The Prison Break | Think Like A Coder, Ep 1

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Jiasi Hao

[ 像程序员一样思考 ]

[ 地点：监狱 ]

[ 第一集 越狱 ]

Upon emerging from stasis, Ethic is the unfortunate recipient of three surprises.

艾斯克刚从休眠中醒来，

就不幸遇到了三重意外。

The first: a prison cell.

第一个意外：牢房，

The second: complete amnesia.

第二个意外：完全失忆，

And the third: a mysterious stranger has gotten stuck

第三个意外：一个神秘的陌生生物 在她牢房窗户的横条间卡住了，

squeezing through the bars on her window.

His name is Hedge, and he has come to help Ethic save the world.

他叫海吉， 来帮助艾斯克拯救世界。

But first they have to break out of jail.

但是，他们首先要逃出监狱才行。

Hedge turns his hand into a lockpick and outlines the challenge ahead.

海吉把他的手变成一个开锁器， 并概述了他们将要面临的挑战。

Each lock in the prison works in the same unusual way.

监狱中的每一把锁 都是用同一种特别的原理制成的，

Inside the keyhole is a red dial that can be rotated to one of 100 positions

钥匙孔内部是一个红色拨盘，

可以转至数字 1 到 100 的 任意一位置。

numbered 1 through 100.

The key for a given cell spins the dial to the right position,

每个牢房的钥匙 可将拨盘转到正确位置，

which, when stopped there, makes it turn green and unlocks the door.

当钥匙停在该位置时， 锁盘变绿，牢门即打开。

It would be out of the question to steal keys from a guard,

从守卫那里偷钥匙是不可能的，

but Hedge has a better idea.

但海吉有个更好的主意。

Hedge can carry out Ethic‘s commands.

海吉能执行艾斯克的命令，

If Ethic tells him to walk 5 steps forward,

如果艾斯克让他先前行 5 步，

turn right, then walk another 5 steps,

右转拨盘，接着再前行 5 步，

that’s exactly what he’ll do.

海吉就会完全照办。

Hedge needs specific instructions though.

但海吉需要具体的指示。

If Ethic says “pick the lock” or “try every combination”

如果艾斯克说“选锁” 或“尝试每个组合”，

that would be too vague, but “spin the dial 5 positions forward” would work.

指令就太过模糊， 但“拨盘转 5 个位置”就可行。

Once out of the cell, they will only have a few moments to crack the lock

一旦离开牢房， 在守卫抓住他们之前，

for the outer prison door too before the guards catch them.

他们也只有几分钟时间 去打开监狱外门的锁。

So what instructions will allow Hedge to efficiently open any door?

那么什么指令可以使海吉 高效地打开任何一扇门呢？

Pause now to figure it out for yourself.

暂停播放，自行解决谜题。

Before we explain the solution, here’s a hint.

我们解答前，给出如下提示：

A key programming concept that can help unlock the door is called a loop.

一个帮助开锁的 关键编程概念叫做“循环”。

This can be one or more instructions that Hedge will iterate— or repeat—

它可以是一个或多个指令组合，

海吉可迭代或重复执行的 指定次数，

a specified number of times,

like “jump up and down 100 times.”

如“上下跳跃 100 次”。

Or an instruction that Hedge will repeat until a condition is met,

或者是海吉重复执行某指令， 直到满足某个条件即停止，

such as “keep jumping up and down until it’s 7 o’clock.”

如“上下跳跃直到 7 点钟”。

Pause now to figure it out for yourself.

[ 若自行解题，可暂停播放 ]

The first thing that’s clear is that you need to find a way for Hedge

很明显，首先你要为海吉 找到一种方法，

尝试每种组合， 直到一个可行为止。

to try every combination until one works.

What takes a little more effort is how exactly you do so.

需要付出更多努力的是 你如何能精确做到这一点，

One solution would be to instruct Hedge to try every combination in succession.

一种方法是指示海吉 连续尝试每种组合。

Try 1 and check the light.

尝试 1， 并检查指示灯。

If it turns green, open the door, and if not, try 2.

如果灯变绿色，打开门； 否则尝试 2 。

If that doesn’t work try 3. All the way up to 100.

如果 2 不行，尝试 3 …… 一直尝试到 100 。

But it would be tedious to lay that out in its entirety.

但若将 100 个组合 全部试一遍就太繁琐了，

Why write more than 100 lines of code,

只用 3 行代码能完成同样的事，

when you can do the same thing with just 3?

为何要编写 100 多行的代码呢？

This is where a loop comes in.

“循环”语句应运而生，

There are a few ways to go about this.

有几种方法可以实现。

The lock has 100 positions,

锁内有 100 个 孔位，

so Ethic could say “Check the dial’s color, then spin the dial forward once,

艾斯克可以说：

“检查拨盘颜色，然后转 1 次， 重复转动 100 次。

for 100 repetitions.

Remember where the dial turns green, then have Hedge set it back to that number.”

记住拨盘变绿的位置，

全部试完后， 再让海吉设置回开锁位置”。

A loop like this, where you specify the number of times it repeats,

这种设定循环次数的循环，

is called a “for" loop.

称为 “for” 循环。

But an even more efficient loop

但还有一种更高效的循环，

would have Hedge spin the dial one position at a time until it turns green

让海吉将拨盘一次转一个位置， 直到变成绿色为止，

and as soon as that happens, have him stop and open the door.

一旦拨盘变绿色， 让他停下，并打开门。

That way if the door unlocks on 1,

采用这种方法的话，

如果转到 1 门就开了， 他没必要继续转拨盘了。

he doesn’t need to cycle through all the rest of the numbers.

This is an “until” loop,

上面就是一个 “until” 循环，

because it involves doing an action until a condition is met.

因为它涉及持续执行操作， 直到条件满足为止。

A similar, alternate approach would be to turn the dial while it’s still red,

一种类似的替代方法是

在拨盘仍为红色时转动， 否则就停止。

then stop.

That’s called a “while” loop.

这就是 “while” 循环。

Back to the adventure.

现在回到故事中，

Hedge loops through the combinations, and the cell opens at 41.

海吉循环转动拨盘组合， 转到 41 时，牢门开了。

Ethic and Hedge wait until the perfect moment in the guards’ rotation

艾斯克和海吉 等到守卫轮班的最佳时刻，

and make a break for it.

成功逃出牢房。

Soon, Ethic faces a choice: hide inside a mysterious crystal,

很快，艾斯克面临选择：

是藏到一个神秘的水晶里， 还是尝试打开外门冲出去。

or try to crack the outer door and make a run for it.

Ethic chooses to run.

艾斯克选择冲出去。

The second door takes Hedge longer, requiring him to spin all the way to 93.

第二道门花了更长时间， 海吉一直旋转拨盘直到 93 。

But he gets it open

但最终他打开了门，

and takes the opportunity to explain why he’s rescued Ethic.

并借此机会解释了 为何他要拯救艾斯克。

The world is in turmoil:

世界正处于动荡之中：

robots have taken over, and only Ethic can set things right.

机器人已经接管了一切， 只有艾斯克才能使其回到正轨。

In order to do so,

为实现这个目标，

they’ll need to collect three powerful artifacts

他们需要收集三件强大神器，

that are being used for nefarious purposes across the land.

在地球上它们被用于邪恶目的。

Only then can Ethic return to the world machine— that giant crystal—

只有到了那时， 艾斯克才能回到世界机器——

那块巨大的水晶中—— 让世界恢复正常秩序。

to set things right.

Ethic may have escaped the prison…

艾斯克可能已逃离监狱……

but what has she gotten herself into?

但是她又陷入了什么困境呢？