JON

48 瓊恩

Jon was breaking

his fast on applecakes and blood sausage when Samwell Tarly plopped himself

down on the bench. “I’ve been summoned to the sept,” Sam said in an excited

whisper. “They’re passing me out of training. I’m to be made a brother with the

rest of you. Can you believe it?”

山姆威爾·塔利撲通一聲坐上長凳時，瓊恩正吃著早餐的蘋果蛋糕和血香腸?！拔乙惨ナヌ昧?，”山姆難掩興奮地悄聲說，“他們打算讓我通過測試，跟你們一起成為正式的黑衣弟兄。你敢相信嗎？”

“No, truly?”

“不相信。這是真的？”

“Truly. I’m to assist Maester Aemon with the library and the birds.

He needs someone who can read and write letters.”

“真的真的。我被派去協(xié)助伊蒙師傅管理圖書室和鳥兒。他需要一個能讀會寫的幫手。”

“You’ll do well at that,” Jon said, smiling.

“相信你一定愉快勝任?！杯偠魑⑿φf道。

Sam glanced

about anxiously. “Is it time to go? I shouldn’t be late, they might change

their minds.” He was fairly bouncing as they crossed the weed-strewn courtyard.

The day was warm and sunny. Rivulets of water trickled down the sides of the

Wall, so the ice seemed to sparkle and shine.

山姆不安地環(huán)顧四周?！拔覀兪遣皇窃撊チ?？我們最好不要遲到，免得他們改變主意?！彼麄冏哌^長滿雜草的庭院時，他一直蹦蹦跳跳。天氣溫潤而清朗，晶瑩的水滴沿著長城流淌而下，冰層在陽光下閃閃發(fā)光。

Inside the sept,

the great crystal caught the morning light as it streamed through the

south-facing window and spread it in a rainbow on the altar. Pyp’s mouth

dropped open when he caught sight of Sam, and Toad poked Grenn in the ribs, but

no one dared say a word. Septon Celladar was swinging a censer, filling the air

with fragrant incense that reminded Jon of Lady Stark’s little sept in

Winterfell. For once the septon seemed sober.

圣堂里，晨光從面南的窗子傾泄進(jìn)來，射進(jìn)當(dāng)中的大水晶，散出七彩虹光，映著祭壇。派普一見山姆，嘴巴頓時張得老大，陶德則碰了一下葛蘭，但沒人敢說話。賽勒達(dá)修士手中搖晃著一個小香爐，溢得滿室馨香，瓊恩不禁想起史塔克夫人在臨冬城的小圣堂祈禱的情景。修士這次很難得沒有喝醉。

The high

officers arrived in a body; Maester Aemon leaning on Clydas, Ser Alliser

cold-eyed and grim, Lord Commander Mormont resplendent in a black wool doublet

with silvered bearclaw fastenings. Behind them came the senior members of the

three orders: red-faced Bowen Marsh the Lord Steward, First Builder Othell

Yarwyck, and Ser Jaremy Rykker, who commanded the rangers in the absence of

Benjen Stark.

高級官員一齊抵達(dá)。伊蒙師傅倚靠著克萊達(dá)斯，艾里沙爵士冷眼峻臉，莫爾蒙司令一身華服，黑羊毛外衣，銀邊熊爪扣。在他們后面是三個職業(yè)的負(fù)責(zé)人：總務(wù)長波文·馬爾錫，首席工匠奧賽爾·亞威克，以及暫代班揚(yáng)·史塔克指揮游騎兵的杰瑞米·萊克爵士。

Mormont stood

before the altar, the rainbow shining on his broad bald head. “You came to us

outlaws,” he began, “poachers, rapers, debtors, killers, and thieves. You came

to us children. You came to us alone, in chains, with neither friends nor

honor. You came to us rich, and you came to us poor. Some of you bear the names

of proud houses. Others have only bastards’ names, or no names at all. It makes

no matter. All that is past now. On the Wall, we are all one house.

