| 释义 |
▪ I. talent, n.|ˈtælənt|
Forms: 1 talente; 3– talent (4 taland(e, 4–6 -ente, -ant, 6–7 tallent).
[In OE. talente, -an, = OHG. talenta str. fem., ad. L. talenta, pl. of talentum, ad. Gr. τάλαντον balance, weight, sum of money (f. verbal root ταλ-, τλα- to bear). In ME., a. OF. talent will, desire, lust, appetite, = Pr. talant, talen, Sp., It. talento (OSp., Pg. talante), med.L. talentum (1098 in Du Cange), in a Com. Romanic sense ‘inclination of mind, leaning, wish, desire’. Branch III (also in mod.F. and It.) originated in a fig. use of the word in sense 1 b, taken from the parable of the talents, Matt. xxv. 14–30.]
I. An ancient weight, a money of account (L. talentum).
1. a. A denomination of weight, used by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, and other ancient nations; varying greatly with time, people, and locality.
The Royal Babylonian talent averaged about 29·87 kilograms or 65 lb. 13 oz.; the chief Greek varieties were the Old æginetan talent of 40·3 kilog. (88 lb. 12 oz.), the later æginetan or emporetic Attic, 36·4 kilog. (80 lb. 4 oz.), and the Solonic or later Attic, 25·8 kilog. (56 lb. 14 oz., or a little over half a hundredweight).
c893K. ælfred Oros. iv. vi. §1 Hanna..him ælce ᵹeare ᵹesealde twa hund talentana siolfres: on ælcre anre talentan wæs lxxx punda. 1382Wyclif Exod. xxxviii. 26 An hundryd talentes of siluer. ― Zech. v. 7 Lo! a talent of lede was born. ― Rev. xvi. 21 And greet hayl as a talent cam doun fro heuen.1494Fabyan Chron. vi. ccvi. 218 There be thre maner of talentes; the firste & grettest is of y⊇ weyghte of .vi. xx. li. weyght. 1552Huloet, Talent, or certayne poyse or weyght, talentum. 1697Dryden æneid ix. 352 With two great Talents of the finest Gold. 1800Suppl. to Chron. in Asiat. Ann. Reg. 149/2 They afterwards advanced to deliver their presents, consisting of talents of gold and silver. 1807Robinson Archæol. Græca v. xxvi. 551 Grecian weights reduced to English Troy weight:..Talent = 65 lb., 12 dwt., 543/49 grains. 1838Thirlwall Greece III. xix. 121 The statue of Athene in the Parthenon alone contained forty talents weight of pure gold.
b. The value of a talent weight (of gold, silver, etc.): a money of account.
The Babylonian silver talent was equal to 3000 shekels; the Greek talent contained 60 minæ or 6000 silver drachmæ, and the value of the later Attic talent of silver, with pure silver at 4s. 9d. an oz. troy, has been estimated at {pstlg}200; at a higher value of silver, at {pstlg}243 15s. (N.E.D.)
c893K. ælfred Oros. iv. vi. §18 Eac him ᵹesealden þæronufan iii. m talentana ælce ᵹeare. 1382Wyclif Matt. xviii. 24 Oon was offrid to hym, that owȝte to hym ten thousand talentis. Ibid. xxv. 15 As a man goynge fer in pilgrimage, clepide his seruantis, and bitoke to hem his goodis; and to oon he ȝaue fyue talentis, forsothe to an other two. 1387Trevisa Higden (Rolls) III. 5 Of þe whiche richesse..Hircanus þe bisshop ȝaf Anthiochus, Demetrius his sone, þre þowsand talentis. 1530Palsgr. 279/1 Talent a somme of money, talent. 1607Shakes. Timon ii. i. 201 My occasions haue found time to vse 'em toward a supply of mony: let the request be fifty Talents. 1761Raper in Phil. Trans. LXI. 468 This way of reckoning 100 Drachms to the Mina, and 60 Minas to the Talent, was common to all Greece. 1879Froude Cæsar xv. 228 He brought 7,000 talents—a million and a half of English money—to the Roman treasury.
†c. Her. Used as = bezant 3. Obs.
1486Bk. St. Albans, Her. E iij, It is not necessari here to expres the colowre of the talentis or besantis: for thay be euer of golde.
