对牛弹琴
Playing the Lute to a Cow
从前，有个非常厉害的琴师，他从小学习音乐，一直努力练习弹琴，琴技高超。有一天，他来到乡下，想给大家展示一下自己美妙的琴声。
Once upon a time, there was a very talented lute player. He had studied music since childhood and practiced tirelessly, becoming extremely skilled. One day, he went to the countryside, hoping to showcase his beautiful melodies.
在田间的小路上，他看到一头牛正在草地上悠闲地吃草。他想到，既然大家都喜欢听他弹琴，那这头牛应该也会喜欢吧！于是，他坐在牛的旁边，把琴放在腿上，开始弹奏起自己最拿手的乐曲。
On a path between the fields, he saw a cow leisurely grazing on the grass. He thought, “Since everyone enjoys listening to my lute playing, this cow should like it too!” So, he sat down next to the cow, placed the lute on his lap, and began playing his best tunes.
琴声悠扬婉转，如流水一般，时而像微风轻拂，时而如鸟儿欢歌。他自认为弹得非常好，十分陶醉，还时不时看向那头牛，希望它会被琴声吸引。
The music flowed like a stream, sometimes as gentle as a breeze, sometimes as cheerful as a bird’s song. He was confident in his playing and completely immersed in his music. From time to time, he glanced at the cow, hoping it would be captivated by the melody.
可是，那头牛根本没有注意到他弹琴的样子，只顾低头啃着鲜嫩的青草，时不时摆摆尾巴驱赶苍蝇。他加快了弹奏的速度，琴声变得更加激昂，希望通过激烈的音乐，引起牛的注意。
However, the cow didn’t notice his playing at all. It kept its head down, munching on the fresh grass and occasionally swishing its tail to chase away flies. He sped up his playing, making the music more intense, hoping the energetic rhythm would grab the cow’s attention.
但是，牛还是没有抬头看他一眼，只是专心吃草，完全无视了他的努力。他有些生气，觉得牛太不懂音乐了。于是，他换了另一首曲子，把节奏放得更慢，弹得更加柔和，试图以优美的旋律打动这头牛。
But the cow still didn’t look up at him even once. It remained focused on eating, entirely ignoring his efforts. He grew a little angry and thought the cow had no appreciation for music. So, he switched to another tune, slowed down the rhythm, and played more softly, trying to enchant the cow with a gentle melody.
然而，无论这个琴师如何努力改变曲调，那头牛依然只是吃草，不为所动。他不甘心，弹了一首又一首，直到太阳落山。最终，他筋疲力尽，只好收起琴离开了田野。
Yet, no matter how hard he tried to change the tune, the cow just kept eating, undisturbed. Unwilling to give up, he played one song after another until the sun set. Finally, exhausted, he packed up his lute and left the fields.
第二天，琴师遇到了一位老农。老农看到他神情沮丧，问他发生了什么事。他叹了口气，把昨天对牛弹琴的事情一五一十地讲给老农听。
The next day, the lute player met an old farmer. Seeing the lute player’s dejected expression, the farmer asked what had happened. He sighed and told the farmer all about his attempt to play the lute to the cow.
老农哈哈大笑，说：“琴师啊，你对牛弹琴，它怎么能懂呢？牛只知道吃草，听不懂你的音乐呀！”琴师恍然大悟，明白了音乐要弹给懂得欣赏的人，才不会浪费时间。
The old farmer laughed heartily and said, “Lute player, how could a cow understand your music? It only knows how to eat grass and can’t appreciate your tunes!”The lute player suddenly understood his mistake. He realized that music should only be played for those who can appreciate it; otherwise, it's a waste of time.
这个故事告诉我们，表达想法的时候，要看对象是否能理解。如果对不懂的人讲深奥的道理，就像对牛弹琴一样，既浪费时间又得不到效果。
This story tells us that when sharing ideas, we should consider whether the audience can understand them. If we try to explain profound concepts to someone who can’t grasp them, it’s like playing the lute to a cow—it wastes time and doesn’t achieve the desired effect.
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