遮羞布 (zhē xiū bù) — fig leaf (metaphorically, something used to conceal a shameful truth); (rare, literal) loincloth

Definition

Examples

• 这份报告不过是公司的遮羞布，掩盖了财务问题。
  Zhè fèn bào gào bú guò shì gōng sī de zhē xiū bù, yǎn gài le cái wù wèn tí.
  This report is nothing but the company's fig leaf, covering up financial problems.
• 他的道歉只是一块遮羞布，根本没有诚意。
  Tā de dào qiàn zhǐ shì yí kuài zhē xiū bù, gēn běn méi yǒu chéng yì.
  His apology was just a fig leaf — there was no sincerity at all.
• 古代人用遮羞布遮体，现代人却用它来比喻掩盖丑事。
  Gǔ dài rén yòng zhē xiū bù zhē tǐ, xiàn dài rén què yòng tā lái bǐ yù yǎn gài chǒu shì.
  Ancient people used a loincloth to cover their bodies, but modern people use it as a metaphor for covering up scandals.