瞬間移動會殺死你：英語精讀講義

In Star Trek,

在《星艦迷航記》中，

the transporter moves you from one spot to another,

傳送機將你從一個地點轉移到另一個地點，

saving on shuttle fuel and special effects budgets. 片語動詞

從而節省了梭機的燃料和特效預算。

In universe,

在星艦宇宙中，

it's the safest way to travel.

這是最安全的旅行方式。

Yes,

是的，

sometimes two guys die horrible mutilated deaths under rare circumstances,

有時候在罕見情況下，會有兩個人死狀極慘，

but trillions of individuals transport to work every morning without a hiccup. 慣用語

但數以萬億計的人每天早晨傳送去上班，卻沒出任何岔子。

But what if the transporter isn't as safe as claimed? 文法

但如果傳送機並不像聲稱的那麼安全呢？

What if the death rate isn't point almost nothing percent,

如果死亡率不是幾乎為零的百分之零點幾，

but 100 percent because the transporter is a suicide box?

而是百分之百，因為傳送機其實是個自殺箱呢？

First,

首先，

how does the transporter work?

傳送機是如何運作的？

There are technical manuals with pages and pages of hilariously over-specific details

有些技術手冊上寫了滿篇滑稽且過於具體的細節，

that yet say so little.

但其實什麼實質內容也沒說。

Star Trek is nothing if not consistently inconsistent. 慣用語

《星艦迷航記》最顯著的特點就是它始終如一的前後矛盾。

But taking the most common elements, 表達脈絡

但如果提取最常見的設定，

first the transporter scans you down to the quark,

首先，傳送機會將你掃描至夸克級別，

takes apart your atoms 片語動詞

拆解你的原子，

and sends the pieces of you to the destination for reassembly.

然後把你的碎片發送到目的地進行重組。

But is it you on the other end 片語搭配

但在另一端的真的是你嗎？

or a copy that thinks it's you?

還是一個自以為是你的複製品？

Well,

那麼，

who is you?

到底什麼是你？

That's a hell of a big question, 用詞

這是一個極其龐大的問題，

but let's try to be good scientists about it.

但讓我們試著用科學家的態度來對待它。

We don't assume there's a magic part of you that can't be measured.

我們不假設你身上有什麼無法被測量的神奇部分。

After all, 表達脈絡

畢竟，

if it can't be measured,

如果它無法被測量，

that means by definition it can't affect anything. 片語搭配

這就意味著從定義上講它無法影響任何事物。

So Occam's razor it away 文化背景

所以我們用奧卡姆剃刀原理把它剔除，

and we take you as you seem to be,

我們就把你看作你表面的樣子：

a collection of atoms arranged to think they're you.

一堆原子的排列組合，並且它們認為自己就是你。

And because the arrangement of atoms in post-transport you is exactly the same as pre-transport,

而因為傳送後你的原子排列與傳送前完全相同，

you must be you.

你一定就是你。

Case closed. 表達脈絡

結案了。

But you might still have this nagging feeling 片語搭配

但你可能仍然會有這種揮之不去的感覺：

that your experience of stepping into the transporter

你踏入傳送機的體驗

will be a funny sound,

會是一陣奇怪的聲音，

a bright light,

一道強光，

then nothingness eternal.

然後是永恆的虛無。

While down on the planet,

與此同時在星球表面上，

a brand new life complete with all your memories up to the moment before your death

一個全新的生命，帶著你死前那一刻的所有記憶，

popped into existence and assumed it's you. 片語搭配

憑空出現並自以為是你。

How could it otherwise? 文法

不然還能怎樣呢？

It lives a life as short as the mission

它過著和任務一樣短暫的一生，

and a new creature with the memories of you both

然後一個帶著你們雙方記憶的新生物

makes it back to the ship. 片語搭配

回到了船上。

If true, 文法

如果這是真的，

multiply this by all the life forms in all the ships in all the star systems

把這乘以所有星系中所有飛船裡的所有生命體，

and this transport technology is a silent holocaust,

那麼這項傳送技術就是一場無聲的大屠殺，

which makes an average episode of Trek rather grim watching.

這讓《星艦迷航記》哪怕是普通的一集看起來都相當陰暗。

And it's a small mercy when a crew member takes the turbolift rather than site-to-site transport.

而當船員選擇乘坐渦輪電梯而不是點對點傳送時，簡直算得上是一種小小的仁慈。

But again,

但再說一次，

the measurements check out. 片語動詞

測量結果沒有問題。

So perhaps we're being paranoid

所以也許我們太多疑了，

and we're already late for our holiday on Risa,

我們去瑞薩星（Risa）度假都已經遲到了，

so just step inside already. 語氣意圖

所以趕快走進去吧。

But atom reassembly is the optimistic version

但原子重組已經是樂觀的說法了，

and can't be how the transporter really works

傳送機的真正運作原理不可能如此，

because sometimes accidents combine two crew into one

因為有時候事故會把兩名船員融合為一個，

or split one into two.

或者把一個分裂成兩個。

There aren't enough atoms in you to make a second you,

你身上的原子不足以製造出第二個你，

so the transporter has to be turning atoms into energy

所以傳送機一定是在把原子轉化成能量，

and energy into atoms.

再把能量轉化成原子。

You are destroyed,

你被毀滅了，

used to charge a battery,

用來給電池充電，

then recreated anew.

然後重新被創造出來。

This really seems like death,

這看起來確實像死亡，

but the philosophy majors in the room are dying to bring up the Ship of Theseus now, 講解

但房間裡的哲學系學生現在一定迫不及待想搬出「忒修斯之船」了，

so fine.

