千人一面 A thousand faces, one face
Explanation
形容众多人相貌、性格、行为等非常相似，缺乏个性。也用来比喻文艺作品千篇一律，缺乏创意。
Describes many people with very similar appearance, character and behavior, lacking individuality. Also used to describe literary works that are all very similar and lack creativity.
Origin Story
在一个遥远的国度，有一个技艺超群的画家，他擅长描绘人物肖像。国王为了展示国家的繁荣昌盛，委托他画一幅展现全国人民的巨幅画像。画家欣然接受，他走遍各地，观察人们的生活，试图捕捉每个人的独特之处。然而，他发现人们的生活方式、穿着打扮都惊人的相似，即使性格各异，面部表情也难以区分。最终，他完成了一幅巨幅画像，画中的人物虽然众多，却千人一面，难以辨认。国王看完后，不禁感叹：‘这幅画虽然气势恢宏，却无法体现我国民众的多姿多彩。’ 这幅画，成为了一个警示，提醒人们要重视个性的培养和发展，避免千人一面，缺乏创造力。
In a distant land, there was a highly skilled painter who specialized in portraiture. The king commissioned him to paint a large portrait depicting the people of the kingdom to showcase the nation’s prosperity. The painter readily accepted, traveling throughout the land to observe people’s lives and capture their unique qualities. However, he found that people’s lifestyles, clothing, and even facial expressions were surprisingly similar, despite their diverse personalities. In the end, he completed a massive portrait with countless figures, yet they all looked alike, indistinguishable from one another. The king, upon viewing the painting, sighed, "While magnificent in scale, this artwork fails to reflect the rich diversity of my people.". The painting became a cautionary tale, a reminder to value the cultivation and development of individuality and avoid homogeneity.
Usage
用于形容事物缺乏个性，千篇一律。常用于评论文学作品、艺术作品等。
Used to describe things lacking personality and being monotonous. Often used in commenting on literary works and artworks.
Examples
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如今的网络小说，很多都是千人一面，缺乏创新。
rújīn de wǎngluò xiǎoshuō, hěn duō dōu shì qiānrén yīmiàn, quēfá chuàngxīn
Many online novels today are all the same, lacking innovation.
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这些电视剧千人一面，剧情老套，毫无新意。
zhèxiē diànshìjù qiānrén yīmiàn, jùqíng lǎotào, háo wú xīnyì
These TV series are all the same, the plot is clichéd, and there is no originality..