每日英语 · 2026-10-09

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry · Wind, Sand and Stars (Terre des hommes) · 1939 · 法语原作《风沙星辰》/《人类的大地》，英译本常见此句

译文

完美不是无可增添，而是无可删减。

主干是 Perfection is achieved（被动语态：主语 + be + 过去分词），意思是“完美是被达成的”。
not when …, but when … 是对比结构，用两个 when 引导的时间状语从句说明“不是在……的时候，而是在……的时候”。两个分句结构对称：nothing more to add 对 nothing left to take away。
there is nothing more to add / there is nothing left to take away 都是 there be + 不定式作后置定语。to add、to take away 修饰 nothing，表示“可以再加的东西”“可以再拿走的东西”。left 是过去分词作后置定语，修饰 nothing，意为“剩下的”。

perfection /pəˈfekʃn/ n.

完美、完善

搭配：achieve perfection, strive for perfection

We are not aiming for perfection in the first bring-up.
achieve /əˈtʃiːv/ v.

实现、达成

搭配：achieve a goal / perfection

The team achieved a stable baud rate after two days of debugging.
nothing more to add phr.

没有什么可再添加的了

I have nothing more to add to the design review.
take away /teɪk əˈweɪ/ phr. v.

拿走、删减；也可指带走的收获

搭配：take away from, takeaway (n.)

If we take away the unused interrupts, the ISR becomes much clearer.
left /left/ adj. / past participle

剩下的、留存的

搭配：nothing left, leftovers

There is nothing left in the backlog for this sprint.

写驱动和精简固件时特别应景：先跑通，再砍掉多余的抽象和分支，直到只剩必要的部分。