Name: 國王與泥巨人 (The King and the Golem)
Uploaded: 2024-12-16T14:27:21.000Z
Duration: 9 min 37 s

The King and the Golem, a Fable of Automation and Trust, written by Richard Ngo.

國王與泥巨人，一個關於自動化與信任的寓言》，作者理查德-吳。

Long ago, there was a mighty king who had everything in the world that he wanted, except trust.

很久以前，有一位強大的國王，他擁有世界上他想要的一切，唯獨沒有信任。

情態助動詞 B1

Who could he trust when anyone around him might scheme for his throne?

當他身邊的任何人都有可能謀奪他的王位時，他還能相信誰呢？

So he resolved to study the nature of trust, that he might figure out how to gain it.

於是，他決心研究信任的本質，以便找出獲得信任的方法。

He asked his subjects to bring him the most trustworthy thing in the kingdom, promising great riches if they succeeded.

他要求臣民們給他帶來王國中最值得信賴的東西，並許諾如果他們成功了，就會獲得巨大的財富。

Soon, the first of them arrived at his palace to try.

很快，他們中的第一批人來到了他的宮殿進行嘗試。

We cannot know the future, but we know mathematics, chemistry, and history.

我們無法預知未來，但我們知道數學、化學和歷史。

I know it like the back of my hand, how it rolls and how it turns, and every detail of it.

我對它瞭如指掌，知道它如何滾動、如何轉動，以及每一個細節。

The king asked his wisest scholars if the teacher spoke true.

國王問他最聰明的學者，老師說的是不是真的。

But as they read her book, each pointed out new errors.

但在閱讀她的書時，每個人都指出了新的錯誤。

It was only written by humans, after all.

Then the king told the farmer to plough the fields near the palace.

然後，國王讓農夫耕種王宮附近的田地。

But he was not used to ploughing fields as rich as these, and his trusty plough would often sink too far into the soil.

但他並不習慣耕種如此肥沃的田地，他那可靠的犁經常會陷得太深。

So the king was not satisfied, and sent his message even further afield.

是以，國王並不滿足，他把消息傳到了更遠的地方。

一個商人帶來了一個生病的老乞丐。

I met him on the road here, and offered him food, water, and shelter.

我在路上遇到了他，為他提供了食物、水和住所。

He has no family, and only a short time left to live, during which I will provide for his every need.

他舉目無親，只剩下短暫的生命，在此期間，我會滿足他的一切需求。

He has nothing to gain from betraying me.

一位母親帶著她的小女兒來了。

I've raised her to lack any evil in her heart.

我把她養大，讓她心中沒有邪惡。

To say only good words, and do only good deeds.

As long as she is not corrupted, she will remain the most trustworthy in the kingdom.

只要她不被腐蝕，她就會一直是王國中最值得信賴的人。

The king asked the beggar, How did you end up in such dire straits?

國王問乞丐：你怎麼會落到如此窘迫的境地？

The beggar let out a sigh, and recounted his sorrows.

乞丐嘆了一口氣，講述了自己的悲哀。

The neighbors who refused to help him when his crops failed.

鄰居們在他的莊稼歉收時拒絕幫助他。

The murder of his son by bandits as they traveled to a new town.

他的兒子在前往一個新城鎮的途中被土匪殺害。

The sickness that took his wife as she labored for a pittance in squalid conditions.

他的妻子在簡陋的條件下為微薄的工資而勞作，疾病奪走了她的生命。

I will give you revenge on the ones who have wronged you then.

All I ask is for you to denounce this merchant.

The beggar's decision did not take long, for the trust that came easily was broken easily too.

乞丐的決定沒過多久就做出了，因為好不容易得到的信任也很容易就被打破了。

To the mother, the king asked, How did you raise such a child?

國王問母親：你是怎麼養大這樣一個孩子的？

But I discipline her firmly, and she learns fast.

但我堅決管教她，她學得很快。

The king, who knew something of children, ruled that for a month nobody would discipline the child in any way.

對孩子有所瞭解的國王規定，一個月內任何人不得以任何方式管教孩子。

By the end of it, she was as wild and tempestuous as any in the palace.

到最後，她就像宮中的任何人一樣狂野、暴躁。

So the king remained unsatisfied, and renewed his call for the most trustworthy thing in the kingdom.

於是，國王仍不滿足，再次要求得到王國中最值得信賴的東西。

現在，他的研究對象變得更具創造性。

An economist brought him a book of statistical tables.

一位經濟學家給他帶來了一本統計表。

Any individual might vary and change, but in aggregate their behavior follows laws which can be trusted.

任何個體都可能有差異和變化，但總體而言，他們的行為遵循的規律是值得信賴的。

By your own standards, only you are truly trustworthy, sire.

按照你自己的標準，只有你才是真正值得信賴的，陛下。

其他任何東西都無法與之相比。

The king scrutinized the economist's tables.

國王仔細檢查了經濟學家的表格。

The trend changed here fifteen years ago.

十五年前，這裡的趨勢發生了變化。

The economist launched into a long, complicated explanation.

這位經濟學家開始了冗長而複雜的解釋。

And did you discover this explanation before or after it happened?

你是在事情發生之前還是發生之後發現這個解釋的？

If you tell me when the next such change will happen, I will bestow upon you great rewards if you are right, but great penalties if you are wrong.

如果你告訴我下一次這樣的變化發生在什麼時候，如果你是對的，我將給你豐厚的獎賞，如果你是錯的，我將給你巨大的懲罰。

The economist consulted his books and tables, but could not find what he sought there, and left court that same night.

經濟學家查閱了他的書籍和表格，但沒有找到他想要的東西，於是當晚就離開了法庭。

As for the philosopher, the king ordered him whipped.

