Can you solve the dragon jousting riddle? - Alex Gendler

譯者: Wei-Chia Huang 審譯者: H_L Au

After centuries of war,

歷經數百年戰爭後，

the world’s kingdoms have come to an agreement.

世界各王國達成了協議。

Every five years, teams representing the elves, goblins, and treefolk

每五年，精靈、小妖精 與樹人的代表隊伍

will compete in a grand tournament of dragon jousting.

將進行一場盛大的龍上長槍比武。

Every team will face each of the others once.

每隊只會和其他隊伍各比一次。

The kingdom whose team wins the most matches will rule all of Center-Realm

代表隊贏得最多場比賽的王國 就可以統治整個中心領域

until the next tournament.

直至下次比賽。

To prevent any outside meddling,

為了防止任何外部干預，

the games are to be conducted in absolute secret

比賽必須絕對秘密地進行，

except for a group of wizards who will make sure

只有巫師團例外，他們要確保

nobody uses enchantments, hexes, or spells to cheat.

沒人能利用魔法、 妖術或咒語作弊。

You’ve been given the extremely important job of recording the scores

你被賦予了極其重要的任務，

for the first inaugural tournament.

便是為首屆賽事記錄比分。

But the opening celebrations get a bit out of control,

但開幕慶典卻有點失控了，

and when you wake up,

你醒來時，

you realize the games are already underway.

發現競賽早就開始了。

Fortunately, no one has noticed your absence so far.

幸好，到現在還沒人發現你不在。

However, you need to get up to speed quickly;

不過，你得趕緊起來。

if your boss, the head tournament official,

若你的上司， 也就是比武的首席官方人員

finds out you’ve been sleeping on the job, you’ll lose your head.

發現你居然曠工睡著了， 你就死定了。

After weighing your options,

權衡之下，

you decide to offer your life’s savings to one of the regulation wizards

你決定把畢生積蓄 給其中一位執法巫師

in return for the information,

以此換取情報，

giving him your blank scorecard to fill out.

讓他填上你給的空白記分卡。

But before he can finish, your boss walks into the tent.

可在他完成前， 你的上級走進了帳篷。

You barely manage to hide the scorecard in time,

你根本來不及藏好記分卡，

and the wizard excuses himself.

巫師也為自己開脫。

Your boss chuckles.

你的上司輕笑。

“Hope you didn’t believe anything Gorbak’s been saying—

「希望你沒信戈巴克說的任何話，

he’s been cursed to tell only lies, even in writing.

他受了只能說謊的詛咒， 哪怕用寫的也一樣。

Anyway, can you believe how low-scoring the tournament’s been?

無論如何，你相信 這次比賽的得分有多低嗎？

Every team has played at least once,

所有隊伍至少都比過一遍了，

yet not a single match with a combined score of more than five hits!

卻沒一場比賽的總分超過五分！

Anyhow, I’ll be back in a minute to review your scorecard.”

總之，我一分鐘後會回來 檢查你的計分卡。」

You laugh along,

你跟著笑，

and when he leaves you look at the partially completed card,

他離開後你看向半完成的計分卡，

now knowing every single number on it is wrong.

如今你得悉上面的數字都是錯的。

You’ve only got one chance to save yourself,

你只有一次救自己的機會，

so what’s the real score of each match?

到底每場比賽的實際比分是什麼？

Pause now to figure it out for yourself.

[現在暫停一下自己好好想想。]

The incredible thing about this riddle is that you can reach the solution

這個謎題的精妙之處在於

你能在幾乎毫無正確資訊的情況下 解開答案。

despite an almost complete lack of correct information.

And that’s possible because knowing that something is false

這是有可能的， 因為知道何者為非

is meaningful information in its own right.

本身便是有意義的資訊。

The first key is to realize that no team will play more than two matches,

第一個關鍵是 知道沒有隊伍比超過兩場，

since there are only two other teams.

因為總共只有三個隊伍。

So if the elves didn’t actually play one match,

所以若精靈隊實際並非比了一場，

and the goblins didn’t actually play two,

妖精隊比賽次數也非兩場，

the truth must be that elves played two and goblins played one.

事實必定是精靈比了兩場， 而小妖精則是一場。

For the elves to have played two matches,

既然精靈比了兩次，

they must’ve faced each of the other teams once.

他們一定和其他隊伍各比過一次。

And since goblins have only played one match so far— against the elves—

若小妖精目前只和精靈比了一次，

that means the match between goblins and treefolk has not occurred yet.

就代表小妖精和樹人還沒比賽過。

We know it’s false that the treefolk tied zero matches,

我們知道樹人隊 平局為零的資訊是錯的，

which means their bout against the elves must’ve tied.

就表示他們與精靈一戰是平手。

We also know that the elves won at least one match,

我們也知道精靈贏了至少一次，

and since they tied against the treefolk, they must have beaten the goblins.

既然他們和樹人是平手， 就一定打敗了小妖精。

But can we figure out the actual scores?

但我們能得出實際分數嗎？

Let’s start with the elf-treefolk tie.

先從精靈對樹人的平局開始吧。

Because no more than five total hits were scored,

由於每局總分不超過五分，

the final tally must’ve been 0-0, 1-1, or 2-2.

最終比分應該是 0 比 0、 1 比 1 或 2 比 2。

But the treefolk must’ve scored some hits,

但樹人一定有得到些比分，

and it’s false that they only had one hit scored against them.

且他們只贏一分的資訊是假的。

The only option that leaves is 2-2.

剩下的唯一答案 就是 2 比 2 。

In the match between elves and goblins,

精靈對小妖精一戰中，

the goblins must’ve scored at least one hit.

小妖精一定至少贏了一分。

And the elf score must be 2 or more for them to have won the match.

而精靈隊必定是 得兩分以上才會勝利。

This leaves only a few possibilities that add up to 5 or less.

等於或小於 5 分就 只剩下幾種可能。

The elves couldn’t have scored three, so that eliminates these two.

精靈隊不可能得 3 分， 所以排除這兩種可能。

And their total hits scored across both matches can’t add up to six,

他們兩場的總得分不可能為 6，

so this one’s out too.

所以這個也不對。

So the score must’ve been 2-1.

所以比分一定是 2 比 1。

With one match remaining,

接下來就剩一場比賽了，

you’ve managed to save your job— and your neck.

你成功保住工作──和你的腦袋。

Gorbak the wizard may have lied,

巫師戈巴克可能真的撒了謊，

but your deductive skills quickly evened the score.

但你用推理技巧迅速得出了分數。