measure the sea with an oyster shell—shallow in understanding; take a very superficial view
? 語曰： “以管窺天，～”(東方朔《答客難》) As the saying goes，“They look at the sky through a tube and measure the sea with a calabash.”
以蠡測海yi li ce hai
measure the sea with an oyster shell—make an appraisal in the light of limited knowledge
以蠡測海yǐ lí cè hǎi
蠡：瓢。用瓢來測量大海。比喻對事物的觀察和了解不全面、狹窄。measure the sea with a dipper, make an appraisal in the light of limited knowledge