起源

2001年秋召開第十屆International Python Conference(IPC 10，Pycon的前身)，打算征集一條印在會議T恤衫上的標語，最終他們從Python社區收到了500多條投稿。并最中篩選確認為 import this ，他們選擇之后覺得需要實現它，經過討論最中定義為了由 Tim Peter 寫的《The zen of Python》

觸發

在交互命令中輸入 import this 就會觸發。

            
              
                >>
              
              
                >
              
              
                import
              
               this
The Zen of Python
              
                ,
              
               by Tim Peters

Beautiful 
              
                is
              
               better than ugly
              
                .
              
              
Explicit 
              
                is
              
               better than implicit
              
                .
              
              
Simple 
              
                is
              
               better than 
              
                complex
              
              
                .
              
              
Complex 
              
                is
              
               better than complicated
              
                .
              
              
Flat 
              
                is
              
               better than nested
              
                .
              
              
Sparse 
              
                is
              
               better than dense
              
                .
              
              
Readability counts
              
                .
              
              
Special cases aren't special enough to 
              
                break
              
               the rules
              
                .
              
              
Although practicality beats purity
              
                .
              
              
Errors should never 
              
                pass
              
               silently
              
                .
              
              
Unless explicitly silenced
              
                .
              
              
In the face of ambiguity
              
                ,
              
               refuse the temptation to guess
              
                .
              
              
There should be one
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
              
                and
              
               preferably only one 
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
              obvious way to do it
              
                .
              
              
Although that way may 
              
                not
              
               be obvious at first unless you're Dutch
              
                .
              
              
Now 
              
                is
              
               better than never
              
                .
              
              
Although never 
              
                is
              
               often better than 
              
                *
              
              right
              
                *
              
               now
              
                .
              
              
If the implementation 
              
                is
              
               hard to explain
              
                ,
              
               it's a bad idea
              
                .
              
              
If the implementation 
              
                is
              
               easy to explain
              
                ,
              
               it may be a good idea
              
                .
              
              
Namespaces are one honking great idea 
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
               let's do more of those!

            
          

譯文

            
              
                # 譯文 轉載
              
              
Beautiful 
              
                is
              
               better than ugly
              
                .
              
              
                # 優美勝于丑陋（Python以編寫優美的代碼為目標）
              
              

Explicit 
              
                is
              
               better than implicit
              
                .
              
              
                # 明了勝于晦澀（優美的代碼應當是明了的，命名規范，風格相似）
              
              

Simple 
              
                is
              
               better than 
              
                complex
              
              
                .
              
              
                # 簡潔勝于復雜（優美的代碼應當是簡潔的，不要有復雜的內部實現） 
              
              

Complex 
              
                is
              
               better than complicated
              
                .
              
              
                # 復雜勝于凌亂（如果復雜不可避免，那代碼間也不能有難懂的關系，要保持接口簡潔）
              
              

Flat 
              
                is
              
               better than nested
              
                .
              
              
                # 扁平勝于嵌套（優美的代碼應當是扁平的，不能有太多的嵌套） 
              
              

Sparse 
              
                is
              
               better than dense
              
                .
              
              
                # 間隔勝于緊湊（優美的代碼有適當的間隔，不要奢望一行代碼解決問題） 
              
              

Readability counts
              
                .
              
              
                # 可讀性很重要（優美的代碼是可讀的） 
              
              

Special cases aren't special enough to 
              
                break
              
               the rules
              
                .
              
              
Although practicality beats purity
              
                .
              
              
                # 即便假借特例的實用性之名，也不可違背這些規則（這些規則至高無上） 
              
              

Errors should never 
              
                pass
              
               silently
              
                .
              
              
Unless explicitly silenced
              
                .
              
              
                # 所有錯誤都不應該被直接忽略，除非能夠被精確的捕獲之后。（其中一個典型的例子就是，不建議用Exception:pass來直接忽略所有異常。）
              
              

In the face of ambiguity
              
                ,
              
               refuse the temptation to guess
              
                .
              
              
                # 當面對不明確的情況時，不要嘗試去猜測 
              
              

There should be one
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
              
                and
              
               preferably only one 
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
              obvious way to do it
              
                .
              
              
                # 而是盡量找一種，最好是唯一一種明顯的解決方案（如果不確定，就用窮舉法） 
              
              

Although that way may 
              
                not
              
               be obvious at first unless you're Dutch
              
                .
              
              
                # 雖然起初這并不那么顯而易見，因為你不是 Python 之父（這里的Dutch是指Python之父Guido Van Rossum，他是荷蘭人。）
              
              

Now 
              
                is
              
               better than never
              
                .
              
              
Although never 
              
                is
              
               often better than 
              
                *
              
              right
              
                *
              
               now
              
                .
              
              
                # 現在行動勝過永不開始，但是不假思索就動手還不如不做（動手之前要細思量）
              
              

If the implementation 
              
                is
              
               hard to explain
              
                ,
              
               it's a bad idea
              
                .
              
              
If the implementation 
              
                is
              
               easy to explain
              
                ,
              
               it may be a good idea
              
                .
              
              
                # 如果你的實現很難向別人解釋，這往往不是一個好的方案；如果你的實現很容易向別人解釋，這可能是個好的方案。（方案測評標準） 
              
              

Namespaces are one honking great idea 
              
                -
              
              
                -
              
               let's do more of those! 

              
                # 命名空間是一種絕妙的理念，我們應當多加利用（倡導與號召）