To have a superficial appearance; to be merely outwardly impressive but lacking substance; to be all show and no substance.
他虽然打扮得很光鲜，但做事总是敷衍了事，真是借面吊丧，没有真本事。
Although he dresses very splendidly, he always handles things perfunctorily, truly being all show and no substance, lacking genuine ability.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, a scholar named Ni Heng was extremely arrogant about his talents, conceited, and looked down upon others.
Once, when asked for his opinion on Xun Yu (courtesy name Wenruo), Ni Heng believed that although Xun Yu possessed a dignified and impressive appearance, he was in fact merely outwardly impressive and lacked true substance. He bluntly stated, "Wenruo is only fit to 'borrow a face to attend a funeral.'" This implied that Xun Yu's impressive looks were just for show, without real capability or inner worth.
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