對牛彈琴

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See also: 对牛弹琴

Chinese

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couple; pair; to be opposite
couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for; to; correct (answer); to answer; to reply; to direct (towards something); right
 
ox; cow; bull to play certain musical instruments that can be described as, such as some stringed instruments, or a keyboard instrument
trad. (對牛彈琴) 彈琴
simp. (对牛弹琴) 弹琴
Literally: “playing the guqin to a cow”.

Etymology

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First attested in c. 3rd century CE in the story of the Warring States-era musician Gongming Yi (公明儀) playing the zither to a cow, recorded in Mouzi Lihuolun. Mouzi used this example to illustrate the correct way to explain Buddhism to people with Confucian backgrounds.

公明儀《清角》如故蹀躞 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
公明仪《清角》如故蹀躞 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Sengyou, Hongming Ji, c. 5th Century AD
Gōngmíng Yí wèi niú dàn “Qīngjiǎo” zhī cāo, fú shí rúgù. Fēi niú bù wén, bù hé qí ěr yǐ. Zhuǎn wèi wén méng zhī shēng, gū dú zhī míng, jí diào wěi, fèn ěr, diéxiè ér tīng. [Pinyin]
Gongming Yi played the song Qing Jue to a cow. It continued eating grass as if nothing had happened. [The problem] was not that the cow did not listen, it was [the music] not suitable for the cow's ears instead. He then made noises of mosquitoes, flies, and lone calves, and the cow started wagging its tail, turned its ears, and listened while strolling.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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對牛彈琴 (chengyu)

  1. to talk about something that one's listener can not understand or turns a deaf ear to; to talk to a brick wall; to preach to deaf ears

Descendants

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Sino-Xenic (對牛彈琴):

Others: