对牛弹琴

Duì Niú Tán Qín

对着牛弹琴,牛根本听不懂。比喻对不懂的人讲大道理,白费力气。

Playing the lute to an ox — explaining something to someone who can't or won't understand.

古gǔ时shí候hòu,有yǒu一yī位wèi音yīn乐yuè家jiā,名míng叫jiào公gōng明míng仪yí。他tā最zuì爱ài弹tán琴qín,琴qín弹tán得de非fēi常cháng好hǎo听tīng。

有yǒu一yī天tiān,他tā到dào野yě外wài散sàn步bù,看kàn见jiàn一yī头tóu牛niú正zhèng低dī着zhe头tóu吃chī草cǎo。公gōng明míng仪yí兴xìng致zhì来lái了le,就jiù坐zuò下xià来lái,对duì着zhe牛niú认rèn认rèn真zhēn真zhēn地de弹tán起qǐ一yī首shǒu高gāo雅yǎ的de曲qǔ子zi。

可kě是shì那nà头tóu牛niú呢ne?它tā头tóu也yě不bù抬tái,只zhǐ顾gù吃chī自zì己jǐ的de草cǎo,一yì点diǎn反fǎn应yìng也yě没méi有yǒu。公gōng明míng仪yí想xiǎng了le想xiǎng,换huàn了le一yī种zhǒng曲qǔ子zi,学xué牛niú犊dú叫jiào的de声shēng音yīn,学xué蚊wén子zi的de嗡wēng嗡wēng声shēng。这zhè回huí,牛niú停tíng下xià嘴zuǐ,竖shù起qǐ耳ěr朵duǒ,摇yáo起qǐ了le尾wěi巴ba——它tā听tīng懂dǒng的de,是shì自zì己jǐ熟shú悉xī的de声shēng音yīn。

公gōng明míng仪yí笑xiào着zhe说shuō:“不bù是shì我wǒ的de琴qín不bù好hǎo,是shì我wǒ弹tán错cuò了le对duì象xiàng。”后hòu来lái,人rén们men就jiù用yòng“对duì牛niú弹tán琴qín”来lái比bǐ喻yù跟gēn不bù懂dǒng的de人rén讲jiǎng道dào理lǐ,白bái白bái浪làng费fèi功gōng夫fu。

In ancient times there was a musician named Gong Ming Yi. He loved playing the qin, and he played it beautifully.

One day, walking in the countryside, he saw an ox with its head down, quietly munching grass. Feeling inspired, he sat down and played a refined, elegant piece for the ox.

And the ox? It didn't even look up. It went on chewing its grass, as if he weren't there at all. Gong Ming Yi thought for a moment, then changed his tune — imitating the cry of a calf and the buzz of mosquitoes. This time the ox stopped chewing, pricked its ears, and swished its tail. It had recognized sounds it knew.

“It isn't my qin that's wrong,” Gong Ming Yi said with a laugh, “it's my audience.” From this comes “playing the lute to an ox,” a phrase for wasting your words on someone who cannot understand them.