“宁缺毋滥”是汉语中强调质量优先的成语，意为“宁愿空缺，也不降低标准、一味求多”。英语中没有完全对应的单词，需通过短语表达核心含义，常见译法包括 "put quality before quantity"（强调质量优先于数量）和 "rather go without than have something shoddy"（强调拒绝劣质品）。

核心含义与用法

该成语多用于选拔人才、选择事物或建立关系时，突出对标准的坚持。例如：

选拔比赛中因作品质量不足而空缺奖项

拒绝因寂寞随意开始恋情，坚持对感情质量的要求

高收入老年人更注重产品质量而非数量

常用翻译与音标

实用例句

购物场景：When buying clothes, I go by the principle of putting quality before quantity.

职场沟通：Tell the hiring manager what he wants to know and nothing more.（体现“不滥竽充数”）

人际关系：Relationships must be chosen wisely—rather go without than settle for less.

产品策略：The company坚持 "fewer but better" to maintain its reputation.

感情观：She has been patient, believing the best is worth the wait.（隐含对感情“宁缺毋滥”的态度）

教育改革：They aim to fix an education system that long prioritized quantity over quality.

老年人消费：Old people with high income would rather see a lack of products than a flood of unqualified ones.

企业战略：We will stick to our principle of putting quality before quantity in overseas expansion.

比赛选拔：Due to low-quality entries, the first prize was left vacant—quality before quantity.

生活态度：In relationships, rather go without than rush into something unworthy.

短语搭配与扩展

动词搭配：坚持（stick to）、遵循（follow）、秉持（uphold）“宁缺毋滥”原则

名词搭配：精选原则（handpick principle）、质量标准（quality standard）、人生态度（life attitude）

反义词：“滥竽充数”（be a passenger/unqualified）、“多多益善”（the more the better）

从产品选择到人生抉择，“宁缺毋滥”的本质是对价值排序的坚守——在速度与质量、数量与标准之间，选择后者或许意味着暂时的空缺，却能避免长期的遗憾。你是否曾在某个领域坚持过这样的原则？