Can you solve the multiverse rescue mission riddle? - Dan Finkel

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Candace Hwang

It was a normal Tuesday at the superconductor,

这是超导体实验室的一个普通星期二，

until a bug in the system created a small situation.

但一个系统漏洞造成一个突发小状况，

Now your team is trapped in eleven separate pocket dimensions.

把你的团队困在 11 个 单独的空间维度里。

Luckily for you, there’s a half-finished experimental teleportation robot

幸运的是，有一个实验性 远距传送机​​器人半成品，

that may be able to get you all home,

若能弄懂其古怪设计和如何操控，

if you can figure out how to work through the quirks of its design.

它可能会把你们送回家。

Over interdimensional radio,

你的工程师

your engineers explain

通过跨维无线电解释说，

that the robot can teleport into the alternate universes you’re trapped in,

机器人可以随机穿越到

but it’ll do so completely at random.

你们被困的另一个宇宙。

The robot has two levers and one big button.

机器人有两个控制杆和一个大按钮，

When it appears,

当它出现时，

you just switch the position of one of the levers from A to B or vice versa,

你只需切换任意一个控制杆的位置， 从 A 到 B，或从 B 到 A，

and then the robot will note your dimensional position

机器人就会记住你所在的维度位置，

and teleport to another of the eleven dimensions at random.

并随机穿越到 11 个空间维度中的一个。

If it shows up again, you’ll have to pull a lever before it’ll teleport away.

若它再次出现，你必须 变换控制杆的位置，它才会离开。

When anyone presses the button,

当有人按下按钮时，

the robot will bring everyone who pulled a lever back home.

机器人会把曾拉动控制杆的人全带回家。

Anyone who didn’t will be lost in the multi-verse forever.

而没有拉过控制杆的人， 将会永远迷失在多元宇宙中。

The challenge is to make sure everyone has pulled a lever

挑战在于，如何在按下按钮前，

before anyone hits the button.

确保每个人都拉了控制杆。

While you can talk to each other now over the interdimensional radio

虽然你现在可以用跨维无线电互相交谈，

and agree on a plan,

并一起制定方案，

the robot’s teleportation technology

但机器人一旦抵达，

will interfere with all attempts at communication once it arrives.

其远程传送技术会干扰所有的通信。

You won’t be able to attach messages to the robot

你无法在机器人身上附加消息，

or scratch notes into its superstrong alloy body.

也不能在其超强的合金体上刻字。

Your only way to communicate information

你们沟通的唯一方式，

is to change the position of exactly one lever or hit the button.

就是改变一个控制杆的位置或按下按钮。

What plan will make sure everyone gets home?

什么样的计划将确保每人都能回家呢？

Pause the video now if you want to figure it out for yourself.

[若想自己解题，请暂停播放]

Answer in 3

[答案公布 3]

Answer in 2

[答案公布 2]

Answer in 1

[答案公布 1]

It would be nice if you could set different combinations of the levers

用控制杆的位置组合 来代表机器人访问过谁，

to indicate who’s already been visited by the robot.

是个不错的主意，

But it has only two levers.

但它只有两个控制杆，

That gives four combinations—

即仅有四种组合——

far too few to communicate about 11 people,

组合太少了，无法代表 11 人，

especially when you’re forced to flip one to send the robot onward.

特别是你必须用掉一个组合， 才能让机器人去其他人那里。

There must be another way.

肯定有另外一种方式。

The critical insight is that not everyone has to know

解题关键在于，

并非每个人都必须了解 哪些空间维度已被访问过。

when every pocket dimension has been visited.

If one person accepts responsibility ahead of time for hitting the button,

如果某人提前接受按下按钮的任务，

then only they need to know who the robot has visited.

那么，只需他知道机器人访问过谁即可。

In fact, they don’t even need to know exactly who’s been visited…

其实，他甚至无须知道 机器人去过谁那里……

just how many people have been.

只需知道去过多少人那里即可。

You volunteer to be the person in charge of pressing the button

你主动承担了任务，

在一切就绪的时候按下按钮的任务，

when the moment is right,

and give the following directions to everyone else.

并给其他人下达如下的指示。

Your plan is simple:

you’ll use the left lever to count visits,

你将用左控制杆来计算访问次数，

and the right lever will have no meaning,

而右控制杆没有任何用处，

so there’s no harm in moving it up or down.

所以，移动右控制杆位置无所谓。

Each of the others will pull the left lever

其他每个人都会拉动左控制杆，

from position A to position B exactly once.

从位置 A 到位置 B，仅一次。

If the robot appears with the left lever already pulled down,

若机器人出现时左控制杆已拉到 B，

or if an individual has previously pulled the left lever down

或某人已在先前某时

at any point in the past,

把左控制杆拉到 B 位置，

then they should move the right lever.

这时，他们应该移动右控制杆的位置。

You, meanwhile, will be the only one who ever resets the left lever from position B

而你，才是唯一重置左控制杆的人，

从位置 B 重置到 A 。

to position A.

This gives you a way to count how many people have been visited by the robot.

这就提供了计算 被机器人访问过的人数的方法。

Everyone needs to pull the left lever down exactly once,

每个人只需将左控制杆 拉到 B 位置 1 次，

and you’re the only one to pull it back up.

而你是唯一能将位置重置回 A 的人。

So you know that the tenth time the robot visits you

所以，当机器人第十次拜访你、

且左控制杆处于下方位置 B 时，

with its left lever in the down position,

it must have visited all ten of the others.

你就知道，它已访问过其他所有人了。

And that means you’re safe to press the button and teleport everyone home.

也意味着，你可以安全地 按下按钮，传送每人回家。

It may take a while–

这可能需要一段时间——

most likely the robot will need to teleport around 355 times;

很可能机器人要传送约 355 次；

but better that than leave anyone behind.

但总比留下任何一个人要好。

Your teammates phase back into your home dimension one at a time.

你的队友依次回到 你们家所在的维度空间，

The mission proves a great success.

任务圆满完成。

Well...mostly.

嗯……理论上如此。