英语中有很多惯用语是和「face」有关的。今天要讲的这个惯用语的来源也是和「face」有关哦。这样一说，你肯定能猜出个大概了吧：

on the face of it

used when you are describing how a situation seems on the surface

从表面看；乍看起来

• On the face of it, it seems like a bargain, but I bet there are hidden costs.

  从表面上看这好像是便宜，但我肯定其中有些隐藏的费用。

• On the face of it, what you said is completely correct, but you will find that it is wrong if you analyse it carefully.

  从表面上看，你说的完全正确，但是如果你仔细分析的话，它错了。

是不是很好理解：有时候，你的表情并不是你内心真实的想法。所以这个惯用语也是引申出来的比喻啦。