With no flowers to water he was tempted to prune the date tree; but knowing the stubborn propensity of date trees to grow gnarled and crooked, he refrained.

• 没有花草可浇灌，他很想整理一下那棵枣树，可是他晓得枣树是多么任性，歪歪拧拧的不受调理，所以也就不便动手。