书友分享:
From 慢慢树:
Musk总是能准确把握未来的趋势,紧握先机,付诸实践。从Zip2, Paypal,spacede的经历中可见一斑。当人们还对互联网懵懂之时,Musk已经预见到导航,搜索和map结合的巨大潜力,创立了Zip2 ;当人们还在质疑网上交易时,Musk已经预见到未来支付领域的前景,大手笔投入Paypal;当人们对火星知之甚少,甚至漠不关心之时,Musk已经看到太空领域发展的无限前景,开启人类成为multiplanetary species的新纪元。这里的一个感触就是Musk的成功模式=先知+先行。
对于事物发展敏锐的觉察在Musk身上尤为突出、是Musk异于常人的重要一点。更为重要的是,他不仅看到了方向,而且付诸实践。这让我想起来刚刚读完的一本小书Charles Darwin .达尔文结束环球旅行后,就一直在秘密做进化论方面的研究,并形成了进化论的理论。但是当时上帝创世论盛行,他根本没勇气发表自己的观点和理论。如果不是1858年发生一件事,他可能到死都不会将自己的研究公诸于世。那一年一位叫Wallace的科学家将自己的一篇文章寄给达尔文,希望他能帮助出版,达尔文一看大吃一惊,Wallace竟然也提出了进化论的观点!这时他才着了急,担心别人可能会抢占先机(someone else would get credit for a theory he 's discovered years ago ),才公开了自己进化论的理论。从这件事上,我们看到达尔文虽有先知,但他没有先行,以至于险些错过了先机。
中国古人常讲,天时、地利、人和。 读完这一部分,我突然发现还真是这么回事。
天时:火箭的商业化市场放开。a whole new market might open for both commercial and research pay-loads if a company could drastically lower the price per launch and perform larunches on a regular schedule .
地利:Musk为什么搬到了LA? Musk had picked Los Angeles with intent . It gave him access to space or at least the space industry ....while he didn't know exaclty what he wanted to do in space ,he realized that just by being in LA he would be surrounded by the world's top aeronautics thinkers . They would help him refine any ideas. 事实的确如此,正是在这样的环境之中,Musk得到了启示,经历了brainstorm。
人和:赴俄罗斯购买发射器失败后,Musk踌躇满志提出了自己造火箭,底气就来自于他手里有王牌团队,尤其是一位造火箭的奇才Mueller.
From 楚汐:
这便也给了我们一些启示:有时候我们的轻易放弃,或许只是因为那些事情并非我们内心所真正渴求的吧。而对于真正感兴趣的事情,不需要坚持也会一直做下去的。所以,花点时间想想自己的真正目标是什么。
可以参考之前读过的《高效能人士的7个习惯》里的场景想象:
若我们有机会得以出现在我们死后的葬礼上,当我们审视着棺材里的自己,会作何感想呢?我们会希望我们的亲朋好友同事们在我们的葬礼上如何评价我们呢?
我们在盖棺定论时所希望获得的评论,才是我们内心深处真正想要追求的目标。以终为始(to begin with the end),需要我们对自己内心深处最终想要获得的目标了然于心,并时刻记着,一路走来一路审视,方能在前往目标的道路不迷失,不走岔。简单的说,我们想“得瓜”,就只能“种瓜”,而不能“种豆”。
向 Elon 学习,用一生的时间去做一些有意义的,永恒的事情
From ZHAODAIWEI
有句话叫“宁做鸡头,不做凤尾”,个人其实不太赞同这句话。就像文中的Mueller一样,一个优秀的团队才是最大的吸引力和资源。在一个自己一枝独秀的环境里,虽然能够满足自己的虚荣心和价值感,但是却很难使自己继续成长。相反的,在一个优秀的环境里,即使自己只是其中不起眼的一员,也能被身边的人所感染不断进步。
From Jane:
Elon Musk这个人真是太疯狂了,其实仔细想想,我们一边在惊叹他疯狂的同时,是不是心里也在偷偷羡慕他呢?还记得我们曾经的儿时吗?那些我们乘梦飞升,想象自己为超人、侠客或海盗,戴上面具可以挥舞着小拳头说我们可以去打抱不平,劫富济贫,一切的一切,都可以随岁月远去;但最后在你心里能够保留下来的东西,可以决定你的一生。
人越小,越有梦想,越有雄心。那时我们不害怕,不害怕去想,不害怕去相信。我们可以相信自己可以真的去拯救世界,改变世界。然而许多人长大后,被各种现实磨去的棱角,殆尽了梦想,自顾不暇,为生计奔波。很多人发现自己其实什么都不能做,变得自私,变得冷漠,变得抱怨,变得不再相信自己,不再相信可以去拯救世界,或是改变世界。
你可以说Elon Musk是个太幸运的人,老天如此眷顾他,给了他无以伦比的智慧和和胆识,他创造财富的同时,也有能力实现自己曾经的梦想,但是我更愿意这样认为,Elon Musk骨子里是个至纯至真之人,他的内心里始终住着个小男孩,其实只有具有如此童真童心之人才能透过世界纷杂,直抵事物的本源本质。
对了,还有一句是我经常对我儿子说的“努力朝自己的梦想前进吧,即使是历尽艰辛。如果有朝一日你真的实现了你的梦想,一定不要忘了去帮助那些需要帮助的人。”
单词学习:
From 慢慢树:
1、They knew all too well the stories ofgung-homillionaires who thought they could conquer spaceonly tolose their fortunes .
gung-ho,哈哈没错,就是“干活” gung ho=very enthusiastic 狂热的
例:He has warned some of his more gung ho generals about the consequences of an invasion.
