Seeding a lifelong love of autumnal 'super fruit'
播种对秋天“超级水果”的一生热爱
The arrival of autumn has left me enchanted once again with its bountiful harvest of pomegranates. And as I savor this gem of the fruit world, I can't help but reflect on how living in China actually introduced me to the wonders of this unique food.
秋天降临，石榴又丰收了，我心生欢喜。当我品尝石榴——果中之“王”——的时候，我不禁回忆起自己在中国生活的时日里，是怎样领略到这种果实的珍奇之处的。
While pomegranate juice had always been a favorite of mine, for a long time, I couldn't say the same for the actual fruit. Admittedly, appearances played a big role in my anti-pomegranate prejudices. It's a bunch of pulpy little seeds, I had thought. How could anyone possibly take pleasure in eating that?
我一直都很爱喝石榴汁，但并不喜欢石榴本身。我承认，自己对于石榴的偏见很大程度上来源于它的样子——一堆带肉的籽儿而已。怎么会有人喜欢吃这个？
But by chance, my bias was challenged, thanks to a family gift several years ago.
但几年前，一个偶然的机会撼动了我的这种偏见：我收到了一份家庭礼物。
A handful of small, spindly pomegranate trees grow just outside the gate of the family home in rural Zhejiang, and the branches were pendulous with the fruit every fall. So one autumn, my mother-in-law gave me and my husband a bag heaped with pomegranates she had picked herself.
我婆婆家在浙江农村，家门口长着几棵高高瘦瘦的石榴树，每年秋天一到，树枝上就挂满了果实。有年秋天，我婆婆给了我和我丈夫满满一袋石榴，都是她自己摘的。
At first, I shunned the seemingly burdensome pile of fruit on our dinner table, as well as my husband Jun's every attempt to cajole me into taking a bite. But with each passing day, where he continued to nibble on pomegranate and offer me a taste of the seeds, eventually curiosity prevailed.
一开始，我总是躲着在餐桌上堆成小山的石榴，也拒绝我丈夫俊（Jun）的每一次“怂恿”，他老是想让我尝一口。日子就这样一天天过去，他自己啃石榴的时候，也总是剥几粒給我。最终好奇心占据了上风。
I popped a handful in my mouth, preparing to be underwhelmed, and instead found myself stunned in the best possible way. The seeds were bursting with that same rich, sweet-tart flavor I had come to cherish about pomegranate juice, except it was superior to anything I had encountered in liquid form. These weren't a bunch of forgettable, pulpy seeds-they sparkled that day as ambrosial jewels of fruit.
我往嘴里塞了一把石榴，原以为味道平平，结果却被惊艳得无以复加。石榴籽爆开，酸甜的汁水满溢，正是我所爱的石榴汁的味道，却比以往喝到的所有饮料更为美味。它们不再是平平无奇的“带肉的籽子”了，它们闪闪发光，就像芳香的宝石。
Just like that, one taste converted me into a lifelong fan.
就这样，一次偶然间的品尝使我成为了一个石榴爱好者。
The healing properties of the fruit which I experienced only added to its charm. At that time in my life, moving around had dealt me a heavy dose of exhaustion and stress, which usually left me with the discomfort of a nervous stomach. But among the many health benefits of pomegranate is that it can naturally improve digestion. Regular consumption of the fruit had soothed my gut so much that I no longer required an after-dinner cup of peppermint tea, my usual digestive aid. Talk about a super-food!
我所体验到的石榴的疗愈功效也让这个水果愈加迷人。由于四处奔波，当时的我甚感疲惫和压力，消化不良也接踵而至，但是石榴的众多营养价值之一就是能够天然助消化。经常性食用石榴大大改善了我的消化系统，我甚至都不用在饭后喝薄荷茶来助消化了，这可不就是超级食物嘛！
If you've yet to indulge in the delights of the pomegranate, it's not too late to try. One tiny, luscious mouthful could seed the beginnings of an enduring love for this exceptional fruit.
如果你还未曾沉迷于石榴带来的快乐，现在试试也不晚。只尝一小口，你就会种下热爱石榴的种子，从此爱上这种甜蜜无比的水果。