莫爾蒙站在祭壇前，七彩虹光在他的大光頭上閃閃發(fā)亮?！澳銈儊頃r為法律所不容，”他開口，“盜獵、強(qiáng)奸、欠債、殺人、偷搶拐騙。你們來時尚為孩童，一身孑然，身負(fù)枷鎖，既無友朋，更無榮譽(yù)。你們來時或富貴榮祿，或赤貧如洗。你們來自豪門望族，或僅有私生子之名，甚或藉藉無名，但這些都不重要。一切皆成過去。長城之上，我們都是一家人?！?/p>

“At evenfall, as the sun sets and we face the gathering night, you

shall take your vows. From that moment, you will be a Sworn Brother of the

Night’s Watch. Your crimes will be washed away, your debts forgiven. So too you

must wash away your former loyalties, put aside your grudges, forget old wrongs

and old loves alike. Here you begin anew.

“今日傍晚，夕陽西沉，低垂夜幕之下，你們便將宣誓。從此以后，你們就是誓言效命的守夜人弟兄。你們的罪名將被洗清，債務(wù)業(yè)已勾銷，同樣，你們必須抹去從前的家族忠誠，拋開舊時的仇恨，忘卻過往的情愛恩怨。你們將于茲重獲新生?！?/p>

“A man of the Night’s Watch lives his life for the realm. Not for a

king, nor a lord, nor the honor of this house or that house, neither for gold

nor glory nor a woman’s love, but for the realm, and all the people in it. A

man of the Night’s Watch takes no wife and fathers no sons. Our wife is duty.

Our mistress is honor. And you are the only sons we shall ever know.

“守夜人為王國效命。非為國王，非為貴族，亦非為豪門榮辱，不論財富，不論光榮，亦不論兒女情愛，一切只為王國安泰及其子民平安。守夜人不娶妻，不生子，我們以責(zé)任為妻，以榮譽(yù)為妾，而你們則是我們惟一的兒子?！?/p>

“You have learned the words of the vow. Think carefully before you

say them, for once you have taken the black, there is no turning back. The

penalty for desertion is death.” The Old Bear paused for a moment before he

said, “Are there any among you who wish to leave our company? If so, go now,

and no one shall think the less of you.”

“你們已經(jīng)聽過了誓言內(nèi)容。在發(fā)誓前請仔細(xì)考慮，一旦穿上黑衣，便永無退路。背離職守是惟一死刑。”熊老暫停片刻，然后繼續(xù)，“你們之中有沒有人想離開？如果有，現(xiàn)在就走，我們絕不會因此而看輕你?！?/p>

No one moved.

無人移動。

“Well and good,” said Mormont. “You may take your vows here at

evenfall, before Septon Celladar and the first of your order. Do any of you

keep to the old gods?”

“很好，”莫爾蒙道，“傍晚時分，你們回到這里，當(dāng)著賽勒達(dá)修士和你們所屬組織首席的面宣誓。你們中有信仰舊神的嗎？”

Jon stood. “I

do, my lord.”

瓊恩站起來?！坝械?，大人?！?/p>

“I expect you will want to say your words before a heart tree, as

your uncle did,” Mormont said.

“我想你或許情愿跟你叔叔一樣，在心樹之下宣誓。”莫爾蒙說。

“Yes, my lord,” Jon said. The gods of the sept had nothing to do with

him; the blood of the First Men flowed in the veins of the Starks.

“是的，大人?！杯偠鞯?。圣堂的諸神與他無關(guān)。先民的血液依舊流淌在史塔克家人體內(nèi)。

He heard Grenn

whispering behind him. “There’s no godswood here. Is there? I never saw a

godswood.”

他聽見葛蘭在背后低語：“這里沒有神木林罷，對不對？我從來沒發(fā)現(xiàn)?！?/p>

“You wouldn’t see a herd of aurochs until they trampled you into the

snow,” Pyp whispered back.

“你啊，就算一群野牛迎面沖來，等它們把你踩進(jìn)雪里，你也沒發(fā)現(xiàn)?！迸善涨穆暬卮?。

“I would so,” Grenn insisted. “I’d see them a long way off.”

“我會啦，”葛蘭堅持，“我大老遠(yuǎn)就會看見它們?！?/p>

Mormont himself

confirmed Grenn’s doubts. “Castle Black has no need of a godswood. Beyond the

Wall the haunted forest stands as it stood in the Dawn Age, long before the

Andals brought the Seven across the narrow sea. You will find a grove of

weirwoods half a league from this spot, and mayhap your gods as well.”

