An aphorism is a very short sentence that tries to hold a big idea in a few words — a tight little rule about life that people repeat because it feels sharp, or true enough to keep. "Less is more" is the kind of line people point to.

An aphorism is a very short sentence that tries to hold a big idea in a few wordsaphorism 是一個很短的句子，想用幾個字裝下一個大道理 — a tight little rule about life that people repeat because it feels sharp, or true enough to keep一條簡潔的人生小規則，大家會一直重複講，因為它聽起來夠犀利，或者夠真，值得記住。"Less is more"「Less is more」 is the kind of line people point to就是大家會拿來當例子的那種句子。

It is more formal than a joke, a meme, or a slang catchphrase, and it is not just any quote: the point is the tightness, the "this is how it is" feeling packed into a small space. Writers and speakers reach for aphorisms when they want to sound wise without a long speech.

It它 is more formal than a joke, a meme, or a slang catchphrase比笑話、迷因或流行口頭禪都更正式一點, and it is not just any quote也不是隨便什麼名言都算: the point is the tightness重點在於那種濃縮感, the "this is how it is" feeling packed into a small space那種把「事情就是這樣」的感覺塞進一個小空間裡的功夫。Writers and speakers作家和講者 reach for aphorisms when they want to sound wise without a long speech想要聽起來睿智、又不想長篇大論時，就會用 aphorism。

Though actually, a tidy aphorism can hide a half-truth; real life is often messier than a sentence that neat, and a good teacher will say so.

Though actually不過, a tidy aphorism can hide a half-truth一句工整的 aphorism 也可能藏著半真半假的道理; real life is often messier than a sentence that neat現實生活往往比那麼工整的句子還要混亂, and a good teacher will say so好老師會提醒你這一點。