对牛弹琴 meaning in English
play the lute to a cow -- to have [choose] the wrong audience; cast [throw] pearls before swine; play one's guitar to an ox; preach to deaf ears; talk of ice to a butterfly; talk over people's heads; thrum the lute before a buffalo; waste good acts on sb. who won't understand; waste one's effort; whistle jigs to a milestone (讥笑说话的人不看对象或听话的人不懂对方所说的是什么): “对牛弹琴”这句话, 含有讥笑对象的意思。 the saying “to play the lute to a cow” implies a gibe at the audience
Examples
- The whistle jigs to a milestone .
对牛弹琴。 - The saying " cast pearls before swine " means fleering someone .
“对牛弹琴”这句话，含有讥笑对象的意思。 - She read them shakespeare, but it was casting pearls before swine .
她为他们朗诵莎士比亚著作，但那等于对牛弹琴。 - Don ' t cast your pearls before swine
不要在猪面前丢珍珠；不要对牛弹琴。 - Don ' t explain it to him ; it ' s only playing the lute to a cow
别向他解释，那只是对牛弹琴。