“有人想出100銀幣嗎？”拍賣者帶著哭腔。

“Who will give me one hundred?” cried the auctioneer.

競拍最后還是開始了，盡管起價(jià)只有50銀幣。出價(jià)者是一個(gè)穿著皮圍裙的瘦子。

That drew a bid at last, though it was only fifty silvers. The bidder was a thin man in a leather apron.

“再加一塊，”穿紫色托卡的老太婆說。

“And one,” said the crone in the violet tokar.

一個(gè)士兵舉起佩妮放到騾車的后面?！澳抢吓耸钦l？”侏儒問他。

One of the soldiers lifted Penny onto the back of the mule cart. “Who is the old woman?” the dwarf asked him.

“扎麗娜，”男人說，“她手下那些廉價(jià)角斗士是競技場英雄們的開胃菜。你的朋友很快就要死了?！?/p>

“Zahrina,” the man said. “Cheap fighters, hers. Meat for heroes. Your friend dead soon.”

他不是我的朋友。但提利昂·蘭尼斯特發(fā)現(xiàn)自己轉(zhuǎn)向保姆說，“你不能讓她買下他?！?/p>

He was no friend to me. Yet Tyrion Lannister found himself turning to Nurse and saying, “You cannot let her have him.”

保姆瞇起眼睛看著他?！澳阍隈胄┥叮俊?/p>

Nurse squinted at him. “What is this noise you make?”

提利昂指出?！澳鞘俏覀儽硌莸囊徊糠帧９沸芎兔郎倥?。喬拉是狗熊，佩妮是少女，我是去拯救她的勇敢騎士。我跳舞然后打他的老二（我是故意這么翻的，嗯嗯），多么滑稽?！?/p>

Tyrion pointed. “That one is part of our show. The bear and the maiden fair. Jorah is the bear, Penny is the maiden, I am the brave knight who rescues her. I dance about and hit him in the balls. Very funny.”

督察瞇著眼睛看著拍賣區(qū)。“他？”為喬拉·莫爾蒙的出價(jià)已經(jīng)上漲到了200銀幣。

The overseer squinted at the auction block. “Him?” The bidding for Jorah Mormont had reached two hundred silvers.

“再加一塊，”穿紫色托卡的老太婆說。

“And one,” said the crone in the violet tokar.

“你的熊，我知道了?！北Ｄ窂娜巳褐屑菜贁D過，欠身對轎子上的淵凱大黃胖子耳語了幾句。他的主人點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，下巴的贅肉隨之顫動(dòng)，然后揚(yáng)起了扇子。“300，”他氣喘吁吁的說道。

“Your bear. I see.” Nurse went scuttling off through the crowd, bent over the huge yellow Yunkishman in his litter, whispered in his ear. His master nodded, chins wobbling, then raised his fan. “Three hundred,” he called out in a wheezy voice.

老太婆扇了扇鼻孔轉(zhuǎn)身走開。

The crone sniffed and turned away.

“你干嘛那么做？”佩妮用通用語問。

“Why did you do that?” Penny asked, in the Common Tongue.

問到點(diǎn)子上了，提利昂想。我干嘛那么做呢？“你的表演越來越無聊了。每個(gè)戲子都需要只會(huì)跳舞的熊。

A fair question, thought Tyrion. Why did I? “Your show was growing dull. Every mummer needs a dancing bear.”

她責(zé)備地看了他一眼，接著她退回到貨車后部坐下，環(huán)抱著咬咬狗，好像那條狗是她在這個(gè)世界上最后的真心朋友?；蛟S是的。

She gave him a reproachful look, then retreated to the back of the cart and sat with her arms around Crunch, as if the dog was her last true friend in the world. Perhaps he is.

保姆帶著喬拉·莫爾蒙回來了，他們主人的兩個(gè)奴隸士兵把他丟進(jìn)了螺車上侏儒之間的地方。騎士沒有掙扎。當(dāng)他聽說他的女王已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了便喪失了戰(zhàn)意，提利昂知道。一句輕語便完成了鐵拳和硬棍和皮鞭不能做到的事；它打垮了他。我真該讓那個(gè)老太婆買走他的。他就和胸甲上的乳頭一樣有用。

Nurse returned with Jorah Mormont. Two of their master’s slave soldiers flung him into the back of the mule cart between the dwarfs. The knight did not struggle. All the fight went out of him when he heard that his queen had wed, Tyrion realized. One whispered word had done what fists and whips and clubs could not; it had broken him. I should have let the crone have him. He’s going to be as useful as nipples on a breastplate.