Only to do :意料之外的结果 / Only doing :意料之中的结果
例1:I arrived at the shoponly to findI’d left all my money at home.
例2:He died ,only leaving nothing but debts .
2、As word traveled aroung the spacecommunity about Musk’s plants ,there was a collectiveho-hum.
ho-hum这个词就是打哈欠发出的那个声音,有木有?表示无聊= think something is not interesting, remarkable, or surprising in any way.无聊的;平淡无奇的
例:My general reaction to this news might be summed up as "ho-hum."
From 麦芽:
storm out of :
(解释)leave with very angry 气冲冲地离开
(例句): She stormed out of the room .
From 楚汐:
James Cameron appeared, lending some celebrity to the affair.
詹姆斯·卡梅隆也来了,他借助自己的名气为活动做了宣传。
lend 表示“借出”,所以“借助自己的名气”可表达为:lend some celebrity to...
The scientists and luminaries at the meetings were to figure out a spectacle that would be technically feasible at a price tag of approximately $20 millions.
与会的科学家和权威人士需要构思出一种技术上可行的方案,而且预算在2000万美元左右。
luminary,可数名词,表示“杰出人物,权威人士”,someone who is very famous or highly respected for their skill at doing something or their knowledge of a particular subject;
spectacle,名词,表示“壮观的场面或景象”,a very impressive show or scene;还有个意思表示“可笑的事物,愚蠢的景象”,an unusual or interesting thing or situation that you see or notice – used especially in order to show disapproval;
例句:The trial was turned into a public spectacle. (公众笑料)
短语make a spectacle of yourself,表示“当场出丑”,to do something in front of other people that is very embarrassing;
例句:You made a spectacle of yourself at the party.
feasible, 与 possible 同义,表示“可行的”;文中还出现 feasibility,名词,表示“可行性”;
例句:This plan for a new town library is not economically feasible. [=it costs too much money]
price tag,表示“标价,预算”,the amount of money that something costs
例句:It’s difficult to put a price tag on such a project (=say how much it costs).
Cantrell had been acused of espionage and placed under house arrest in 1996 by the Russians after a satellite deal went awry.
在一桩卫星交易失败后,俄罗斯政府指控坎特雷尔犯有间谍罪,并于1996年将其软禁。
espionge,与spying 同义,表示“谍报活动,间谍行为”, the things that are done to find out secrets from enemies or competitors;
例句:He was charged with several counts of espionage.
under house arrest,表示“软禁在家”,the condition of being forced to stay in your home rather than in prison as a form of punishment;
例句:He was placed under house arrest until the trial.
awry,形容词,与wrong同义,not working correctly or happening in the expected way,常搭配为 go awry,意为“失败”。
例句:Something was dreadfully awry.
Musk weeding out the naysayers meeting by meeting and forming a crew of bright, committed engineers.
经过一次又一次的会议,他淘汰了那些唱反调的人,最终留下了一群志同道合的精英工程师。
weed out,表示“剔除,淘汰”,to get rid of people or things that are not very good;
例句:They will review the applications to weed out the less qualified candidates.
naysayer,可数名词,书面语中表示“否定者,唱反调的人”,a person who denies, refuses, or opposes something;
例句:There are always naysayers who say it can't be done.
a wheel of cake -- 一整块蛋糕(圆形)
bupkis -- 近乎没有
half-joking -- 半开玩笑
stepping-stone -- 垫脚石
cutting-edge -- 先进的,尖端的
as the discussion wore on -- 随着讨论的深入
at the outset -- 起先,当初
hit it off -- 一拍即合
buzzed from the vodaka:借着酒劲儿
point-blank -- 直截了当,开门见山
filled with optimism -- 信心满满
call sb to the side -- 把...叫到一边
he stormed out of the meeting. -- 他愤然离席
From ZHAODAIWEI
Musk’s first interactions with the aeronautics community were with an eclectic collection of space enthusiasts, members of a nonprofit group called the Mars Society.
[ɪˈklɛktɪk] adj.兼容并蓄的, including a mixture of many different things or people, especially so that you can use the best of all of themSYNdiverse
galleries with an eclectic range of styles and artists
an eclectic mixture of 18th and 19th century furniture
eclecticism (n,)
The eclecticism of the designs means it is difficult to define one overall look.
From Jane:
1.the ins and outs复杂情况;来龙去脉.详细内容;方方面面
Musk knew he had found someone who really knew the ins and outs of making rockets.
I don't know the ins and outs of the matter
He knows the ins and outs of this organization.
The driver knew the ins and outs of the road.
4.roll outv.滔滔不绝地讲出来;
Musk rolled out his “humans need to become a multiplanetary species.”speech....
Churchill's cadences began to roll out of the short - wave radio.
5.flinch v.1.退缩;畏缩 If you flinch, you make a small sudden movement, especially when something surprises you or hurts you.
Musk never flinched.
The sharp surface of the rock caught at her skin, making herflinch.
2.(VERB) 躲避;回避;不愿意做 If you flinch from something unpleasant, you are unwilling to do it or think about it, or you avoid doing it.
He has never flinched from harsh decisions.
6.rat race n.(职场上)激烈的竞争,你死我活的竞争 If you talk about getting out of the rat race, you mean leaving a job or way of life in which people compete aggressively with each other to be successful.
The idea of escaping this incredibly lucrative rat race started to grow more and more appealing.
I had to get out of therat raceand take a look at the real world again.