▸ 很久以前hěn jiǔ yǐ qián，南朝nán cháo有yǒu一位yí wèi画家huà jiā，名叫míng jiào张僧繇zhāng sēng yáo。

A long time ago, during the Southern Dynasties, there was a painter named Zhang Sengyao.

▸ 他tā到dào一座yí zuò寺庙sì miào画墙huà qiáng。

He went to a temple to paint a wall.

▸ 他tā画huà了le四条sì tiáo龙lóng，龙身lóng shēn有yǒu鳞lín有yǒu爪zhǎo，很hěn生动shēng dòng。

He drew four dragons, with scales and claws, full of life.

▸ 但是dàn shì每条měi tiáo龙的lóng de眼睛yǎn jīng都dōu空着kōng zhe。

But the eyes of each dragon were left blank.

▸ 大家dà jiā觉得jué de奇怪qí guài，问wèn他tā为什么wèi shén me不bù画huà眼睛yǎn jīng。

People felt puzzled and asked why he didn’t paint the eyes.

▸ 张僧繇zhāng sēng yáo笑着xiào zhe说shuō，先xiān别bié急jí。

Zhang Sengyao smiled and said, “Don’t rush.”

▸ 他tā说shuō，等děng我wǒ画上huà shàng眼睛yǎn jīng，它们tā men就jiù会huì飞走fēi zǒu。

He explained that once he added the eyes, the dragons would fly away.

▸ 人们rén men不bù相信xiāng xìn，还hái以为yǐ wéi他tā在zài开玩笑kāi wán xiào。

The crowd didn’t believe him and thought he was joking.

▸ 过了guò le一会儿yí huìr，他tā拿起ná qǐ笔bǐ，在zài两条liǎng tiáo龙的lóng de眼睛yǎn jīng上shàng轻轻qīng qīng一点yì diǎn。

After a moment, he lifted his brush and lightly dotted the eyes of two dragons.

▸ 天上tiān shàng忽然hū rán打雷dǎ léi刮风guā fēng。

Suddenly thunder rolled and the wind began to blow.

▸ 墙上qiáng shàng的de两条liǎng tiáo龙lóng仿佛fǎng fú活了huó le过来guò lái。

The two dragons on the wall seemed to come alive.

▸ 它们tā men从cóng墙上qiáng shàng飞出去fēi chū qù，飞上fēi shàng了le天tiān。

They flew off the wall and up into the sky.

▸ 另外lìng wài两条liǎng tiáo没有méi yǒu眼睛yǎn jīng的de龙lóng，却què安安静静ān ān jìng jìng地de留在liú zài墙上qiáng shàng。

The other two dragons without eyes stayed quietly on the wall.

▸ 大家dà jiā这才zhè cái相信xiāng xìn张僧繇zhāng sēng yáo的de话huà。

Only then did everyone believe what Zhang Sengyao had said.

▸ 后来hòu lái，人们rén men用yòng“画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīng”这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ来lái讲jiǎng一个yí gè道理dào lǐ。

Later, people used the idiom “huà lóng diǎn jīng” to teach a lesson.

▸ 它tā的de意思yì si是shì：在zài一件yí jiàn已经yǐ jīng做得zuò de很好hěn hǎo的de事情shì qing上shàng，加上jiā shang最后zuì hòu一个yí gè关键guān jiàn的de小xiǎo部分bù fèn。

It means adding a final, crucial detail to something already well made.

▸ 这一点zhè yì diǎn虽然suī rán小xiǎo，却què能néng让ràng整个zhěng gè作品zuò pǐn立刻lì kè有yǒu精神jīng shén，有yǒu生命shēng mìng。

This small touch can make the entire work feel spirited and alive.

▸ 在zài说话shuō huà和hé写作xiě zuò里lǐ，它tā也yě指zhǐ一句yí jù抓住zhuā zhù重点zhòng diǎn的de话huà，让ràng别人bié rén的de理解lǐ jiě更gèng清楚qīng chu。

In speaking and writing, it can also mean one sentence that hits the main point so others understand better.

▸ 但是dàn shì要yào记住jì zhù，点睛diǎn jīng之前zhī qián，龙身lóng shēn要yào先xiān画好huà hǎo。

But remember, before you dot the eyes, the body of the dragon must be well drawn.

▸ 如果rú guǒ前面qián miàn的de基础jī chǔ不好bù hǎo，只靠zhǐ kào一点点yì diǎn diǎn装饰zhuāng shì，是shì不行bù xíng的de。

If the foundation is weak, a tiny decoration won’t fix it.

▸ 现在xiàn zài，我wǒ想xiǎng讲jiǎng一个yí gè今天jīn tiān的de故事gù shi。

Now let me share a story from today.

▸ 小林xiǎo lín在zài学校xué xiào要yào做zuò一个yí gè社团shè tuán海报hǎi bào。

Lin had to design a poster for a school club.

▸ 他tā用了yòng le合适hé shì的de颜色yán sè，也yě排好了pái hǎo le图片tú piàn和hé文字wén zì。

He chose good colors and arranged the pictures and words.

▸ 看起来kàn qǐ lái整齐zhěng qí，但dàn好像hǎo xiàng少了shǎo le什么shén me。

It looked neat, but something felt missing.

▸ 老师lǎo shī看了kàn le说shuō，可以kě yǐ试着shì zhe加jiā一个yí gè简单jiǎn dān有力yǒu lì的de标题biāo tí。

The teacher said he could try adding a simple, strong title.

▸ 小林xiǎo lín把bǎ标题biāo tí改成gǎi chéng大字dà zì，放在fàng zài最上面zuì shàng miàn，还hái加上jiā shang日期rì qī。

Lin changed the title to big letters at the top and added the date.

▸ 他tā又yòu在zài角落jiǎo luò里lǐ放了fàng le一个yí gè小小xiǎo xiǎo的de红hóng印章yìn zhāng图案tú àn。

He also placed a small red seal icon in the corner.

▸ 海报hǎi bào一下子yí xià zi有了yǒu le活力huó lì，同学们tóng xué men都dōu停下来tíng xià lái多duō看kàn几jǐ眼yǎn。

The poster suddenly felt lively, and classmates stopped to take a longer look.

▸ 大家dà jiā说shuō，这zhè一改yì gǎi真是zhēn shì“画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīng”。

Everyone said this change was truly “huà lóng diǎn jīng,” the perfect finishing touch.

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