保姆爬到騾車前部抓起韁繩，接著他們就離開穿過營帳的重重包圍來到他們新主人——高貴的耶贊·祖·喀高茲——的營地。四個(gè)奴隸士兵伴著他們前進(jìn)，一邊兩個(gè)。

Nurse climbed onto the front of the mule cart and took up the reins, and they set off through the siege camp to the compound of their new master, the noble Yezzan zo Qaggaz. Four slave soldiers marched beside them, two on either side of the cart.

佩妮沒哭，但是她的眼又紅又悲傷，從沒從咬咬狗身上移開。難道她以為只要不看一切就會(huì)慢慢消失么？喬拉·莫爾蒙則對一切人和事都熟視無睹。他縮成一團(tuán)在鎖鏈的囚禁中想著些什么。

Penny did not weep, but her eyes were red and miserable, and she never lifted them from Crunch. Does she think all this might fade away if she does not look at it? Ser Jorah Mormont looked at no one and nothing. He sat huddled, brooding in his chains.

提利昂看著一切人和事。

Tyrion looked at everything and everyone.

淵凱人的營地不僅僅是一個(gè)帳篷，而是上百個(gè)呈新月形環(huán)繞著彌林城墻的帳篷群。彌林，一個(gè)絲綢與帆布之城，它有著它的大街小巷、旅館妓院、豪華的街區(qū)和貧民窟。在圍攻的前線和海灣之間，散布者想蘑菇一樣的帳篷，有的小而寒酸，說是塊避雨遮陽的褪色帆布還差不多，但旁邊也有的大到足以容納百個(gè)人的大兵營帳，頂桿閃耀著鷹身女妖的宮殿大小的柔光華亮的行宮。有些營地看起來井然有序，以篝火為圓心，營帳則排列成同心圓環(huán)繞著它，武器和鎧甲堆在里面的圈里，馬匹栓在外圍。但除此之外，大部分營地看起來混亂一片。

The Yunkish encampment was not one camp but a hundred camps raised up cheek by jowl in a crescent around the walls of Meereen, a city of silk and canvas with its own avenues and alleys, taverns and trollops, good districts and bad. Between the siege lines and the bay, tents had sprouted up like yellow mushrooms. Some were small and mean, no more than a flap of old stained canvas to keep off the rain and sun, but beside them stood barracks tents large enough to sleep a hundred men and silken pavilions as big as palaces with harpies gleaming atop their roof poles. Some camps were orderly, with the tents arrayed around a fire pit in concentric circles, weapons and armor stacked around the inner ring, horse lines outside. Elsewhere, pure chaos seemed to reign.

環(huán)繞著彌林的干燥的火光沖天的平原一馬平川的荒蕪，幾里格內(nèi)都沒有一棵樹，但是淵凱船只從南方帶了很多原木和獸皮，足夠做六個(gè)巨大的投石機(jī)。他們排列在城市的三個(gè)方向，另一面靠河的方向則堆滿了待投擲的石塊、成桶的瀝青和松脂。一個(gè)跟著騾車走的士兵看到提利昂在看，自豪地對他說每個(gè)投石機(jī)都起了名字：碎龍者、老潑婦、鷹身女妖之女、狡猾老姐、阿斯塔波之鬼、瑪茲達(dá)罕之拳。它們比帳篷還高40尺，成了圍城營地的主地標(biāo)?！爸幌瓷弦谎郏驱埡缶驮撓鹿蛄?，”他吹噓道?！澳莾翰攀撬臍w宿，舔希茲達(dá)哈的老二，除此之外，我們還會(huì)將她的城墻砸成碎片。

The dry, scorched plains around Meereen were flat and bare and treeless for long leagues, but the Yunkish ships had brought lumber and hides up from the south, enough to raise six huge trebuchets. They were arrayed on three sides of the city, all but the river side, surrounded by piles of broken stone and casks of pitch and resin just waiting for a torch. One of the soldiers walking along beside the cart saw where Tyrion was looking and proudly told him that each of the trebuchets had been given a name: Dragonbreaker, Harridan, Harpy’s Daughter, Wicked Sister, Ghost of Astapor, Mazdhan’s Fist. Towering above the tents to a height of forty feet, the trebuchets were the siege camp’s chief landmarks. “Just the sight of them drove the dragon queen to her knees,” he boasted. “And there she will stay, sucking Hizdahr’s noble cock, else we smash her walls to rubble.”

