To draw legs on a snake
To ruin the effect by adding something superfluous; to overdo something
Negative
本来一场成功的演讲，就败在结尾那画蛇添足的笑话 | Běnlái yī chǎng chénggōng de yǎnjiǎng, jiù bài zài jiéwěi nà huàshétiānzú de xiàohuà
What had originally been a successful speech was ruined by the unnecessary joke at the end
[Source]
每次考试他总要画蛇添足般多写很多无用的话，让原本简洁明了的作文显得冗杂累赘 | Měi cì kǎoshì tā zǒng yào huàshétiānzú bān duō xiě hěnduō wúyòng de huà, ràng yuánběn jiǎnjié míngliǎo de zuòwén xiǎndé rǒngzá léizhui
Whenever he takes a test, he always writes a lot more than necessary. It makes an originally concise and clear work become complicated and long-winded
[Source]
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Shoutout to 胡老师 for teaching me this one!
This is an HSK chengyu
《战国策》(Zhàn Gúo Cè, Strategies of the Warring States), a work which chronicled the Warring States Period (475 - 220 BC)
In 楚国 (Chǔ Guó, one of the most important of the small states contending for power in China between 770 and 223 BC, located around present-day 湖北 (Hú Běi), a family was making sacrifices to their ancestors. As was custom, they were ready to offer wine to those who had helped with the offerings, but unfortunately, there was only enough wine for about one person. Everyone was trying to figure out which lucky person was to be given the wine when one person suggested a drawing contest. Everyone would draw a snake on the ground, and whoever finished first would be given the wine. The assembled people agreed, and they set about drawing their snakes.
One person finished almost immediately, and he picked up the container of wine. Then he glanced back, observing that the others were still slowly working. He exclaimed, "You're all so slow! I could draw a couple of legs on this snake and still be done before you!" And immediately, with one hand holding the container, he started to give his snake some legs.
Just as he started speaking, one of the other people finished their own snake, and he reached over and seized the bottle of wine from the first man's hands. He then said, "What, have you never seen a snake before? They don't have legs, so what on earth did you give him legs for? The first person to draw an actual snake isn't you, it's me!" And with that, he tilted his head back and glugged the wine.