根據2022年7月21日The Economist《Why nurseries in Senegal leave pricey plants unguarded》報導，非洲對自己國人信任度，前五名是尼日、幾內亞、馬利、塞內加爾和衣索比亞。
塞內加爾人均每日約4.5美元，卻放心讓一株要價1萬西非法郎(16美元)的植物，無人看守?
除了對人的信任外，它們也相信小偷會遭到報應。
Tucked alongside the baking asphalt and dusty curbs of Dakar, the capital of Senegal, are dozens of small oases. In garden nurseries shapely shrubs, bright bougainvilleas and potted palms leaven the heat. Along some roads scores of nurseries cluster together, giving motorists the momentary sensation of zooming through a botanic garden. At night these green-fingered traders simply go home, leaving their leafy assets rustling in the breeze, vulnerable to any passing thief. How odd.
在塞內加爾首都達卡的灼熱瀝青、塵土飛揚路邊，有數十個小綠洲。在花圃中有灌木、九重葛和棕櫚樹。
沿著道路，有數十個托兒所，讓駕駛有種瞬間穿越植物園的感覺。晚上，這些園藝商家會回家，讓這些綠色資產，暴露可能被偷的風險，有點奇怪。
The value of this unattended flora quickly adds up. Pierre, a nursery owner, says that each of his plants is worth 10,000 cfa francs ($16) on average. He has about 300. With perhaps 30 other plant purveyors on the same stretch of road, some $150,000 of shrubbery is left by the green-fingered to the mercy of the light-fingered. That is a fortune in a country where the average income is only about $4.50 a day.
這種無人看管的植物價值成長飛速。老闆Pieer說：他每株植物平均要價 1萬非洲法郎(16 美元)，他大約有 300 棵。同一條道路上還有 其他30 家植物業者，他們大概會留下約 1萬5千美元的灌木叢由人擺佈。相較塞內加爾每人平均收入僅為 4.50 美元，這是一筆很大的財富。
Such a contrast could be a recipe for theft—or a strong argument for a night watch to secure these green investments. Yet Birane, a 70-year-old trader, says he has suffered only one theft in his career. “We don’t have a guard,” he smiles, gesturing to the dozens of nurseries nearby.
這樣(價值)的對比，可能是盜竊的秘訣 — 或者確保聘請夜間守衛的證據。但是70 歲的業者Birane 說，他只遇過一次盜竊。「我們沒有警衛」，他微笑著指附近幾十家托兒所。
Sometimes there is no one there during the day, either. When your correspondent visited on a public holiday only three of the 30 or so nurseries had anyone present—and one of them was asleep in the undergrowth. Even on normal weekdays many owners simply leave signs with phone numbers for interested buyers to call.
有時白天也沒有人在那裡。當記者在假日訪問時，只看到3個人，在 30間托兒所裡，其中一個還在灌木叢中睡著了。就算在正常工作天，許多業主也只是留下電話號碼看板。
Such confidence is not uncommon. Pollsters from Afrobarometer found that the Senegalese are the fifth most trusting people in Africa. One in five of them think “most people can be trusted.” That may be enough. Adama, who runs a roadside nursery, says he has suffered only a few thefts in ten years. “If you are friendly to everyone then when you are away they keep an eye out, even at night.”
這種自信並不少見。來自Afrobarometer 的民意調查發現，塞內加爾人是非洲第五大最信任的人。五分之一的人認為「塞內加爾大多數人都值得信賴」，這可能就足夠了。經營托兒所的阿達瑪說，十年來他只遭遇過幾起盜竊案。
「如果你對大家都很友好，你不在的時候，他們幫你會留意，即使是晚上」。
Ignorance may also play a role. Most people do not know the value of vegetation, explains Birane, pointing out a rare variety worth 50,000 cfa. The only people who might steal such pricey plants are gardeners he knows and works with, he notes with a chuckle. And since he sells his bigger, more valuable ones in heavy pots they are harder to snaffle. Some flora also defend themselves: cacti can spike the enthusiasm of thieves scrabbling in the dark.
無知也可能是個原因。
大多數人不知道植被的價值，Birane 解釋，他指出一個價值 5萬西非法郎的稀有品種，唯一可能偷走如此昂貴植物的人，是他合作的園丁，他笑著說。而且由於他賣的是更大、更有價值的盆栽，所以更難被偷走。一些植物也會保護自己：仙人掌可以刺傷小偷在黑暗中爬行的機會。
Not everyone is so sanguine. At a small nursery in a posh part of town Moustapha, the young owner, has persuaded some unemployed friends to keep watch overnight. “I’ve invested a lot so I must keep it secure,” he explains. Yet even he falls back on trust of a different kind—in God. I have “mystic security”, he adds with a smile. “He who steals falls sick until death.”
不是每個人都這麼樂觀。在Moustapha，一個豪華地區的托兒所裡，老闆說服了一些失業的朋友來當夜間警衛。「我投資了很多，所以我必須保證它的安全。」但他相信上天，笑著補充說「我有種神秘的安全感，偷竊的人會病死。」
