罪上加罪 zuì shàng jiā zuì adding insult to injury

Explanation

指罪恶更为严重，比喻在原有的罪过上再增加新的罪过。

Refers to even more serious crimes, to add new crimes to the existing ones.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个叫李白的诗人，他一生洒脱不羁，才华横溢，却也屡屡触犯王法。一次，李白与友人饮酒作乐，酒兴正浓，竟在醉意朦胧中写下了一首讽刺当朝权贵的诗歌。这首诗歌内容犀利，直指时弊，传到皇帝耳中后，龙颜大怒，下令彻查。李白被抓捕后，本以为只是轻罪，然而，因为之前一些轻微的过失未曾受到严格的处罚，这一次，皇帝便将这些旧账翻了出来，将其与新罪相加，最终，判处了李白流放的处罚，这便是罪上加罪的真实写照。李白虽然才华横溢，却因自身的疏忽，导致小错不断积累，最终酿成大祸。

huà shuō táng cháo shí qī, yǒu ge jiào lǐ bái de shī rén, tā yīshēng sǎtuō bù jī, cáihuá héngyì, què yě lǚ lǚ chùfàn wángfǎ. yī cì, lǐ bái yǔ yǒurén yǐnjiǔ zuòlè, jiǔxīng zhèng nóng, jìng zài zuì yì ménglóng zhōng xiě xià le yī shǒu fěngcì dāngcháo quán guì de shīgē. zhè shǒu shīgē nèiróng xīlì, zhí zhǐ shíbì, chuán dào huángdì ěr zhōng hòu, lóngyán dà nù, xià lìng chèchá. lǐ bái bèi zhuā bǔ hòu, běn yǐwéi zhǐshì qīng zuì, rán'ér, yīnwèi zhīqián yīxiē qīngwēi de guòshī wèi céng shòudào yángé de chǔfá, zhè yī cì, huángdì biàn jiāng zhèxiē jiù zhàng fān le chūlái, jīng qí yǔ xīn zuì xiāng jiā, zuìzhōng, pàn chǔ le lǐ bái liúfàng de chǔfá, zhè biàn shì zuì shàng jiā zuì de zhēnshí xiězhào. lǐ bái suīrán cáihuá héngyì, què yīn zìshēn de shūhu, dǎozhì xiǎo cuò bùduàn jīlèi, zuìzhōng niàng chéng dà huò.

A famous poet was arrested for a new offense. In addition to this, past misdeeds were also brought up and added to his charges, which significantly worsened his punishment.

Usage

常用来形容在原有的过错或罪责之上再增添新的过错或罪责，使情况更加恶劣。

cháng yòng lái xíngróng zài yuányǒu de guòcuò huò zuìzé zhī shàng zài zēngtiān xīn de guòcuò huò zuìzé, shǐ qíngkuàng gèngjiā èliè.

Often used to describe adding new mistakes or guilt to existing ones, making the situation worse.

Examples

• 他不仅犯了错误，而且还找借口，真是罪上加罪！

  tā bù jǐn fàn le cuòwù, ér qiě hái zhǎo jiěkou, zhēnshi zuì shàng jiā zuì!

  Not only did he make a mistake, but he also made excuses; it's adding insult to injury!

• 他本就犯了错，现在又推卸责任，简直是罪上加罪。

  tā běn jiù fàn le cuò, xiànzài yòu tuīxiē zérèn, jiǎnzhí shì zuì shàng jiā zuì

  He already made a mistake, and now he's shirking his responsibilities; it's really adding insult to injury.

Related Idioms

• 罪加一等

• 雪上加霜

Opposite Idioms

• 从轻发落

• 从宽处理