為什麼伊隆·馬斯克要為他的孩子們建一所學校：英語精讀講義

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In a corner of SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne,

在 SpaceX 位於霍桑（Hawthorne）總部的

California,

加州一角，

you won't find rocket engineers or even adults for that matter. 片語搭配

你找不到火箭工程師，甚至找不到成年人。

For a number of years,

多年來，

Elon Musk ran a school out of his rocket factory

伊隆·馬斯克在他的火箭工廠裡開辦了一所學校

to educate his five children,

為了教育他的五個孩子，

not including boy number six,

這還不包括他的第六個男孩，

baby X.

小寶寶 X。

They had been enrolled at a private school for gifted kids in LA, 文法

他們曾就讀於洛杉磯一所針對天才兒童的私立學校，

but Musk wasn't satisfied with their education,

但馬斯克對他們的教育並不滿意，

as he once told the Chinese television network.

正如他曾經對中國的一家電視網所說的那樣。

The regular schools

普通學校

just they weren't doing the things

並沒有在做那些

that I thought should be done.

我認為應該做的事情。

Musk has been critical of the American education system, 片語搭配

馬斯克一直對美國的教育體系持批評態度，

pointing out teachers don't explain why kids are taught a subject. 片語動詞

他指出老師並不解釋為什麼要教孩子們某門學科。

They're taught a mathematical formula

孩子們被教授數學公式

without explaining why that formula is important. 文法

卻不被告知為什麼這個公式很重要。

As an analogy,

他打個比方，

he says simply listing the tools

他說單純地列出工具清單，

you need to take an engine apart 片語動詞

告訴你拆卸引擎需要哪些工具，

isn't the same as trying to disassemble

這與嘗試親自去拆卸

the engine yourself

引擎本身是不一樣的，

and by doing so learn the relevance 片語搭配

只有透過這種做法，才能在過程中了解

of the tools as you go. 片語搭配

工具的實際相關性。

When he's not happy with how things are done,

當他對事物的運作方式不滿意時，

the entrepreneur tends to do something about it, 片語搭配

這位企業家往往會採取行動，

whether it's creating rockets, 文法

無論是製造火箭、

cars, computer chips,

汽車、電腦晶片，

or his own school.

還是開辦自己的學校。

He named it Ad Astra, 文化背景

他將其命名為 Ad Astra，

which is Latin for to the stars.

這是拉丁語，意思是「走向星辰」。

I actually hired a teacher from the school they were at,

我確實從他們之前就讀的學校聘請了一位老師，

who also agreed with me that there was a better way to do it.

他也認同我的看法，認為有更好的教育方式。

That teacher is Josh Dahn,

那位老師就是 Josh Dahn，

who I spoke with over Skype.

我透過 Skype 和他聊過。

Was it a tough decision for you to leave

對你來說，離開

the private school where you were teaching at

你任教的私立學校

to go on this new venture?

投入這項新事業是個艱難的決定嗎？

No, of course not, right?

不，當然不是對吧？

I mean if anything, 語氣意圖

我的意思是，真要說的話，

you know, Elon asked me to think about it

你知道，伊隆讓我考慮一下

and I responded,

然後我就回覆了，

you know, hours after we originally spoke

你知道，就在我們初次交談幾小時後

like in the middle of the night

比如半夜的時候

because it was so clearly a great opportunity.

因為這顯然是一個極好的機會。

Ad Astra was far from a typical school, 慣用語

Ad Astra 遠非一所典型的學校，

with no classes in language,

沒有語言、

music, sports, or even grade levels.

音樂、體育課，甚至沒有年級之分。

Students were grouped based on their ability, 片語搭配

學生們根據能力被分組，

where they took part in complex team games 片語搭配

參加複雜的團隊遊戲

to test their critical thinking skills.

以考驗他們的批判性思維能力。

In one simulation,

在一次模擬中，

teams competed at various art auctions

團隊在不同的藝術品拍賣會上競爭

to try to assemble the best collections

試圖收集最好的藏品

to display at exhibitions around the world,

在世界各地的展覽上展出，

similar to what these students are doing.

類似於這些學生正在做的事情。

I like the Shrine Gate.

我喜歡神社的大門。

Okay, yeah, you do that one.

