美国语文第六册 第65期:机智和才能(3)

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　　talent commands, tact is obeyed; talent is honored with approbation², and tact is blessed by preferment. 才能居于指挥地位，而机智则会令别人服从；才能荣享赞扬，而机智则优先得到上天的恩赐；

　　Place them in the senate: talent has the ear of the house, but tact wins its heart, and has its votes; 那么在参议院情形怎样呢？才能使议会能听到它希望了解的东西，而机智却能赢得它的芳心，获得大家的投票；

　　talent is fit for employment, but tact is fitted for it. 才智适合就业，而机智则使就业的人游刃有余。

　　It has a knack³ of slipping into place with a sweet silence and glibness⁴ of movement, as a billiard ball insinuates⁵ itself into the pocket. 机智具有一种悄无声息地占据有利位置，口齿伶俐地表达自己的想法的技巧，就像弹子球巧妙迂回落入袋中一样。

　　It seems to know everything, without learning anything. 机智不需要掌握什么就能洞察一切。

　　It has served an extemporary apprenticeship⁶; it wants no drilling; it never ranks in the awkward squad⁷; it has no left hand, no deaf ear, no blind side. 它需要一个练习不用事先准备，张嘴就说的见习期。它不需要刻苦钻研，在那些愚笨的人从来就不具备这种本领；它是信手拈来的，对周围的一切洞若观火。

　　It puts on no look of wondrous⁸ wisdom, it has no air of profundity⁹, 它没有令人惊叹的智慧那不屑一顾的傲慢，也没有深奥的外表，

　　but plays with the details of place as dexterously¹⁰ as a well-taught hand flourishes over the keys of the pianoforte. 但是却敏捷地注意到所处环境的细微末梢之处，就像一只训练有素的手在钢琴键盘上跳舞一样。

　　It has all the air of commonplace, and all the force and power of genius. 机智披着寻常的外衣，却胜过天才所有的力量和影响力。

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