Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 画蛇添足 Pinyin: huà shé tiān zú Literal Meaning: Draw a snake and then add feet to it. Figurative Meaning: Do something unnecessary that ruins what is already perfect; overdo a thing and end up making a fool of oneself. Cultural Background This well-known fable-based idiom comes from the Warring States…
In Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio(Liaozhai): Lian Suo, scholar Yang Yuwei moves to a residence by the banks of the Sishui River. His study faces desolate wilderness. One night, by dim candlelight, he hears a mournful poem whispered in a woman’s voice.