画蛇添足·狐假虎威·郑人买履·8-10.docVIP

8. 画蛇添足The “Finishing” Touch 楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒。舍人hangers-on/retainer/trencherman/clansman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。”In the state of Chu, an aristocrat, after offering sacrifices to his ancestors, bestowed a flask of wine on the gentlemen who worked for him. They discussed among themselves. “The wine is not enough for several yet adequate for one person. Let us each draw a snake on the floor and the one that first finishes his drawing drinks the wine.” 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。” A man finished his drawing first. He took the wine and was about to drink it when, with the flask in his left hand, he drew with his right hand, saying, “I can even add legs to my snake.” 未成，一人之蛇成，夺其卮曰：“蛇固无足，子安能为之足？”Before he finished/could get this done, another man had completed his drawing and snatched the flask from him./Hardly before he finished drawing the feet when another guy had got his work done./Why should you add legs for him? “A snake does not have legs. How could you add legs to it?” 遂饮其酒，为画足者，终亡其酒。 With these words he drank the wine. The one who added legs to the snake eventually lost his wine.（乔车洁铃 译） Notes: 食客hangers-on/trencherman 2.家臣，扈从 retainer 3. 长老，创办人，元老，家长patriarch 4. 族人 clansman Version B: A native of Chu after worshipping his ancestors gave his retainers a pot of wine. One of the retainers said, “It’s insufficient for all of us, but too much for one of us. I suggest, therefore, that we draw snakes on the ground, and the one who first finishes drawing the snake will win the pot of wine.” When one retainer had completed his drawing, he took the pot to drink. As he held it in his left hand, he continued to draw the snake with his right hand, saying: “I can add feet to it.” While he was adding feet to his snake, another man who had then drawn his snake snatched the pot from his hand, protesting: “No snake has feet. How can you add feet to it?” Then he drank the wine. The man who added feet to the snake lost his prize at last. （钱歌川 译） 9. 狐假虎威Tiger in Tow作