When you oversimplify, you describe something in a way that is too simple and leaves out many facts. The picture you give is easy to hold, but it is not really true — or not true enough.

When you oversimplify當你oversimplify的時候，you describe something in a way that is too simple你把一件事講得太簡單，and leaves out many facts漏掉了很多事實。The picture you give你給出的畫面 is easy to hold很容易理解，but it is not really true但並不是真的準確——or not true enough或至少不夠準確。

People oversimplify when they are in a hurry, when they want a clean story, or when they do not know the messy parts. News, teachers, and people in power do it; so do friends at dinner.

People oversimplify人們會oversimplify when they are in a hurry在趕時間的時候，when they want a clean story想要一個乾淨俐落的故事的時候，or when they do not know the messy parts或是他們不知道那些複雜細節的時候。News, teachers, and people in power do it新聞、老師，和有權力的人都會這樣做；so do friends at dinner吃飯時的朋友也會。

It is not always a lie. The speaker often believes the simple version. You can oversimplify a problem, a war, a science idea, or a person.

It is not always a lie它不一定是說謊。The speaker often believes the simple version講的人常常自己也相信那個簡化過的版本。You can oversimplify a problem, a war, a science idea, or a person你可以把一個問題、一場戰爭、一個科學概念，或一個人，講得太簡化。

"Don't oversimplify" is a common warning: keep the hard bits in. The word is a little formal, but you meet it in class and in newspapers.

"Don't oversimplify"「Don't oversimplify」 is a common warning是常見的提醒：keep the hard bits in意思是要把困難的部分保留下來。The word is a little formal這個詞有點正式，but you meet it in class and in newspapers但你在課堂和報紙上都會遇到它。

Though actually, in everyday talk people often just say "you're making it sound too simple" or "it's not that simple." Simplify can be kind — you make an idea easier to learn. Oversimplify is when you go too far and the easy version starts to cheat.

Though actually不過其實，in everyday talk在日常對話裡，people often just say "you're making it sound too simple"人們常常只會說「你講得太簡單了」 or "it's not that simple."或是「沒有那麼簡單」。Simplify can be kindSimplify可以是善意的——you make an idea easier to learn你是讓一個概念變得比較好懂。Oversimplify is when you go too far而Oversimplify則是你做過了頭，and the easy version starts to cheat讓那個簡化的版本變得有點呼攏人。