Dong Shi imitates scrunching her eyebrows
Refers to blindly imitating others and ending up achieving the opposite of what was intended
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现在的人们盲目的崇拜和模仿自己的偶像,真是东施效颦,可笑之极 | Xiànzài de rénmen mángmù de chóngbài hé mófǎng zìjǐ de ǒuxiàng, zhēnshi dōngshīxiàopín, kěxiào zhī jí
Nowadays people blindly imitate and workship their idols. It's really like Dong Shi furrowing her brow and is extremely funny
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做事我们要有自己的主张,东施效颦往往达不到目的的 | Zuòshì wǒmen yào yǒu zìjǐ de zhǔzhāng, dōngshīxiàopín wǎngwǎng dábùdào mùdì de
When doing tasks, we must have our own ideas. If we blindly follow others, we are often unable to achieve our goals
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《庄子》(Zhuāng Zǐ), a work written by 庄子 (Zhuāng Zǐ, the same as in the title) during the Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC)
During the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋时期, 770 - 476 BC), there lived a woman named 西施 (Xī Shī) who entranced everyone with her ethereal beauty. Unfortunately, she suffered from an illness, and she often went around pressing her hand to her chest and knitting her brows together in pain.
In a neighboring village, there lived a woman named 东施 (Dōng Shī). 东施 was very ugly, and she was constantly thinking of ways to improve her appearance. One day, she saw 西施 clutching at her chest with her brow furrowed. Thinking that 西施's pained mannerisms might be the reason people thought she was beautiful, 东施 began to imitate them. Unfortunately, now when people caught sight of her, they were horrified, as not only was she still hideous, she now seemed ill and deranged as well. Whenever she approached, they drew their doors shut or quickly ran away.