1 General Lü Meng 呂蒙|吕蒙 of the southern state of Wu (idiom); model of self-improvement by diligent study (from unlettered soldier to top strategist of Wu)
对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
1 lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom)
2 fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience
3 to cast pearls before swine
4 caviar to the general
5 to preach to deaf ears
6 to talk over sb's head
琴剑飘零
qín jiàn piāo líng
1 floating between zither and sword (idiom); fig. wandering aimlessly with no tenured position