我只把养花当作生活中的一种乐趣，花开得大小好坏都不计较，只要开花，我就高兴。
I merely take flowers cultivation as a pleasure of life.
在我的小院里，到夏天，满是花草，小猫儿们只好上房去玩耍，地上没有它们的运动场。
In summer, flowers and plants growing in luxuriance in my small courtyard will leave little open space as a playground for the little kids, so they have to sports about in our rooms instead.
花虽多，但无奇花异草。
I grow many flowers, but none of them are exotic or rare ones.
珍贵的花草不易养活，看着一颗好花生病欲死是件难过的事。
It is difficult to grow a precious flower species.
我不愿时时落泪。
I don't want often to shed tears over that.
北京的气候，对养花来说，不算很好。
But Beijing's climate is more or less unfit for the growing of flowers.
冬天冷，春天多风，夏天不是干旱，就是大雨倾盆；
Freezing in winter, windy in spring, and either too dry or too often visited by rainstorms in summer.
秋天最好，可是忽然会闹霜冻。
But autumn is the best of all, it is often plagued by a sudden frost.
在这种气候里，想把南方的好花养活，我还没有那么大的本事。
In a climate like this, it is far beyond my capacity to grow precious flowers of southern breed.
因此，我只养些好种易活、自己会奋斗的花草。
Therefore, I only grow flowers and plants that are hardy and enjoy a high survival rate.
不过，尽管花草自己会奋斗，我若置之不理，任其自生自灭，它们多数还是会死了的。
I, however, never ignored them or abandon them to their own fate, for otherwise most of them will probably end up dead.
我得天天照管它们，像好朋友似的关切它们。
I have to care for them there every day as if they were my close friends.
这是个乐趣，摸住门道，发愁养活了，而且三年五载老活着、开花，多么有意思呀！
How interesting it is to be able to keep my flowers and plants alive and watch them thrive and bloom year in year out!
不是乱吹，这就是知识呀！
It is no exaggeration to say that there is much knowledge involved in this!
我不是有腿病吗，不但不利于行，也不利于久坐。
As I have some trouble with my leg, I can't move around easily, nor can I sit too long.
我不知道花草们受我的照顾，感谢我不感谢；
I don't know if the flowers under my care are grateful to me or not.
在我工作的时候，我总是写了几十个字，就到院中去看一看，浇浇这棵，搬搬那盆， 然后回到屋中再写一点，然后再出去，如此循环，把脑力劳动与体力劳动结合到一起，有益身心，胜于吃药。
I often leave off sedentary work after writing a few dozen words and go to the courtyard to take a look at the flowers, watering them and moving about the potted ones.
要是赶上狂风暴雨或天气突变哪，就得全家动员，抢救花草，十分紧张。
In case of a violent storm or a sudden change of weather, however, the whole family will have to turn out to salvage the flowers and plants.
第二天，天气好转，又得把花儿都搬出去，就又一次腰酸腿疼，热汗直流。
The next day, when the weather is fine, we will have another round of being dog-tired and wet with perspiration in taking all the flowers out to the courtyard again.
可是，这多么有意思呀！
How interesting it is!
不劳动，连棵花都养不活，这难道不是真理么？
Isn't it true that without doing manual labor, we wouldn't even keep a single flower alive?
花儿分根了，一棵分为数棵，就赠给朋友们一些；
When the cereuses have branched out, we will pick some of the flowers and give them as a present to our friends.
看着友人拿走自己的劳动果实，心里自然特别喜欢。
We are of course especially happy to see them take away our fruits of labor.
当然，也有伤心的时候，今年夏天就有这么一回。
Of course, there is a time to feel sad too.