如法炮制 follow the same formula
Explanation
这个成语比喻照着现成的样子做。
This idiom means to follow a ready-made pattern or formula.
Origin Story
话说古代有个名叫李明的书生，一心想考取功名，却苦于没有好的学习方法。他听说隔壁邻居王秀才考中了举人，便去向他请教。王秀才告诉他：“我学习的时候，都是按照老师教的方法，一丝不苟地练习，最终才取得了成功。”李明听了，心中大喜，便模仿王秀才的学习方法，每天按照老师的教学内容，一字一句地背诵，一笔一画地练习。他认为，只要按照王秀才的方法，自己也一定能考中举人。可是，几年过去了，李明却依然没有取得进步，反而越来越感到厌倦。有一天，他去拜访一位老先生，请教学习之道。老先生听完李明的讲述，笑着说：“你这是如法炮制，一味模仿，却没有融会贯通，当然学不会。学习要活学活用，要根据自己的情况，找到适合自己的方法。”李明听了老先生的话，恍然大悟，于是他开始尝试着改变学习方法，不再一味模仿，而是根据自己的特点，找到适合自己的学习方法。经过一段时间的努力，他的学习成绩有了很大的进步，最终也考中了举人。
Once upon a time, there was a scholar named Li Ming who was eager to pass the imperial examination but struggled to find a good study method. He heard that his neighbor, Wang Xiucai, had passed the exam and went to ask him for advice. Wang Xiucai told him, “I always studied according to the methods taught by my teacher, practicing meticulously, and eventually achieved success.” Li Ming was overjoyed and imitated Wang Xiucai's study methods, reciting the teacher's teaching materials word for word and practicing every stroke and character every day. He believed that if he followed Wang Xiucai's method, he would also pass the imperial examination. However, after several years, Li Ming still did not make any progress and grew increasingly weary. One day, he visited an old gentleman and asked him for advice on learning. The old gentleman listened to Li Ming's story and said with a smile, “You're simply copying everything, imitating without understanding, so of course you can't learn. Learning means applying what you've learned, it means finding a method that suits you.” Li Ming suddenly realized his mistake and began trying to change his study methods. He no longer simply imitated but found a study method that suited his own characteristics. After a period of effort, his academic performance improved significantly, and he eventually passed the imperial examination.
Usage
这个成语用来形容照搬别人的做法或方法，缺乏创新和独立思考。
This idiom is used to describe blindly following someone else's methods or procedures without any innovation or independent thinking.
Examples
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他总是如法炮制，没有自己的创意。
ta zong shi ru fa pao zhi, mei you zi ji de chuang yi.
He always follows the same formula, without any original ideas.
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学习要活学活用，不能一味如法炮制。
xue xi yao huo xue huo yong, bu neng yi wei ru fa pao zhi.
Learning should be about applying what you've learned in a lively way, not just blindly following the same old pattern.
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这种方法已经被证明有效，我们可以如法炮制，运用到新的项目中。
zhe zhong fang fa yi jing bei zheng ming you xiao, wo men ke yi ru fa pao zhi, yun yong dao xin de xiang mu zhong.
This method has been proven effective, we can use it in new projects.