Tā de fāmíng qǐchū wúrén-wènjīn, duōnián hòu cái huòdé rènkě.
His invention was ignored at first and only recognized years later.
Tips
history
The idiom comes from Tao Yuanming's 《桃花源记》 (The Peach Blossom Spring). 问津 literally means 'to ask about a ford/ferry crossing', implying nobody even bothers to inquire about a place or thing - let alone visit it.
memory
无 (no) + 人 (person) + 问 (ask) + 津 (ferry/ford) = 'No one even asks for directions there' - meaning it's utterly disregarded.
