gè rén zuì xiān huà hăo le. Tā duān qĭ jiŭhú zhèng yào hē, yòushŏu
继续画蛇，说：“我能够再给它添上几只脚呢！”可是
jìxù huà shé, shuō: "wŏ nénggòu zài gĕi tā tiān shàng jĭ zhī jiăo ne!" Kĕshì
没等他把脚画完，另一个人已把蛇画成了。那人把酒
méi dĕng tā bă jiăo huà wán, lìng yí gè rén yĭ bă shé huà chéng le. Nà rén bă jiŭ
抢过去，说：“蛇本来是没有脚的，你怎么能给它添
qiăng guò qù, shuō: "shé bĕnlái shì méiyŏu jiăo de, nĭ zĕnme néng gĕi tā tiān
脚呢”?这个故事告诉我们，做任何事情都要切合实际
jiăo ne?" Zhè ge gùshi gàosu wŏmen, zuò rènhé shìqíng dōu yào qiè hé shíjì
一点，不要做那些多余的事情。
yì diăn, bú yào zuò nà xiē duōyú de shìqíng.

English Translation:
In ancient China, there were several people who competed drawing snake. But one of them finished early, and added feet to the snake. So another one said:"snake doesn't have feet from birth, but why do you add them to it." The idiom means that you must work according to the fact, and do not ruin the effect by adding something superfluous.