The Codeless Code: Case 5 Void(void本质是什么）

On a cold autumn day the Java master awoke disquieted. He set out alone to clear his mind.

在一个寒冷的秋季，Java大师满怀焦虑的从梦中醒来。于是，他便一个人出去找个地方去清理一下他的心情。

Soon the master found himself at the gates of the Temple of Three Stones, where the art of ANSI C was still practiced. A learned brother stood guard.

不久，大师发现自己走到了修道院门口的三块儿石头旁边，这是仍在使用的ANSI C标准（ANSI C是美国国家标准协会（ANSI）对C语言发布的标准）存放的地方，一个博学的同事正站在这儿守护着。

“What is the nature of void?” asked the master.

“void的本质是什么？”大师问到。

“It has no nature,” replied the brother. “It is the stick fetched by the dog that does not fetch sticks. It is the thing pointed to by the hand that may point at anything. It is the perfect absence of value.”

“void并没有属性”，守卫标准的同事回答到,“它就是被不能被叼树枝的狗给叼回来的树枝，它就是被可能指向任意东西的手所指向的东西，void 是一个没有值的存在。”

The master thought: “The Temple of Three Stones has no need of a guard. There can be nothing of value within.”

大师想：“修道院的着三个石头是不需要守卫的啊，石头里面并没有什么价值。”

Further on he came to the Temple of the White Iron Sky, a place of theoreticians where only ML was allowed. In the withered garden a nun was writing lambda expressions in the dust.

大师接着走到了白铁天坛，这是一个只有精通代码理论的人才被允许进入的地方，在这个枯萎的花园中，一个修女正在一堆灰尘上写着lambda表达式。

“What is the nature of void?” asked the master.

“void的本质是什么？”大师问道。

“It has the color of air, and the weight of rising fog,” replied the sister. “When struck it makes the sound of a new moon slipping behind a cloud. Every empty bowl contains as many as you please.”

“void是空气的颜色，是升腾着的雾气的重量”，修女回答道，“当它被撞见的时候，会发出新月划过云层的声音，每只空碗里面能装多少就有多少。”

The master thought: “The sister has said nothing which is false, yet nothing which is true either.”

大师想：“她说的话没有一句是假的，也没有一句是真的”

Further down the road the master came to a great manor house, where an old woman was clipping the hedges.

大师又顺着路接着走，来到了一个巨大的庄园中的一间屋子，一个老妇人正在修剪着篱笆。

“What is the nature of void?” asked the master.

“什么才是void的本质？”大师发问道。

The old woman bowed and continued her pruning.

老妇人弯着腰继续干她的活儿（剪枝）。

The master thought: “Here there is purest wisdom, unless there is only the lack of it.”

大师想：“这里有最纯粹的智慧，除非只是缺少它。”

Eventually the master came to an abandoned cemetery.

最后，大师来到了被遗弃的墓地。

“What is the nature of void?” asked the master.

“void的本质是什么？”大师发问到。

From the empty courtyard came no reply.

空空的院子什么回应都没有。

The Java master was contented.

大师悟到了void的本质了。

 

其他的版本

风高秋日，Java大师在搅扰中醒来。他起身独自游走，以清除杂念。

大师走到三石庙；在此，尚有人练习ANSI C之道。一博学修士在把门。

大师问，“void之本性，何也？”

“void本无性”，修士答。“无口之犬，其所叼之木；无意之手，其所指之处。void者，无值之至也。”

大师心想，“三石庙无需把守。其中必无有价之物。”

随即，大师走到白石天庙；在此，仅有理论学者，仅许用ML。荒芜的花园中，一修女在尘中写匿名函数。

大师问，“void之本性，何也？”

“void，天之色泽，雾之斤两”，修女答。“叩之，其声如新月躲入云中。取空碗一只，其中void尽可取也。”

大师心想，“伊未言谎，亦未言实”。

再行，见一庄园；在此，一婆婆在修剪树篱。

大师问，“void之本性，何也？”

婆婆一行礼，一言未发，接着修剪树篱。

大师心想，“此为大智，亦或为大愚”。

天色渐暗，大师来到无人的墓地。

大师问，“void之本性，何也？”

院落静悄悄，没有回答。

Java大师便满意了。