Лучшее – враг хорошего
With accent marks:
Лу́чшее – враг хоро́шего.
Translation:
The best is the enemy of the good.
Meaning:
The author of the phrase “the best is the enemy of the good” is considered to be the French philosopher and writer of the 18th century Voltaire. He wrote it in his “Philosophical Dictionary” and the novel “Impatient” ("le mieux est I'ennemi du bien"), although such thoughts were expressed by many others including Shakespeare, J. Bruno, and so on.
The interpretation of this phrase varies, but in Russia it is often understood in the sense that in striving for the best, people often spoil the good.
Other Russian proverbs
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Trust but verify.
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Crowded, but not aggrieved.
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Под лежачий камень вода не течёт
Water does not flow under a lying stone.
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Don’t wave your fists after the fight.
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В здоровом теле – здоровый дух
In a healthy body, healthy mind.
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The forbidden fruit is sweet.
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Man does not live thanks to bread alone.
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Better late than never.
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