提利昂親眼看見一個(gè)奴隸受鞭笞的樣子，一下接著一下，知道他的后背只剩下血和猩紅的肉。一列帶著鐐銬人的列隊(duì)經(jīng)過，每一步都伴著金鐵交鳴的咣當(dāng)聲；他們提著長矛掛著短劍，但是手腕腳踝上都連著鎖鏈?？諝庵袕浡救獾奈兜溃匆妭€(gè)人正為他的燉鍋準(zhǔn)備剝皮狗。

Tyrion saw a slave being whipped, blow after blow, until his back was nothing but blood and raw meat. A file of men marched past in irons, clanking with every step; they carried spears and wore short swords, but chains linked them wrist to wrist and ankle to ankle. The air smelled of roasting meat, and he saw one man skinning a dog for his stewpot.

他也看見了已死的，聽到了將死的。在飄散在四周的煙霧中，有馬的氣味，而摻雜在海灣的咸味里最濃烈的是血和糞的惡臭。

He saw the dead as well, and heard the dying. Under the drifting smoke, the smell of horses, and the sharp salt tang of the bay was a stink of blood and shit. Some flux, he realized, as he watched two sellswords carry the corpse of a third from one of the tents. That made his fingers twitch. Disease could wipe out an army quicker than any battle, he had heard his father say once.

為逃跑添了更多理由，而且得快。

All the more reason to escape, and soon.

四分之一里外，他又找到了個(gè)好理由。一群人圍著三個(gè)試圖一同逃跑的奴隸。“我就知道我的小寶貝既可愛又順從，”保姆說?！翱纯丛噲D逃跑的人的下場?！?/p>

A quarter mile on, he found good reason to reconsider. A crowd had formed around three slaves taken whilst trying to escape. “I know my little treasures will be sweet and obedient,” Nurse said. “See what befalls ones who try to run.”

被俘的奴隸被拷在橫梁上，一對投石者正對著他們磨練手藝。“托羅西，”其中一個(gè)守衛(wèi)告訴他們?！笆澜缟献詈玫耐妒咧唬麄冇密涖U球替代了石頭。”

The captives had been tied to a row of crossbeams, and a pair of slingers were using them to test their skills. “Tolosi,” one of the guards told them. “The best slingers in the world. They throw soft lead balls in place of stones.”

提利昂看不出投石有什么優(yōu)點(diǎn)，弓箭的射程比它遠(yuǎn)多了……但是他的確從沒看過托羅西干活。他們的鉛球比其他投石者用的石塊造成更大的傷害，更別提弓箭了。其中一塊砸中了其中一個(gè)俘虜?shù)南ドw，使其碎成一團(tuán)血骨的雜合體而男子的小腿則僅剩下暗紅的筋腱相連。好吧，他是再跑不了了，當(dāng)那個(gè)人開始尖叫時(shí)提利昂認(rèn)定。在早晨的空氣里他的尖叫混合在營妓的笑聲和賭投石者會(huì)打偏的那些人的詛咒聲里。佩妮移開了眼，但是保姆緊掰她的下巴迫使她扭回頭去?！翱春昧?，”他命令?！澳阋彩?，大熊?！?/p>

Tyrion had never seen the point of slings, when bows had so much better range … but he had never seen Tolosi at work before. Their lead balls did vastly more damage than the smooth stones other slingers used, and more than any bow as well. One struck the knee of one of the captives, and it burst apart in a gout of blood and bone that left the man’s lower leg dangling by a rope of dark red tendon. Well, he won’t run again, Tyrion allowed, as the man began to scream. His shrieks mingled in the morning air with the laughter of camp followers and the curses of those who’d wagered good coin that the slinger would miss. Penny looked away, but Nurse grasped her under the chin and twisted her head back around. “Watch,” he commanded. “You too, bear.”

