一瓶水的故事 - 古德明

                
                
In the Battle of Zutphen in 1586, the English helped the Dutch fight against the Spaniards. Philip Sidney, an English officer, had two horses killed under him. As he was mounting a third, he was wounded by a musket-ball. The wound caused him keen pain, and he slowly rode back to camp.
On arrival, he called for water, being thirsty through loss of blood. His want was instantly supplied. But as he was putting the bottle to his mouth, he saw a wounded soldier, who was being carried past, casting wistful looks at the bottle. Without wetting his lips, Sidney handed the bottle to the soldier and said, "Your need is greater than mine."
Sixteen days later, Sidney, then only 32 years old, breathed his last, to the grief of the whole army.
一五八六年聚特芬之役，英軍協助荷蘭迎戰西班牙。英國軍官菲力浦．西德尼的戰馬第一匹倒地死去，第二匹亦然。他跨上第三匹的時候，給毛瑟槍彈擊中，痛得厲害，唯有策馬慢慢返回軍營。
他走到營內，由於失血過多，十分口渴，說要喝水，馬上有人把水送到。他正舉瓶要喝，卻看見一個傷兵給抬着走過。那傷兵望着西德尼手上水瓶，一副想喝的神氣。西德尼滴水未有沾唇，就把水瓶遞給那士兵，說道：「你比我更要喝水。」
十六天之後，西德尼溘然辭世，死時才三十二歲，全軍為之哀痛。