美国语文第六册 第65期:机智和才能(3)

 　　Take them to court: talent feels its weight, tact¹ finds its way; 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。

　　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。

1 tact   

n.机敏，圆滑，得体

参考例句：

• She showed great tact in dealing with a tricky situation.她处理棘手的局面表现得十分老练。
• Tact is a valuable commodity.圆滑老练是很有用处的。

2 approbation   

n.称赞；认可

参考例句：

• He tasted the wine of audience approbation.他尝到了像酒般令人陶醉的听众赞许滋味。
• The result has not met universal approbation.该结果尚未获得普遍认同。

3 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

4 glibness   

n.花言巧语；口若悬河

参考例句：

• Mr Samgrass replied with such glibness and at such length, telling me of mislaid luggage. 桑格拉斯先生却油嘴滑舌，事无巨细地告诉我们说行李如何被错放了。 来自辞典例句

5 insinuates   

n.暗示( insinuate的名词复数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入v.暗示( insinuate的第三人称单数 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入

参考例句：

• Slang insinuates itself into the language. 俚语慢慢地渗入语言中。 来自辞典例句
• But the division of labor slowly insinuates itself into this process of production. 但是，分工慢慢地侵入了这种生产过程。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

6 apprenticeship   

n.学徒身份；学徒期

参考例句：

• She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
• He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。

7 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

8 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

9 profundity   

n.渊博；深奥，深刻

参考例句：

• He impressed his audience by the profundity of his knowledge.他知识渊博给听众留下了深刻的印象。
• He pretended profundity by eye-beamings at people.他用神采奕奕的眼光看着人们，故作深沉。

10 dexterously   

adv.巧妙地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He operates the machine dexterously. 他操纵机器动作非常轻巧。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• How dexterously he handled the mite. 他伺候小家伙，有多么熟练。 来自辞典例句