喬拉·莫爾蒙抬起頭冷盯著保姆。提利昂看到他手臂青筋暴露。他準(zhǔn)備擰斷保姆的脖子，這樣我們?nèi)齻€(gè)就全完了。但是騎士只是苦了一下臉便轉(zhuǎn)過去看那場血腥秀。

Jorah Mormont raised his head and stared at Nurse. Tyrion could see the tightness in his arms. He’s going to throttle him, and that will be the end for all of us. But the knight only grimaced, then turned to watch the bloody show.

東邊，彌林巨型磚墻在晨溫中閃著光芒。這是這些可悲的白癡們希望逃去的避難所。但它作為避難所的日子還能持續(xù)多久呢？

To the east the massive brick walls of Meereen shimmered through the morning heat. That was the refuge these poor fools had hoped to reach. How long will it remain a refuge, though?

在保姆重新架起韁繩前，三個(gè)試圖逃跑的奴隸就已經(jīng)死了。接著騾車吱呀呀的開動(dòng)了。

All three of the would-be escapees were dead before Nurse gathered up the reins again. The mule cart rumbled on.

他們主人的營地在“老潑婦”的東南方，幾乎遮蔽在它的陰影中，綿延數(shù)畝。傳說中耶贊·祖·喀高茲的陋帳其實(shí)是個(gè)檸檬黃絲綢搭造的宮殿。鎏金的鷹身女妖屹立在它中央頂桿的九個(gè)尖頂上，在陽光照耀下閃閃發(fā)光。其他的次要帳篷則眾星捧月般環(huán)繞著主帳?！澳切┦俏覀兏哔F的主人的廚師，小妾、戰(zhàn)士和一點(diǎn)不受寵的親戚的住所，”保姆告訴他們，“但你們這些小寶貝有幸睡在耶贊自己的行宮里。他很喜歡留自己的小珍寶在身畔。”他對著莫爾蒙皺了皺眉?！安皇悄悖笮堋Ｄ阌执笥殖?，得拿鏈子栓在外頭?！逼鋵?shí)沒什么回應(yīng)?！暗滓蝿?wù)是給你們每人配個(gè)項(xiàng)圈?！?/p>

Their master’s camp was south and east of the Harridan, almost in its shadow, and spread over several acres. The humble tent of Yezzan zo Qaggaz proved to be a palace of lemon-colored silk. Gilded harpies stood atop the center poles of each of its nine peaked roofs, shining in the sun. Lesser tents ringed it on all sides. “Those are the dwellings of our noble master’s cooks, concubines, and warriors, and a few less-favored kinsmen,” Nurse told them, “but you little darlings shall have the rare privilege of sleeping within Yezzan’s own pavilion. It pleases him to keep his treasures close.” He frowned at Mormont. “Not you, bear. You are big and ugly, you will be chained outside.” The knight did not respond. “First, all of you must be fitted for collars.”

項(xiàng)圈是鐵制，外面鍍了薄薄一層金這樣在陽光下就閃閃發(fā)光，上面著用瓦雷利亞語寫耶贊的名字，在耳朵下面的位置還追追著一對小鈴鐺，這樣佩戴者每走一步都伴隨著一陣悅耳的鈴聲。喬拉·莫爾蒙陰郁默認(rèn)了他的項(xiàng)圈，但是佩妮在武器匠將她的項(xiàng)圈扣上時(shí)叫了起來?！疤亓?，”她抱怨。

The collars were made of iron, lightly gilded to make them glitter in the light. Yezzan’s name was incised into the metal in Valyrian glyphs, and a pair of tiny bells were affixed below the ears, so the wearer’s every step produced a merry little tinkling sound. Jorah Mormont accepted his collar in a sullen silence, but Penny began to cry as the armorer was fastening her own into place. “It’s so heavy,” she complained.