莫爾蒙倒是證實(shí)了葛蘭的疑慮?！昂诔潜o需神木林。鬼影森林早在安達(dá)爾人將七神帶過狹海前的黎明紀(jì)元便已聳立在長城之外，至今依然。由此向北半里格你會找到一片魚梁木，或許也會找到你的神。”

“My lord.” The voice made Jon glance back in surprise. Samwell Tarly

was on his feet. The fat boy wiped his sweaty palms against his tunic. “Might

I?.?.?.?might I go as well? To say my words at this heart tree?”

“大人，”瓊恩驚訝地回頭，看見肥胖的山姆威爾·塔利站了起來，將滿是汗水的手掌在衣服上抹了抹?！拔夷堋夷懿荒芨黄鹑?？到心樹下宣誓？”

“Does House Tarly keep the old gods too?” Mormont asked.

“塔利家族莫非信奉舊神？”莫爾蒙問。

“No, my lord,” Sam replied in a thin, nervous voice. The high

officers frightened him, Jon knew, the Old Bear most of all. “I was named in

the light of the Seven at the sept on Horn Hill, as my father was, and his

father, and all the Tarlys for a thousand years.”

“不是的，大人，”山姆用尖細(xì)而緊張的聲音回答。瓊恩知道官員們很叫他害怕，熊老尤甚?！拔以谄呱竦臉s光照耀下，在角陵的圣堂里舉行了命名儀式。我父親如此，他的父親亦如此，千年來塔利家族世代如此。”

“Why would you forsake the gods of your father and your House?”

wondered Ser Jaremy Rykker.

“那么……你為何要拋棄令尊和你家族長久以來信仰的諸神呢？”杰瑞米·萊克爵士很好奇。

“The Night’s Watch is my House now,” Sam said. “The Seven have never

answered my prayers. Perhaps the old gods will.”

“如今我以守夜人軍團(tuán)為家，”山姆信誓旦旦地說，“七神從未回應(yīng)我的祈禱，或許舊神會呢。”

“As you wish, boy,” Mormont said. Sam took his seat again, as did

Jon. “We have placed each of you in an order, as befits our need and your own

strengths and skills.” Bowen Marsh stepped forward and handed him a paper. The

Lord Commander unrolled it and began to read. “Haider, to the builders,” he

began. Haider gave a stiff nod of approval. “Grenn, to the rangers. Albett, to

the builders. Pypar, to the rangers.” Pyp looked over at Jon and wiggled his ears.

“Samwell, to the stewards.” Sam sagged with relief, mopping at his brow with,a

scrap of silk. “Matthar, to the rangers. Dareon, to the stewards. Todder, to

the rangers. Jon, to the stewards.”

“那就這樣，小子。”莫爾蒙說。山姆和瓊恩返身坐下。“依照我們的需求，以及你們自身的能力和技巧，你們將被分配到不同的崗位。”波文·馬爾錫前跨一步，交給他一張紙。總司令攤開紙，“霍德，加入工匠，”他開始念，只見霍德僵硬而激動地點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，“葛蘭，加入游騎兵。阿貝特，加入工匠。派普爾，加入游騎兵，”派普看看瓊恩，興奮地?fù)u耳朵?！吧侥吠?，加入事務(wù)官?！鄙侥啡玑屩刎?fù)地嘆了口氣，忙掏出一塊絲巾擦干額頭?！懊飞常尤胗悟T兵。戴利恩，加入事務(wù)官。陶德，加入游騎兵。瓊恩，加入事務(wù)官。”

The stewards?

For a moment Jon could not believe what he had heard. Mormont must have read it

wrong. He started to rise, to open his mouth, to tell them there had been a

mistake?.?.?.?and then he saw Ser Alliser studying him, eyes shiny as two

flakes of obsidian, and he knew.

