寻章摘句 seek chapters and sentences
Explanation
寻章摘句，指从书本中搜寻摘抄片断语句，在写作时套用。形容写作时堆砌现成词句，缺乏创造性。
To seek chapters and sentences, means to search and excerpt fragments of sentences from books and use them in writing. It describes the stacking of ready-made sentences in writing and the lack of creativity.
Origin Story
话说唐朝诗人李贺，才华横溢，但他年轻时过于追求华丽辞藻，喜欢在诗歌中寻章摘句，堆砌典故。有一次，他写了一首诗，用了很多前人的名句，虽然华丽，却缺乏自身的风格和情感，让人觉得空洞无力。一位老诗人读后，语重心长地对他说：“诗歌贵在真情实感，切忌寻章摘句，堆砌辞藻，要从自己的内心出发，才能写出打动人心的佳作。”李贺听后深受启发，从此改变了写作风格，潜心创作，终于成为一代诗仙。
It is said that Li He, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, was extremely talented, but when he was young, he pursued ornate language too much and liked to pile up allusions in his poems. Once, he wrote a poem, using many famous lines of predecessors. Although it was gorgeous, it lacked its own style and emotion, making it seem empty and powerless. After an old poet read it, he said to him earnestly: "Poetry values true feelings, avoid piling up allusions, start from your own heart, so you can write touching masterpieces." Inspired, Li He changed his writing style, devoted himself to creation, and finally became a great poet.
Usage
用于批评写作中堆砌现成词句，缺乏创造性的现象。
Used to criticize the phenomenon of stacking ready-made sentences in writing, lacking creativity.
Examples
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他的文章充满了华丽的辞藻，却缺乏真情实感，不过是寻章摘句的堆砌罢了。
tā de wénzhāng chōngmǎn le huá lì de cízǎo, què quēfá zhēnqíng shígǎn, bùguò shì xúnzhāng zhāijù de duīqì bà le.
His article is full of gorgeous rhetoric, but lacks true feelings, it's just a patchwork of quotations.
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这篇作文虽然引用了不少名句，但整体看来还是寻章摘句，缺乏自己的见解。
zhè piān zuòwén suīrán yǐnyòng le bùshǎo míngjù, dàn zhěngtǐ kàn lái háishì xúnzhāng zhāijù, quēfá zìjǐ de jiànjiě
Although this composition quotes many famous sentences, it still looks like a patchwork of quotations, lacking its own insights..