提利昂抓了抓她的手?！八羌兘鸬?，”他撒謊。“在維斯特洛伊，高貴的小姐們做夢都想擁有這樣的項(xiàng)鏈。”項(xiàng)圈總比烙印好，項(xiàng)圈能取下。他想起了雪伊，在她的脖子被那條金鏈一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)勒入時(shí)，它就像這樣金光閃閃。

Tyrion squeezed her hand. “It’s solid gold,” he lied. “In Westeros, highborn ladies dream of such a necklace.” Better a collar than a brand. A collar can be removed. He remembered Shae, and the way the golden chain had glimmered as he twisted it tighter and tighter about her throat.

之后，保姆將喬拉爵士的鏈子拴在廚火旁的一根柱子上，將兩個(gè)侏儒帶進(jìn)了主人的行宮，給他們展示了睡覺的地方，那是一個(gè)與主帳用黃絲綢隔開的鋪了地毯的隔間，他們和耶贊的其他珍寶們同?。洪L著扭曲多毛的“山羊腿”的男孩，來自（還是穿著）Mantarys的雙頭女孩，長胡子的女人（瑟曦？），一個(gè)穿著密爾紗絲戴著月石首飾的苗條的叫糖果的人?！澳愦蟾旁噲D猜測我是男是女了，”當(dāng)她被帶到注入面前時(shí)說。接著她掀起了裙子給他們展示了下面的景觀。“我兩種都是，而主人最愛我了。”

Afterward, Nurse had Ser Jorah’s chains fastened to a stake near the cookfire whilst he escorted the two dwarfs inside the master’s pavilion and showed them where they would sleep, in a carpeted alcove separated from the main tent by walls of yellow silk. They would share this space with Yezzan’s other treasures: a boy with twisted, hairy “goat legs,” a two-headed girl out of Mantarys, a bearded woman, and a willowy creature called Sweets who dressed in moonstones and Myrish lace. “You are trying to decide if I’m a man or woman,” Sweets said, when she was brought before the dwarfs. Then she lifted her skirts and showed them what was underneath. “I’m both, and master loves me best.”

一個(gè)雙性人，提利昂明白了。神靈不知道躲在哪兒笑呢?！罢婵蓯?，”他對糖果說，他有著紫發(fā)和紫羅蘭色的眼睛，“我們都曾一直希望自己能變成那些漂亮的人?！?/p>

A grotesquerie, Tyrion realized. Somewhere some god is laughing. “Lovely,” he said to Sweets, who had purple hair and violet eyes, “but we were hoping to be the pretty ones for once.”

糖果咯咯笑出聲，但是保姆沒被逗樂?！鞍涯隳屈c(diǎn)笑話留到晚上吧，到時(shí)候你得為我們高貴的主人演出。若你逗他高興，便重重有賞。但若不的話……”他橫摑了提利昂一掌。

Sweets sniggered, but Nurse was not amused. “Save your japes for this evening, when you perform for our noble master. If you please him, you will be well rewarded. If not …” He slapped Tyrion across the face.

“對待保姆你可得小心點(diǎn)，”督察走后糖果說。“他才是這里真正的魔鬼。”胡子女用一種難以分辨的吉斯卡里混合語說，而山羊男孩用的是水手說的叫貿(mào)易語的混雜語。而雙頭女孩則是個(gè)低能兒；其中的一個(gè)頭還沒橙子大根本不會(huì)說話，另一個(gè)頭長著銼刀一樣的利齒，對每個(gè)靠近她籠子的人都含糊咆哮。但糖果對包括高等瓦雷利亞語的四種語言都應(yīng)用自如。

“You will want to be careful with Nurse,” said Sweets when the overseer had departed. “He is the only true monster here.” The bearded woman spoke an incomprehensible variety of Ghiscari, the goat boy some guttural sailor’s pidgin called the trade talk. The two-headed girl was feebleminded; one head was no bigger than an orange and did not speak at all, the other had filed teeth and was like to growl at anyone who came too close to her cage. But Sweets was fluent in four tongues, one of them High Valyrian.

“那個(gè)主人是什么樣的人？”佩妮擔(dān)心的問，

“What is the master like?” Penny asked, anxiously.

