hollow pith的意思|示意

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Hollow pith is an English expression used to describe a situation in which someone has an appearance of being successful or powerful but lacks substance or depth. It is usually used to suggest that someone has an impressive facade but lacks substance.

The origin of the phrase hollow pith is not clear and it appears to have been around since at least the early 1700s, as it appears in William Cowper’s poem, The Task, written in 1785. In the poem, Cowper uses the phrase to describe a hollow maple tree, saying that “hearts of oak are sound and free, hearts of pines are soft and green, but hearts of hollow maple tree are soon corrupted to the core.” Here, he implies that even the strongest of trees—the oak—is not immune to corruption if there is nothing of substance inside it.

In modern use, the phrase is used to describe a person, situation, or thing that has an impressive facade of success, power, or influence but lacks the substance to back it up. Put another way, it is used to describe someone who appears to have more than they really do. For example, a company might appear to be successful but may actually be struggling to stay afloat, or someone might look like a successful businessperson but be unable to back up their impressive claims.

The phrase has also been used to describe shallow works of literature or art that have a superficial facade but lack substance. For instance, a book or movie might be flashy and entertaining but lack real depth or meaning.

In summary, hollow pith is an English expression used to describe a situation in which someone has an appearance of being successful or powerful but lacks substance or depth. It is commonly used to suggest that someone has an impressive facade but lacking in substance or depth. Finally, it is also used to describe shallow works of literature or art that have a superficial facade but lack depth or meaning.