This incident occurred one morning outside Albert Sch-weitzer's hospital in the African jungle. A patient had gone fishing in another man's boat. The owner of the boat thought he should be given all the fish that were caught. Dr. Sch-weitzer said to the boat owner:

 　　

"You are right because the other man ought to have asked permission to use your boat. But you are wrong because you are careless and lazy. You merely twisted the chain of your canoe¹ round a palm tree instead of fastening it with a padlock. Of laziness you are guilty because you were asleep in your hut on this moonlit night instead of making use of the good opportunity for fishing."

 　　

He turned to the patient: "But you were in the wrong when you took the boat without asking the owner's permission. You were in the right because you were not so lazy as he was and you did not want to let the moonlit night go by without making some use of it."

 　　

Dr. Schweitzer divided the catch among the fisherman, the boat owner, and the hospital.

 

这件事，是一天早晨在非洲丛林中的艾伯特·施韦策的医院外面发生的。一位病人乘了别人的船去捕鱼，船主认为，捕到的鱼应悉数归他。施韦策博士对船主说：

 　　

“你有对的一面，因为别人要用你的船，理应先征得你的同意；但你也有错的一面，因为你粗心大意，而且懒惰。你只把独木舟的链条绕在一棵棕榈树上，没有用锁锁牢。对于懒惰，你是有愧的，因为月明今宵，你关在屋里睡大觉，却没有利用良机去捕鱼。”

 　　

他又转向那位病人说：“但是，你未征得船主的许可便动用了他的船，在这点上你是不对的。你也有对的一面，因为你不像他那样懒惰，你不想让这月夜白白溜走而不去利用它。”

 　　

施韦策博士把捕来的鱼分给了渔夫、病人和医院三方。

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