LESSON 18

TACT AND TALENT

机智和才能

Talent is something, but tact is everything. Talent is serious, sober, grave, and respectable: tact is all that, and more too. It is not a sixth sense, but it is the life of all the five. It is the open eye, the quick ear, the judging taste, the keen smell, and the lively touch; it is the interpreter of all riddles, the surmounter of all difficulties, the remover of all obstacles. It is useful in all places, and at all times; it is useful in solitude, for it shows a man into the world; it is useful in society, for it shows him his way through the world.

Talent is power, tact is skill; talent is weight, tact is momentum; talent knows what to do, tact knows how to do it; talent makes a man respectable, tact will make him respected; talent is wealth, tact is ready money. For all the practical purposes, tact carries it against talent ten to one.

Take them to the theater, and put them against each other on the stage, and talent shall produce you a tragedy that shall scarcely live long enough to be condemned, while tact keeps the house in a roar, night after night, with its successful farces. There is no want of dramatic talent, there is no want of dramatic tact; but they are seldom together: so we have successful pieces which are not respectable, and respectable pieces which are not successful.

Take them to the bar, and let them shake their learned curls at each other in legal rivalry; talent sees its way clearly, but tact is first at its journey’s end. Talent has many a compliment from the bench, but tact touches fees. Talent makes the world wonder that it gets on no faster, tact arouses astonishment that it gets on so fast. And the secret is, that it has no weight to carry; it makes no false steps; it hits the right nail on the head; it loses no time; it takes all hints; and, by keeping its eye on the weathercock, is ready to take advantage of every wind that blows.

Take them into the church: talent has always something worth hearing, tact is sure of abundance of hearers; talent may obtain a living, tact will make one; talent gets a good name, tact a great one; talent convinces, tact converts; talent is an honor to the profession, tact gains honor from the profession.

Take them to court: talent feels its weight, tact finds its way; talent commands, tact is obeyed; talent is honored with approbation, and tact is blessed by preferment. Place them in the senate: talent has the ear of the house, but tact wins its heart, and has its votes; talent is fit for employment, but tact is fitted for it. It has a knack of slipping into place with a sweet silence and glibness of movement, as a billiard ball insinuates itself into the pocket.

It seems to know everything, without learning anything. It has served an extemporary apprenticeship; it wants no drilling; it never ranks in the awkward squad; it has no left hand, no deaf ear, no blind side. It puts on no look of wondrous wisdom, it has no air of profundity, but plays with the details of place as dexterously as a well-taught hand flourishes over the keys of the pianoforte. It has all the air of commonplace, and all the force and power of genius.

【中文阅读】

才能固然重要，机智更是不可或缺。天赋是庄重、严肃和受人尊敬的禀赋；机智则是兼而有之，有过之而无不及。它不是第六感觉，而是所有那五种感觉的生命。它是开阔的视觉，敏感的听觉，分辨力强的味觉，敏锐的嗅觉和充满活力的触觉；它能破解所有难解之谜，克服所有艰难困苦，移开眼前的所有障碍。不论何时何地，它都应付裕如；孤独时它像良师益友那样，因为它能引导一个人入世；置身于社会之中也是如此，因为它能教会一个人处世之道。

才能是一种力量，机智是一种技能。才能赋予一个人以影响力，而机智则令他充满动力；才能能让一个人知其然，而机智则让他知其所以然。才能赋予一个人以尊严，而机智则令其备受尊敬。才能是财富，而机智是到手的钱财。基于所有实用的目的，机智与才能相比犹如大海之于小溪。

以剧场为例，让两者在舞台上一较高下，才能产生不会长久让你陷于悲惨境地的悲剧感，而机智则凭借精湛的笑剧本领会让整幢房子陷入狂欢，一夜复一夜。我们不必非得有戏剧才能，也不必非得具备戏剧性的机智本领。可是两者很少能结合到一起。因此，我们能成功但不一定受到尊敬，受到尊敬的不一定能取得成功。

不妨将两者置于酒吧环境下来考察。才能明确地发现自己的所长，但机智则会第一个到达目的地。才能会博得众人许多恭维，而机智则会得到免费的礼遇。才能会使这个世界迷茫而裹足不前，机智则会令世界取得惊人的进步。个中的秘密在于，在这个环境下才能的影响力无从传达出来，而机智则不会犯半点错误；它切中要害，不会浪费任何时间；再者，那些密切关注风向标的人，随时会利用吹来的每股风，自己无往而不利。

还有，我们再将两者置于教堂里进行比较。才能始终有值得倾听的东西，而机智肯定拥有大量听众；才能也许可以用来谋生，但机智可以创造一个新生活。才能会使人博得好名声，而机智可以使其成为伟人。才能有说服力，而机智则可以改变一个人；才能对于职业而言是一种荣誉，而机智却可以从职业获得荣誉。

另外，我们考察一下在法院里的情形。才能可以让别人感受到一个人的影响力，而机智则可以让其尽情发挥影响力。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；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；才智适合就业，而机智则使就业的人游刃有余。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。

机智不需要掌握什么就能洞察一切。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。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，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。机智披着寻常的外衣，却胜过天才所有的力量和影响力。