†d. fig. Treasure, riches, wealth, abundance.
a1400–50Alexander 1666 (Dubl. MS.) Takez hym to hys tresory, talentes hym shewys. a1555Latimer in Foxe A. & M. (1563) 1311/1 All hayle holy crosse which hath deserued to beare the precious talent of the worlde. 1597Shakes. Lover's Compl. 204 And Lo behold these tallents of their heir, With twisted mettle amorously empeacht. a1606Ballad Stucley in Simpson Sch. Shaks. (1878) I. 146 Many a noble gallant—sold both land and talent. 1635J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. 66 On her therefore spent he all the talent of his hatred.
II. Inclination, disposition (OF. talent).
†2. Inclination, propension, or disposition for anything; ‘mind’, ‘will’, wish, desire, appetite.
[1292Britton v. i. §1 Pur doner meillour talent a femmes de amer matrimoigne.] a1300Cursor M. 3913 Þan bigan þam tak talent [v.rr. talande, taland] To wend in to þair aun land. c1325Metr. Hom. (Vernon MS.) in Herrig Archiv LVII. 263 But hedde he no talent to chase. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 8459 To what thyng þe saule has talent, To þat þe body salle, ay, assent. 1375Barbour Bruce iii. 694 The wynd wes wele to thar talent. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. vi. (Tollem. MS.), To make hem haue talent to mete. c1440Promp. Parv. 486/1 Talent, or lyste,..appetitus, delectacio. c1450Bk. Hawkyng in Rel. Ant. I. 306 The which schall..make here have a talente to hire mete. c1460Towneley Myst. ix. 157 Yis, lord, I am at youre talent. 1485Caxton Paris & V. 7 Grete talent and desyre she had to knowe hym. 1530Palsgr. 279/1 Talent or lust, talent.
†3. An evil inclination, disposition, or passion; esp. and usually, anger: cf. maltalent, ‘ill talent’, ill-will (which occurs somewhat earlier). Obs.
[c1320: see maltalent.] a1380St. Ambrose 698 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1878) 19 An officer greued Ambrose sore..And sende word to him wiþ gret talent. c1386Chaucer Man of Law's T. 1039 Hym ne moeued outher conscience Or Ire or talent or som kynnes affray, Enuye, or pride. c1412Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 2326 Al his angir and his irrous talent Refreyned he. 1622Bacon Henry VII 68 One that had of a long time borne an ill Talent towards the King. 1652Earl of Monmouth tr. Bentivoglio's Hist. Relat. 41 Their tallent is alike evil against the Archduke Albertus and his wife. 1695Temple Hist. Eng. (1699) 581 Several Writers shew their ill Talent to this Prince.
†4.
a. Disposition or state of mind or character.
c1330Arth. & Merl. 5882 To geuen the other gode talent. a1400Lybeaus Disc. 612 Elene..ladde her ynto the greves..Wyth well good talent. 1450–80tr. Secreta Secret. 15 The talent of man takith thereof gret strengthe and corage in alle manhode.
†b. transf. Quality (of taste or flavour). rare.
1562J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 118 The talent of one cheese in mouthes of ten men, Hath ten different tasts. 1606G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Ivstine Pref., As with a tun of Wine, which..doth take an euill talent of the Caske.
III. Mental endowment; natural ability.[From the parable of the talents, Matt. xxv. 14–30, etc.] 5. Power or ability of mind or body viewed as something divinely entrusted to a person for use and improvement: considered either as one organic whole or as consisting of a number of distinct faculties; (with pl.) any one of such faculties.
c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 240 Who shal me save Fro feendys daunger, t'acounte for my talent? 1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 12 They be the talentes that god hath lent to man in this lyfe, of the whiche he wyll aske moost strayte accounte. 1574J. Dee in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 39 That this florishing Kingdome may long enjoye the great Talent committed to your Lordship (from above). 1586T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1589) 353 Hide not this talent, but teach it others, and giue thy selfe an example vnto them of well doing. 1607Heywood Fayre Mayde Wks. 1874 II. 60 His industry hath now increas'd his talent. 1671Woodhead St. Teresa ii. ii. 10 Our Lord having herein given him an extraordinary talent. 1697Collier Ess. Mor. Subj. ii. (1709) 178 We should presume People have understood their Opportunities, and managed their Talent, and their Time to advantage. 1781Cowper Conversat. 1 Though Nature weigh our talents, and dispense To every man his modicum of sense. 1842Kingsley Lett. (1878) I. 59 Remember that your talents are a loan from God.
