It is, of course, mostly a polite fiction.

当然，这些都是优雅的虚构情节。

youdao

When politicians say they want to talk to their constituents, it is often a polite fiction.

要是政界人士说他们希望和选民交谈，多数情况都是出于礼貌做做样子。

youdao

Despite this blow to our dignity we long maintained a polite fiction that we're special enough to merit classification in our own scientific family—the Hominidae.

尽管这对我们的尊严是个打击，长久以来我们还是认为自己高贵，认为自己足够特别以科学谱系把自己划分为优等物种——人科（the Hominidae）。

youdao

When politicians say they want to talk to their constituents, it is often a polite fiction.

ECONOMIST: An internet craze reaches Congress

It's all beginning to look a bit rushed and makes the polite fiction that Commons public bill committees engage in "detailed scrutiny" look even thinner than usual.

BBC: Health Bill facing tight timetable in Parliament