好的，那你就選那個。

It's a lot for adults to juggle, 慣用語

這對成年人來說都需要費力應對，

let alone the eight to 14-year-olds at Ad Astra. 慣用語

更不用說 Ad Astra 那些 8 到 14 歲的孩子了。

Musk reimagined how school could be taught

馬斯克重新構想了學校該如何進行教育

based on first principles reasoning, 文化背景

基於第一性原理推理，

a fancy way of saying

這是一個比較高級的說法，意思就是

how could you rethink how something is done

你如何重新思考某件事的做事方式

in order to make it better,

以便將其做得更好，

a strategy applied to Tesla's manufacturing of batteries.

這一策略也被應用於特斯拉的電池製造。

It used to be very expensive 文法

過去製造

to build batteries for electric cars.

電動車電池非常昂貴。

You could say that's just the way it is 慣用語

你可以說事情就是這樣

and there's no way to bring the price down. 片語動詞

沒有辦法把價格降下來。

First principles thinking would say

第一性原理思維則會說

it's possible to make cheaper batteries

是有可能製造出更便宜的電池的

by breaking it down to the basics, 片語動詞

透過將其拆解為最基本的部分，

figuring out what the batteries are made of, 片語動詞

弄清楚電池是由什麼製成的，

and how those materials could be cleverly combined

以及這些材料如何巧妙地組合在一起

to form a battery cell.

形成一個電池單元。

In education,

在教育方面，

first principles mean figuring out how students

第一性原理意味著弄清楚學生

can get the best learning experience possible.

如何獲得最佳的學習體驗。

To bring about the best future 片語動詞

從而為他們和世界

for them and for the world.

帶來最好的未來。

I can't believe that it's sitting at a desk

我無法相信那就是坐在課桌前

listening to a teacher tell you how to,

聽老師告訴你如何，

you know, do side angle side theorems

你知道，如何運用「邊角邊」定理

in geometry class.

在幾何課上。

Ad Astra grew from nine kids 文法

Ad Astra 從九個孩子

in the first week of 2014

在 2014 年第一週的時候

to 50 six years later,

發展到了六年後的 50 人，

a mix of children of SpaceX employees

裡面有 SpaceX 員工的孩子

as well as high achievers from the area.

也有該地區的優秀學子。

Sometimes they ventured off campus.

有時候他們也會去校外探險。

A converted garage at the former house

在 Gene Wilder 故居中

of Gene Wilder once served 片語搭配

一個由車庫改造的空間曾經作為

as a chemistry lab.

他們的化學實驗室。

This unorthodox approach to education

這種非正統的教育方法

doesn't come cheap. 慣用語

代價不菲。

Tuition was around $30,000 a year, 文化背景

學費大約是每年 30,000 美元，

with some receiving financial aid.

其中一些人獲得了助學金。

When Ad Astra closed in June 2020,

當 Ad Astra 於 2020 年 6 月關閉時，

Musk donated funds to kickstart an online school

馬斯克捐贈資金啟動了一所線上學校

called Astra Nova headed by Josh Dahn.

名為 Astra Nova，由 Josh Dahn 領導。

Although the SpaceX CEO isn't personally involved,

儘管這位 SpaceX 的執行長沒有親自參與，

he has his fingerprints all over the new school. 慣用語

這所新學校卻處處都有他的印記。

A former SpaceX engineer teaches rocketry there,

一位前 SpaceX 工程師在那裡教授火箭學，

and even the application is related

甚至申請資料也與

to one of Musk's passions.

馬斯克的某個愛好有關。

Interested students have to submit a response

有興趣的學生必須針對

to this environmental problem.

這個環境問題提交一份回答。

How would you answer?

你會怎麼回答？

There's a large lake near a small town.

在一個小鎮附近有一個大湖。

A corporation dumps harmful chemicals into the water.

一家公司將有害化學物質倒入水中。

Scientists studying the lake say it'll die

研究該湖泊的科學家表示，如果污染繼續下去

in 10 years if the pollution continues.

湖泊將在 10 年內消亡。

An individual, the puppet master, 慣用語

某個被稱為幕後操縱者的人，

is concerned new regulations will impact profits,

擔心新法規會影響利潤，

so they decide to pay a small group

因此他們決定花錢請一小群

of scientists to publish bogus research 用詞

科學家發表虛假研究

claiming the lake has never been healthier. 文法

聲稱這個湖泊從未像現在這樣健康過。

The media reports on the new study.