“他有著黃眼睛，臭味遍身?！笔昵?，他去了索瑟羅斯，自那開始他便從內(nèi)到外的開始腐爛了。只要讓他忘記他快死了，就算只是一小會(huì)兒，他也能變的非?？犊?。對他，別拒絕任何事。

“His eyes are yellow, and he stinks,” said Sweets. “Ten years ago he went to Sothoryos, and he has been rotting from the inside out ever since. Make him forget that he is dying, even for a little while, and he can be most generous. Deny him nothing.”

“他們只剩一個(gè)下午來認(rèn)識奴隸們的分類。耶贊的貼身奴隸擠滿了一個(gè)盛著熱水的浴盆，侏儒被允許沐浴——佩妮先來，接著是提利昂。容納后另一個(gè)奴隸給他的后背的傷口上了藥防止壞疽滋生，但是弄的他后背被弄的刺痛不已，接著傷口上覆蓋了一層涼膏。佩妮的頭發(fā)被剪掉了，提利昂也剃掉了胡子。他們得到了柔軟的拖鞋和新衣服，雖然普通但是整潔。

They had only the afternoon to learn the ways of chattel. Yezzan’s body slaves filled a tub with hot water, and the dwarfs were allowed to bathe—Penny first, then Tyrion. Afterward another slave spread a stinging ointment across the cuts on his back to keep them from mortifying, then covered them with a cool poultice. Penny’s hair was cut, and Tyrion’s beard got a trim. They were given soft slippers and fresh clothing, plain but clean.

接著夜幕降臨，保姆回來告訴他們他們騎士秀的時(shí)間到了。耶贊要招待淵凱軍的最高將領(lǐng)，高貴的雅克哈茲·佐·揚(yáng)扎克，他們的節(jié)目很受期待?！拔覀円灰涯愕男芙怄i？”

As evening fell, Nurse returned to tell them that it was time to don their mummer’s plate. Yezzan would be hosting the Yunkish supreme commander, the noble Yurkhaz zo Yunzak, and they would be expected to perform. “Shall we unchain your bear?”

“今晚不行，”提利昂說。“這次就讓我們?yōu)橹魅伪硌蒡T士秀，熊留著下次吧?！?/p>

“Not this night,” Tyrion said. “Let us joust for our master first and save the bear for some other time.”

“就這樣吧。你們的小丑秀結(jié)束后，還有端茶倒水的工作。到時(shí)候小心點(diǎn)別灑到客人身上，否則有你好受?！?/p>

“Just so. After your capers are concluded, you will help serve and pour. See that you do not spill on the guests, or it will go ill for you.”

一個(gè)雜耍者開啟了晚間的余興節(jié)目。接下來是三個(gè)精力充沛的筋斗演員，他們之后是山羊腿男孩伴著一個(gè)雅克哈茲奴隸骨笛跳的不協(xié)調(diào)的荒誕舞步。提利昂的腦中閃過是不是要問奴隸他是不是知道“卡斯特梅的雨季”的念頭。在他們等待自己節(jié)目上演期間，他自己觀察了耶贊和他的賓客們。坐在榮譽(yù)座的人型西梅干是淵凱軍的最高將領(lǐng)，正像坨稀屎一樣表情可怕的環(huán)顧四周。（提利昂的比喻還是那么犀利==雖然那個(gè)詞有糖稀的意思，但是以提利昂的神吐槽，那也太給面子了）幾個(gè)其他的淵凱大人陪著他。兩個(gè)雇傭騎士長官也列席在場，每個(gè)都帶來不少他們軍團(tuán)的人。其中一個(gè)是個(gè)優(yōu)雅的灰發(fā)潘托斯人，周身裹著絲綢，但是依舊披著件由多條血污浸染的碎步拼接成的斗篷。另一個(gè)長官則是早上試圖買下他們的那位，留著黑白摻雜胡須的褐膚競拍者。“褐色的本·普棱，”糖果說出了他的名字?！按巫訄F(tuán)的長官?！?/p>

A juggler began the evening’s frolics. Then came a trio of energetic tumblers. After them the goat-legged boy came out and did a grotesque jig whilst one of Yurkhaz’s slaves played on a bone flute. Tyrion had half a mind to ask him if he knew “The Rains of Castamere.” As they waited their own turn to perform, he watched Yezzan and his guests. The human prune in the place of honor was evidently the Yunkish supreme commander, who looked about as formidable as a loose stool. A dozen other Yunkish lords attended him. Two sellsword captains were on hand as well, each accompanied by a dozen men of his company. One was an elegant Pentoshi, grey-haired and clad in silk but for his cloak, a ragged thing sewn from dozens of strips of torn, bloodstained cloth. The other captain was the man who’d tried to buy them that morning, the brown-skinned bidder with the salt-and-pepper beard. “Brown Ben Plumm,” Sweets named him. “Captain of the Second Sons.”

