From Angel:

看名人传记最大的感悟通常是“苦尽甘来”，人们常说：不经历风雨，怎能见彩虹。Musk等这一天等了好久啊，终于实现了自己的梦想，终于不再被人嘲笑，终于证明了自己。其实，人生的让每一阶段都是如此 -- 苦尽甘来。吃苦是迟早的事，取决于你自己。有的人很早就能清醒的认识到这一点，可有的人当他真正明白时已至暮年，只好后悔当初了。我们现在这么年轻，干嘛要安逸地过日子，年轻就是要去闯荡的，要去拼搏的，哪怕撞得头破血流也能笑着抬头。我还年轻呢，我怕什么。大不了重新再来。加油！

From 慢慢树：

题目LIFTOFF的双关寓意很好，既指SpaceX成功发射了Falcon 9，也指Musk的事业出现转机，事业蒸蒸日上。 如果说Falcon1的发射成功是个开始，那么Falcon 9的发射已然使SpaceX成为这一行业中的Superpower。

前景光明：

1、市场广阔： 卫星市场呈现爆炸式增长，从每年600亿产值激增至每年2000亿美元。美国在全球卫星产业利润中占到60%。

2、用途广泛：电视，网络，信号传输，气象卫星、导航等多个领域。

3. 打破产业格局。SpaceX打破了以往主要依靠俄罗斯发射商用卫星的格局。美国向太空空间站运送宇航员，也不再受制于俄罗斯。

目标宏伟：

不想依靠每年发射几次，依靠政府来过活。Musk有更长远的目标—实现火箭的回收利用，大幅降低火箭费用；甚至更远，将人类送上火星，征服太阳系!

招贤纳士：

品质：Top marks 、Type A personality traits、 Passion、 Experience , Building things since they were little ,etc.

程序：solving the puzzles → acting clever in interviews → penning up a good essay →meeting with Musk (He tend to care less about whether or not the person gets the answer than about how they describe the problem and their approach to solving it )

在这一部分提到了很多人在进入SpaceX或是忍受不了工作辛苦，或者受不了Musk的待人方式而离开。那么众人眼中的Musk到底是什么样？

Numerous people interviewed for this book decried thework hours,Musk'sblunt style, and his sometimesludicrous expectations.Yet almost every person — even those who had been fired — stillworshippedMusk and talked about him in terms usually reserved forsuperheroes or deities.

Employees fear Musk. They adore Musk. They give up their lives for Musk ,and they usually do all of this simultaneously.

的确如此，即便前妻Justine曾经因为离婚备受折磨，对Musk心生怨恨，但是她对于Musk身上超乎常人的坚强仍然认可欣赏。 It seemed to indicate that Justine still admired or at least understood Musk's strong will .

所以这就是人们眼中的Musk—无论他为人处世如何让人难以接受，他超乎常人的光芒熠熠生辉，让人心生敬畏。

产业革新：

1、改变分包的生产模式，基本实现自主生产。SpaceX manufactures between 80 percent and 90 percent of its rockets,engines ,electronics ,and other parts . 摆脱了对于供应商的依赖，实现关键部件的设计和生产，大大降低了成本，提高了效率。

2、使用常规标准电子元件，大幅节约成本。SpaceX ecletronics has had to work for years to prove to NASA that standard electronics have gotten good enough to compete with the more expensive ,specialized gear trusted in years past 。

3、关键技术革新，实现升级。例如文中以“摩擦搅拌焊接”为例，讲述了SpaceX通过不断尝试，将这一焊接技术升级运用于火箭制造，减轻了火箭重量。之后还将这一技术运用于Tesla，生产出重量轻、更结实的汽车。

4、实现火箭的回收利用。这绝对是SpaceX无可比拟的优势。Reusing its rockets will drive the bulk of this reduciton and SpaceX's competitive advantage .

由此，我们看出SpaceX之所以成功，可以说上面的因素缺一不可，良好的外部市场环境+明确的目标+人才与科技的完美融合。

一切都是好不容易，一切都是水到渠成。

From 木心：

公司如何招纳贤士；现在SpaceX公司的建筑构造，设计细节

#招纳贤士要求#

①exhibited type A personality traits over the course of their lives

②individuals who ooze passion, can work well as part of a team, and have real-world experience bending metal.

③a gauntlet of interviews and tests.

