In the Spring and Autumn Period (chūn qiū 春秋时期,770-476 BC), there was a beauty in the State of Yue called Xishi (xī shī 西施). She often suffered from pains in her chest, and so she would often walk around doubled over and with her brows knitted. There was an ugly girl in the village called Dongshi who envied Xishi. Striving to emulate Xishi, she imitated her stoop, knitting her brows at the same time. She thought that this made her elegant, but in fact, it only made her more ugly.
Later, this idiom came to be used to indicate improper imitation that produces the reverse effect.

传说春秋时期，越国有一美女，名唤西施，不仅有沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌，而且就是平时所做的任何一个动作，都是非常美的。因此常有一些姑娘模仿她的衣着，装束；也常有一些人有意无意地模仿她的行为举止。有一天西施患病，心口非常痛。她出去洗衣服时，皱着眉头，用一只手捂着胸口，走在路上虽然非常难受，但旁人看来今天的西施却又别有一番风姿。西施有一邻居容貌长的很丑，见西施人长的美，时常效仿西施的衣着。这一天，她看到西施用手捂着胸口，皱着眉头的样子后，感到非常美。于是她就跟着学起这个样子来了。本来容貌就丑，又皱起了眉头，本来形体就含胸弓背，却又捂住了胸，弄得更加丑陋不堪，后人就把这个典故说成是《东施效颦》。这个典故深刻地反映了内容与形式的关系，比喻不恰当的模仿，带来相反的效果。

东施效颦 (dōng shī xiào pín )
【翻译】Aping the beauty’s frown.
【释义】效：仿效；颦：蹙眉。原比喻不根据具体条件，盲目模仿别人，结果适得其反。
            现泛指模仿者的愚蠢可笑。
【例句】流行的东西女孩子们都喜欢，可是在选择的时候可千万要注意了，别盲目地模仿，
            犯"东施效颦"一样的错，毕竟适合自己的才是最好的。
【近义词】邯郸学步、照猫画虎、生搬硬套
【反义词】独辟蹊径、标新立异、择善而从

Tags: Chinese Proverbs Chinese Literature