The Greek myth of Talos, the first robot - Adrienne Mayor

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Carol Wang

Hephaestus, god of technology, was hard at work on his most ingenious invention yet.

匠神赫菲斯托斯

很努力地投入在 他最別出心裁的發明上。

He was creating a new defense system for King Minos,

他在為米諾斯王 創造新的防禦系統，

who wanted fewer intruders on his island kingdom of Crete.

米諾斯王希望減少闖入 他的島國克里特的入侵者。

But mortal guards and ordinary weapons wouldn’t suffice,

但凡人守衛和普通武器並不足夠，

so the visionary god devised an indomitable new defender.

所以這位有遠見的神便設計了 一個不屈不撓的新防禦者。

In the fires of his forge,

赫菲斯托斯在熔鐵爐的烈火中

Hephaestus cast his invention in the shape of a giant man.

賦予他的發明一個巨人的形體。

Made of gleaming bronze; endowed with superhuman strength,

用青銅製成，具有超人的力量，

and powered by ichor, the life fluid of the gods,

以靈液（神的生命液體）為動力，

this automaton was unlike anything Hephaestus had forged before.

這個機器人有別於赫菲斯托斯 以前鍛造的任何產物。

The god named his creation Talos: the first robot.

這位神將這個創造物取名為 塔羅斯：最早的機器人。

Three times a day, the bronze guardian marched around the island's perimeter

這個青銅守衛每天會 巡邏該島三次，

searching for interlopers.

尋找闖入者。

When he identified ships approaching the coast,

當他辨識出靠近海岸的船隻時，

he hurled massive boulders into their path.

他會朝著船隻投擲巨石。

If any survivors made it ashore,

如果有倖存者爬上岸，

he would heat his metal body red-hot and crush victims to his chest.

他會把他的金屬身體 升溫到紅熱的程度，

用他的胸膛將受害者壓碎。

Talos was intended to fulfill his duties day after day, with no variation.

塔羅斯的目的就是日復一日 盡到他的職責，沒有變化。

But despite his robotic behavior,

但，儘管他的行為很機械化，

he possessed an internal life his victims could scarcely imagine.

他卻具有他的受害者 難以想像的內在生命。

And soon,

沒多久，這個龐然大物

the behemoth would encounter a ship of invaders that would test his mettle.

就要遇到一艘測試 他毅力的入侵者船隻。

The bedraggled crew of Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts

全身髒亂的一行人返回，包括 傑森、美狄亞，以及阿爾戈英雄，

were returning from their hard-won quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

他們剛結束了辛苦獲勝 取回金羊毛的遠征。

Their adventure had taken many dark turns,

他們的冒險經歷了 許多黑暗的轉折，

and the weary sailors were desperate to rest in a safe harbor.

這些疲憊的水手非常渴望 能到一個安全的海港好好休息。

They’d heard tales of Crete’s invulnerable bronze colossus,

他們聽說克里特有個 刀槍不入的青銅巨人，

and made for a sheltered cove.

而朝向一個庇護的小海灣前進。

But before they could even drop anchor, Talos spotted them.

但，在他們能放下船錨之前， 塔羅斯就發現了他們。

While the Argonauts cowered at the approach of the awesome automaton,

雖然這個令人敬畏的機器人 讓阿爾戈英雄畏縮了，

the sorceress Medea spotted a glinting bolt on the robot’s ankle—

女巫美狄亞注意到在機器人的 腳踝處有個閃閃發光的螺栓——

and devised a clever gambit.

想出了一個聰明的策略，

Medea offered Talos a bargain:

美狄亞向塔羅斯提議做個交易：

she claimed that she could make Talos immortal

她宣稱可以讓塔羅斯永生，

in exchange for removing the bolt.

交換條件是要移除那個螺栓。

Medea's promise resonated deep within his core.

美狄亞的保證， 與他的核心深處共鳴。

Unaware of his own mechanical nature,

塔羅斯不了解他自己的機械本質，

and human enough to long for eternal life, Talos agreed.

且他有足夠的人性 讓他渴望獲得永生，

因此他同意了。

While Medea muttered incantations, Jason removed the bolt.

當美狄亞低聲唸咒時， 傑森移除了那個螺栓。

As Medea suspected, the bolt was a weak point in Hephaestus’ design.

正如美狄亞所懷疑的，那個螺栓 是赫菲斯托斯在設計上的弱點。

The ichor flowed out like molten lead, draining Talos of his power source.

靈液像是熔化的鉛一樣向外流，

讓塔羅斯失去了他的能量來源。

The robot collapsed with a thunderous crash,

一聲巨響，這個機器人崩壞了，

and the Argonauts were free to travel home.

阿爾戈英雄得以自由地返家。

This story, first recorded in roughly 700 BCE,

關於這個故事最早的記載 大約是在西元前七百年，

raises some familiar anxieties about artificial intelligence—

帶著一些對人工智慧的焦慮， 這種焦慮我們再熟悉不過——

and even provides an ancient blueprint for science fiction.

甚至還為科幻小說 提供了古老的藍圖。

But according to historians, ancient robots were more than just myths.

但，根據歷史學家的說法， 古機器人不只是神話而已。

By the 4th century BCE,

西元前四世紀，

Greek engineers began making actual automatons

希臘工程師開始製造 真正的機器人，

including robotic servants and flying models of birds.

包括機器傭人及鳥類的飛行模型。

None of these creations were as famous as Talos,

這些創造物都沒有 塔羅斯這麼有名，

who appeared on Greek coins, vase paintings, public frescoes,

在希臘硬幣上、花瓶繪畫上、

公共壁畫上，以及劇院演出中， 都可以看得到塔羅斯。

and in theatrical performances.

Even 2,500 years ago,

甚至在兩千五百年前，

Greeks had already begun to investigate the uncertain line

希臘就開始研究

人和機械之間那條不明確的界線了。

between human and machine.

And like many modern myths about artificial intelligence,

就像現代許多對於 人工智慧的謎思，

Talos’ tale is as much about his robotic heart as it is about his robotic brain.

塔羅斯的故事 不只是談他的機器腦，

也談他的機器心。

Illustrating the demise of Talos on a vase of the fifth century BCE,

西元前十五世紀的一個花瓶上 繪出了塔羅斯的絕望，

one painter captured the dying automaton’s despair

有位畫家捕捉到了 這個機器人的極度絕望，

with a tear rolling down his bronze cheek.

一滴淚沿著他的青銅臉頰滾落。