S2E03 | Stop Wasting Time | 对牛弹琴
Saying: “To play a lute to an ox”
Pinyin: Duì Niú Tán Qín
Chinese: 对牛弹琴
If you’ve ever explained yourself or something you’re quite expert in and all you get is a blank stare of complete non-comprehension, this one’s for you – to play a lute to an ox.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chábèi Chéngyǔ Yánjiū Zhōngxīn | 茶杯成语研究中心 | The Teacup Media Chengyu Research Center |
| chéngyǔ | 成语 | Chinese saying or idiom |
| Duì | 对 | to face or towards |
| Duì Niú Tán Qín | 对牛弹琴 | To play a lute to an ox |
| Duìniú | 对牛 | facing the ox |
| Eastern Han | 东汉 | The Eastern Han Dynasty – 25 to 220 CE |
| Gōngmíng Yí | 公明仪 | (Surname Gōngmíng) Famous zheng player from the Warring States period |
| Móu Róng | 牟融 | Master Móu, Móuzǐ |
| Móu Róng | 牟融 | Master Mou, Confucian poet-scholar from the Tang Dynasty |
| Móuzǐ Lǐhuòlùn | 牟子 | Master Mou’s Treatise on Settling Doubts |
| Niú | 牛 | a cow or an ox |
| Qín | 琴 | a zither-like instrument of China that has seven strings |
| Qīng Jiáo (or Qīng Jué) | 淸角 | An elegant tune from the most ancient days of China (topped the Billboard charts for 18 weeks) |
| Qǔ Gāo Hè Guǎ | 曲高和寡 | If the song is too highbrow, few will appreciate it |
| Shàng Shū | 尚书 | Classic of Documents, one of the Five Classics |
| Shī Jīng | 诗经 | The Book of Odes or Book of Songs, China’s oldest collection of poetry |
| The Móuzǐ | 牟子 | An abbreviation for the Móuzǐ Lǐhuòlùn |
| Tán | 弹 | to play a stringed musical instrument (a guitar, zither, piano) |
| tán qín | 弹琴 | to play a zither or play a lute |
| Zhou Dynasty | 周朝 | Ancient dynasty of China – 1046-256 BCE |
| Zhēng | 筝，古筝 | a 21 or 25 stringed instrument, also called a guzhēng |