那好吧。

You take this ship on an adventure.

你開著這艘船去冒險。

As parts get worn, 文法

隨著零件磨損，

you replace each until eventually no piece is original.

你不斷更換它們，直到最後沒有一塊是原裝的。

When you return,

當你回來時，

is the Ship of Theseus still the same Ship of Theseus you left on?

這艘忒修斯之船還是你出發時的那艘忒修斯之船嗎？

Seems so.

看起來是的。

And this is what your body does daily via eating,

這也是你的身體每天在做的事：透過進食，

bringing in new atoms,

攝入新的原子，

and excreting,

然後排泄，

losing atoms.

流失原子。

Compare to the Cutty Sark,

相比之下，卡蒂薩克號（Cutty Sark），

a colonial tea ship burned down

一艘被燒毀的殖民時期運茶船，

and restored with new parts.

用新零件進行了修復。

Is it still the same Cutty Sark?

它還是同一艘卡蒂薩克號嗎？

The result is the same,

結果是一樣的，

all new parts,

全新的零件，

only the time it took is different.

只是花費的時間不同。

If you are happy Ship of Theseusing through life, 用詞

如果你樂於在生活中扮演「忒修斯之船」，

as you already do,

就像你已經在做的那樣，

then getting Cutty Sarked by transport

那麼被傳送機「卡蒂薩克號化」，

shouldn't matter, right? 語氣意圖

應該也沒關係，對吧？

However,

然而，

step into a working transporter with a broken disassembler

走進一台拆解器壞掉、但依然運作的傳送機，

and death is revealed.

死亡的真相就暴露了。

Pre-transport and post-transport you

傳送前的你和傳送後的你

can disagree on who is you.

對於「誰才是你」會產生分歧。

And when Scotty tells pre-transport you,

而當史考特（Scotty）告訴傳送前的你：

"Sorry, the disassembler's broken.

"抱歉，拆解器壞了。

Give us a minute to fix it."

給我們一分鐘修好它。"

you aren't going to wait around. 片語動詞

你肯定不會在原地等死。

That a copy of you made it to the destination

你的一個複製品已經到達了目的地，

is no consolation. 片語搭配

這並不能成為安慰。

The transporter has to be a suicide box.

傳送機必然是個自殺箱。

Okay,

好吧，

so why worry about the metaphysical implications of fictional technology?

那為什麼要擔心虛構技術的形而上學含義呢？

Because the transporter points us to the problem of consciousness. 片語搭配

因為傳送機把我們引向了意識的問題。

We were quick to cut out the idea of the unmeasurable before

我們之前很快就排除了不可測量事物的概念，

because everything we can measure about the copy is identical.

因為關於那個複製品我們能測量到的一切都是相同的。

But there is something unmeasurably different.

但這裡有某種無法測量的差異。

The transporter forces confrontation with the possibility

傳送機迫使我們面對這樣一種可能性：

that there's something about being a conscious creature

作為一個有意識的生物，

that isn't measurable from the outside.

存在某些無法從外部測量的特質。

Did we not contain conscious brains ourselves,

如果我們自己沒有具備意識的大腦，

how would we know that other brains are conscious?

我們怎麼會知道其他大腦是有意識的呢？

Truth be told,

說實話，

you can really only know that you are conscious

你真的只能確認你自己是有意識的，

and it seems polite to give other people the benefit of the doubt. 慣用語

而預設其他人也有意識似乎只是一種禮貌。

But were a computer to claim that it was conscious, 文法

但如果一台電腦聲稱它有意識，

how would you know?

你怎麼能知道呢？

Your continuous stream of consciousness is your life 用詞

你那連續不斷的意識流就是你的生命，

and you are the only one who can experience it,

而你是唯一能體驗它的人，

who can know if it exists

唯一能知道它是否存在、

and if it is continuous.

以及它是否連續的人。

And transporters are scary

傳送機之所以可怕，

because they cause breaks in that consciousness,

是因為它們會導致意識的中斷，

making a copy that lives the life that you have left

製造出一個複製品，過著你留下的生活，

with no one the wiser, 慣用語

而沒有人會知道真相，

with no one able to be wiser.

也沒有人能知道真相。

And while transporters aren't real, 文法

雖然傳送機不是真的，

breaks in consciousness are.

但意識的中斷卻是真實的。

If you go for surgery, 片語搭配

如果你去做手術，

when they put you under, 用詞

當他們給你全身麻醉時，

you can't be sure if it's you that woke up.

你無法確定醒來的那個人是否還是你。

For that matter, 表達脈絡

就此而言，

your bed might be a suicide machine.

你的床可能就是一台自殺機器。

Every night's slip into unconsciousness,

每一個滑入無意識的夜晚，

the warm embrace of the reaper. 慣用語

都是死神溫暖的懷抱。

And every morning,

而每一個早晨，

the first and only day of a new creature's conscious life.

都是一個新生物有意識生命的第一天，也是唯一的一天。

It's impossible to know.

這根本無從知曉。

Sleep well tonight. 語氣意圖

祝你今晚睡個好覺。

Thanks for watching.

感謝觀看。

If you enjoyed this episode's artwork,

如果你喜歡本期節目的插畫，

there are special wallpapers over at Patreon.

Patreon 上有特別版桌布。

So click here to get access to the Star Trek wallpapers

所以點擊這裡獲取《星艦迷航記》桌布，

and thank you for supporting the channel

並感謝你支持本頻道，

to help get this kind of custom artwork made.

幫助我們製作出這樣的客製化插畫。

Still here?

還在看？

You can't stay awake forever. 表達脈絡

你不可能永遠保持清醒。