第20章 Tact and Talent 机智与才干

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.

才干很重要，而机智更是不可或缺。才干之人一般严肃、清醒、认真、受人尊重，而机智之人除了拥有这一切，还有更多的特质。它不是第六感，而是五种感觉的生命之源。它是睁开的双眼，是聆听的耳朵，是判断口味的味觉，是敏锐的嗅觉，是敏感的触觉。它能够解开一切谜底，可以克服一切困难，扫除一切障碍。随时随地，人们都可以用到它。孤独时，它引领人们走向光明。对于社会，它也是有用的，因为它会将光明大道指引给人们。

如果说才干是力量，那么机智就是技巧；如果才干是重力，那么机智就是动力。才干教会人们做什么，而机智教会人们怎样去做；才干能使人受到别人的称赞，而机智能使人受到别人的尊重。假如才干是财富，那机智就是现金。总而言之，对于现实生活，机智比才干更重要。

要是将才干与机智放在剧院的舞台上，让它们进行比拼，才干肯定会导演一部悲剧，这部悲剧上演不久就会遭到批评；而机智却会因为它的喜剧效果而使整个剧院不管白天还是黑夜都能听到人们发出的阵阵欢呼。会有引人注目的才干，也会有引人注目的机智，但它们却很少能够并驾齐驱。所以很出色的方案不会受到重视，而受到重视的方案也不一定会很出色。

在酒吧里，让才干和机智晃动它们聪慧的头脑进行公平竞争，才干能够看清自己的道路，而机智往往最先到达自己的终点。才干总是受到人们的称赞，但机智却掌管着所有的费用。才干可以创造世界奇迹，但它却不能加快世界前进的脚步；机智使人感到惊讶，因为它使世界发展得相当迅速，而机智这样做的秘密是：世界从来没有多余的事物，它从来不走虚假的路，它总是会一针见血。它不浪费一分一秒的时间，它接受一切暗示，更会将注意力放在风向标上，在任何时候都准备着利用每一阵可以利用的风。

在教堂里，才干总是有一些值得聆听的东西，而机智则拥有许多的听众。才干可以用来谋求生路，而机智往往会找到谋生的方法；才干可以获得一个好名声，机智可以成就伟大；才干善于说服，机智善于转变；才干是一种职业的荣誉，而机智会从职业中获得荣誉。

若是在法庭，才干会找到它的优势，而机智却会看清自己的道路；才干之人总喜欢指挥，而机智之人则善于服从；才干由于得到赞许而感到光荣，机智由于受到偏爱而获得祝福。

在参议院里，才干拥有的是参议院的耳朵，但机智则获得的是参议院的心，能够得到选票。才干适合雇佣，但是机智因为雇佣而适合，就像台球一样，它会默默地朝一种方位滚到自己的位置。

机智虽然没学过任何事情，但它似乎知道任何事情。它曾是一个非常杰出的学徒，它从来不用训练，却从来不会处于一种尴尬的境地；它没有左手，不会置若罔闻，也不会误入盲区。它没有看起来很聪慧的长相，没有深奥莫测的口气，但就像放在钢琴键上的手一样注重每一个细节。它拥有一切平凡的智慧，拥有天才般的力量和聪明才智。