事務(wù)官？一時之間瓊恩簡直不敢相信自己的耳朵。莫爾蒙一定是念錯了。他正準(zhǔn)備站起來申訴，告訴他們弄錯了……卻看見艾里沙爵士正審視著自己，雙眼閃亮猶如黑曜石塊，他頓時恍然大悟。

The Old Bear

rolled up the paper. “Your firsts will instruct you in your duties. May all the

gods preserve you, brothers.” The Lord Commander favored them with a half bow,

and took his leave. Ser Alliser went with him, a thin smile on his face. Jon

had never seen the master-at-arms took quite so happy.

熊老卷起紙?！澳銈兏髯缘氖紫L官會介紹你們的職責(zé)所在。弟兄們，愿天上諸神眷顧你們?！笨偹玖钕蛩麄兾⑽㈩h首致意，便即離開。艾里沙爵士跟他一道，臉上掛著一抹淺淺的微笑。瓊恩從沒見教頭這么開心過。

“Rangers with me,” Ser Jaremy Rykker called when they were gone. Pyp

was staring at Jon as he got slowly to his feet. His ears were red. Grenn,

grinning broadly, did not seem to realize that anything was amiss. Matt and

Toad fell in beside them, and they followed Ser Jaremy from the sept.

“游騎兵跟我來?！钡人麄冏吆?，杰瑞米·萊克爵士喊。派普慢慢站立，眼睛卻盯著瓊恩，雙耳通紅。葛蘭開心地嘻笑，絲毫未察覺有何不對。梅沙和陶德走到他們旁邊，跟隨杰瑞米爵士離開圣堂。

“Builders,” announced lantern-jawed Othell Yarwyck. Haider and Albett

trailed out after him.

“工匠?！鄙鵁艋\下巴的奧賽爾·亞威克隨即宣布，然后霍德和阿貝特也跟他走了。

Jon looked

around him in sick disbelief. Maester Aemon’s blind eyes were raised toward the

light he could not see. The septon was arranging crystals on the altar. Only

Sam and Darcon remained on the benches; a fat boy, a singer?.?.?.?and him.

瓊恩滿心嫌惡地環(huán)顧四周。只見伊蒙學(xué)士的盲眼正朝他看不見的光源望去，修士正在那里整理祭壇的水晶。山姆和戴利恩還坐在板凳上，一個胖子，一個歌手……還有他。

Lord Steward

Bowen Marsh rubbed his plump hands together. “Samwell, you will assist Maester

Aemon in the rookery and library. Chett is going to the kennels, to help with

the hounds. You shall have his cell, so as to be close to the maester night and

day. I trust you will take good care of him. He is very old and very precious

to us.

總務(wù)長波文·馬爾錫搓搓他的胖手。“山姆威爾，你去幫伊蒙學(xué)士管理鳥籠和圖書室。齊特已被調(diào)去犬欄照顧獵狗，你就住他那間屋，以便隨時照顧學(xué)士的起居。希望你好好工作，他老人家年事已高，對我們更是彌足珍貴。”

“Dareon, I am told that you sang at many a high lord’s table and

shared their meat and mead. We are sending you to Eastwatch. It may be your

palate will be some help to Cotter Pyke when merchant galleys come trading. We

are paying too dear for salt beef and pickled fish, and the quality of the

olive oil we’re getting has been frightful, Present yourself to Borcas when you

arrive, he will keep you busy between ships.”

“戴利恩，我聽說你在不少高官老爺面前表演過，也見過一點(diǎn)世面，所以我們派你去東海望協(xié)助卡特·派克。等商船前來交易時，你的本領(lǐng)或許能派上用場。近來腌牛肉和咸魚的價格高得驚人，橄欖油的品質(zhì)則是爛得嚇人。你到了之后先找波卡斯，他會交代你如何與商船交涉?！?/p>

Marsh turned his

smile on Jon. “Lord Commander Mormont has requested you for his personal

steward, Jon. You’ll sleep in a cell beneath his chambers, in the Lord

Commander’s tower.”

馬爾錫微笑著轉(zhuǎn)頭望向瓊恩?！碍偠鳎獱柮伤玖钐貏e要你當(dāng)他的私人事務(wù)官。你將睡在他臥室樓下的那間房里，住在司令塔里面?！?/p>

“And what will my duties be?” Jon asked sharply. “Will I serve the

Lord Commander’s meals, help him fasten his clothes, fetch hot water for his

bath?”