6. a. A special natural ability or aptitude, usually for something expressed or implied; a natural capacity for success in some department of mental or physical activity; † an accomplishment (obs.).
1600W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 336 Silly bodies and sorie fellowes of no talent gift or ability. 1635J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Banish'd Virg. Ep. Ded., He alone having the talent of both conceiving and expressing himselfe. 1644Evelyn Diary 4 Jan., He would needes perswade me to goe with him..to the Jesuites Colledge, to witness his polemical talent. 1685Dryden Sylvæ Pref., Ess. (ed. Ker) I. 266 He is chiefly to be considered in his three different talents, as he was a critic, a satirist, and a writer of odes. 1693Congreve Old Bach. iv. xiii, Where did you get this excellent talent of railing? 1774Chesterfield Lett. I. x. 36 To write letters well..is a talent which unavoidably occurs every day of one's life. 1846Greener Sc. Gunnery 398 They seem to possess a ‘talent’ for this sort of thing. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 199 He had shown..two talents invaluable to a prince, the talent of choosing his servants well, and the talent of appropriating to himself the chief part of the credit of their acts.
b. pl. Aptitudes or faculties of various kinds; mental powers of a superior order; abilities, parts.
1654Evelyn Diary 12 July, Mr. Gibbon..giving us a taste of his skill and talents on that instrument [the double organ]. 1656Blount Glossogr. s.v., We say, a man of good talents, i. of good parts or abilities. 1731Fielding Letter Writer ii. i, Love and war I find still require the same talents. 1771Goldsm. Hist. Eng. II. 259 The duke of Buckingham, a man of talents and power. 1796M. Robinson Angelina I. 69 She is the only unaffected woman of talents I have met with. 1866Whittier Marg. Smith's Jrnl. Prose Wks. 1889 I. 92 What avail great talents, if they be not devoted to goodness? 1895N. W. Sibley in Law Times XCIX. 476/2 It requires the talents of a Boileau, Molière, or La Fontaine to play the part of a flâneur with any success.
c. collective sing. (without a or pl.). Mental power or ability; cleverness.
1622Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. (1623) 193 Other poore rogues of lesse talent. 1670Capt. J. Smith Eng. Improv. Reviv'd 6 As much as their Talent and Capacity will amount to. 1749Mrs. Belfour in Richardson's Corr. (1804) IV. 259 Your talent may be universal; I believe it is. 1764Goldsm. Trav. 354 And talent sinks, and merit weeps unknown. 1771Smollett Humph. Cl. 2 June, Without principle, talent, or intelligence. 1800Southey Let. to J. Rickman 9 Jan., We have men of talent here also. 1809Coleridge Own Times 655 The aristocracy of talent. 1821Syd. Smith Wks. (1850) 313 A work in which great and extraordinary talent is evinced. 1847Emerson Repr. Men, Goethe Wks. (Bohn) I. 390 In England and in America, there is a respect for talent. 1877Morley Crit. Misc. Ser. ii. 149 He was a person of no talent, his friends allowed.
d. Talent as embodied in the talented; sometimes approaching or passing into the sense: Persons of talent or ability collectively; as sing., a person of talent. By the sporting press, applied to backers of horses, as distinguished from the ‘layers’ or bookmakers, the implication being that those whose investments make a horse a ‘favourite’ are supposed to be ‘the clever ones’.
