Can you solve the alien probe riddle? - Dan Finkel

翻译人员: Candace Hwang 校对人员: Carol Wang

The discovery of an alien monolith on planet RH-1729

在 RH-1729 星球发现的 外星巨石碑

has scientists across the world racing to unlock its mysteries.

使全世界的科学家们 竞相致力于解开它的秘密。

Your engineering team has developed an elegant probe to study it.

你的工程团队研发了一种 精良的探测器来研究它，

The probe is a collection of 27 cube modules

该探测器由 27 个 立方体模块组合而成，

capable of running all the scientific tests necessary to analyze the monolith.

能够运行所有分析 巨石所需的科学检测。

The modules can self-assemble into a large 3x3x3 cube,

这些模块可以自行组装成 一个的 3x3x3 大立方体，

with each individual module placed anywhere in the cube,

其中每个独立模块可任意方向

and at any orientation.

放置在立方体的任意位置。

It can also break itself apart and reassemble into any other orientation.

它还能自行解体， 以任意方向重新组合。

Now comes your job.

现在是需要你做的工作：

The probe will need a special protective coating

探测器需要特殊的保护性涂层，

for each of the extreme environments it passes through.

使它能顺利通过各种极端环境。

The red coating will seal it against the cold of deep space,

红色涂层可使它密封， 不受深空低温的影响，

the purple coating will protect it from the intense heat

紫色涂层将在探测器 进入 RH-1729 星球时，

as it enters the atmosphere of RH-1729,

保护它免受高温影响，

and the green coating will shield it from the alien planet’s electric storms.

而绿色涂层则将帮助它 抵御外星球上的电子风暴。

You can apply the coatings to each of the faces of all 27 of the cubic modules

你可以按你喜欢的方式，

in any way you like,

给 27 个立方体模块的 所有面都覆上涂层，

but each face can only take a single color coating.

但每个面只能涂一种颜色。

You need to figure out how you can apply the colors

你需要计算出如何涂色，

so the cubes can re-assemble themselves to show only red,

才能使立体模块重新组合后， 大立方体能呈现全红、

then purple,

然后全紫、

then green.

最后全绿的模样。

How can you apply the colored coatings to the 27 cubes

如何给 27 个小方块涂色，

so the probe will be able to make the trip?

才能使探测器顺利完成这次旅程呢？

Pause here if you want to figure it out yourself.

[若想自己解题，请暂停播放]

You can start by painting the outside of the complete cube red,

你可以先将整个立方体的 外部涂成红色，

since you’ll need that regardless.

因为无论如何你都需要它。

Then you can break it into 27 pieces, and look at what you have.

接着，拆成 27 个小块， 看看它们是什么样子。

There are 8 corner cubes, which each have three red faces,

有 8 个角上的方块， 每块都有三面涂成了红色；

12 edge cubes, which have two red faces,

12 个边上的方块， 每块有二面是红色的；

6 face cubes, which have 1 red face,

6 个表面的方块，只有一面红色；

and a single center cube, which has no red faces.

以及 1 个没有红色面的中心方块。

You’ve painted a total of 54 faces red at this point,

此时你共计涂了 54 面红色，

so you’ll need the same number of faces for the green and purple cubes, too.

因此绿色和紫色立方体 也需要相同数量的面。

When you’re done, you’ll have painted 54 faces red,

完成后，你将有 54 个面涂红色，

54 faces green,

54 个面涂绿色，

and 54 faces purple.

还有 54 个面涂紫色。

That’s 162 faces, which is precisely how many the cubes have in total.

这 162 个面正是此立方体 拥有表面数的总和。

So there’s no margin for waste.

因此，也并没有浪费的余地。

If there’s any way to do this, it’ll probably be highly symmetrical.

如果有任何方法做到这一点， 它可能是高度对称的，

Maybe you can use that to help you.

也许你可以利用这点。

You look at the center cube.

先看看中心的方块，

You’d better paint it half green and half purple,

最好涂成三面绿、三面蓝，

so you can use it as a corner for each of those cubes,

这样你可以把它作为立方体的角，

and not waste a single face.

同时一个面也没浪费。

There’ll need to be center cubes with no green and no purple too.

还需要各有 1 个无绿色 或者紫色的中心方块，

So you take 2 corner cubes from the red cube

所以，从红色大立方体上 取 2 个角的小方块，

and paint the 3 blank faces of 1 purple,

然后把剩余三个面涂成紫色，

and the 3 blank faces of the other green.

再把另一块的剩余三面涂成绿色。

Now you’ve got the 6 face cubes that each have 1 face painted red.

你有 6 个正面方块只有一面涂红，

That leaves 5 empty faces on each.

每个留有五个空面。

You can split them in half.

你可以把它们均分成两组，

In the first group, you paint 3 faces green

把第一组 3 个方块的三个面涂绿、

and 2 faces purple;

两面涂紫；

In the second group, paint 3 faces purple and 2 green.

第二组中，则是三面紫和两面绿。

Counting on symmetry,

基于对称性，

you replicate these piles again with the colors rearranged.

你更换颜色并复制上述 6 个正面方块的规律进行涂色，

That gives you 6 with 1 green face,

最后得到 6 个一面绿色的方块、

6 with 1 red face,

6 个一面红色的方块、

and 6 with 1 purple face.

和 6 个一面紫色的方块。

Counting up what you’ve completely painted,

数一数已经涂完的方块，

you see 8 corner cubes in each color,

会看到每个颜色有 8 个角落方块、

6 edge cubes in each color,

6 个边缘方块、

6 face cubes in each color,

6 个表面方块、

and 1 center cube.

和 1 个中心方块。

That means you just need 6 more edge cubes in green and purple.

即你只需要另外 6 个绿色 和 6 个 紫色的边缘方块。

And there are exactly 6 cubes left, each with 4 empty faces.

正好还剩 6 个方块未涂完色， 每个方块有 4 个空面。

You paint 2 faces of each green and 2 faces of each purple.

把方块的两面涂成绿色， 另两面涂成紫色。

And now you have a cube that’s perfectly painted to make an incredible trip.

你会得到一个完美涂层的立方体， 去完成不可思议的旅行了。

It rearranges itself to be red in deep space,

它在深空中可把自己变成为红色，

purple as it enters RH-1729’s atmosphere,

当进入 RH-1729 星球的大气层时变成紫色，

and green when it flies through the electric storms.

飞行穿梭在电子风暴中时变成绿色。

As it reaches the monolith,

当它到达巨石碑时，

you realize you’ve achieved something humans have dreamt of for eons:

你意识到你们实现了 人类长久以来的梦想：

alien contact.

接触外星人。