句子使用了倒装和反问修辞，通过对比“pear tree”和“heart”的“owner”，深刻强调了内在道德准则的独立性。
Xu Heng was an outstanding thinker, educator, and astronomer in ancient China. One summer, he was fleeing from disaster along with many others. When they passed through Heyang, the long journey and scorching heat left everyone parched and exhausted.
At that moment, someone noticed a large pear tree by the roadside, laden with sweet pears. Everyone rushed to climb the tree and pick the fruit, but only Xu Heng remained seated quietly under the tree, unmoved.
The others were puzzled. One person asked him, "Why don't you pick a pear to quench your thirst?" Xu Heng replied, "They are not my pears; how can I take them arbitrarily?" The questioner laughed, saying, "With the situation in such chaos, everyone is on the run. The owner of this tree is long gone. Since there is no owner, why should you mind?"
Xu Heng answered, "Even if the pear tree has lost its owner, has my heart lost its owner?" In the end, Xu Heng never picked a single pear.
许衡是我国古代杰出的思想家、教育家和天文历法学家。一年夏天，许衡与许多人一同逃难。途经河阳时，由于长途跋涉且天气酷热，众人均感到饥渴难耐。
此时，有人发现路边有一棵硕大的梨树，树上结满了清甜的梨子。于是，大家纷纷爬上树去摘梨解渴，唯有许衡一人端坐树下，纹丝未动。
众人感到疑惑，便问许衡：“你为何不摘个梨来解解渴？”许衡回答：“不是自己的梨，怎能随意采摘？”提问者不禁笑道：“如今时局动荡，大家各自逃难，这棵梨树的主人早已不在，既无主人，你又何必介意？”
许衡说道：“梨树虽失去了主人，难道我的心就没有主人吗？”最终，许衡始终没有摘梨。