the fact of not being complete and involving only the most obvious things

News media is often accused of superficiality in its coverage of religion. 新闻媒体经常被指责对宗教做肤浅的报道。

While much of the debate is stuck in superficialities, deeper issues occasionally flash into view. 虽然大部分辩论都停留在表面上，但更深层次的问题偶尔会闪现。