“請問我的職責(zé)又是什么？”瓊恩尖銳地問，“是不是要幫總司令打理三餐，伺候他更衣，為他打熱水洗澡？”

“Certainly.” Marsh frowned at Jon’s tone. “And you will run his

messages, keep a fire burning in his chambers, change his sheets and blankets

daily, and do all else that the Lord Commander might require of you.”

“沒有錯。”馬爾錫聽了瓊恩的口氣，皺起眉頭。“除此之外，你還要替他跑腿，為他房間生火，每天換洗床單和毛毯，以及承擔(dān)總司令要你做的其他事情?！?/p>

“Do you take me for a servant?”

“你當(dāng)我是下人么？”

“No,” Maester Aemon said, from the back of the sept. Clydas helped

him stand. “We took you for a man of the Night’s Watch?.?.?.?but perhaps we

were wrong in that.”

“不，”圣堂后方的伊蒙學(xué)士說。克萊達(dá)斯扶他站起來?！拔覀儺?dāng)你是守夜人的漢子……不過或許我們錯看了你?！?/p>

It was all Jon

could do to stop himself from walking out. Was he supposed to churn butter and

sew doublets like a girl for the rest of his days? “May I go?” he asked

stiffly.

瓊恩竭盡所能地克制自己，方才沒有掉頭離去。難道他就要像女孩子家一樣整天切奶油，縫衣服度過一生？“我可以離開嗎？”他僵硬地問。

“As you wish,” Bowen Marsh responded.

“去罷?！辈ㄎ摹ゑR爾錫回答。

Dareon and Sam

left with him. They descended to the yard in silence. Outside, Jon looked up at

the Wall shining in the sun, the melting ice creeping down its side in a

hundred thin fingers. Jon’s rage was such that he would have smashed it all in

an instant, and the world be damned.

戴利恩和山姆與他一道離去。他們默默地走回廣場，瓊恩抬頭看著陽光下閃耀的長城，融化的冰水仿如千百根纖細(xì)的手指向下流淌。他惱怒至極，恨不得立刻就把整座長城敲個粉碎，管他世界死活。

“Jon,” Samwell Tarly said excitedly. “Wait. Don’t you see what

they’re doing?”

“瓊恩，”山姆威爾·塔利興奮地說，“等等我們，你看不出他們的用意嗎？”

Jon turned on

him in a fury. “I see Ser Alliser’s bloody hand, that’s all I see. He wanted to

shame me, and he has.”

瓊恩大怒轉(zhuǎn)頭?！拔抑豢闯鲞@是艾里沙爵士搞的鬼。他想羞辱我，這下他可遂心愿了?！?/p>

Dareon gave him

a look. “The stewards are fine for the likes of you and me, Sam, but not for

Lord Snow.”

戴利恩看了他一眼?！吧侥?，叫你我這種人當(dāng)當(dāng)總務(wù)不成問題，但雪諾大人厲害著呢。”

“I’m a better swordsman and a better rider than any of you,” Jon

blazed back. “It’s not fair!”

“廢話，不論使劍、騎馬我都比你們行，”瓊恩火冒三丈地反擊，“這太不公平了！”

“Fair?” Dareon sneered. “The girl was waiting for me, naked as the

day she was born. She pulled me through the window, and you talk to me of

fair?” He walked off.

“公平？”戴利恩嗤之以鼻?！爱?dāng)年那小妞脫得精光，活像剛打娘胎里出生一般等著我，還是她把我從窗戶里拉進(jìn)去的。你倒是告訴我什么叫做公平？”

“There is no shame in being a steward,” Sam said.

“當(dāng)個事務(wù)官沒什么可恥的?！鄙侥氛f。

“Do you think I want to spend the rest of my life washing an old

man’s smallclothes?”

“你要我洗一輩子老頭的內(nèi)衣褲嗎？”

“The old man is Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch,” Sam reminded

him. “You’ll be with him day and night. Yes, you’ll pour his wine and see that

his bed linen is fresh, but you’ll also take his letters, attend him at

meetings, squire for him in battle. You’ll be as close to him as his shadow.

You’ll know everything, be a part of everything?.?.?.?and the Lord Steward said

Mormont asked for you himself!

