依葫芦画瓢 copycat
Explanation
比喻照样子模仿，缺乏创造性。
It describes imitating without creativity.
Origin Story
从前，有个孩子特别喜欢画画，但他总是缺乏创造力。有一天，他看到邻居家院子里摆着一只大葫芦，于是他便拿出画笔和纸，开始描绘起葫芦的形状。他先仔细观察葫芦的曲线和纹理，然后按照葫芦的样子一丝不苟地描绘在纸上。画完后，他得意洋洋地把画拿给爸爸看。爸爸看着葫芦的画像，并没有表扬他，反而语重心长地说：“孩子，你画的葫芦虽然很像，但这只是简单的模仿，缺乏你自己的想法和创意。真正的画画，要能够表达你自己的感受和想法，而不是简单的复制。下次画画的时候，你可以尝试着改变一下葫芦的形状，或者为它添加一些其他的元素，这样你的画才能更加生动有趣。”孩子听完爸爸的话，若有所思地点点头。他明白，绘画不仅要模仿，更重要的是要有自己的创造力。他决心以后要多观察生活，多动脑筋，创作出更多富有创意的作品。
Once upon a time, there was a child who loved to paint, but always lacked creativity. One day, he saw a big gourd in his neighbor's yard, so he took out his pen and paper and began to paint the gourd. He carefully observed the curves and textures of the gourd, and then meticulously depicted it on paper according to the gourd's appearance. After finishing, he proudly showed the painting to his father. His father looked at the gourd painting and did not praise him, but said earnestly, “Child, although your gourd painting is very similar, it is just simple imitation, lacking your own ideas and creativity. True painting should express your own feelings and thoughts, not simply copy. Next time you paint, you can try to change the shape of the gourd or add other elements to it, so that your painting can be more vivid and interesting.” The child nodded thoughtfully after listening to his father's words. He understood that painting not only requires imitation, but more importantly, creativity. He decided to observe life more and think more in the future, creating more creative works.
Usage
常用作谓语、宾语；含贬义。
It's often used as predicate or object; has a derogatory meaning.
Examples
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他只会依葫芦画瓢，缺乏创新精神。
tā zhǐ huì yī hú lu huà piáo, quēfá chuàngxīn jīngshen.
He only follows the example without any innovation.
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这个方案是依葫芦画瓢，没有针对实际情况进行修改。
zhège fāng'àn shì yī hú lu huà piáo, méiyǒu zhēnduì shíjì qíngkuàng jìnxíng xiūgǎi
This plan is a copy and was not modified according to the actual situation.