用英語講中國故事《對牛彈琴》文字版，英文講故事比賽素材，雙語

對牛彈琴

Playing the Lute to a Cow

從前，有個非常厲害的琴師，他從小學習音樂，一直努力練習彈琴，琴技高超。有一天，他來到鄉下，想給大家展示一下自己美妙的琴聲。

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.

在田間的小路上，他看到一頭牛正在草地上悠閒地吃草。他想到，既然大家都喜歡聽他彈琴，那這頭牛應該也會喜歡吧！於是，他坐在牛的旁邊，把琴放在腿上，開始彈奏起自己最拿手的樂曲。

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.

琴聲悠揚婉轉，如流水一般，時而像微風輕拂，時而如鳥兒歡歌。他自認爲彈得非常好，十分陶醉，還時不時看向那頭牛，希望它會被琴聲吸引。

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，那頭牛根本沒有注意到他彈琴的樣子，只顧低頭啃着鮮嫩的青草，時不時擺擺尾巴驅趕蒼蠅。他加快了彈奏的速度，琴聲變得更加激昂，希望通過激烈的音樂，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，牛還是沒有擡頭看他一眼，只是專心吃草，完全無視了他的努力。他有些生氣，覺得牛太不懂音樂了。於是，他換了另一首曲子，把節奏放得更慢，彈得更加柔和，試圖以優美的旋律打動這頭牛。

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，無論這個琴師如何努力改變曲調，那頭牛依然只是吃草，不爲所動。他不甘心，彈了一首又一首，直到太陽落山。最終，他筋疲力盡，只好收起琴離開了田野。

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，琴師遇到了一位老農。老農看到他神情沮喪，問他發生了什麼事。他嘆了口氣，把昨天對牛彈琴的事情一五一十地講給老農聽。

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.

老農哈哈大笑，說：“琴師啊，你對牛彈琴，它怎麼能懂呢？牛隻知道吃草，聽不懂你的音樂呀！”琴師恍然大悟，明白了音樂要彈給懂得欣賞的人，纔不會浪費時間。

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.

這個故事告訴我們，表達想法的時候，要看對象是否能理解。如果對不懂的人講深奧的道理，就像對牛彈琴一樣，既浪費時間又得不到效果。

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.