“這老頭可是堂堂守夜人軍團(tuán)總司令，”山姆提醒他，“而你則會日夜跟他相處。沒錯，你是得幫他倒酒，換洗被單，但你也會替他送信，隨他參加會議，打仗的時候當(dāng)他的侍從。你會跟他形影不離，大小事務(wù)你都會知情，甚至能施加影響……更何況總務(wù)長說是莫爾蒙特別指定要你的！”

“When I was little, my father used to insist that I attend him in the

audience chamber whenever he held court. When he rode to Highgarden to bend his

knee to Lord Tyrell, he made me come. Later, though, he started to take Dickon

and leave me at home, and he no longer cared whether I sat through his

audiences, so long as Dickon was there. He wanted his heir at his side, don’t

you see? To watch and listen and learn from all he did. I’ll wager that’s why

Lord Mormont requested you, Jon. What else could it be? He wants to groom you

for command!”

“我小時候，每當(dāng)父親開庭理事，總是堅持要我參加；每次他去高庭提利爾大人輸誠，也一定帶我去。直到后來他改帶狄肯，把我丟在家里。只要狄肯跟著他，他便懶得管我是否出席會議。他的目的是把自己的‘繼承人’帶在身邊，你懂嗎？讓他察言觀色從中學(xué)習(xí)。瓊恩，我敢打賭莫爾蒙司令也是這個意思。不然他干嘛這么做？他想訓(xùn)練你作總司令接班人哪！”

Jon was taken aback.

It was true, Lord Eddard had often made Robb part of his councils back at

Winterfell. Could Sam be right? Even a bastard could rise high in the Night’s

Watch, they said. “I never asked for this,” he said stubbornly.

瓊恩完全愣住了。的確，以前在臨冬城的時候，艾德公爵便常要羅柏出席各種會議。難道山姆說的是真的？人家總說在守夜人部隊里，即便私生子也可升至高位?！拔矣植幌脒@樣?！彼煊驳卣f。

“None of us are here for asking,” Sam reminded him.

“我們沒有人想來這里?！鄙侥酚痔嵝阉?/p>

And suddenly Jon

Snow was ashamed.

突然間瓊恩·雪諾覺得羞愧交加。

Craven or not,

Samwell Tarly had found the courage to accept his fate like a man. On the Wall,

a man gets only what he earns, Benjen Stark had said the last night Jon had

seen him alive. You’re no ranger, Jon, only a green boy with the smell of

summer still on you. He’d heard it said that bastards grow up faster than other

children; on the Wall, you grew up or you died.

無論他算不算懦夫，山姆威爾·塔利都像個男子漢一樣有了接受命運(yùn)的勇氣。在長城守軍里，想得到什么樣的待遇，就得證明自己有什么樣的本事，瓊恩最后一次見到活生生的班揚(yáng)·史塔克的那天夜里，他曾這么說，你還不是游騎兵，你只是個稚氣未脫，身上還殘留著夏天氣味的小鬼。據(jù)說私生子成長得比別人都快，在長城上，你若不快快成長，就只有死路一條。

Jon let out a

deep sigh. “You have the right of it. I was acting the boy.”

瓊恩一聲長嘆?！澳阏f得沒錯。是我太孩子氣了?！?/p>

“Then you’ll stay and say your words with me?”

“那你會留下來跟我一起宣誓啰？”

“The old gods will be expecting us.” He made himself smile.

“舊神正在等著我們哪。”他逼自己擠出一絲微笑。

They set out

late that afternoon. The Wall had no gates as such, neither here at Castle

Black nor anywhere along its three hundred miles. They led their horses down a

narrow tunnel cut through the ice, cold dark walls pressing in around them as

the passage twisted and turned. Three times their way was blocked by iron bars,

and they had to stop while Bowen Marsh drew out his keys and unlocked the

massive chains that secured them. Jon could sense the vast weight pressing down

on him as he waited behind the Lord Steward. The air was colder than a tomb,

and more still. He felt a strange relief when they reemerged into the afternoon

light on the north side of the Wall.

