gild the lily

【字面理解】替百合花镀金

【英文解析】to try to improve something which is already perfect, and so spoil it

【中文解析】画蛇添足;多此一举

【典型例句】① Comment on this would be to gild the lily. 对此发表评论无异于画蛇添足。

② She is already very beautiful and to use a lot of make-up is to gild the lily.她长得很美，画浓妆是多此一举。

【注释】该习语出自莎士比亚的历史剧《约翰王》—(King John)第四幕第二场：To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw a perfume on the violet, to smooth the ice, or add another hue unto the rainbow... is wasteful and ridiculous excess. King John 4: 2 (给金子锻上金箔，给 百合涂上颜色，给紫罗兰洒香水，把冰磨光滑，给彩虹添颜色……是多此一举、荒谬至.极。)后来to gild refined gold, to paint the lily 就演变成 gild the lily 或 paint the lily,用以形容多此一举或画蛇添足。