Idiom Explanation:
It implies a sense of futility or sarcasm about the other person’s stupidity.
Pronunciation:
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
Origin:
出自汉代牟融编撰的《理惑论》：公明仪为牛弹清角之操；伏食如故；非牛不闻；不合其耳矣。转为蚊虻之声，孤犊之鸣，即掉尾奋耳，蹀躞而听。
Story:
During the Warring States period of China, there was a musician named Gong Ming Yi. He could compose and play, and he played the seven-stringed zither very well, and his music was so beautiful that many people liked to listen to him and respected him. Gong Ming Yi not only played the zither indoors, but also took it to the countryside in good weather.
One day, he was playing the zither under the window, and the pleasant sound of the zither attracted many birds and bees. At that time, he looked through the window and saw a yellow cow grazing on the grass, so Gong Ming Yi got excited and went to the countryside with his zither. The spring breeze blew slowly, and the weeping willows moved gently. As soon as he reached the old cow, he quickly set up the zither, plucked the strings, and played the most elegant piece of music, “The Exercise of the Clear Horns,” for the cow. However, the old cow was indifferent to grazing, and continued to eat grass with its head down.
Gong Ming Yi thought to himself, “The old cow did not respond, probably with this tune is more elegant, I change the tune, play a small song and try again.” At the end of the song, the old bull still did not respond and continued to graze leisurely. After Gong Ming Yi took out all his skills, the old bull only occasionally waved his tail, drove the gadfly, head down and muffled to eat grass. In the end, the old bull actually left in a slow manner.
Gong Ming Yi was disappointed to see that the old bull remained indifferent. People said to him, “It’s not that the tune you play is not good, it’s that the tune you play is not right for the cow’s ears!” Finally, Gong Ming Yi went home with his zither helplessly in his arms, sighing, “Playing eptachord to the cow, it don’t know anything about it.”
Similar Idioms:
- 出口伤人
