近四分之一个世纪以来，埃隆·马斯克与他在SpaceX的关键搭档格温·肖特韦尔，一直将美国政府视为传说中的黄金城埃尔多拉多。
For nearly a quarter of a century, Elon Musk and his essential partner at SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell, viewed the United States government as El Dorado, the mythical city of gold.
马斯克和肖特韦尔如同挥舞砍刀的寻宝者，在一片荆棘丛生的丛林中披荆斩棘；丛林里潜伏着波音、洛克希德·马丁等捕食者，还有精打细算的财务人员与监管机构。随着时间的推移，两人在胜算极小的情况下，为SpaceX开辟了通往NASA和美国军方合同的道路。
Like machete-wielding treasure hunters, Musk and Shotwell hacked through a tangled jungle filled with lurking carnivores such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as bean counters and regulators. Over time, against long odds, the pair cleared a path for SpaceX to contracts at NASA and the US military.
当事情不按他们的意愿发展时，他们会提起诉讼；他们大声抱怨竞争环境不公。最重要的是，他们以更低的价格向美国政府交付了高质量的航天产品。
They sued when things did not go their way. They hollered about unfair playing fields. Most importantly, they delivered quality space products to the US government for less.
就这样，过了一段时间，SpaceX找到了埃尔多拉多——一座合同之城。
And so, after a while, SpaceX found El Dorado and a city of contracts.