中文 / B1
画蛇添足
楚国有个人给手下几个替他办事的人一杯酒。
这几个人商量：「大家分着喝，不够；让一个人喝，又还有剩下的。我们就在地上画蛇吧，谁先画完，谁喝这杯酒。」
其中一个人先把蛇画好了。他拿过酒杯，正要喝，却又左手拿着杯子，右手在地上画起来。
「我还能给蛇画上脚！」他说。
他的蛇脚还没画完，另一个人的蛇已经画好了。那个人从他手里拿走酒杯，说：「蛇本来就没有脚。你怎么能给蛇加上脚呢？」
于是，另一个人喝掉了那杯酒。
第一个人本来已经画完了蛇，酒也已经拿在手里。他偏偏又给蛇加上了脚，最后反而失去了喝酒的机会。
English summary · includes the ending
A man in the ancient state of Chu gives some wine to the people serving him. They agree that there is not enough for everyone to share, although there is more than enough for one person. They decide to draw snakes on the ground. Whoever finishes first will drink the wine.
One man completes his snake before the others and takes the cup. Instead of drinking immediately, he holds it in his left hand and continues drawing with his right. He announces that he can add feet to the snake.
Before he finishes the feet, another man completes his own snake. He takes the cup away, pointing out that snakes have no feet, and drinks the wine.
The first man loses what he had already gained. The extra drawing does not improve his result. It adds something that does not belong there and costs him the reward he had already secured.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
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