Martin Lynch, an American businessman, had been going on holiday to a small Mexican fishing village for a number of years. One morning while going for a walk along the beach, he saw his friend Pablo Perez, a local fisherman. Martin watched Pablo unload(卸货) his boat and pack the fish in a box.

    Martin noticed Pablo was smiling and looked very happy. He could also see several large fish in the boat. Martin greeted Pablo and asked how long it took to catch the fish. "Just a few hours," replied Pablo. Martin asked, "Why didn't you stay longer and catch more fish?" "I have enough for my family," Pablo said. "And what do you do with the rest of your day?" asked Martin. "I take a nap(午睡), play with my children, spend time with my wife, and go into the village to see my friends and play cards, I have a full and busy life." Martin explained that if Pablo worked longer hours and caught more fish, he could make more money. With the extra money, Pablo could buy more boats and catch money more fish. By selling the fish, Pablo could open his own factory and sell direct to supermarkets.

    "Then what?" asked Pablo. "Well you would probably have to move to Mexico City to run the business. Finally, you would be able to sell your business and make millions of dollars," replied Martin. "How long will that take?" asked Pablo. Martin thought for a while and said it would probably take at least 15 years.

    "And then what?" asked Pablo.

    "Well, that's the best part," Martin said. "You will be able to retire(退休), buy a house near the ocean, sleep longer, play with your children, spend more time with your wife, see your friends, and play cards."