“bark”的意思是“吼叫”、“狗吠”。bark up the wrong tree字面意思就是“冲着错误的树吠叫”，引申为找错对象；攻击错了目标；攻错了目标。

【例句】
Why ask me? You are barking up the wrong tree.
为什么要问我？你找错对象了。

Jason was barking up the wrong tree when he said I was the one that ate his cookies after he left the room; it was actually his dog.
杰森说我在他离开房间后吃了他的曲奇，他找错人了，实际上，是他的狗吃掉了曲奇。