牛鼎烹鸡 cooking a chicken in an ox cauldron
Explanation
比喻用优越的人才去做简单的工作，或用很大的东西做小的事，比喻大材小用，浪费资源。
This idiom describes using superior talents for simple work or using large things for small tasks. It illustrates the misuse of talent and the waste of resources.
Origin Story
话说汉灵帝时期，有个名叫边让的读书人，才华横溢，文采斐然。可是，当时的权臣何进却不懂得人才的价值，将边让这样一位旷世奇才，安排到一个低微的令史职位，做一些琐碎的文案工作，简直就是牛鼎烹鸡。这让很多有识之士感到惋惜，纷纷劝谏何进。后来，何进终于认识到自己的错误，把边让提拔为九江太守，这才充分发挥了边让的才干。这个故事也告诉我们，要用人所长，人尽其才，千万别把宝贵的人才埋没了。
During the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, there was a brilliant scholar named Bian Rang, known for his exceptional talent and literary prowess. However, He Jin, a powerful official at the time, failed to recognize the value of talent and assigned Bian Rang, a man of extraordinary ability, to the lowly position of a clerk, where he performed trivial administrative tasks—a clear case of using an ox-pot to cook a chicken. This caused concern among many insightful people who urged He Jin to reconsider. Later, He Jin finally realized his mistake and promoted Bian Rang to the governor of Jiujiang, enabling him to fully utilize his abilities. The story teaches us to use people to their full potential, to make the most of everyone's talents, and never waste valuable talent.
Usage
多用于比喻句中，形容大材小用或浪费资源。
Mostly used in metaphorical sentences to describe wasting talent or resources.
Examples
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他居然用最好的材料来做最简单的工作，真是牛鼎烹鸡！
ta jun ran yong zui hao de cai liao lai zuo zui jiandan de gong zuo, zhen shi niu ding peng ji
It's simply a waste of resources to use the best materials for the simplest task!
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这种做法简直是牛鼎烹鸡，太浪费了！
zhei zhong zuo fa jian zhi shi niu ding peng ji, tai lang fei le
This approach is a sheer waste; you don't use a cannon to shoot a sparrow!