21世纪大学英语应用型综合教程（修订版）1Unit5PartATextAAsimplelifewelllived1ThebusinessmanwasatthepierofsmallcoastalMexicanvillagewhenasmallboatwithjustonefishermandocked.Insidethesmallboatwereseverallargeyellowfintuna.ThebusinessmancomplimentedtheMexicanonthequalityofhisfishandaskedhowlongittooktocatchthem.TheMexicanreplied,“Onlyalittlewhile”.2Thebusinessmanthenaskedwhyhedidn’tstayoutlongerandcatchmorefish.TheMexicansaidhehadenoughtosupporthisfamily’simmediateneeds.Thebusinessmanthenasked,“Butwhatdoyoudowiththerestofyourtime?”TheMexicanfishermansaid,“Isleeplate,fishalittle,palywithmachildren,takeanapwithmywife,Maria,strollintothevillageeacheveningwhereIsipwineandplaytheguitarwithmyamigos;Ihaveafullandbusylife,senor.”3Thebusinessmanscoffed,“IamaHarvardMBAandIcouldhelpyou.Youshouldspendmoretimefishing,andwiththeproceedsbuyabiggerboat.Withtheproceedsfromthebiggerboatyoucouldbuyseveralboats;eventuallyyouwouldhaveafleetoffishingboats.Insteadofsellingyourcatchtoamiddleman,youwouldselldirectlytotheprocessorandeventuallyopenyourowncannery.Youwouldcontroltheproduct,processinganddistribution.YouwouldneedtoleavethissmallcoastalfishingvillageandmovetoMexicanCity,thenLAandeventuallyNewYorkCitywhereyouwouldrunyourexpandingenterprise.”4TheMexicanfishermanasked,“Butsenor,howlongwillthisalltake?”Towhichthebusinessmanreplied,“15-20years”.“Butwhatthen,senor?”Thebusinessmanlaughedandsaid,“That’sthebestpart!WhenthetimeisrightyouwouldannounceanIPOandsellyourcompanystocktothepublicandbecomeveryrich.Youwouldmakemillions.”“Millions,senor?Thenwhat?”Thebusinessmansaid,“Thenyouwouldretire,movetoasmallcoastalfishingvillagewhereyouwouldsleeplate,fishalittle,playwithyourkids,takeasiestawithyourwife,strolltothevillageintheeveningswhereyoucouldsipwineandplayyourguitarwithyouramigos.”5Thefisherman,stillsmiling,lookedupandsaid,“Isn’tthatwhatI’mdoingrightnow?”6Weliveinaworldinwhichbeingsuccessfuliseverything.Successismeasuredbypower,popularity,control,achievement,andwinning.Havingmoreandbeingmoreissuccess.Thebusinessmanmeasuredsuccessbytheaccumulationofwealthandbylivinganextravagantlife.HeheldaHarvardMBA,millionsofdollars,andstatusasapowerfulbusinessman.“Thepersonwiththemosttoyswins”isafittingmotto.7Possessionsandwealtharenotenough.Whilecomforting,wealthcannotfulfill.BenjaminFranklinwasoftheopinion,“Moneynevermadeamanhappyyet,norwillit.Themoreamanhas,themorehewants.Insteadoffillingavacuum,itmakesone.”Wealthmayhelpustoescapeemptinessforashortwhile;itcannotcureit.8Thebusinessmanaccumulatedmoneytosupporthisretirement.Itwaswisetoplanforthefuture.Yet,whatsortoflifewashelivinginthepresent?Thebusinessmanwassofuture-orientedthathehadn’ttakensufficienttimetoquestionwhatthefuturelookedlike.ThebusinessmanwaslivingforwhattheMexicanalreadyenjoyed–asimplelifewelllived.9RudyardKipling,givingacommencementaddressatMcGillUniversityinMontreal,saidtherewasonestrikingthingthatdeservestoberememberedaboutpeople.Warningthestudentsagainstanover-concernformoney,power,orpopularity,hesaid,“Somedayyouwillmeetamanwhocaresfornoneofthesethings.Thenyouwillknowhowpooryouare.”ThebusinessmandiscoveredhowpoorhewaswhenhemettheMexicanfisherman.10RalphWaldoEmersondefinedsuccessinasimplelifewelllivedas:“tolaughoftenandmuch;towintherespectofintelligentpeopleandaffectionofchildren;toearntheappreciationofhonestcr...