他們于當(dāng)日下午出發(fā)。長城沿線三百里沒有一座城門，他們得牽馬走進(jìn)穿透冰層的狹窄隧道。路徑曲折蜿蜒，黑暗而冰冷的冰墻無時無刻不向他們逼近。他們經(jīng)過三道攔路鐵欄，每次都得停下腳步，讓波文·馬爾錫取出大串鑰匙，打開鎖住柵欄的厚重鐵鏈。等候總務(wù)長開門時，瓊恩感到無比龐然的重量朝他壓來。這里的空氣陰冷賽過墓穴，且更為凝滯。等他們終于抵達(dá)長城以北，重見午后的陽光，頓時感覺到一股奇異的舒暢。

Sam blinked at

the sudden glare and looked around apprehensively. “The wildlings?.?.?.?they

wouldn’t?.?.?.?they’d never dare come this close to the Wall. Would they?”

面對突如其來的強(qiáng)光，山姆眨眨眼，擔(dān)憂地環(huán)顧四周?！耙叭恕麄儾粫麄儾桓遗艿诫x長城這么近的地方來，是不是？”

“They never have.” Jon climbed into his saddle. When Bowen Marsh and

their ranger escort had mounted, Jon put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

Ghost came loping out of the tunnel.

“從來不敢。”瓊恩翻身上馬。等波文·馬爾錫和護(hù)送他們的游騎兵都上了馬，瓊恩把兩根手指伸進(jìn)嘴巴，吹聲口哨，白靈從地道里應(yīng)聲奔出。

The Lord

Steward’s garron whickered and backed away from the direwolf. “Do you mean to

take that beast?”

總務(wù)長的坐騎嘶叫著退開?！澳阋獛н@野獸一起去？”

“Yes, my lord,” Jon said. Ghost’s head lifted. He seemed to taste the

air. In the blink of an eye he was off, racing across the broad, weed-choked

field to vanish in the trees.

“是的，大人?！杯偠髡f。白靈抬起頭，似乎在體驗(yàn)塞外的空氣。然后，只一眨眼功夫他便沖了出去，馳騁過野草蔓生的廣闊平原，轉(zhuǎn)瞬間消失在遠(yuǎn)方的樹林里。

Once they had

entered the forest, they were in a different world. Jon had often hunted with

his father and Jory and his brother Robb. He knew the wolfswood around

Winterfell as well as any man. The haunted forest was much the same, and yet

the feel of it was very different.

一進(jìn)森林，他們就恍如置身另一世界。從前瓊恩常跟父親、喬里和羅柏一道外出打獵。對臨冬城外的狼林了若指掌。鬼影森林在樣貌上大致相同，但卻有種極端殊異的氛圍。

Perhaps it was

all in the knowing. They had ridden past the end of the world; somehow that

changed everything. Every shadow seemed darker, every sound more ominous. The

trees pressed close and shut out the light of the setting sun. A thin crust of

snow cracked beneath the hooves of their horses, with a sound like breaking

bones. When the wind set the leaves to rustling, it was like a chilly finger

tracing a path up Jon’s spine. The Wall was at their backs, and only the gods

knew what lay ahead.

這或許就是一種感覺罷。想到已經(jīng)越過世界的盡頭，一切便都不一樣了。同樣的影子，此地更顯陰暗，同樣的聲音，此地更覺不祥。樹與樹之間靠得很近，遮蔽了漸落的斜射陽光。地表的薄雪在馬蹄下碎裂，聲音脆如斷骨。朔風(fēng)吹拂，落葉沙沙作響，像有無數(shù)根冰涼手指沿著背脊緩緩而上。長城已在后方，前路一片迷離，諸神才知通往何方。

The sun was

sinking below the trees when they reached their destination, a small clearing

in the deep of the wood where nine weirwoods grew in a rough circle. Jon drew

in a breath, and he saw Sam Tarly staring. Even in the wolfswood, you never

found more than two or three of the white trees growing together; a grove of

nine was unheard of. The forest floor was carpeted with fallen leaves, bloodred

on top, black rot beneath. The wide smooth trunks were bone pale, and nine

faces stared inward. The dried sap that crusted in the eyes was red and hard as

ruby. Bowen Marsh commanded them to leave their horses outside the circle.

“This is a sacred place, we will not defile it.”

