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Imagine an island where 100 people, all perfect logicians, are imprisoned by a mad dictator.
想像一下，有座島上住著100位居民，他們每一個都是優秀的邏輯學家，卻被一位邪惡的獨裁者所監禁。
There's no escape, except for one strange rule.
唯一能逃離島上的方法，必須符合一條特殊的規則。
Any prisoner can approach the guards at night and ask to leave.
所有人都可以在晚上去找守衛，并要求離開島上。
If they have green eyes, they'll be released.
只要這位居民擁有綠色眼睛，就可以被釋放。
If not, they'll be tossed into the volcano.
但如果不是綠色眼睛，就要被丟進火山。
As it happens, all 100 prisoners have green eyes,
碰巧的是，那100位居民都有綠色眼睛。
but they've lived there since birth, and the dictator has ensured they can't learn their own eye color.
但是自從出生以來，他們一直住在島上，獨裁者很確定，居民們都不知道自己眼睛的顏色。
There are no reflective surfaces, all water is in opaque containers,
島上沒有任何物品能夠反射出自己的影像，所有的水都裝在不透明的容器里，
and most importantly, they're not allowed to communicate among themselves.
最重要的是，居民之間不準互相溝通。
Though they do see each other during each morning's head count.
雖然每天早上點名時，他們會看到彼此。
Nevertheless, they all know no one would ever risk trying to leave without absolute certainty of success.
不過他們都知道，從來沒有人敢冒險嘗試離開，因為無法確定自己一定能成功。
After much pressure from human rights groups,
在許多人權團體的壓力下，
the dictator reluctantly agrees to let you visit the island and speak to the prisoners under the following conditions:
獨裁者勉強同意，讓你拜訪那座島，你可以跟被監禁的居民談話，但是必須符合以下的條件：
you may only make one statement, and you cannot tell them any new information.
你只能說一件事，而且不能告訴他們任何新的消息。
What can you say to help free the prisoners without incurring the dictator's wrath?
你要怎么說才能幫助居民獲得自由，而且不會激怒獨裁者？
After thinking long and hard, you tell the crowd, "At least one of you has green eyes."
經過一段時間的思考后，你告訴居民：“你們之中至少一位擁有綠色眼睛。”
The dictator is suspicious but reassures himself that your statement couldn't have changed anything.
獨裁者雖然有點懷疑，但依然告訴自己：你說的話不會改變任何事情。
You leave, and life on the island seems to go on as before.
然后你離開了，島上的生活又變得和之前一樣。
