leave 的本義是“go away from”，也就是“離開”。當然，離開某件東西也意味著把它留在原地：“allow or cause to remain”或者“cause (someone or something) to be in a particular state or position”。所以，“老鼠離開沉船”和“老鼠把沉船留在身後”意思其實是一樣的。No one left. 如果是這樣一個單獨的句子，意思應該是“沒有人離開”（過去時態）。如果是現在時，那就是“No one leaves.”如果要表達“沒有人留下”，應該是“No one was left.”“no one left”作為短語時，left 可以被看作以過去分詞形式表達的被動語態（省略助動詞 be ），作為定語修飾“no one”。比如這段著名的話（原文是德語，作者是Martin Niemöller）：

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

最後一句中的“no one left”就是“沒有人（被）留下”，也有人翻譯成“No one was left to speak for me.”