There was a man who had four sons.

有一个男人，他有四个儿子

He wanted his sons to learn

他想要教自己的儿子一件事

to not judge things too quickly.

即，对事物不要太快下结论

So he sent them each on a quest,

于是，他给每个儿子都分配了一项任务

in turn,

让他们轮流

to go and look at a pear tree

去照看一棵梨树

that was a great distance away.

这棵树长在很远的地方

The first son went in the winter,

第一个儿子是冬天去的

the second in the spring,

第二个儿子春天

the third in summer,

三儿子夏天

and the youngest son in the fall.

最小的儿子是秋天去的

When they had all gone and come back,

当他们四人都去过并完成任务后

he called them together

他将他们叫到一起

to describe what they had seen.

请他们描述一下自己见到的东西

The first son said

第一个儿子说

that the tree was ugly, bent¹, and twisted.

那棵树十分丑陋，佝偻，扭曲

The second son said

第二个儿子说

no – it was covered with green buds

不，那棵树长满了绿芽

and full of promise.

生机盎然

The third son disagreed ,

第三个儿子也不同意

he said

他说

it was laden² with blossoms

树上开满了花朵

that smelled so sweet

那些花闻起来十分香甜

and looked so beautiful,

看上去也非常美丽

it was the most graceful³ thing he had ever seen.

这是他见过的最美好的事物

The last son disagreed with all of them;

第四个儿子说的与前三人都不同

he said it was ripe

他说这棵树丰收了

and drooping⁴ with fruit,

果实累累

full of life and fulfilment.

充满了生命力，十分充盈

The man then explained to his sons

男人这时对儿子们解释道

that they were all right,

他们说得都对

because

因为

they had each seen but one season in the tree's life.

他们每人都只看到了树的一生中一个季节的模样

He told them

他告诉他们

that you cannot judge a tree,

你们不要对一棵树

or a person,

一个人

by only one season,

一个季节里的模样评价他

and that the essence of who they are

他们内在的本质

– and the pleasure, joy, and love

他们内心的欢乐，欣喜和爱

that come from that life

都是源自于完整的生活

can only be measured at the end,

只能到最后才能丈量出来

when all the seasons are up.

当你历经四季的时候

If you give up when it's winter,

如果你在冬天就放弃了

you will miss the promise of your spring,

你就会错过春天见给予你的希望

the beauty of your summer,

夏天将见证的美丽

fulfilment of your fall.

秋天的收获

Don't judge a life by one difficult season.

不要仅凭一个困难时节里的处境去评价一个人

Don't let the pain of one season

不要让一个季节里的苦痛

destroy the joy of all the rest.

毁了所有其他季节里的欢乐