Chinese idiom · 成语
画蛇添足
Meaning
To ruin something by overdoing it; gilding the lily.
Character by character
Origin and story
Fable in political adviceIn Qi Ce II (齊策二) of Zhanguo Ce (戰國策), several attendants receive a vessel of wine that is too little to share satisfactorily. They decide that whoever first finishes drawing a snake on the ground may drink it. The first to finish takes the wine, then boasts that he can add feet. Before he finishes those additions, another man completes his snake, points out that snakes have no feet, and takes the drink.
Chen Zhen tells this fable to the victorious Chu commander Zhao Yang, arguing that another campaign would risk what he has already gained. The lesson is not merely to stop working: it is to recognize when an unnecessary addition can undo a successful result.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这张海报已经很清楚了，再加一大段解释反而画蛇添足。
This poster is already clear; adding a long explanation would only make it worse.
Use for an unnecessary addition that harms the result, not a useful finishing touch.