The Three-Body Problem 三體問題
In Three Volumes by Cixin Liu 劉慈欣
Original version 11/18/2018, revised 7/2025
Note [註] 此文討論方法是從一個科技外行人的角度來讀這部書。對許多專用名稱不熟悉，書中所述的理論定律亦不求甚解，但仍能夠一部部看下去，自有些道理。下面為討論文中專注的幾個面向：
I. Topic of Interest（題材）The issue of humanity’s interaction with species in outer space (一種宇宙文明的設想，以及與其他文明之互動) which has always fascinated many of us, particularly among intellectuals.
I think one of the reasons why this sci-fi story was able to catch the fancy of people worldwide is maybe what described in the book are things relevant to our life and existence in this planet. The truth or facts we learned from books and other sources, the wisdom we garnered from past experience and history of our ancestors were mirrored constantly in this fictitious work and ringed true to many of us readers.
For instance, the Chinese readers can totally appreciate the opening section of the book. The depiction of the Cultural Revolution which caused so many to perish or scar forever through no fault of their own remains vivid in our mind’s eye. The profound lesson we learned from this piece of history continues to remind us to steer away from similar disasters in the future. That’s the starting point of this story.
甚至到最後一冊中提到的國際法庭 Global Tribunals, 都譲我們聯想到過去歷史上發生的類似事件。端看審判者的心態和動機，處處基於自身的利害關係，証明大多數人是自私的，尤其在生死存亡的當頭，能堅持做人原則和道德理念的少之又少。
In the early part of the first trilogy we came to learn some interesting facts which related our experience in the world we reside in comparable to that of the similar incidents happening in outer-space. Ex.: From the perspective of the alien race Trisolaris, they started to ponder about controlling their own populace spiritually even before the process of invading the Earth was initiated. They warned themselves that when taking over the Earth and reap all the wealth of life’s comforts and information, some of them, especially cultural information from the Earth should be limited to their own kinds, 這有點像歷史上所謂的「愚民政策」to control what they should or shouldn’t think or do lest earthling populace should turn rebels when they learned too much. These kinds of thinking or strategy were written all over the history records.
再則，書中従科學的角度去解釋 亂紀元 Chaotic Era 和 恆紀元 Calm Era 的原因，表面上看來講的是在外星球上的事件，同時影射到地球的世界（如中國）：譬如第一集的主角汪淼初次體驗 Three-Body 遊戲時，看到天空有一顆流星飛過，馬上想到是亂世出現的前兆，這在中國史書上亦有無數的記載。「開卷八分鐘」主講人說這套書原名 叫做「地球往事」，所有宇宙間發生的事都能在歷史（尤其是中國歷史）中找到映照的原型。
II：Clarity of Narratives & storytelling in epic proportion ( 敍述 及 宏大縝密的故事佈局）
沿襲傳統及暢銷小說寫法，分段敍述，再將絲縷收攏，總結在一起。層次分明、脈絡清晰。千里伏線，到頭來定有交待，嚴𧫴細密不能有 loose ends. 這比中國傳統通俗小說及許多暢銷書又跨越了一大步。
（註：原文略長，下面的部分改成較小字體）
這本三部曲，每部都有不同的主要角色，而且時間長達四個世紀之久，故事的主軸線綿延不絕未曾中斷。The main theme is of course The struggles of humanity against the invasion of Trisolaris 及其餘宇宙文明。The theme of the second volume “The Dark Forest“ 「黑暗叢林」with the theory of “Chain of Suspicion” ( 猜疑鏈 ）were strung thru out the whole book. （It is saying essentially that human beings‘ worst enemies are themselves because they can never totally trust one another. This was further expanded to include the whole Cosmo, the same Trisolarans who have since learned from humanity the tricks of conniving, complicity and outright cruelty in their aim to control the planet of Earth and its inhabitants.）
整部書佈局結構頗具宏觀視野，比之許多暢銷書在文學的傳統中又邁進鉅大的一步。
III : 創意思維層出不窮 Innovative idea abundant
Logic (邏輯思維）是整部書的中心思想，同時能跳出框架，對將來的發展做出合理不落窠臼的推斷。譬如 Generation gap（世代隔層斷離）具有很強的 Convention breaking thoughts（颠覆性的觀念）
Generation gaps 在當代為 20 年一代，在本書中則以百年計。作者的邏輯推測兩個世代 (Era) 人的觀念，尤其在 value and moral (價值觀和道德原則) 方面都有顛覆性的變化，甚至人的形體面貌都烙有時代性的印記。
IV：心理分析 Psychological analysis
對人類整體心態做的許多歸結有相當信服力
對人性心理及行為描摹相當精彩，具有普世性。
For example: 為什麼有人想要和外星人（物種）接觸，除了好奇心之外，也摻雜些幻想（ Romantic fancy*）吧？（*作者做此推論）：他認為有此種思維的人多半是 intellectuals, 中下階層如農民等則無此幻想，從 survey data 顯示中國境內反對和外星溝通之聲浪最多，因它有廣大的農民階層。
又，地球上全民所做的民意測試，還有UN 聯合國所做的決策，很多時候被當代的文化時尚及當時流行的想法所左右，在不同年代甚至有 180 度的轉變。許多想法過於天真, 雖有些較深思熟慮的意見，在人類普及民主思想下仍是以大多數人的意見為主要考量，因此做出的決策經常出現偏差，也能導致毀滅性後果。
具有很強的颠覆性觀念 (Convention breaking thoughts)
書中警句金言相當多 Aphorisms abundant
P. 16 “In China, any idea that dared to take flight would only crash back to the ground. The gravity is too strong” even an aphorism, the author neatly tied it in with a scientific axiom.
