Can you solve the giant spider riddle? - Dan Finkel

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Helen Chang

Once every century, the world’s greatest spiders gather to compete

每個世紀，世界上最偉大的 蜘蛛都會齊聚一堂，

in a series of grueling games.

參加一系列鬥智鬥勇的比賽。

The winner will become the next arachnomonarch,

贏家會成為下一任的蜘蛛之王，

able to command all the world’s spiders to their will.

能夠對全世界的蜘蛛發號施令。

That day is today, and for the first time,

今天就是競賽的日子，

這也是你第一次得到角逐王位的資格。

you’re casting your name into the ring.

From Anansi to Arachne to Aragog,

從安納西蜘蛛神、阿拉克妮到阿辣哥，

all of the titans of the spider world are here,

所有蜘蛛界的大人物都在這裡，

and at first, no one even notices itsy-bitsy you.

所以一開始，完全沒人注意到 你這個默默無名的小不點，

But after wowing the crowd with your web design

但在你用蛛網設計贏得滿堂喝采，

and sticking it to the competition in the long-distance sling,

並挺進長距離拋索比賽後，

you’ve qualified for the finals.

你終於打進決賽。

Now all that remains is to face off against the reigning champion,

現在，所有進入決賽的選手， 都要在巨大的蛛網上，

Queen Shelob,

面對衛冕冠軍屍羅女王，

on the Whirled Wide Web, and win the title from her.

並從她手中贏得冠軍的頭銜。

The web stretches over a large chasm,

這張網鋪在一條巨大的峽谷上，

with intersecting strands coming to a single point on the other side.

以數條交叉的絲線開始， 最終在另一邊收束為一點。

Moving across each strand requires a careful dash,

在橫跨每一條線時， 都需要一次小心的衝刺。

and you must keep going until you stop at the next hub

你必須一直往前進， 直到抵達下一個節點，

where two strands cross.

也就是兩條絲線交會的地方。

By ancient spider code, only one competitor may traverse the web at a time.

根據古老的蜘蛛法規， 你們必須輪流行動，

You must take turns, moving from one intersection to an adjacent one.

你們必須輪流，從一個節點移動到 另一個與之相鄰的節點，

No one may spin new paths into existence or skip turns.

不能另闢新道路，也不能在原地不動。

You begin two spaces from Shelob, and to win,

你的起點和屍羅只有兩步之遙，

為了贏得勝利， 你一定得在第十步時抓住她。

you must catch her by your tenth move.

Can you attain the mantle of spider supremacy?

你可以解決這個至尊蜘蛛謎題嗎？

Pause here to figure it out for yourself. Answer in 3

在這裡暫停一下，試著自己找出答案。 三

Answer in 2

二、

Answer in 1

一，答案揭曉。

It’s tempting to trap Shelob in a corner, but doing so is surprisingly tricky.

把屍羅關在角落是個誘人的想法， 但要想做到卻很困難。

The layout of the web is such that every move you make,

這張網的設計，讓你每走一步，

Shelob can get to another intersection two away from you.

屍羅都能走到離你兩步的節點上。

So even if you were to drive her into a corner, she’d escape it easily.

所以就算你真的能把她逼到角落， 她也能輕鬆逃脫。

There are no dead ends,

網子上沒有死路，

so there’s never a situation where she’d be forced to move to your space.

所以她永遠不可能會 被迫移到你所在的位子上。

However, there is this point up here where all the strands converge.

但是，這個節點匯集了所有的絲線。

It's easy to see that it's important,

這個節點的重要性雖然一目了然，

but the challenge is figuring out exactly what to do with it.

但怎麼運用它才是關鍵。

There’s a clever way of re-visualizing the problem:

有個巧妙的方法， 能幫助你以另一個角度看清問題。

try coloring every intersection one of two colors—

試著為每個交岔點 塗上兩種顏色中的一種，

say red and blue—

我們以紅色跟藍色來做示範，

where the same color never borders itself.

同樣的顏色從來不會出現在相鄰之處。

What you get is a checkerboard pattern,

你得到的是一個棋盤式圖樣，

then one space at the point which you can’t make either color.

而這一點，是你無法 塗上任何一種顏色的地方。

At the beginning of the game, every time you move to red,

在比賽開始時， 當你每次移到紅色點上，

Shelob will be on blue,

屍羅就會移到藍色點上，

and every time you move to blue, Shelob will be on red.

而當你移到藍點上時， 她又會到紅點上。

In other words, unless something changes,

也就是說，除非有什麼改變，

you can never move onto the same intersection as her.

否則你永遠無法移到和她同色的節點。

And that’s where the point comes in.

而這就是重點。

As indicated by its unique color, it’s the one place you can break the pattern

就像這一點的特殊顏色顯示的， 這是能讓你打破這個模式、

and change the rhythm of moves.

改變移動節奏的唯一地方。

So you should waste no time in getting up there.

所以你應該把所有的時間 都用來移動到那裡。

Shelob could now be in any one of these red spaces,

屍羅現在可以在這些紅點上的任一點，

and you have at most 6 moves left to catch her.

而你剩下最多六次移動的機會。

But thanks to the colors we've added,

歸功於我們畫上的顏色，

we can now focus on the one thing that matters the most:

我們現在能專注在最重要的事情上：

changing the color pattern.

改變我們移動的模式。

Shelob is on red, so you should move onto red on the second or fourth strand.

屍羅在紅點上，所以你應該移動到 第二或第四條線的紅點上。

Now, Shelob can never move to any of the spots neighboring you,

現在，屍羅無法停在你附近的節點上，

giving you a kind of net to use to catch her.

這讓你得到抓住她的機會。

You may have luck choosing your moves through intuition at this point.

你現在或許能依靠直覺， 成功選擇移動路徑，

But if you want to get algorithmic about it,

但如果你想算得更精準，

you could track how far away she is horizontally and vertically,

你可以用兩個數字，

紀錄你們水平與垂直的距離。

as two numbers.

On your move, shrink the larger of the two,

在你移動的時候， 試著在較遠的距離追上她，

and no matter which direction she runs, she’ll have to hit an edge.

不管她往哪個方向移動， 她都會走到邊界。

Eventually, you'll have backed her into one of the two corners

最後，你就能將她逼到兩個角落之一，

and catch up to her at the last possible moment.

並在最後一刻抓住她。

You snatch the ceremonial sash from your opponent

你從對手手上奪過了典禮綬帶，

and wrap it around yourself.

並將它纏在身上。

You are now the Spider Supreme,

你現在成為了至尊蜘蛛，

leader of all the world’s eight-legged wonders.

世界上所有八足奇蹟的領導者。

Just remember— with great spider power comes great spider responsibility.

但要記得，強大的蜘蛛之力， 也會帶來沉重的蜘蛛之責。