《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 - 冬 25的内容，让我们一起来感受吉辛的四季吧!

The dark days are drawing to an end. Soon it will be spring once more; I shall go out into the fields, and shake away these thoughts of discouragement and fear which have lately too much haunted my fireside. For me, it is a virtue to be self-centred; I am much better employed, from every point of view, when I live solely for my own satisfaction, than when I begin to worry about the world. The world frightens me, and a frightened man is no good for anything. I know only one way in which I could have played a meritorious part as an active citizen—by becoming a schoolmaster in some little country town, and teaching half a dozen teachable boys to love study for its own sake. That I could have done, I daresay. Yet, no; for I must have had as a young man the same mind that I have in age, devoid of idle ambitions, undisturbed by unattainable ideals. Living as I do now, I deserve better of my country than at any time in my working life; better, I suspect, than most of those who are praised for busy patriotism.

黑暗的日子就要结束了。很快就又是春天，我要走到田野中去，将沮丧和恐惧的情绪统统甩掉，近来在炉火旁，它们常常萦绕在我的心头。对我来说，以自我为中心是一种美德；从各方面来看，完全为满足自己而生活，比起开始为世界担忧，能更好地体现我的价值。世界让我感到恐惧，一个吓坏了的人是一无是处的。我只知道一种方式，可以让我作为一名公民对世界作出积极的贡献——就是成为某个乡村小镇的教师，为五六个可教的男孩子授业，教他们为学习本身而热爱学习。这我敢说自己是可以做到的，但是，不。我肯定年轻时的心态就和现在差不多，没有虚无缥缈的雄心，也不会因为无法实现理想而烦忧。我现在这样生活，比起当初疲于奔命的任何时候，都更对得起国家；我甚至觉得，比大多数为爱国主义而奔忙并受到颂扬的人们做得也更好。

Not that I regard my life as an example for any one else; all I say is, that it is good for me, and in so far an advantage to the world. To live in quiet content is surely a piece of good citizenship. If you can do more, do it, and God-speed! I know myself for an exception. And I ever find it a good antidote to gloomy thoughts to bring before my imagination the lives of men, utterly unlike me in their minds and circumstances, who give themselves with glad and hopeful energy to the plain duties that lie before them. However one's heart may fail in thinking of the folly and baseness which make so great a part of to-day's world, remember how many bright souls are living courageously, seeing the good wherever it may be discovered, undismayed by portents, doing what they have to do with all their strength. In every land there are such, no few of them, a great brotherhood, without distinction of race or faith; for they, indeed, constitute the race of man, rightly designated, and their faith is one, the cult of reason and of justice. Whether the future is to them or to the talking anthropoid, no one can say. But they live and labour, guarding the fire of sacred hope.

我并没有把自己的生活看作任何人的榜样，我只是说，它对我有好处，迄今对社会也有益。能够平静满足地生活当然是好公民的行为。如果你能做得更多，那就做吧，上帝保佑你！我知道自己是个例外。我发现排解沮丧情绪的一个好方法，就是想象那些和我思想境遇完全不同的人们的生活，他们兴致勃勃充满希望地从事着面前的平常事务。不管人们在想到今天世界广泛存在的愚蠢和卑鄙时多么灰心丧气，请不要忘记还有许多聪明的灵魂在勇敢地生活着，尽力发现事物美好的方面，不为恶兆而灰心，竭尽全力地做着必须要做的事情。在每块土地上都有这样的人，为数不少，不分种族，不分信仰，像个大规模的兄弟会；他们真正构成了名副其实的人类，他们有同样的信仰，即对理智和正义的膜拜。未来是属于他们，或是属于能说话的类人猿，没有人能说定。但是他们生存并努力着，捍卫着神圣希望之火。

In my own country, dare I think that they are fewer than of old? Some I have known; they give me assurance of the many, near and far. Hearts of noble strain, intrepid, generous; the clear head, the keen eye; a spirit equal alike to good fortune and to ill. I see the true-born son of England, his vigour and his virtues yet unimpaired. In his blood is the instinct of honour, the scorn of meanness; he cannot suffer his word to be doubted, and his hand will give away all he has rather than profit by a plebeian parsimony. He is frugal only of needless speech. A friend staunch to the death; tender with a grave sweetness to those who claim his love; passionate, beneath stoic seeming, for the causes he holds sacred. A hater of confusion and of idle noise, his place is not where the mob presses; he makes no vaunt of what he has done, no boastful promise of what he will do; when the insensate cry is loud, the counsel of wisdom overborne, he will hold apart, content with plain work that lies nearest to his hand, building, strengthening, whilst others riot in destruction. He was ever hopeful, and deems it a crime to despair of his country. "Non, si male nunc, et olim sic erit."24 Fallen on whatever evil days and evil tongues, he remembers that Englishman of old, who, under every menace, bore right onwards; and like him, if so it must be, can make it his duty and his service to stand and wait.

在我自己的国家，我敢设想这样的人比以前少了吗？有一些人我是认识的，他们让我确信在远近各处还有很多这样的人。他们心灵高尚，无畏而慷慨，头脑清醒，目光犀利，不管好运噩运都同样的精神焕发。我看到英格兰真正的儿子，他的活力和美德还没有受到损害。他的血液中涌动着追求荣誉的本能和对卑鄙的蔑视；他无法忍受自己的话遭到质疑，他宁可抛弃所有一切也不愿靠卑俗的节俭获利。他所吝啬的只有不必要的废话。他是一位忠实不渝的朋友；对所爱的人，他是温柔甜蜜的；对奉为神圣的事业，他在克制的表面下满怀着一腔热情。他憎恶混乱和无聊的噪音，他从不在人群汹涌的地方出现；对做过的事情，他不事夸耀，对将要做的事情，也不作自夸的允诺；在失去理性的喧嚷声中，在智慧的意见被压制时，他会远远躲开，安心从事手边最近的工作；在其他人暴乱搞破坏时，他在建造，在加固。他从来都是充满希望的，把对自己的国家绝望视为一种罪行。“不，如果现在不好，未来不一定不好”。不管遭遇怎样的恶劣境遇或恶语中伤，他会记得，从前的英国人不管面临任何威胁，都会勇往直前；如果有必要，他会效仿前人，把站稳脚跟等待作为自己的责任和义务。