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As it is, April is for getting irritated all over again at this pointless, time-consuming hobby. I do not understand people who claim to "love" gardening. A garden is an extension of oneself—or selves—and so it has to be an arena where striving does not cease, but continues by other means. As an example: you simply have to face the moment when you must admit that the lettuce was planted too deep or was not watered enough, cease hoping it will show itself tomorrow, and dig up the row again. But you will feel better for not standing on your dignity. And that's what gardening is all about—character building. Which is why Adam was a gardener. (And we all know where it got him, too.)
實際上，4月份是為了讓我再次對這種無意義又費時的愛好感到惱火。我不理解那些聲稱“熱愛”園藝的人們。菜園是自我或多個自我的延伸——因此它是一個競技場，在這里奮斗不會停止，只是以其他方式延續而已。比方說，你必須面對這樣的時刻：你必須承認萵苣種得太深了或者沒有澆足水，這時就不要妄想它明天會長出來，因此需要再重新把地翻一遍。然而，放下尊嚴你會感覺好些。那就是園藝所有的內涵——塑造品格。這就是為什么亞當曾經是個園丁。（我們也都知道他最后的下場。）
But is it conceivable that the father of us should have been a weaver, shoemaker, or anything but a gardener? Of course not. Only the gardener is capable of endlessly reviving so much hope that this year, regardless of drought, flood, typhoon, or his own stupidity, this year he is going to do it right! Leave it to God to have picked the proper occupation for his only creature capable of such self-delusion.
但是，除了當園丁，我們能想象我們的祖先是紡織工、皮鞋匠或其他什么人嗎？當然不能。只有園丁才能在經歷了干旱、洪水、臺風或由于自己的愚蠢而造成的損失后，還可以年復一年地殷切希望今年會有好收成。我們還是相信上帝為他創造的唯一能夠自欺欺人的子民所選擇的合適的職業吧。
I suppose it should be added, for honesty's sake, that the above was written on one of the coldest days in December.
我想，為了誠實起見，我應該加上一句，上面的內容寫于12月份最冷的日子之一。
