对牛弹琴
duì​niú​tán​qín

literal meaning

  • created sense approved 对牛弹琴/對牛彈琴 · duì​niú​tán​qín · literal meaning

    对牛弹琴 / 對牛彈琴

    duì​niú​tán​qín

    literal meaning

    To play the lute to a cow; the literal origin of the idiom.

    相传古代音乐家公明仪曾对牛弹琴，而牛却无动于衷。

    verb

    created sense

  • created sense approved 对牛弹琴/對牛彈琴 · duì​niú​tán​qín · pearls before swine

    对牛弹琴 / 對牛彈琴

    duì​niú​tán​qín

    pearls before swine

    To waste effort or words on an audience that is unable to understand or appreciate them; to preach to deaf ears or talk over someone's head.

    跟他谈论量子力学简直是对牛弹琴。

    expression

    created sense