A great proportion of architectural ornaments are literally hollow, and a September gale would strip them off, like borrowed plumes, without injury to the substantials.

• 建筑上的大多数装饰确实是空空洞洞的，一阵九月的风可以把它们吹掉，好比吹落借来的羽毛一样，丝毫无损于实际。