《四季随笔》是吉辛的散文代表作。其中对隐士赖克罗夫特醉心于书籍、自然景色与回忆过去生活的描述，其实是吉辛的自述，作者以此来抒发自己的情感，因而本书是一部富有自传色彩的小品文集。

吉辛穷困的一生，对文学名著的爱好与追求，以及对大自然恬静生活的向往，在书中均有充分的反映。本书分为春、夏、秋、冬四个部分，文笔优美，行文流畅，是英国文学中小品文的珍品之一。

以下是由网友分享的《四季随笔》节选 - 夏 03的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

Sitting in my garden amid the evening scent of roses, I have read through Walton4 's Life of Hooker5; could any place and time have been more appropriate? Almost within sight is the tower of Heavitree church—Heavitree, which was Hooker's birthplace. In other parts of England he must often have thought of these meadows falling to the green valley of the Exe, and of the sun setting behind the pines of Haldon. Hooker loved the country. Delightful to me, and infinitely touching, is that request of his to be transferred from London to a rural living—"where I can see God's blessing spring out of the earth." And that glimpse of him where he was found tending sheep, with a Horace6 in his hand. It was in rural solitudes that he conceived the rhythm of mighty prose. What music of the spheres sang to that poor, vixenhaunted, pimply-faced man!

傍晚，空气里有玫瑰的芬芳，我坐在花园里，通读了一遍艾萨克·沃尔顿的《胡克传》，读这本书还能有更合适的时间和地点吗？从这里远眺，几乎能看见希维特里教堂的钟楼—希维特里是胡克出生的地方。住在英格兰其他地方时，他一定经常想起向下延伸到埃克斯绿色河谷的草地，还有沉落在哈尔登山松林后的夕阳。胡克热爱乡村，让我高兴又无限感动的是，他曾请求从伦敦调到乡下任职—“在那里，我能看到上帝的恩典从大地喷薄而出”。我恍惚看到他在牧羊，手里拿着一本贺拉斯的作品。正是在乡村的孤独生活中，他构思了韵律优美的伟大散文作品。世界对着这位被悍妇纠缠、丘疹满面的清贫寒士唱出了怎样的乐曲啊！

The last few pages I read by the light of the full moon, that of afterglow having till then sufficed me. Oh, why has it not been granted me in all my long years of pen-labour to write something small and perfect, even as one of these lives of honest Izaak! Here is literature, look you—not "literary work." Let me be thankful that I have the mind to enjoy it; not only to understand, but to savour, its great goodness.

书的最后几页我是借着满月的光辉读的，之前，夕照的光线就足够我阅读之用。噢，在辛苦笔耕的漫长年月里，我为什么没能写出一篇短小精悍的佳作呢，就算只有一部老实人艾萨克的传记作品也好！这是文学，注意了—不是“文字作品”。让我感恩，现在我有心情来享受它；不仅仅是理解，而是品味它伟大的妙处。