《古代寓言·画蛇添足》（中英对照）

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：“我能为之足。”

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。

——《战国策》

Drawing a Snake with Legs

In the state of Chu, a man who had held a sacrifice gave the goblet of sacrificial wine to his stewards.

“This is not enough for us all,” said the stewards, “but more than enough for one. Let’s draw snakes on the ground, and the one who finishes first can have the wine.”

The man who finished first picked up the goblet, but holding it in his left hand went on drawing with his right.

“I am adding some legs,” he said.

Before he finished the legs, though, another steward completed his drawing and took the goblet from him.

“A snake has no legs,” said this last. “Why should you add legs?”

So he drained the wine instead. And the one who had drawn the legs had nothing to drink.

Warring States Anecdotes