The Codeless Code: Case 2 Unknown Unknowns（未知的未知）

Original text:

The Emperor was angered by the defects in the new order processing system he had commissioned, and so dispatched a messenger to the temple, to investigate the monks there.

“His Excellency sent you his most trusted Business Analysts to ensure that all features would work as intended,” scowled the messenger. “Did you not comprehend any of their numerous PowerPoint presentations?”

“We attended each one,” said the Java master. “And all that was heard, was understood.”

The master set a small bowl of rice before the messenger, who finished it promptly. The messenger wiped his mouth upon his sleeve and continued:

“These same Analysts provided you with ten thousand pages of requirements documents, meticulously illustrated down to the last Use Case. Did you not trouble yourselves to examine them?”

“We sifted through each page,” said the Java master. “And all that was read, was understood.” The master set a steaming cup of tea before the messenger, who downed it in one gulp.

The messenger then fell forward onto the table, dead.

The master asked of his students: “Did the messenger not know that it is our custom to surround ourselves with poisoned food and drink, that we may better resist the urges of the flesh?”

Said the wisest monk: “All that was observed by the messenger, was understood.”

启示：对于程序员来讲，整天面对客户复杂的需求，所受的摧残比天天吃有毒的东西要可怕多了；但反过来，对于客户来讲，让他们来干程序员一天干的活，他就要中毒身亡了！

译文：

国王对现在用的新订单处理系统出现的缺陷感到生气。因此，他派信使去寺庙，去调查那里的提供这个系统的僧侣们。

到了寺庙之后，信使质问Java大师，“国王阁下当时可是给您派了最信任的业务分析师去确保所有的功能都能正常工作（按预期的那样工作）”，信使皱着眉头接着说，“您看了他们提供的那么多PPT的报告，还有什么不理解的吗？”

“我们关注每一次的报告”，Java大师说道，“并且每次报告也都听了和理解了”

接着，大师端给信使一小碗米饭，信使接过来迅速的给吃完了，并用袖子擦了擦嘴，继续说道：

“这些分析师提供给你的上万页的需求文档，一丝不苟的（从第一个用例）阐述到最后一个用例，你们就没有认真去研读吗？”

“我们仔细看过每一页文档”，Java大师回答说，“并且，每一页也都读过和都理解了”。接着大师给信使倒了一杯热气腾腾的茶，信使端起杯子，一饮而尽。

之后，信使便向前一倾，倒在了桌子上，死了。

大师问他的学生们：“信使难道不知道我们的习惯是用有毒的食物和饮料来包围自己，只有这样才能更好地抵制肉体的冲动吗?”

一个最聪明的学生答到：“信使所作的这一切都表明，他是知道的。”