Grammar

楚有祠者，賜其舍人卮酒。舍人相謂曰：“數人飲之不足，一人飲之有餘。請畫地為蛇，先成者飲酒。”一人蛇先成。引酒且飲，乃左手持卮，右手畫蛇曰：“吾能為之足。”未成，一人之蛇成。奪其卮曰：“蛇固無足，子安能為之足？”遂飲其酒。為蛇足者終亡其酒。

Chǔ yǒu cí zhě, cì qí shè rén zhī jiǔ. Shè rén xiāng wèi yuē: "Shù rén yǐn zhī bù zú, yī rén yǐn zhī yǒu yú. Qǐng huà dì wéi shé, xiān chéng zhě yǐn jiǔ." Yī rén shé xiān chéng. Yǐn jiǔ qiě yǐn, nǎi zuǒ shǒu chí zhī, yòu shǒu huà shé yuē: "Wú néng wéi zhī zú." Wèi chéng, yī rén zhī shé chéng. Duó qí zhī yuē:"Shé gù wú zú, zǐ ān néng wéi zhī zú? " Suì yǐn qí jiǔ. Wéi shé zú zhě zhōng wáng qí jiǔ.

Double Object

In classical Chinese, a verb may take two objects: a direct object (IO) and an indirect object (DO). The indirect object is usually a recipient. This is as same as in the modern Chinese language.

賜	其舍人	卮酒
to offer	his retainers	a goblet of wine
V	IO	DO
給	你	一本書
to give	you	a book

The difference between the two negative words 不 and 未

Both 不 and 未 are negation words, but their grammatical functions are different. See the following examples to find out the difference。

不去 will not go

未去 did not go

不成 will not complete

未成 did not complete

The different meanings of 足

In this lesson the word 足 is used as an adjective, a noun and a verb. This is not uncommon in classical Chinese.

數人飲之不足    adjective - enough, sufficient

It is not enough for several people to drink it.

吾能為之足      verb - to draw feet

I can draw feet for it (snake).

蛇固無足            noun - feet

The snake does not have feet assuredly.