“钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān)” refers to someone who wastes time and effort trying to figure out an insignificant or insoluble problem. Sometimes this idiom is used to describe a narrow-minded person.
Key Learning Point (Preview):
钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān): to get into a dead end
Yìzhī lǎoshǔ zuāndào niújiǎojiān lǐ le. Tā pǎo bù chūlái, què hái pīnmìng wǎng lǐ zuān.
一只 老鼠 钻到 牛角尖 里了。它 跑 不 出来， 却 还 拼命 往 里 钻。
A mouse went into the tip of an ox horn and couldn’t get out. The mouse was in a mad rush to go to the tip of the ox horn.
Niújiǎo duì tā shuō: “Péngyou, qǐng tuì chūqu, nǐ yuè wǎng lǐ zuān, lù yuè zhǎi.”
牛角 对 它 说：“朋友， 请 退 出去，你 越 往 里 钻， 路 越 窄。”
The ox horn advised: “Please go back my friend. The further you go in, the narrower the road would be.”
Lǎoshǔ shēngqì de shuō: “Hēng! Wǒ shì bǎizhébùnáo de yīngxióng, zhǐyǒu qiánjìn,
老鼠 生气 地 说：“哼！我 是 百折不挠 的 英雄， 只有 前进，
jué bù hòutuì.”
决 不 后退！”
The mouse got angry: “Hum! I am the toughest of heroes. I only move forward, never back!”
Niújiǎo shuō: “Kěshì nǐ de lù zǒu cuò le a!”
牛角 说：“可是 你 的 路 走 错 了啊！”
The ox horn said: “But you are going the wrong way.”
Lǎoshǔ háishì jiānchí zìjǐ de yìjiàn: “Xièxie nǐ, wǒ yìshēng jiùshì zuāndòng guò rìzi de,
老鼠 还是 坚持 自己的 意见，“谢谢你，我 一生 就是 钻洞 过 日子 的，
zěnme huì cuò ne?”
怎 么 会 错 呢？
The mouse insisted: “Thank you, but I have been digging all my life. How could I be wrong?”
Bùjiǔ, zhèwèi “yīngxióng” biàn huóhuó mēnsǐ zài niújiǎojiān lǐ le.
不久，这位 “英雄” 便 活活 闷 死 在 牛角尖 里了。
Soon, this “hero” came to his end and suffocated in the ox horn.
Key Learning Point:
钻牛角尖 (zuān niújiǎojiān): to rush into a dead end
Example:
Tom: Wǒ gàosu Mike tā de fāngfǎ búduì, dàn tā bù tīng.
Tom: 我 告诉 Mike 他 的 方法 不对， 但 他不 听。
Tom: I told Mike that his idea won’t work, but he won’t listen to me.
May: Tā kěndìng yòu zuān niújiǎojiān le.
May: 他 肯定 又 钻 牛角尖 了。
May: He must run into a dead end again.