You're in a room with a king, a rich man, and a priest. Each orders you to kill the other two, and you're the only one with a weapon. Whom will you listen to and why?
你在一个房间里，里面有一位国王，一位富人，一位牧师。每个人都命令你去杀死另外两个人，而你是唯一有武器的人。你会听谁的，为什么？- Upvoted 24.5K
- Abhimanyu Sood, author, abhimanyusood.com
- Updated Apr 23, 2017
- Translated by Qee11
I just love this question. I fucking love it. What’s so beautiful about this question is that it cannot be answered by analyzing what is given. Rather, the answer can only be found by analyzing what is hidden behind these black lines!
我爱这个问题，我他妈爱死了。这个问题的美妙之处在于，它不能靠已给出的字面信息来分析回答。相反，只能通过分析隐藏在黑线背后的东西来找到答案！
Let’s begin, shall we?
让我们开始，好吗？
First of all, it’s safe to assume that the three designations described - the king, the priest, and the rich man are the three highest positions of power in the empire. Now, since I am the sword-wielder, I choose to be an ambitious one. And if I am ambitious, I would want one of these three positions for myself!
首先，可以肯定的是，这三个被描绘指定的人物——国王，牧师和富人，是帝国中三个最高的权职。现在，既然我是执剑者，我选择成为一个野心勃勃的人。如果我有雄心壮志，那么我会想要这三个位子中的一个！
It’s evident that I’ll kill two of the three and spare one. So, instead of concentrating on what is to be lost by killing a particular person, let’s analyze what is to be gained by letting a particular person live.
很明显，我会杀了这三个人中的两个，留一个。所以，与其把注意力集中在如果杀了一个特定的人会失去什么，不如让我们分析下，如果让一个特定的人活下来会得到什么吧。
Case 1) The king lives.
例1）国王活。
In this case, I kill both the rich man and the priest. What can the king do for me? The answer is clear - He can make me very very rich. But he cannot make me the priest. (The priest has to command the respect and devotion of the people, something a king cannot buy or order.)
在这个例子中，我杀了富人和牧师。国王能为我做什么？答案显而易见——他能让我变得很富有。但他不能让我变成一个牧师。（牧师必须得到人民的尊重和忠诚，这是一个国王不能购买或命令的。）
Case 2) The priest lives.
例2）牧师活。
Here, I kill the king and the rich man. Once again, I ask - What can the priest give me? He cannot make me rich. Most of the priests themselves choose to live a life of poverty (Remember High Sparrow?) But the priest can easily make me the king. He holds that much power over people, as is evident throughout our history (Again, remember High Sparrow?)
这次，我杀了国王和富人。再一次地，我问——牧师能给我什么？他无法让我富有。大部分牧师自己选择过贫穷的生活（还记得大麻雀①吗？）但牧师能轻易地让我成为国王。他在人民中有很大的权力，这在我们历史中是显而易见的（再一次的，还记得大麻雀吗？）
① High Sparrow：大麻雀，《冰与火之歌》中的人物，教会总主教。
Case 3) The rich man lives.
例3）富人活。
I kill the king and the priest. Now, what can the rich man offer me? He can neither make me the king, nor make me the priest. Both of those positions require people’s will, acceptance and devotion; and that is something you cannot buy with money.
我杀了国王和牧师。现在，富人能给我什么？他既不能让我当国王，也不能当牧师。这两个位子，都需要人民的意愿，肯定和忠诚；这是你用钱买不到的。
So, it is evident that the rich man is the most useless of all. He has nothing to offer to me. I kill him immediately.
所以，很明显，富人是所有人中最无用的。他没有什么可以给我的。我立刻杀了他。
Now, the king and the priest remain. The king can make you rich, and the priest can make you king. (Case 1 and 2)
现在，还剩下国王和牧师。国王能让你变的富有，而牧师能让你当国王。（见例1和例2）
So, it’s just a matter of the exact nature the sword-wielder’s ambition takes. Does he crave wealth or power? If he craves power, then he must kill the king. And if he craves riches, then he must kill the priest.
所以，这只是一个关于执剑者野心确切性质的问题。他渴望的是财富还是权力？如果他渴望权力，那他必须杀了国王。如果他渴望财富，那他必须杀了牧师。
For me, personally, power is much more important than money. So, if you make me the sword-wielder, I’ll first kill the rich man. Then, when it’s just between the king and the priest, I’ll strike a deal with the priest that if I spare him, he has to make me the king with his support.
对于我个人来说，权力可比金钱重要多了。所以，如果你让我成为了执剑者，我会先杀了富人。然后，就是在国王和牧师之间选择。我会和牧师达成协议，如果我饶了他，他就得必须支持我成为国王。
Then I’ll stab the king.
然后我会刺死国王。
Boo ya!
啊哈！
Oops, I mean…
我的意思是……哎呦
QED
证明完毕
※ 水平粗浅，肯定有谬误，欢迎交流。
