Can you solve the secret assassin society riddle? - Alex Rosenthal

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

Your agent is about to infiltrate a life or death poker game

你的特工正要混入一場 關乎生死的撲克牌局，

in a hidden back room of the grand casino.

地點在賭場後廳的密室裡。

You’re on the trail of an elite society of assassins,

你在追蹤一個精英刺客組織，

each of whom carries a signature playing card corresponding to their role.

每名刺客都有一張身分識別 撲克牌，對應他們的角色。

You’ve received intel from a 100% reliable source about how they operate.

你從百分之百可靠的來源取得了 他們如何運作的情報。

Their M.O. is to invite their victims to a high stakes game

他們的手法是邀請受害者 參加一場高賭注的牌局，

with one or more killers at the table.

玩家中會有一名或數名殺手。

The game is a variant of poker played with a single, fair deck

他們玩的是一種改版的撲克牌局， 用單一副正常的撲克牌來玩，

where every player receives two cards in secret.

每個玩家都會得到兩張暗牌。

Each assassin immediately and covertly swaps one of the cards

每個刺客都會立即偷偷 將取得的兩張牌之一

they’ve been fairly dealt with their signature card.

換成對應他們身分的識別撲克牌。

Then the robo-dealer reveals three shared cards on the table.

接著，機器發牌員會在桌上 翻開三張共用牌。

After betting, the assassins play their signature cards

下注後，刺客將會打出他們的 識別牌表示他們已準備好。

as a signal that they’re ready.

When the last one comes out, they go about their grim business.

當最後一張識別牌出現， 殘酷的殺手行動就此展開。

Today's game is no different,

今天的牌局也沒有不同，

and your mission is to identify the assassins and save all the victims.

你的任務是要識別出刺客， 並拯救所有受害者。

Everyone at the table is either an assassin or a victim,

牌桌上的每個人 若不是刺客就是受害者，

and there must be at least one of each.

且他們當中至少有 一個刺客和一個受害者。

The game is about to begin when your agent finds the secret passage

牌局即將開始時， 你的特工找到了秘密通道，

and talks her way into a seat at the table.

並巧言在賭桌上取得了一席。

Meanwhile, you’re monitoring the proceedings with an insect drone.

同時，你正在用昆蟲無人機 監控整個行動。

If you can figure out who has swapped out a fairly dealt card with a new one,

如果你能找出誰把 發給玩家的牌換成新的牌，

you can identify the assassins and alert your agent through her earpiece.

你就能辨識出刺客，並透過 特工耳裡戴的通訊器警告他。

The game begins.

牌局開始。

Your drone doesn’t catch anyone’s sleight of hand,

你的無人機沒有發現有人偷換牌，

but it does manage to get a look at the cards each player holds.

但看到了每個玩家手上的牌。 ［特工：方塊 K、梅花 K］

Suddenly — disaster.

突然——災難。

Someone swats the drone,

有人打下了無人機，

breaking your video feed before the reveal of the shared cards.

影像無法再傳輸給你， 而你還不知道共用牌是什麼。

It goes into emergency mode and is just operational enough

無人機進入緊急模式，

勉強運作中把下列關於這三張 共同牌的資料傳送出去，

to send the following string of data about those three shared cards

before shutting down for good.

然後才永久關機。

And that’s it; you’ve lost your eyes and ears in the room.

就這樣；你失去了 你在房間裡的眼睛和耳朵。

Your spy can’t see anyone else’s cards or tell you anything,

你的特工無法看到別人的牌， 也無法告訴你任何訊息，

so it’s up to you to figure this out, and fast.

現在就靠你自己了，且動作要快。

Who are the assassins?

哪些人是刺客？

Pause here to figure it out yourself.

〔若要自行解題，在此處暫停〕

Answer in 3

答案公佈倒數：三

Answer in 2

二

Answer in 1

一

You can start by combining the first two rules.

你可以從組合前兩條規則下手。

The second tells us that there are at least two queens,

第二條規則告訴我們至少兩張 Q。

and the first that there's at least one king.

第一條則說至少有一張 K。

So we must have two queens and a king.

所以我們一定有兩張 Q 和一張 K。

The first rule then tells us that the king is either in the middle or the left.

接著第一條規則告訴我們， K 位於中間或左邊。

That’s all we can do for now, so let’s look at the suits.

目前我們只能做到這樣， 我們來看看花色吧。

By the same logic, we know that there must be two spades and one heart.

用同樣的邏輯，我們知道 至少有兩張黑桃和一張紅心。

And by the third rule, that heart must be in the middle or on the right.

根據第三條規則， 那張紅心一定在中間或右邊。

We can now make a table with our four possibilities.

現在我們可以把四種 可能性做成一張表格。

We can eliminate this one,

我們可以排除這個選項，

because it would require the deck having two queens of spades.

因為這副牌必須要有 兩張黑桃 Q 才有可能。

We can’t rule out any other options, but we don’t actually need to;

我們無法排除其他選項， 但實際上也不需要；

in every case, the three cards are the king of spades, the queen of hearts,

在每種情況中，三張牌都是黑桃 K、

紅心 Q、

and the queen of spades, in different orders.

以及黑桃 Q，只是順序不同。

And it just so happens that each of these players holds one of those cards.

且剛剛好這些玩家 每人都持有其中一張。

So, they’re the assassins, right?

所以，他們是刺客吧？

Well, hold on, there’s something odd.

等等，有點奇怪。

Player 2 and the agent both hold the same card.

玩家二和特工持有相同的牌。

So, one of those must be a signature assassin card.

所以，其中一張一定是 刺客身分識別撲克牌。

But you know from your Intel that there’s at least one victim who is not the agent.

但你從你的情報得知，

特工以外的人當中 至少有一名受害者，

How can that be?

怎麼會這樣？

Oh, no. There’s only one possibility:

哦，不。只有一種可能：

your spy is the assassin known as the king of diamonds,

你的特工就是 被稱為方塊 K 的刺客，

and she’s been playing you this whole time.

她一直在耍你。

The only victim is player 2.

唯一的受害者是玩家二。

You rush in, grab hold of player 2 just before the bidding ends,

你衝進來，在下注結束 之前拉走了玩家二，

and make a run for it.

逃離現場。

On your way out, you lock eyes with your backstabbing partner.

離開時，你與在你背後 捅你一刀的夥伴四目相交。

You search her features, desperate for any sign of remorse or apology.

你希望能在她的表情中 找到一絲悔意或歉意。

All you get back is a poker face.

而你只看到一張撲克臉。