The dungeon master's riddle - Alex Rosenthal

翻译人员: Cherry Pang 校对人员: Sammi Wang

It’s a Monday,

是星期一，

which means yet another party of adventurers has broken into your lair,

又有一群冒险家闯入了你的巢穴，

here to slay your minions and steal your treasures.

来杀死你的小兵，偷走你的宝藏。

Judging by the trail of destruction,

从破坏的痕迹来看，

you’re up against a fighter, a rogue, and a cleric.

你面对的是一个战士、一个盗贼 和一个牧师。

The first two won’t be a problem for a powerful necromancer like you,

对于你这样强大的亡灵法师来说， 前两个不是个问题，

but the cleric’s spells are trouble.

但是牧师的法术让你头疼。

If they can cast even one on you, you’re a goner.

当他们对你施放一个咒语 你就完蛋了。

Which is why it's lucky that the party has fallen prey to one of your traps.

所以你侥幸该帮派 成为了你陷阱的牺牲品。

In order to enter your inner sanctum,

为了进入你的内心圣殿，

each adventurer had to drink either a truth or lying potion.

每个冒险者必须喝下 真相药水或谎言药水。

Then, foolishly, one picked up a cursed skull

然后，有人愚蠢地捡起了 一个被诅咒的头骨，

which immobilized all three adventurers’ limbs for 10 minutes

使三位冒险家全都 无法移动四肢10分钟，

or until you physically interact with one of them.

或者直到你与其中一个进行实体互动。

You rush to the scene bearing a magical ring that can render a cleric harmless

你带着一枚可以使神职人员变得无害 的魔法戒指赶到现场，

and have no idea which adventurer is which.

却不知道哪个冒险家是哪个。

Well, that’s okay—

不过，没关系——

the potions they drank will compel each to answer one question

他们喝下的药水会迫使每个人

with either the truth or a lie.

用真话或谎话回答一个问题。

You demand, “which one of you is the cleric?”

你质问道：“你们当中谁是牧师？”

Agan answers: Beorn is not both a lying-potion drinker and a cleric.

Agan 回答说：Beorn 并不是一个 既喝了谎言药水又做牧师的人。

Beorn says, either Agan drank a lying-potion or I am not a cleric.

Beorn说，要么是Agan喝了谎言 药水，要么我不是牧师。

And Cedar replies, the cleric drank a lying potion.

Cedar回答说， 牧师喝了一瓶谎言药水。

Quick! Who is the cleric?

快！牧师是谁？

Answer in 3

倒时：三

Answer in 2

二

Answer in 1

一

In order to find the cleric in this puzzle,

为了找到这个由逻辑大师

originally crafted by master logician Raymond Smullyan,

Raymond Smullyan 发明的谜题中的牧师，

we’ll need to also figure out who drank what.

我们还需要弄清楚谁喝了什么。

There are several paths to the solution,

解决方案有几种，

but Cedar’s statement is more straightforward than the other two,

但Cedar的说法比其他两条简单，

so let’s start there.

所以我们就从这那里开始吧。

If Cedar’s telling the truth, she can’t be the cleric,

如果Cedar说的是实话， 她就不可能是牧师，

since then the cleric would also have to be a liar.

因此牧师就必然是个骗子。

But if she’s lying, she also can’t be the cleric,

但如果她撒谎了，她也不可能是牧师，

because then the cleric should have told the truth.

因为那样牧师应该说了实话。

So the cleric must be Agan or Beorn.

因此牧师必须是 Agan 或 Beorn。

Let’s assume that Cedar is telling the truth,

假设Cedar说的是实话，

meaning the cleric is lying.

这意味牧师在撒谎。

If Agan is also telling the truth,

如果Agan说的也是实话，

Beorn must be the lying cleric by the process of elimination.

那么通过排除法， Beorn 肯定是说谎的牧师。

But Agan’s statement contradicts this by saying that Beorn

但Agan的说法与此矛盾，他说

can’t be both lying and a cleric, leaving no possible cleric.

Beorn不可能既在撒谎又是牧师， 这样就不可能有牧师。

If, on the other hand, Agan is lying,

另一方面，如果Agan在撒谎，

then her statement means Beorn is a lying cleric.

那么她的陈述就意味着 Beorn是个撒谎的牧师。

Now we need to look at Bjorn’s sentence.

现在我们需要看看Beorn的句子。

And this is where things get tricky, because the way it’s structured,

这就是事情变得棘手的地方， 因为它的结构方式

it can be confusing understanding what a lie would be.

可能会让人难以理解什么是谎言。

So let's simplify.

让我们简化一下。

Beorn stated two facts, and said that exactly one of them is true.

Beorn陈述了两个事实， 并说其中只有一个是真的。

So if Beorn is telling the truth,

所以如果 Beorn 说的是实话，

it could be that 1 is true and 2 is false, or 1 is false and 2 is true.

那可能 1 是真的，2 是假的， 或者 1 是假的，2 是真的。

And if Beorn is lying, it means that 1 and 2 are both true or both false.

而且如果Beorn在撒谎，那就意味着 1和2都是真的或者都是假的。

This is equivalent to the XOR, or exclusive OR, function in Boolean algebra,

这相当于布尔代数中的 XOR 函数，即异或函数，

a branch of mathematics that deals with logical operations.

是处理逻辑运算的数学分支。

Boolean algebra is the underpinning of the electronic logic gates

布尔代数是电子逻辑门的基础，

that allow computers to function,

使计算机能够运行，

using 1′s and 0′s instead of true and false.

用 1 和 0 而不是真和假。

So now let’s assess Beorn’s statement based on what we know.

现在让我们根据我们已知的信息 来评估Beorn的说法。

We’re assuming that Agan is a liar, making 1 true and 2 false—

我们假设 Agan 是个骗子， 假设 1 是真的，2 是假的，

because Beorn would be the cleric.

因为 Beorn 会是牧师。

But in that case, Beorn would be telling the truth,

但在这种情况下， Beorn说的便是实话，

which contradicts the idea that the cleric is a liar.

这与牧师是骗子的观点相矛盾。

In other words, if Cedar is telling the truth,

换句话说， 如果 Cedar 说的是实话，

Agan can't be telling the truth or lying.

那么Agan就不可能说实话或撒谎。

Therefore, Cedar must be lying, so the cleric is telling the truth.

因此，Cedar一定在撒谎， 所以牧师说的是实话。

So again, let’s consider the possibilities for Agan.

我们再来考虑一下Agan的可能性。

She can’t be lying, because then Beorn would be a lying cleric,

她不可能撒谎，因为那样Beorn 就会成为一个撒谎的神职人员，

which we know isn't possible.

我们知道这是不可能的。

So Agan must be telling the truth,

所以 Agan 说的一定是实话，

and we’re back to our truth table for Beorn.

然后我们回到Beorn的真相桌上。

Statement 1 is false.

陈述 1 是错误的。

And if the second were false, Beorn would be a lying cleric;

如果第二个是错误的， Beorn 将是一个撒谎的神职人员；

again, impossible.

同样，这是不可能的。

So statement 2 is true, making both Agan and Beorn truthtellers,

因此陈述 2 是正确的，这使 Agan和Beorn都是说真话的人，

and Agan the cleric.

而Agan是牧师。

You slide the ring onto her finger,

你把戒指戴在她的手指上，

polymorph all three into skeletal mice—

将三者变形为骨瘦如柴的老鼠——

temporarily, of course, you’re not a monster—

当然，只是暂时，你不是怪物——

and send them on their merry way.

然后送他们高高兴兴地上路。

But in that moment, was there a... connection?

但是在那刻，有种...联系吗？