媒體報導了這項新研究。

Politicians have the power to stop the pollution,

政治家有能力阻止污染，

but decide not to since there appears 文法

但決定不這麼做，因為似乎

to be disagreement over the health

在湖泊的健康問題上

of the lake.

存在分歧。

Plus the company employs so many people in town,

此外，該公司在鎮上僱傭了很多人，

its closure would devastate the economy.

如果它倒閉將會摧毀當地經濟。

Voters who listen to the media,

聽信媒體、

politicians and scientists are confused over

政治家和科學家的選民們感到困惑，

what the truth actually is. 文法

不知道真相究竟是什麼。

They reelect the politicians.

他們讓這些政客連任了。

The corporation continues dumping harmful chemicals

公司繼續傾倒有害化學物質

into the lake and the lake

到湖裡，而這個湖泊

dies 10 years later.

在 10 年後消亡了。

So, who is to blame? 片語搭配

那麼，應該怪誰呢？

There's no right or wrong answer,

沒有正確或錯誤的答案，

but the school is interested in

但學校感興趣的是

how the children reason through ethical dilemmas. 片語搭配

孩子們如何透過推理解決道德困境。

It's not about preparing the 100 or so

這並不是為了讓這 100 多名

admitted students for an Ivy League education. 文化背景

被錄取的學生準備去接受常春藤盟校的教育。

In fact, Musk went on the record 慣用語

事實上，馬斯克曾公開

to say degrees don't matter when

表示，當特斯拉的人工智慧團隊

Tesla's artificial intelligence team looks

招募時，學位並不重要，

to hire, putting it this way,

他的原話是，

don't care if you even graduated high school,

「我甚至不在乎你是否高中畢業」，

not to mention many smart people 表達脈絡

更不用說很多聰明人

dropped out of college, like Steve Jobs 片語動詞

大學輟學了，比如史蒂夫·賈伯斯

and Bill Gates.

和比爾·蓋茲。

Musk has said he simply wants evidence

馬斯克曾說過，他只是想要那些能證明

of exceptional ability, which he hopes

一個人具有超凡能力的證據，他希望

can be fostered at a young age. 用詞

這種能力可以在很小的時候被培養。

And SpaceX of course is an exercise 慣用語

而 SpaceX 當然是一場

in possibility.

探索可能性的實踐。

The concepts are available to kids

這些概念可以透過網路提供給全世界的

around the world online through a

孩子們，透過一個

separate venture called Synthesis.

叫做 Synthesis 的獨立企業。

As people spend more time online,

隨著人們在網路上花費的時間越來越多，

the need for a quality website

對一個優質網站的需求

is more important than ever.

比以往任何時候都更加重要。

Whether you'd like to display your work,

無論你是想展示你的作品、

start a business, or a blog,

創業還是寫部落格，

it's a way of representing your brand.

它都是代表你品牌的一種方式。

And now you can try it out for free. 片語動詞

現在你可以免費試用它。

I've used Squarespace for years

我使用 Squarespace 已經很多年了

to show off my portfolio 片語動詞

用來展示我作為記者的

as a journalist, well before they became

作品集，這遠在他們成為

my sponsor.

我的贊助商之前。

What drew me to Squarespace 文法

吸引我使用 Squarespace 的是

is how easy it is to create

創建和編輯自己的網站

and edit my own site.

是如此容易。

It doesn't require any experience 文法

它不需要任何

in website building whatsoever.

網站建設方面的經驗。

There are also many great templates

還有很多精美的模板

to choose from.

供你選擇。

You can receive a complimentary trial 用詞

你可以獲得免費試用

by visiting squarespace.com/newsthink.

只需造訪 squarespace.com/newsthink。

The link is in my description.

連結在我的描述中。

And when you're ready to launch,

當你準備好發布時，

use my discount code newsthink

使用我的折扣碼 newsthink

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在你首次購買網站或網域時

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即可享有 10% 的折扣。

Thanks so much for watching.

非常感謝您的收看。

For NewsThink, I'm Cindy Pom.

這裡是 NewsThink，我是 Cindy Pom。