成语故事——画蛇添足（中英双语）

古文： 《战国策·齐策二》 现代文：改编自网络 英译：阿九 讲读：阿九 这个故事原文出自《战国策·齐策二》—— 楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒，舍人相谓曰：“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余，请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。”一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手持卮，右手画蛇曰：“吾能为之足。”未成，一人之蛇成，夺其卮曰：‘蛇固无足，子安能为之足？’遂饮其酒。为蛇足者，终亡其酒。 画蛇添足 　　古时候，楚国有一家人祭祀完祖宗之后，，赏了一壶酒给帮忙办事的门人喝。门人不少，大家商量：这壶酒如果大家都喝是不够的，若是都给一个人喝，倒是绰绰有余，能喝个痛快。要不我们大家比赛吧？：每个人在地上画一条蛇，谁画得最快，这壶酒就归他喝。大家都觉得这个办法好，一致同意。于是，纷纷在地上画起蛇来。 　　有个人画得很快，一转眼已经画好了，就端起酒壶准备喝酒。但是他回 头看别人都还在埋头画着，远远没有画好的样子。禁不住得意起来： “你们画得这么慢！我就算再给蛇画几只脚也来得及啊！”于是，他便左手提着酒壶，右手拿着树枝，继续给他的蛇画起脚来。 　　他还没画完脚，另外一个人已经画好蛇了。那个人 把酒壶从他手里夺过去，说："你见过蛇吗？蛇哪里有脚！你巴巴地给它添上脚，不是多余吗？！" 　　那个人说罢就仰起头来，咕咚咕咚把酒喝下去了。 ——————————————— 英译：阿九 Drawing Feet for a Snake Once upon a time, a group of people got their hands on a jar of good wine, and prepared to enjoy it together. But there were too many people! If all were to share, each would hardly have enough wine to wet their lips! On the other hand, the jar was more than enough for one person -- but who got to drink it? To choose the recipient of the wine, they decided to hold a competition: everyone would draw a snake in the dirt! Whoever finished the drawing first would get to drink the wine. Everyone enthusiastically picked up a stick and began to draw. One person’s stick was a blur of movement, and he finished in the blink of an eye. He triumphantly swept up the jar, ready to drink, when he noticed that none of the other people were even close to finishing. Scoffing, he pronounced arrogantly: “You all are so slow! Look, I can even add feet to my snake, and I’d still beat you!” So saying, he switched the wine to his other hand and proceeded to draw some feet. But before he could finish his now rather funny-looking snake, another person had already finished theirs! They leapt up and snatched the jar from his loose fingers. “Do you even know what snakes look like? If you give the snake feet, then it’s no longer a snake! I win!” they teased with a gleeful smirk. And so while the arrogant man could only watch helplessly, they chugged the whole jar in one go.