来到加拿大的Musk,尽管出师不利,但是随后的大学生活让他如鱼得水(文中用了he fed on this environment,感觉feed on用的妙,颇有受到环境滋养的意味),不仅邂逅了浪漫,而且在学业上展露锋芒。少时的梦想在大学学习生活中变得更加明朗清晰。那就是他坚定了在Internet、renewable Energy和space三个领域孜孜以求,有所建树的决心。
胸怀大志亦如Musk,尽管他爱电游,但是再好的电游也不能改变世界。"I really like computer games,but then if I made really great computer games, how much effect would that have on the world, It wouldn't have a big effect. Even though I have and intrinsic love of video games, I couldn’t bring myself to do that as a career. 所以他选择对世界产生深远影响的事业——Musk often makes sure that people know he had some truly big ideas on his mind during this period of his life。
Musk和芸芸众生的区别是什么?他从一开始就有个颠覆世界的大目标,是典型的put end in mind , 众人还在满足于毕业后有个工作就好了,Musk已经理性地、毫不妥协地开启了大目标,并向着这个大目标行进。
Musk的成长经历来看,因为他的与众不同,会与周围环境格格不入。但是他始终put end in mind ,不太在意别人的眼光,不盲从别人眼中的成功,不跟风追求所谓时髦,眼光长远,始终与自己内心真正的“end”校准。he's been in pursuit of a master plan all along .这一点难能可贵。
三个短语
1、I was not in the habit of getting out-of- the-blue requests. 这里指突然、意外地= abruptly ,suddenly ,unexpectedly .
那为啥是blue不是别的什么颜色呢?我把blue想成“(蓝)天”, 从天而降的(out of blue)还真知道是什么意外呢。这样想的话,另外一个短语into the blue也好理解了,走向茫茫的天边—是不是遥远而未知?into the blue 就是指at a far distance; into the unknown: 例如, take a trip into the blue.
以上纯属臆想,方便记忆。
2、he can sweep you off your feet .
sweep somebody off their feet =suddenly and completly in love with 扫谁的脚,谁就坠入爱河。
3、Elon stood way outside of the bell curve.
bell curve 就是像钟表形状的曲线(The typically symmetrical curve of a normal distribution,resembling the profile of a bell.Also called bell-shaped curve,normal curve.如果bell curve是normal curve的话,那么outside of the bell curve 也就表示出众了。
Summary
Despite a tough beginning at Canada, Musk kicked off college life at Queen’s University. He was more ambitious in college than in high school, displaying the brand of intensity and competitiveness that marks his behavior today. Fortunately, College suited Musk,as students were less inclined to deride his opinionated ideas.He blossomed even more after transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where his longtime interest in solar power and renewable energy expanded, and he even came up with several successful papers. His daydreams at both schools ended up with a determination to make a big impact on three areas---Internet, renewable energy,and space.