(Administration of) All the Talents (Eng. Hist.), an ironical appellation of the Ministry of Lord Grenville, 1806–7, implying that it combined in its members all the talents.[1809Scott Fam. Lett. 15 Feb., Yet the aggregate talent from which assistance is expected is very formidable. 1838Macaulay Ess., Temple (1887) 452 Clarendon..seems to have taken a sort of morose pleasure in slighting and provoking all the rising talent of the kingdom. 1885J. K. Jerome On the Stage 17 Selfish fellows who wanted to keep young talent from the stage.] 1856G. Davis Hist. Sk. Stockbridge & Southbr. 213 It summoned to its investigation the first talents of the nation. 1883Daily News 21 July 6/5 Xarifa was the most in demand, and the talent again proved correct in their choice, Mr. Valentine's filly winning a capital race by a neck. 1885Field 3 Oct. 489/1 All the talent were discomfited though; as they often are in Nurseries. 1886H. Hall Soc. in Eliz. Age vii. 100 Throughout the summer there were always two..of the local ‘talent’ engaged in fishing upon the manor. 1888H. James in Fortn. Rev. May 651 M. Pierre Loti is a new enough talent for us still to feel something of the glow of exultation at his having not contradicted us, but [etc.]. 1928E. Blom Limitations of Music 139 Honegger is a Swiss and a great talent to boot. 1958Spectator 4 July 14/1 The studio, with its presiding talent, Lee Strasberg. 1977Rolling Stone 24 Mar. 74/1 The record's not great, but the lady's a real talent.
1807All Talents in Ireland! 10 The general impression upon the public mind, relative to the recent change in administration, seems to be, that the downfall of ‘All the Talents’ was occasioned by the unbending perverseness of my Lord H-w-k..and the deference which Lord G-n-lle paid to Lord H-w-k. 1837G. W. Cooke Hist. Party III. xviii. 460 The administration, which was ironically designated by its opponents as ‘All the Talents’. 1861Knight Pop. Hist. Eng. VII. xxvi. 463 The ministry of ‘All the Talents’ was accepted without any hesitation on the part of the king. 1895Oman Hist. Eng. xxxviii. 608 The short Fox-Grenville cabinet, which contemporary wits called the ministry of ‘All the Talents’, on account of its broad and comprehensive character. 1897Morley Guicciardini in Misc. Ser. iv. (1908) 79 Cabinets of all the Talents have sometimes been cabinets of all the blunders.
e. Frequenters of the underworld. Austral. slang. Now Obs. or rare.
1882[see forty n. 7]. 1928‘Brent of Bin Bin’ Up Country x. 151 The elder won by telling his son he could use the Waterfall stallion as a saddle-horse in the off season, and have him for his own in place of Black Belle, on condition that he left the talent of Eagle Hawk Gullies strictly alone. 1953D. Cusack Southern Steel 31 He'd learn responsibility quicker married than he would knocking about the ports with the rest of the talent.
f. The women of a particular locality collectively (as sing.), judged according to attractiveness and sexual promise, esp. as local talent (see local a. 2 d). Also applied occas. to men. slang.
1947[see local talent s.v. local a. 2 d]. 1950J. Cleary Just let Me Be 115 [He] looked after her, and Harry grinned at him. ‘Not bad, eh?’ he said... ‘That's a bit of the local talent.’ 1963Sunday Times (Colour Suppl.) 1 Sept. 8 You can take a turn on the [sea-]front and see what the talent is like. 1969J. Fowles French Lieut.'s Woman xxxix. 292 Far duller the customers—the numerically equal male sex, who, stick in hand and ‘weed’ in mouth, eyed the evening's talent. 1972‘M. Yorke’ Silent Witness ii. 24 No chance had come her way... ‘Your charms are waning,’ Liz had said dryly. ‘There isn't any talent,’ Sue had answered.
†7.
a. The characteristic disposition or aptitude of a person or animal. (App. blending 4 and 6.) Obs.
1669Dryden Tempest Pref., Wks. 1883 III. 105 This is certainly the talent of that nation. 1697Collier Immor. Stage i. (1698) 7 Obscenity in any Company is a rustick uncreditable Talent; but among Women 'tis particularly rude. 1697Vanbrugh Prov. Wife ii. ii, Besides, 'tis my particular talent to ridicule folks. 1701Swift Contests Nobles & Com. Wks. 1755 II. i. 46 It is the talent of human nature to run from one extreme to another. 1741Richardson Pamela I. xxx. 116 Pride is not my Talent. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) IV. 159 Its talents are entirely repressed in solitude, and are only brought out by society.
b. The good points or qualities of a horse. ? Obs.
1725Bradley's Fam. Dict. s.v. Horse, If your Horse's Talent be Speed, all that you can do is to wait upon the other Horse, and keep behind till you come almost to the Stand, and then endeavour to give a Loose by him.
