添枝加叶 add branches and leaves
Explanation
比喻叙事或转述别人的话时，为了夸大或渲染，添上一些原来没有的内容。
It means to exaggerate or embellish something by adding details that are not true.
Origin Story
从前，有个村庄里住着一位老木匠，他技艺高超，做的木雕栩栩如生。一天，村长请他雕刻一棵象征村庄繁荣的古树。老木匠精心挑选木材，开始创作。他先雕刻出树干的粗壮纹理，再细致地刻画出枝干的蜿蜒伸展。可是，他发现自己雕刻的树木不够茂盛，于是他便添枝加叶，在树干上增加了许多枝条和树叶。为了使树木更具生机，他又在树枝上雕刻出鸟巢和嬉戏的小鸟。最终，他完成了一棵枝繁叶茂、充满生机的古树，深受村民的喜爱，这棵树也成为了村庄的象征。然而，村长却发现，这棵树的枝叶过于茂盛，有些地方显得过于繁复，已经不是原来的样子了。这则故事告诉我们，添枝加叶虽能使事物更加丰富多彩，但也容易失去原本的真实性，过犹不及。
Once upon a time, there was a talented woodcarver in a village. The village elder asked him to carve a tree that symbolized the prosperity of the village. The carver worked carefully, first carving the trunk and then the branches. But he found that the tree wasn't lush enough, so he added branches and leaves. To make the tree more vivid, he also carved bird nests and playing birds into the branches. Finally, he carved a lush tree that was loved by the villagers. But the village elder noticed that the tree was too lush, some parts too detailed, and no longer like the original design. This story teaches us that while adding details can make things more colorful, it can also mean losing originality.
Usage
用于形容对事情进行夸大或虚构的叙述。
Used to describe an exaggerated or fabricated account of events.
Examples
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他添枝加叶地把事情经过说了一遍。
ta tian zhi jia ye de ba shiqing jingguo shuo le yi bian.
He recounted the events with embellishments.
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新闻报道添枝加叶，夸大事实。
xinwen baodao tian zhi jia ye,kua da shi shi
The news report exaggerated the facts.