中文 / B2
画蛇添足
楚国有个人，赏给手下办事的人一杯酒。几个人拿到酒后，觉得分给大家喝不够，一个人喝倒还有余，便商量着用画蛇的办法决定由谁来喝。
他们约定在地上画蛇，先画完的人可以得到这杯酒。
有个人很快完成了自己的蛇。他把酒杯拿过来，正要喝，却又左手举着杯子，右手继续在地上画，说：「我还能给它添上脚呢！」
他还没把脚画完，另一个人已经完成了蛇。那人夺过他的酒杯，问道：「蛇原本没有脚，你怎么能给它添脚？」随后便把酒喝了。
最先画好蛇的人，最终没能喝到酒。他已经完成了约定的事情，却又加上原本不属于蛇的脚；杯子虽然先到了他的手里，酒却因此到了别人嘴里。
多画的那几笔并没有让他保住先完成的优势，反而使他失去了原本已经得到的酒。
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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