至於這位哲學家，國王下令鞭打他。

The philosopher protested it would be an unjust and capricious punishment, and would undermine his subjects' loyalty.

這位哲學家抗議說，這將是一種不公正、反覆無常的懲罰，而且會損害臣民的忠誠。

I agree that your arguments have merit, but the original order came from the only trustworthy person in the land.

我同意你的論點有道理，但最初的命令是由這片土地上唯一值得信賴的人下達的。

Surely I should never doubt my judgment based on arguments from those who are, as you have yourself said, far less trustworthy?

我當然不應該根據那些如你自己所說的遠不可信的人的論點來懷疑自己的判斷力？

At that, the philosopher begged to recant.

聽了這話，這位哲學家懇求反悔。

Finally, he decided that if no truly trustworthy thing could be found, he would have to build one.

最後，他決定，如果找不到真正值得信賴的東西，他就必須建造一個。

He asked his best craftsmen to construct a golem of the sturdiest materials, sparing no expense.

他請最好的工匠不惜工本，用最堅固的材料建造了一個巨像。

He asked his wisest scholars to write down all their knowledge on the scroll that would animate the golem.

他要求他最聰明的學者們把他們的知識都寫在卷軸上，這卷卷軸將為這個魔法巨人注入活力。

The work took many years, such was the care they took, but eventually the golem stood before him, larger than any man, its polished surface shining in the lamplight, its face blank.

這項工作花了很多年，他們非常小心，但最終，這個比任何人都要高大的巨人站在了他的面前，它光潔的表面在燈光下閃閃發光，但它的臉上卻沒有任何表情。

I can craft sculptures and teach children.

我可以製作雕塑，也可以教孩子們。

You need but instruct me, and I will follow your command.

您只需訓示我，我就會聽從您的命令。

Over the next year, he and many others watched it carefully as it carried out a multitude of their instructions, recording every mistake so that it might subsequently be fixed, until months passed without any mistakes being detected.

在接下來的一年裡，他和其他許多人仔細觀察它執行他們的大量指令，記錄下每一個錯誤，以便隨後進行修正，直到幾個月過去了，也沒有發現任何錯誤。

但是，國王能相信這個泥巨人嗎？

He still wasn't sure, and so he became more creative.

他還是不確定，於是他變得更有創造力。

He offered the golem temptations, freedom, fame, fortune, but it rejected them all.

他向泥巨人提出了各種誘惑，自由、名譽、財富，但泥巨人都一一拒絕了。

He gave it the run of his palace and promised that it could act however it wished.

他讓它管理自己的宮殿，並承諾它可以隨心所欲地行動。

Still, the servants reported that its behavior was entirely upstanding.

不過，僕人們報告說，它的行為完全是正直的。

Finally, he sent it out across the city to work for his citizens in every kind of role, and it was so tireless and diligent that it brought great wealth to the kingdom.

最後，他把它派到全城各地，為他的公民們從事各種工作，它是如此不知疲倦、勤勤懇懇，為王國帶來了巨大的財富。

As it aged, his golem grew ever more powerful.

隨著年齡的增長，他的巨像也越來越強大。

Innumerable scribes labored to make the writing in its head smaller and smaller, so that they could fit in more and more knowledge and experience.

無數的抄寫員辛辛苦苦地將其頭部的文字越寫越小，以便能容納越來越多的知識和經驗。

It started to talk to his scholars and help them with their work, and the king started to send it to aid his officers in enforcing his laws and commands.

它開始與學者們交談，幫助他們完成工作，國王也開始派它幫助官員們執行法律和命令。

Often, when difficulties arose, the golem would find a creative way to ensure that the king's intentions were followed, without stoking the resentment that often accompanied royal decrees.

通常情況下，當困難出現時，泥巨人會找到一種創造性的方法來確保國王的意圖得到貫徹，而不會激起與王室法令相伴而生的怨恨。

One day, as the king heard a report of yet another problem that the golem had solved on his behalf, he realized that the golem had grown wiser and more capable than he himself.

有一天，國王聽到了一個報告，說山姆又替他解決了一個問題，他意識到山姆比他自己更聰明、更能幹了。

He summoned the golem to appear before him as he sat in his garden.

當他坐在花園裡時，他召喚出了魔法巨人。

I've seen my courtiers asking for your advice and trusting your judgment over their own, and I've seen your skill at games of strategy.

我見過我的臣子們向你請教，相信你的判斷而不是他們自己的判斷，我也見過你在戰略遊戲中的技巧。

If you were to start weaving plots against me, I could no longer notice or stop you.

如果你開始編織針對我的陰謀，我再也無法察覺或阻止你了。

So I ask, can I trust you enough to let you remain the right hand of the crown?

所以我想問，我能信任你，讓你繼續擔任王冠的右手嗎？

I was designed, built, and raised to be trustworthy.

我被設計、打造和培養成一個值得信賴的人。

I have made mistakes, but none from perfidy or malice.

我犯過錯，但沒有背信棄義或惡意中傷。

Many of my courtiers appear trustworthy, yet scheme to gain power at my expense.

我的許多臣子看似值得信賴，但卻想以我為代價獲得權力。

So how could I know for sure that you will always obey me?

那我怎麼能確定你會永遠服從我呢？

Tell me to set fire to this building as I stand inside it.

告訴我，當我站在這棟樓裡時，就放火燒了它。

I will be destroyed, but you will know that I am loyal to your commands, even unto the end.

我將被毀滅，但你會知道我忠於你的命令，甚至直到最後。

字幕列表影片播放

國王與泥巨人 (The King and the Golem)

discipline

capable

lack

predict