Brevity is the soul of wit.简洁是智慧之灵魂。
此句的意思是语言要简单扼要,不要噜苏,写文章和讲话都应如此。
莎士比亚在其名著《哈姆雷特》(Hamlet)一剧中,最早用过这谚语,原文是:
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit
And tediousness the limb and outward flourishes, …
句中wit的意思是“清楚、幽默地表达的能力”;而tediousness(烦琐)只不过是the limb and outward flourishes(一些枝叶、一些外在装饰)。同义的谚语还有:
Deliver your words not by number but by weight.
话语不在乎其字数而在乎其分量。
中国人也有同样意思的成语,如“要言不烦”、“言简意赅(赅,完备)”、“短小精悍”等。
鲁迅也说过,在文章写好后要看上几遍“把可有可无的字句删去,毫不可惜。”
近似意思的谚语还可参阅另一组:A word is enough to the wise.及He knows much who knows how to hold his tongue.