走马观花 Walk past and look at the flowers
Explanation
这个成语出自唐代诗人孟郊的《登科后》诗。原意是指骑着马快速地欣赏沿途的花朵，后来多用来比喻对事物只作粗略的、不深入的观察。
This idiom comes from the poem "After Passing the Examination" by Meng Jiao, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. Originally, it meant to admire flowers along the way quickly on horseback, but later it was mostly used to describe the superficial and shallow observation of things.
Origin Story
唐朝诗人孟郊年轻时，家境贫寒，但他勤奋好学，屡试不第。直到41岁那年，孟郊终于考中了进士。金榜题名，春风得意，他策马奔腾，欣赏着长安城的繁花似锦，欣喜若狂，写下了千古名句：“春风得意马蹄疾，一日看尽长安花”。这句诗描写了孟郊中进士后的喜悦心情，同时也表达了他对长安城繁华景象的赞叹。后来，“走马观花”就成了一个成语，用来比喻对事物粗略地观察或浏览。
Meng Jiao, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, was poor in his youth, but he was diligent and studious. However, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations. At the age of 41, Meng Jiao finally passed the examination to become a scholar. He was ecstatic and wrote the famous line "Spring breeze and triumphant horse's hooves are fast, in one day I can see all the flowers of Chang'an." This poem describes Meng Jiao's joy after passing the exam, but also expresses his admiration for the prosperity of Chang'an City. Later, "zou ma guan hua" became an idiom, used to describe a cursory or superficial observation of things.
Usage
常用来形容对事物粗略地观察或浏览，没有深入了解。
Often used to describe the cursory observation or browsing of something without gaining deeper insights.
Examples
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我们只是走马观花地参观了一下博物馆。
women zhishi zou ma guan hua de can guan le yixia bowuguan
We only visited the museum briefly.
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他粗略地阅读了这篇文章，只是走马观花地浏览了一下
ta cu lüe de yuedu le zhe pian wen zhang, zhishi zou ma guan hua de liulan le yixia
He read the article quickly, just skimming it.