轻描淡写 lightly describe
Explanation
轻描淡写是一个汉语成语，意思是指描绘时用浅淡的颜色轻轻地着笔，现在多指说话写文章把重要问题轻轻带过，不加渲染。
Lightly describe is a Chinese idiom that means to paint lightly with light colors. Now it mostly refers to speaking or writing in a way that lightly touches on important issues without embellishment.
Origin Story
在一个繁华的都市，住着一位著名的画家，名叫李先生。他以画山水画而闻名，他的作品总是能将山水的壮阔与细腻表现得淋漓尽致。 一天，一位年轻的画家前来拜访李先生，向他请教绘画技巧。李先生热情地接待了他，并拿出了自己最得意的一幅作品，是一幅描绘高山流水、云雾缭绕的山水画。 年轻画家被这幅作品深深吸引，惊叹不已，连声称赞李先生的画技高超。 李先生笑着说：“这幅画的技巧并不难，关键在于对山水的理解和感受。你仔细看，山上的树木，岩石的纹理，水流的动势，云雾的飘逸，都是用很简单的笔触描绘出来的，但却是用最恰当的颜色和线条表现出来，才能让人感受到山水的灵动与美妙。” 年轻画家仔细观察，发现李先生的画确实如他所说，运用了很简单的笔触，却能将山水的意境表现得如此生动。 李先生接着说：“绘画，就像人生，有时候需要浓墨重彩，有时候需要轻描淡写。浓墨重彩，可以用来表现壮阔的景象，让人震撼；而轻描淡写，则可以用来表现细腻的情感，让人回味。重要的是，要根据不同的主题和内容，选择合适的表现方式，才能更好地表达自己的思想和情感。” 年轻画家听后，深受启发，他终于明白了李先生的绘画理念，也明白了绘画与人生的共通之处。
In a bustling metropolis lived a renowned painter named Mr. Li. He was known for his landscape paintings, his works always capable of capturing the grandeur and delicacy of mountains and rivers in a captivating manner. One day, a young painter came to visit Mr. Li, seeking guidance on painting techniques. Mr. Li received him warmly and brought out his most prized work, a landscape painting depicting towering mountains, flowing water, swirling clouds, and misty veils. The young painter was deeply captivated by the piece, awestruck and praising Mr. Li's exceptional skill. Mr. Li smiled and said, “The techniques in this painting are not difficult; the key lies in understanding and feeling the mountains and rivers. Look closely: the trees on the mountains, the textures of the rocks, the movement of the water, the floating mist, all are depicted with simple strokes, but they are rendered with the most appropriate colors and lines to evoke the dynamism and beauty of the mountains and rivers.” The young painter observed carefully, realizing Mr. Li's words were true – simple strokes, yet vividly portraying the essence of the landscape. Mr. Li continued, “Painting, like life, sometimes requires bold strokes, sometimes a lighter touch. Bold strokes can be used to depict vast scenes, leaving a powerful impact; while a lighter touch can be used to express delicate emotions, leaving a lasting impression. The key is to choose the appropriate expression based on the theme and content, so that your thoughts and feelings can be better conveyed.” The young painter, deeply inspired, finally understood Mr. Li's philosophy of painting and the parallels between painting and life.
Usage
这个成语在日常生活中经常使用，可以用来表达对某些事情的轻视，也可以用来表达对某些事情的淡化处理，例如，当有人问你考试成绩怎么样，你可以轻描淡写地说：“还好吧，马马虎虎。”
This idiom is frequently used in everyday life to express disdain for certain things or to downplay the handling of certain things. For example, if someone asks you how your exam results were, you can say lightly, “It’s okay, just so-so.”
Examples
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他轻描淡写地讲述了那段惊险的经历，让人觉得不真实。
tā qīng miáo dàn xiě de jiǎng shù le nà duàn jīng xiǎn de jīng lì, ràng rén jué de bù zhēn shí.
He recounted the thrilling experience in a nonchalant manner, making it seem unreal.
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他对这次的考试成绩轻描淡写，却掩盖不了他内心的紧张。
tā duì zhè cì de kǎo shì chéng jī qīng miáo dàn xiě, què yǎn gài bù liǎo tā nèi xīn de jǐn zhāng.
He downplayed his exam results, but couldn't hide his inner tension.
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他轻描淡写地说出了自己的计划，似乎一切都很简单。
tā qīng miáo dàn xiě de shuō chū le zì jǐ de jì huà, sì hū yī qiè dōu hěn jiǎn dān.
He mentioned his plans casually, as if everything was simple.