Can you solve the alien probe riddle? - Dan Finkel

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

The discovery of an alien monolith on planet RH-1729

在 RH-1729 星球上 發現了外星巨石，

has scientists across the world racing to unlock its mysteries.

讓全世界的科學家 都搶著要解開它的謎。

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

你的工程團隊開發了 一個精緻的探測器，要來研究它。

The probe is a collection of 27 cube modules

探測器是由 27 個 立方體組件所組成，

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

能夠執行所有必要的科學檢測， 來分析這塊巨石。

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

組件可以自己組合成 3x3x3 的大型立方體，

with each individual module placed anywhere in the cube,

每一個個別的組件都可以 放在立方體的任何一處，

and at any orientation.

用任何方向放置。

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

它也可以自己拆解開， 以其他方式重新組合。

Now comes your job.

現在，你的工作來了。

The probe will need a special protective coating

探測器需要特殊的保護外層，

for each of the extreme environments it passes through.

來穿過每一個極端的環境。

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

紅色外層會協助它 抵抗太空深處的寒冷，

the purple coating will protect it from the intense heat

紫色外層會保護它抵抗高熱，

as it enters the atmosphere of RH-1729,

在進入 RH-1729 的 大氣層時就會遇到高熱，

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

還有綠色的外層可以保護它 不受外星的電暴影響。

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

你可以用任何你想要的方式， 將這些外層覆蓋在

27 個立方組件的每一面上，

in any way you like,

but each face can only take a single color coating.

但每一面只能用一種顏色的外層。

You need to figure out how you can apply the colors

你得要想出該如何安排這些顏色，

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

讓立方體可以重新 組合成只有紅色外層，

then purple,

接著只有紫色，

then green.

再來只有綠色。

How can you apply the colored coatings to the 27 cubes

你要如何把這些有顏色的外層 分配到 27 個立方體上，

so the probe will be able to make the trip?

讓探測器能夠完成這趟旅程？

Pause here if you want to figure it out yourself.

如果你想要自己解解看， 在這裡按暫停。

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

一開始，你可以先把完整 立方體的外部都漆成紅色，

since you’ll need that regardless.

因為不論如何都需要這種配置。

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

接著，你可以把它拆成 27 部分，看看你有什麼。

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

有 8 個角落立方體， 每個都有三面是紅色。

12 edge cubes, which have two red faces,

12 個邊緣立方體， 每個都有兩面是紅色。

6 face cubes, which have 1 red face,

6 個表面立方體， 每個都有一面是紅色。

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

還有 1 個中心立方體， 沒有任何一面是紅色。

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

此時，你總共已經 將 54 個面漆為紅色，

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

所以你需要的紫色面 和綠色面的數量也一樣。

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

當你完成時，你必須 要有 54 個紅色面、

54 faces green,

54 個綠色面，

and 54 faces purple.

和 54 個紫色面。

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

那總共是 162 個面，剛好是 這些立方體的所有的面。

So there’s no margin for waste.

所以沒有任何一面可以浪費。

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

如果有任何方式可以辦到， 那很可能是有高度對稱性的方式。

Maybe you can use that to help you.

也許你可以利用這一點。

You look at the center cube.

你看著中心立方體。

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

你最好把它漆成 一半綠色一半紫色，

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

就可以把它拿來 當作角落立方體使用，

and not waste a single face.

且不會浪費任何一面。

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

也會需要有中心立方體， 一個沒有綠色，一個沒有紫色。

So you take 2 corner cubes from the red cube

所以你從紅色立方體中 拿下兩個角落立方體，

and paint the 3 blank faces of 1 purple,

把其中一個立方體 空白的三面漆成紫色，

and the 3 blank faces of the other green.

再把另一個立方體 空白的三面漆成綠色。

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

現在你有 6 個表面立方體， 都有一面是紅色。

That leaves 5 empty faces on each.

也就是說每個立方體 都還有五面是空白的。

You can split them in half.

你可以把它們分一半。

In the first group, you paint 3 faces green

第一組，把三面漆成綠色，

and 2 faces purple;

兩面漆成紫色；

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

第二組，把三面漆成紫色， 兩面漆成綠色，

Counting on symmetry,

仰賴對稱性，

you replicate these piles again with the colors rearranged.

你再複製這個過程用到 其他立方體，把顏色重新安排。

That gives you 6 with 1 green face,

就會有 6 個只有一面綠色，

6 with 1 red face,

6 個只有一面紅色，

and 6 with 1 purple face.

6 個只有一面紫色。

Counting up what you’ve completely painted,

算出你已經漆完的立方體總數，

you see 8 corner cubes in each color,

你發現每種顏色都有 8 個角落，

6 edge cubes in each color,

每種顏色都有 6 個邊緣，

6 face cubes in each color,

每種顏色都有 6 個表面，

and 1 center cube.

還有 1 個中心立方體。

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

那表示你只需要再有 6 個綠色 和 6 個紫色的邊緣立方體。

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

剛好還剩下 6 個立方體， 每個都有四面是空白的。

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

你把每個立方體的 兩面漆成綠色，兩面漆成紫色。

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

現在你的立方體就完美地漆好了， 可以完成這趟了不起的旅程。

It rearranges itself to be red in deep space,

在太空深處時， 它自己會重新排列成紅色，

purple as it enters RH-1729’s atmosphere,

進入 RH-1729 大氣層時 排列成紫色，

and green when it flies through the electric storms.

飛過電暴時排列成綠色。

As it reaches the monolith,

當它抵達巨石處，

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

你發現你達成了人類 長年以來的夢想：

alien contact.

和外星人接觸。