浮光掠影 superficial glimpse
Explanation
比喻对事物理解不深刻，观察不仔细，如同水面上的光和掠过的影子，一闪而过，印象不深。
A metaphor for superficial understanding and inattentive observation, like the light on the water and the fleeting shadows, which quickly disappear and leave no lasting impression.
Origin Story
话说唐代诗人褚亮，他有一首诗名为《临高台》，其中一句是“浮光随日度，漾影逐波深”。这句诗描绘了阳光照耀下水面波光粼粼的景象，光影变幻莫测，令人目不暇接。后来，人们用“浮光掠影”来比喻对事物观察不仔细，学习不深入，印象不深刻。就好比我们坐在船上看风景，河水流淌，船也在行进，那些美丽的景色只是从我们眼前一闪而过，我们来不及细细欣赏，只能留下一个模糊的印象。这正是“浮光掠影”的真实写照。
In his poem "临高台", the Tang Dynasty poet Chu Liang wrote the line "浮光随日度，漾影逐波深". This line depicts the shimmering surface of the water under the sunlight, a constantly changing spectacle of light and shadow. Later, "浮光掠影" came to be used to describe superficial observation and shallow learning, without leaving a deep impression. It is like a boat trip where the scenery passes you by and you only catch a glimpse before it disappears again, leading to a blurred impression. That is the true meaning of "浮光掠影".
Usage
多用于形容学习、观察等不深入、不仔细的情况。
Often used to describe the situation where learning or observation is not thorough or careful enough.
Examples
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他只是浮光掠影地看了一下，对内容并没有深入了解。
tā zhǐshì fú guāng lüè yǐng de kàn le yīxià, duì nèiróng bìng méiyǒu shēnrù liǎojiě
He only glanced at it superficially and didn't understand the content in depth.
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这次旅行，我们只是浮光掠影地走马观花，很多地方都没来得及细细品味。
zhè cì lǚxíng, wǒmen zhǐshì fú guāng lüè yǐng de zǒumǎ guānhuā, hěn duō dìfang dōu méi lái de jí xìxì pǐnwèi
On this trip, we just superficially visited some sights, many places we didn't have time to savor in detail