當(dāng)他們抵達(dá)目的地時，夕陽已沒入樹梢。這是森林深處的一小塊空地，九棵魚梁木長在一起，粗略組成一個圓。瓊恩深吸一口氣，抬頭發(fā)現(xiàn)山姆也睜大了眼睛。即便在北方，即便在狼林，你也找不到這種白色的樹會兩三棵長在一起，九棵簡直聞所未聞。林地鋪滿落葉，上層血紅，下面則是腐朽的黑色。寬而平滑的樹干如枯骨般蒼白，九張臉向圓心凝視，眼睛部位干涸的樹汁紅硬宛如寶石。波文·馬爾錫命令他們將馬匹留在圓圈之外?！斑@是神圣之地，我們不可褻瀆。”

When they

entered the grove, Samwell Tarly turned slowly looking at each face in turn. No

two were quite alike. “They’re watching us,” he whispered. “The old gods.”

走進(jìn)樹叢后，山姆威爾·塔利慢慢地轉(zhuǎn)頭審視每一張臉。它們?nèi)疾灰粯??！斑h(yuǎn)古諸神，”他悄聲說，“他們正看著我們呢?！?/p>

“Yes.” Jon knelt, and Sam knelt beside him.

“對啊。”瓊恩單膝跪下，山姆也跪在他身邊。

They said the

words together, as the last light faded in the west and grey day became black

night.

在最后一線日光沉落西天，灰暗的白晝轉(zhuǎn)為黑夜的時刻，他們齊聲念出誓言。

“Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow,” they recited, their

voices filling the twilit grove. “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It

shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no

children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my

post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the

fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that

wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life

and honor to the Night’s Watch, for this night and all the nights to come.”

“傾聽我的誓言，做我的見證?！彼麄兊睦收b充斥暮色中的樹林，“長夜將至，我從今開始守望，至死方休。我將不娶妻，不封地，不生子。我將不戴寶冠，不爭榮寵。我將盡忠職守，生死于斯。我是黑暗中的利劍，長城上的守衛(wèi)，抵御寒冷的烈焰，破曉時分的光線，喚醒眠者的號角，守護(hù)王國的堅盾。我將生命與榮耀獻(xiàn)給守夜人，今夜如此，夜夜皆然。”

The woods fell

silent. “You knelt as boys,” Bowen Marsh intoned solemnly. “Rise now as men of

the Night’s Watch.”

森林一片寂然。“你們跪下時尚為孩童，”波文·馬爾錫肅穆地吟誦，“起來吧，守夜人的漢子?！?/p>

Jon held out a

hand to pull Sam back to his feet. The rangers gathered round to offer smiles

and congratulations, all but the gnarled old forester Dywen. “Best we be

starting back, m’lord,” he said to Bowen Marsh. “Dark’s falling, and there’s

something in the smell o’ the night that I mislike.”

瓊恩伸手拉山姆起身。隨行的游騎兵湊過來微笑恭喜，惟獨(dú)滿臉皺紋的老林務(wù)官戴文例外。“大人，咱們最好趕緊上路，”他對波文·馬爾錫說，“天黑了，這兒有些味道我不喜歡。”

And suddenly

Ghost was back, stalking softly between two weirwoods. White fur and red eyes,

Jon realized, disquieted. Like the trees?.?.?.?

突然，白靈輕步穿過兩棵魚梁木跑了回來。白毛紅眼，瓊恩不安地想，就像這些樹……

The wolf had

something in his jaws. Something black. “What’s he got there?” asked Bowen

Marsh, frowning.

狼嘴里叼了東西，黑黑的?！八Я耸裁?？”波文·馬爾錫皺眉問。

“To me, Ghost.” Jon knelt. “Bring it here.”

“白靈，來我這兒?！杯偠鲉蜗ス蛳?。“把東西帶過來?！?/p>

The direwolf

trotted to him. Jon heard Samwell Tarly’s sharp intake of breath.

冰原狼快步跑到他身邊。瓊恩聽見山姆威爾·塔利猛抽一口冷氣。

“Gods be good,” Dywen muttered. “That’s a hand.”

“諸神慈悲，”戴文喃喃地說，“一只手?！?/p>