译文：从前西施心口疼痛而皱着眉头在邻里间行走，邻里的一个丑女人看见了认为皱着眉头很美，回去后也在邻里间捂着胸口皱着眉头。邻里的有钱人看见了，紧闭家门而不出；贫穷的人看见了，带着妻儿子女远远地跑开了。那个丑女人只知道皱着眉头好看，却不知道皱着眉头好看的原因。比喻模仿别人，不但模仿不好，反而出丑。有时也作自谦之词，表示自己根底差，学别人的长处没有学到家。

《古代寓言·东施效颦》

西施病心而颦其里。
其里之丑人，见而美之。妇亦捧心而颦其里。其里之富人见之，坚闭门而不出；贫人见之，挈妻子而去之走。
——彼知美颦，而不知颦之所美，惜乎！
——《庄子》

Learning the Wrong Thing
Because Xi Shi, the famous beauty, suffered from heartburn, she would often frown in front of all the neighbours.
An ugly girl in the same village, who noticed this and thought it very charming, also put her hands to her breast and frowned in front of everyone. When the rich saw her, they barred their doors and would not come out. As for the poor, they ran away, taking their wives and children.
Poor thing! She could admire Xi Shi's frown, but did not know why it was beautiful.
Zhuang Zi

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