P.236? “History has made a circle and returned to its starting point.” Upon Wang’s revisiting 3 Body games during the modern era. 歷史並非直線前進，許多時候不僅是在原地踏步，反倒回頭退回原地。
V ：人物描寫 Characterization
Character building is not a strong suit in most of the genre fictions including sci-fi stories. 此書也不例外， Genre 小說如： 偵探小說、武俠小說等都有同樣特徵，偏向情節掛帥。
Most of the main characters in this book are either scientists, academics, politicians or high ranking military men 很少見到一般老百姓做為主要角色。They are intelligent, well informed and savvy about the crises at hand, but throughout the book I cannot find even one who possesses the emotions of a normal person. These people looked more like AI (robot) or more alienated than the aliens they are fighting against.
基本的人類情感，尤其是愛，書中極少著力點。主要角色如：葉文潔、汪淼、羅輯等人都是極端理性，情感不外露，甚至不知有無一般人生來具有的感情。尤其描繪人與人之間的感情如男女之情，甚至家庭的親情在這部書中幾乎不見。就算有類似的描述也是十分異類，非一般人習見的表達方式來顯示。 理性的論述在缺乏感性的調和之下較不易引發讀者情感之共鳴是個遺憾！
誠然，這是本寫得極好的書，內容包羅萬象，知識養分有十二分，但是缺乏打動人心的人性描繪。書中主角像是機器人或外星人，固然是人類中的精英表率，卻毫不可愛！
VI ： 定調 Tone & 意象之運用 Imageries
Tone: 定調於悲劇 及 Poetic, Philosophical and filled with Pathos (動人哀感、悽惻）
特點：悲劇色彩濃厚：採用許多意象 Imageries 和敍述並行，加強讀者對故事背景的瞭解。這些意象詩意的描繪，冲淡了整部書理悲愴淒慘的氛圍。
VII ： 視角和格局 Points of View & Scope
沿用文學 Omniscient Point of View, like god gazing from above the world, 從上空俯瞰衆生，有種疏離 detached 之角度，卻也帶點悲憫 Compassion.
本書格局之大、幻想之寛濶、理論之精深，對於科技及文史各別領域的通博，大大超出暢銷小說的標杆，直追經典小說的行列。
.......................下面是我提出的幾個問題和大家討論：
Additional Questions
What’s the moral of the story? What lessons did we learn?
這套書講的是人和外星人的接觸和戰鬥。事實上互相爭闘的是地球人自己的不同派系, 甚至世人寄予厚望的面壁人 Wallfacers, 也有地球人的破壁人 Wall breakers 去抵制消滅他們。其他如同：Adventists, Redemtionists, Escapists, 不一而足，這些人往往缺乏共同目標而自相殘殺，減弱共同抵禦外敵的能力。
甚至到了兩百年之後，由於同仇敵愾世界上國與國之區別逐漸泯滅之際，位在天外的三隻跨國太空艦隊，因自身的安全而毀滅了同樣來自地球的另一隻艦隊。
- 書中理念及一些故事橋段，有多少是承襲他作，有多少為個人創意? 尤其是在科技發展軌跡、地球 vs. 太空 Cosmo 之相對關係之思考及評估 educational guess 等等……..( No discussion on this)
Note on the revised draft * In this version, the English and Chinese narratives were intersected throughout the whole article. Reason being that I suspected : In the group’s discussion session when members used either one language at times and switched back and forth during the session. It’s not ideal yet is commonly seen as readers ability to express certain language might be limited particularly on subject matters not familiar to them.
Grace（written 11/18/2018）
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Additional Discussion Points
(Shared at the meeting at the time)
Other prominent literary Sci-fi titles：
“1984” George Orwell
“Fahrenheit 451” Ray Bradbury
“Never let me Go” Ishikuro 黑石一雄
