高山流水 Mountain and river

春秋時代，有個人叫俞伯牙，善于彈琴。還有個人名叫鐘子期，欣賞音樂水平非常高。有一次，鐘子期外出砍柴，正好聽到俞伯牙彈琴。俞伯牙心里想著高山，不自覺地在琴聲中流露了出來。鐘子期聽了，不覺贊嘆道：“真美啊，琴聲所表現的巍峨，就像高高聳立的泰山一樣。”俞伯牙彈起了另一首曲子，心中想著流水，鐘子期聽了，不覺又贊嘆道：“真美啊，琴聲中表現的浩瀚，就像寬廣的江河一樣。”俞伯牙非常驚訝，兩個人于是成了知交。后來鐘子期死了，俞伯牙非常傷心，認為從此再沒有知音了，于是他就把琴摔破，從此再不彈琴了。后來人們就用“高山流水”這個成語表示好朋友之間的相互欣賞。

A man named Yu Boya, who lived in the Spring and Autumn Period, excelled at playing qin, a stringed musical instrument. Another man called Zhong Ziqi was good at appreciating music. Once Zhong was going out to chop firewood when he heard Yu playing qin. Yu was thinking of lofty mountains and unconsciously revealing their loftiness by playing qin. Hearing the music, Zhong could not help but praise it highly, “What a beautiful tune! It sounds just as lofty as Mount Tai.” Yu was thinking of flowing water while playing another tune. After hearing it, Zhong again could not refrain from admiring it, “How beautiful! The melody sounds just as boundless as a vast river!” Yu was greatly surprised. The two became bosom friends. Some time later, Zhong died. Yu felt very sad. Believing that it was impossible for him to have another bosom friend like Zhong, Yu threw his qin to the ground broken, and he no longer played it afterwards. Later on, a set phrase “高山流水”(lofty mountains and flowing water) was coined, which refers to two intimate friends who appreciate each other's talent.