A Chinese scholar living in the US tells in her article that for some disciplines in the west, especially those of humanity and social sciences, researchers are simply doing something not worth the efforts, that is, their conclusion of the study is bullshit if you read it carefully, or that they have spent a lot of time and efforts and money for something which is not unusual, like "if you do not eat, you will die." Such is known as 精致的平庸, a phrase she translated from the original of English. So what is the English original?
2 Answers
I agree with user3306356.
Liu (2010) characterises as ‘exquisite mediocrity’(精致的平庸) the kind of research that is centred on determining the accuracy and elegance of norms and procedures rather than on creating something of functional value to society.
I'd, daring to be different here, like to offer my two cents on 精致的平庸, i.e. chic cliché