香港設計師設計出超級魔方,共1014個色塊

For most people, solving a Rubik’s cube is hard enough - many houses have one of the unsolved puzzlesstored away in a cupboard somewhere, away from frustrated eyes.

對絕大多數人來說玩魔方真心困難，很多人家的箱底都會壓着一個還沒解開的魔方，爲的就是眼不見心不煩。

So if you fall into that group, look awaynow - because one company has made a giant version of the popular toy.

如果你是這羣人之一，那接下來的新聞還是別看了，因爲有家公司以這種流行甚廣的玩具爲基礎又做了一個更復雜的。

With more than 18 times more squares thanthe regular toy, the latest gadget promises to confound a whole new generationthis Christmas.

它的色塊數量是普通魔方的18倍，看來今年聖誕節又有好多孩子要爲解開這種新型魔方而頭疼了。

Called the Pillow 13x13x13 IQ Brick, the cube is formed from 13squares in a row on each side of the total the 3Dpuzzle features 1,014 coloured tiles that have to be matched up in order tocomplete the means each side has a rather daunting 169 colouredtiles, compared to just the nine found on a regular Rubik’s Cube.

這個魔方名叫 Pillow 13×13×13 IQ Brick(13×13×13枕式啓智磚)，魔方每面都有13行，每行都有13個色塊，整個魔方的色塊總數共計爲1014個，算起來每面就是169個色 塊，和普通的9色塊魔方相比實在是極其恐怖，不過玩法還是一樣的，把所有色塊拼在同一面上就算全部完成。

Its makers, Hong Kong-based Brando, claim it is 'good for creative thinking and improving both your IQ and EQ(emotional intelligence)'. It is alsoapparently good for training both your left and right brain, according to the company.

該魔方的設計者香港設計師Brando聲稱這個魔方有助於開發使用者的創造性思維，而且能同時提高人的智商和情商。據公司稱，這對同時訓練人的左右腦也很有好處。

However, anyone wanting to try and solvethe puzzle might be put off by the price - a whopping ￡205 ($320) - which isalmost as head scratching as the toy itself. Brando says the toy has a quality designand is made to handle smoothly.

不過，想要嘗試解開魔方的人，可能會因爲價格望而卻步——這個魔方售價爲205英鎊（約320美元）——看來不管是買它還是玩它都會很頭大啊。Brando表示稱這個玩具設計精良，手感平滑。

A few days ago, Marcin Kowalczyk produced amoment for fans of the original Rubik’s cube to savour - when he solved the puzzle blindfolded in just21.17 seconds - a new world record.

數天前，Marcin Kowalczyk在21.17秒的時間內解開了一個普通魔方，同時也創造了一個新的吉尼斯世界紀錄，這令廣大的魔方愛好者們頓感欣慰。

The speed cuber took a few seconds tomemorise the pattern on the Rubik's cube andthen, while blindfolded, he needed just a few more to solve it during acompetition in Szczecin in western Poland.A judge held a piece of paper betweenMarcin's face and his hands to make sure he couldn't peek.

這位魔方快手參加了在波蘭西部城市Szczecin舉辦的魔方大賽，在比賽時先用數秒時間記憶魔方每面的圖案，然後就在蒙着眼睛的情況下解開魔方，不過解 魔方用的時間也只比記魔方多了一點而已。在Marcin解魔方的時候，還有一位裁判將一張紙放在他的臉和手之間，以確保他沒有作弊。

His celebration was subdued, however, as hejumped out of his chair and remained quiet out of respect for othercompetitors.

不過，Marcin在成功之後並不是表現得特別興奮，他雖然從椅子上跳了起來，不過他還是表現得相當平靜,以表示對其他參賽選手的尊重。

Quite how he’d cope with the 13-cubed Rubik's cube while blindfolded remains to be seen - or rather not seen.

要是他蒙着眼睛解這個169色塊的魔方不知道會怎樣。