What you're saying is, in order for this center to succeed,
你刚才所说的意思是为了使中心能成功,
A miserly father makes a prodigal son.
爱钱如命的父亲生个儿子挥金如土。
Apparently what happened was that water collected on these tar pits, and the bigger animals like the elephants ventured out on to the apparently firm surface to drink, and were promptly bogged in the tar.