④a interview with Musk

突破重重关卡来到第四关，准备 Elon面试，难以想象会被问多么深奥或者奇葩的问题，气氛或有多么紧张，结果确是谜语，果然不走寻常路。而且还会和面试者一起各方向走动，相比之前的Elon觉得一丝有“可爱”。然而看似普通谜语，却从思考方式中觉察应试者的逻辑力和品性，注重如何分析问题。

From ZHAODAIWEI:

招聘是一个双向选择的过程，不仅是雇主选择雇员，也是雇员选择雇主的一个过程。之前参加过几次校园内的招聘宣讲会，不乏有大牌的律所和公司，然而大多数时候都是由几个普通在职员工做几张PPT展示一下，预告晚上六点开始的临时推延到七点的也常有。宣讲的内容也不乏就是自己公司多么优秀工资多么丰厚。那些宣讲会给人一种很敷衍的感觉，仿佛不是来招募人才的，而是来炫耀自身实力的，有一种你爱来不来、我不稀罕的感觉。但有一场宣讲会我印象特别深刻，一家英资所的资深合伙人亲自到场宣讲，非常的风趣幽默，并且他本人离开场提前了半小时就现身了，还给每个听众准备了礼物。工资待遇固然可以吸引人才，但是公司在招聘的过程中展现一定的诚意也非常有必要。

From 哇～

其实可爱的大熊猫也是这样，当他们的祖先来到一片有竹子的地方，发现竹子如此之多，然后想：我们以后只吃竹子就可以了！就这样，他们变成了依赖竹子生存的物种。其实这样看起来最轻松实际却是最危险的。因为竹子居然有开花后成片死亡的特性，这唯一食物一时间的大量减少就给大熊猫带来了毁灭性的灾难。所以古人说：“生于忧患，死于安乐。”

而Space X正是因为没有任何优势和资源，才一直拼尽全力不断创新与进步。

While the rest of the aerospace industry has been content to keep sending what look like relics from the 1960s into space, SpaceX has made a point of doing just the opposite. Its reusable rockets and reusable spaceships look like true twenty-first-century machines.

From 慧玲：

“The rocket is powered by nine engines arranged in an “octaweb” pattern at its base with one engine in thecenterand eight others encircling it”

“The engines connect to the first stage, or the main body of the rocket, which bears the blue SpaceX insignia and an American flag. The shorter second stage of the rocket sits on top of the first and is the one that actually ends up doing things in space”

“The Pacific Ocean runs for miles along its border, and its grounds havewide-open shrubby fields dotted by green hills. Nestled into one hilly spot just at the ocean’s edge are a handful of launchpads.”

From Angel:

1.huffing a puffing/limber up

This gives the impression of the Falcon 9 huffing and puffing as it limbers up before the journey.

huffs and puffs, annoyance or dissatisfactotion with a decision or situation loudly but do not do anything to change it.愤愤不满，生闷气

【例句】The British government huffed and puffed at the commision's decision.

【仿句】The liitle boy huffed and puffed at  the teacher's reproach.

limber up, prepare for an energetic ohysical activity such as a sport by moving and stretching your body. 做准备活动，热身

【例句】 A short walk will limber up the legs.

2.the apotheosis of

Part of it stems from SpaceX being the apotheosis of the Cult of Musk.

the apotheosis of sth,

1. the ideal or typical example of it.【典范，榜样】

【例句】The Oriental in Bangkok is the apotheosis of the grand hotel.

【仿句】Leifeng is the apotheosis of helping others.

2. If you describe an event or a time as someone's apotheosis, you mean that it was the high point in their career or their life. （事业/人生的）巅峰

【例句】That night was Richard's apotheosis.

【仿句】This award was her apotheosis.

3.cramped

The cramped Soyuz capsule that takes people to the space staton has mechanical knobs ...

crampted, not big enough for the people or things in it. 狭小的，狭窄的

【例句】In later yeard he lived in a rather crampted little flat in Bristol.

【仿句】The antizen lived in a rather crampted basement.

4.ooze

The object is to find individuals who ooze passion, can work well as part of a team, and have real-world experience bending metal.

ooze a quality or characteristic, show it very strongly. 凸显，洋溢（特性或特点）

【例句】Outwardly, he will ooze all his old confidence.

【仿句】Her appearance oozes confidence all the time.

5.anointed

The candidates that showed up would discover they were among only a handful of people who been anointed out of all the conference attendees.

anointed, choose 选定，指定

【例句】Mr. Olsen has always avoided anointing any successor.

【仿句】The party anointed him as the leader.

From 慢慢树：

1、表示 “显现某种品质” 的两个词： Its foibles emanate directly from him , as do its successes . /The object is to find individuals who ooze passion ,can work well as part of a team .

If a quality emanates from sb =give people a strong sense that sb has that quality. 发散出 (品质) / 例：Intelligence and cunning emanated from him.聪明和机灵从他身上散发出来。

ooze a quality or characteristic: show it very strongly. / 例句： The Southern plantation house oozes charm.南部种植园的那所房子散发出很大魅力。

foible: a habit or characteristic

2、In due course,he will speak to you .

in due course =it will happen when the time is right for it.在适当的时候

3、表示 “普通、一般” 的两个词：  the rank- and- file engineers / The spaceX office looks like what you might find at your run-of-the-mill Silicion Valley headquarters. .