8. attrib. and Comb., as talent-hiding; talent agency, an organization which seeks to place talented amateurs in the world of professional entertainment; talent money, a bonus or gratuity given to a professional athlete, etc. for specially meritorious performance; talent scout = scout n.4 2 e; so talent-scouting vbl. n.; talent show, a show or competition consisting of performances by a series of promising entertainers, esp. ones seeking to enter show business professionally; talent-spotter = talent scout above; also talent-spot v. trans. and intr., talent-spotting vbl. n.
1956B. Holiday Lady sings Blues viii. 95 Nobody was in a position to push a hotel chain, a broadcasting network, and the talent agency around. 1977Rolling Stone 24 Mar. 48/5 Christine and a girlfriend/singing partner snuck away from their strict parents in Birmingham and visited every talent agency they could find in London.
1623Lisle ælfric on O. & N. Test. Pref. 7, I thought it a shame, and the great fault also of talent-hiding, to lead all my life in study.
1859Bell's Life 14 Aug. 8/2 When the time arrived for drawing the stumps. Both [players]..were loudly cheered during the presentation of the ‘talent’ money. 1896Ld. Hawke in Westm. Gaz. 25 Nov. 5/3 Whilst they were pleased to congratulate the one who made 100, [or] a bowler who earned talent money. 1896Daily Chron. 5 May 5/8 Briggs..saw Sugg earn his ‘talent money’ after the latter had been batting fifty minutes. 1936New Republic 28 Oct. 351/2 Paramount's ‘Big Broadcast of 1937’..(Paramount talent-scouts: there's a joker here somewhere.) 1939N. Monsarrat This is Schoolroom iii. xvii. 383 He was appraising the women present, as if he were a talent scout who only recognised one talent. 1952Wodehouse Pigs have Wings x. 202, I understand that he's always being approached with flattering offers by the talent scouts of Colney Hatch and similar institutions. 1976A. Powell Infants of Spring x. 170 Lyall worked intermittently as a film actor, consequence of a talent-scout seeing him making faces in a restaurant.
1934M. H. Weseen Dict. Amer. Slang 154 Talent scouting,..seeking new actors. 1955F. G. Patton Good Morning, Miss Dove 70 She had won a talent show and gone to New York. 1977Detroit Free Press 11 Dec. 11-b/3 After that he landed parts in the theater productions, ice shows and talent shows.
1937Boy's Own Paper 2 Nov. 80/2 When talent-spotting, the thing he looked out for in a half-back was the ability to deliver an artistic pass. 1968‘D. Torr’ Treason Line 69 He had also to prod her into making the best of her mother's party to talent-spot possible agents. 1979A. Boyle Climate of Treason x. 324 George Blake, a Royal Navy lieutenant whom he had ‘talent-spotted’ as a possible SIS recruit for counter-espionage work in Germany.
1944Gen. 15 Jan. 27/2 The B.B.C. talent-spotter is touring the Midlands. 1954I. Murdoch Under Net xiv. 197, I hope that the eye of the talent-spotter has lighted favourably upon you. 1978L. Meynell Papersnake vii. 88 It's punk..no action, what you keep these lousy talent-spotters for I can't imagine.
1957Observer 3 Nov. 9/5 Competitions are an effective method for talent-spotting, an encouragement to architects and a means, sometimes, of acquiring a masterpiece. 1978J. Pearson Façades iv. 69 Thanks to the talent-spotting skill of Richard Jennings..‘Drowned Suns’ was published in the London Daily Mirror.
▪ II. ˈtalent, v. rare.
Also 5 -awnt.
[f. talent n.]
†1. trans. To fill with desire; = entalent v.
1486Bk. St. Albans C j b, That shall talawnt hir wele, and cause her to haue goode appetide.
2. To endow with talent or talents. Chiefly in pa. pple. talented.
a1633Abp. Abbot in Rushw. Hist. Coll. (1659) 449 When one talented but as a common person, yet by the favour of his prince, hath gotten that interest. 1702C. Mather Magn. Chr. iii. 103 So Great an Ability, as that wherewith Mr. Rogers was Talented. Ibid. iv. (1853) II. 18 In his peculiar opportunities, with which the free grace of Heaven hath talented him to do good unto the public. a1774Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 589 We were neither born nor talented for ourselves alone; we are citizens of the universe.
▪ III. talent(e
obs. and dial. forms of talon. |