4、表示 “坚持” 的两个词：Many of the key executives have hung on for a decade or more ...Among the rank-and-file engineers , most people stay on for at least for five years to ...

5、有一句描写Falcon 9 发射前加燃料的情形，太形象了！The liquid oxygen boils off on contact with the metal and air , forming white plumes that stream down the rocket's sides .This gives the impression of the Falcon 9 huffing and puffing as it limbers up before the journey.

液氧遇到金属和空气瞬间气化，化作缕缕白雾从上流下，仿佛Falcon 9 在发射前正在做热身，大口喘气呢。就这一句Falcon 9瞬间活灵活现，太有喜感了。

huff and puff： ① to breathe very hard；  ② to complain

例句：John came up the stairs huffing and puffing./ They huffed and puffed about the price,but eventually they paid up .

limber up： prepare for an energetic physical activity 热身准备（=warm up）

From 木心：

wheel and deal v. 独立行动；做负责人；讨价还价

doom and gloom 凄惨，前景不妙；

wear and tear n.损坏, 损耗

wine and dine 吃喝

fair and square adj.公正的

This approach comes off as excessive at first blush.

The 550,000-square-foot factory floor is difficult to process at first glance.

✏️ at first glance/ sight/blush when you first look at something: 乍一看

例句：At first glance, the place seemed deserted.

仿写：At first glance, this paper was perfect, except some spelling mistakes.

These satellites can zoom in on Iowa and determine when cornfields are at peak yields and ready to harvest

✏️ zoom ˈin/​ˈout

(of a camera) to show the object that is being photographed from closer/​further away, with the use of a zoom lens

聚焦  (zoom lens变焦透镜）

例句：The camera zoomed in on the actorʼs face.

✏️ zoom + adv./​prep. (informal) to move or go somewhere very fast,疾驰而过

➔SYNONYM  ：​rush, whizz

例句：Traffic zoomed past us.

✏️ zoom (up) (to…)  (informal) (of prices, costs, etc.) to increase a lot quickly and suddenly 价格等突增

例句：House prices have zoomed up this year.

仿写：The company profit fromhas zoomed up to three times year-on-year.

From ZZZ:

2.free radical  自由基

SpaceX has become the free radical trying to upend  everything about this  industry.

3.unfathomable： too strange or mysterious to be understood, 莫测高深的，难以理解的

It seems unfathomable, but  the rest of the space industry  has made space boring.

4.ooze:to show a lot of a particular quality or feeling  充满，洋溢着〔某种特质或情感〕

The object is to find individuals who ooze passion, can work well as part of a team, and have real-world experience bending metal.

5. rank-and-file adj. 士兵的；一般大众的；一般成员的

Among the  rank-and-file engineers, most  people stay on for at least five  years to have their stock options vest and to see their  projects through.

From ZHAODAIWEI:

Its $60 million per launch cost is much less than what Europe and Japan charge and trumps even the relative bargains offered by the Russians and Chinese.

(n.) 桥牌中的王牌

trump card: something that you can do or use in a situation, which gives you an advantage

But then he decided to play his trump card(= use his advantage).

They hold all the trump cards things which could give them an advantage.

(v.) to do better than someone else in a situation when people are competing with each other

By wearing a simple but stunning dress, she had trumped them all.

SpaceX can undercut its U.S. competitors—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences—on price by a ridiculous margin.

margin: the difference between what it costs a business to buy or produce sth and what they sell it for

Margins are low and many companies are struggling.

Within 10 years they had a gross profit margin of 50%.

This leaves the United States dealing with two of its least-favored nations in space matters and doing so without much leverage.Case in point: the retirement of the space shuttle made the United States totally dependent on the Russians to get astronauts to the ISS.

A clear example of something that you are discussing or explaining

Tom’s career is a case in point.

A classic case(=typical example) of poor design

From 哇～

1.strip

It's the spaceship equivalent of an Apple laptop or a Braun kettle-an elegant, purposeful machinestrippedoffrivolityand waste.

.释义： to remove something that is covering the surface of something else:本意就是脱衣服的意思

搭配：strip something off/from something

We need to strip the wallpaper off the walls first.

strip something of something

tall windows stripped of curtains

2.frivolity[frɪˈvɑːləti]

释义：silly and thoughtless behaviour, or silly and not important things 愚蠢轻率的行为；无关痛痒的事物

例：•I'm far too busy to waste time on frivolities like going to the cinema.我忙得不可开交，不会把时间浪费在看电影之类无聊的事上

造句：You shouldn't treat such a serious issue with frivolity.

3.register

Seeing something so large hold straight  and steady while suspended in midair is hard for the brain toregister.

释义： [intransitive usually in negatives, transitive] if something registers, or if you register it, you realize or notice it, and then remember it:

例：She had told me her name before, but I guess it didn’t register.

造句：I stood there for several minutes but he didn't  register my presence.