一個(gè)維斯特洛人，還是個(gè)普棱家的。好之又好。

A Westerosi, and a Plumm. Better and better.

“你們下面就上，”保姆告知他們?！靶愕挠腥c(diǎn)，小寶貝，要么你們到時(shí)候等著祈禱，悔不當(dāng)初吧?！?/p>

“You are next,” Nurse informed them. “Be amusing, my little darlings, or you will wish you had.”

提利昂連格羅特那些老把戲的一半還沒掌握，但是至少他能騎上母豬了，在該掉下的時(shí)候掉下，打個(gè)滾，再彈站起來。事實(shí)證明這一切都得到了良好的回應(yīng)。一看到小矮子喝醉酒一樣兜著圈，用木制武器與對方搏斗，就像在君臨喬佛里的婚宴上時(shí)一樣，奴隸灣圍城帳的這番表演依舊滑稽歡鬧。輕蔑，提利昂想，這是通用語。

Tyrion had not mastered half of Groat’s old tricks, but he could ride the sow, fall off when he was meant to, roll, and pop back onto his feet. All of that proved well received. The sight of little people running about drunkenly and whacking at one another with wooden weapons appeared to be just as hilarious in a siege camp by Slaver’s Bay as at Joffrey’s wedding feast in King’s Landing. Contempt, thought Tyrion, the universal tongue.

他們的主人耶贊每當(dāng)他的侏儒摔到或者鞠躬時(shí)都是笑的最響最長的那個(gè)，他整個(gè)寬廣的身軀都像個(gè)地震中的板油似的晃動(dòng)；他的賓客則等著看雅克哈茲·佐·揚(yáng)扎克的反應(yīng)后才決定舉止如何。最高將領(lǐng)看起來脆弱的要命，提利昂擔(dān)心笑一下他就可能歸西。當(dāng)佩妮的頭盔被打掉飛進(jìn)一臉?biāo)峥啻┲鹁G條紋的淵凱人膝上時(shí)，雅克哈茲像個(gè)孩子似的咯咯笑起來。他將手伸進(jìn)頭盔拽出一個(gè)滴著汁液的巨型紫甜瓜，直喘到他的臉變成和水果同一個(gè)顏色。他轉(zhuǎn)向東道主低語了些什么，于是主人便哈哈大笑舔了舔嘴唇……但提利昂看來，那對細(xì)長的黃眼睛里似乎蘊(yùn)含著些許怒意。

Their master Yezzan laughed loudest and longest whenever one of his dwarfs suffered a fall or took a blow, his whole vast body shaking like suet in an earthquake; his guests waited to see how Yurkhaz no Yunzak responded before joining in. The supreme commander appeared so frail that Tyrion was afraid laughing might kill him. When Penny’s helm was struck off and flew into the lap of a sour-faced Yunkishman in a striped green-and-gold tokar, Yurkhaz cackled like a chicken. When said lord reached inside the helm and drew out a large purple melon dribbling pulp, he wheezed until his face turned the same color as the fruit. He turned to his host and whispered something that made their master chortle and lick his lips … though there was a hint of anger in those slitted yellow eyes, it seemed to Tyrion.

之后，侏儒們脫下了他們的木質(zhì)鎧甲和里面汗津津的衣服，換上了干凈的用作仆人服的黃色寬上衣。派給提利昂的是一大壺葡萄酒，而佩妮的則是水。他們在帳中轉(zhuǎn)前走后的斟滿杯盞，穿著拖鞋的腳步在厚厚的地毯上也只輕輕作響。這個(gè)工作看起來容易做起來難。很快他的雙腿就開始嚴(yán)重抽搐，而背后的一道傷痕也開始流血，紅色直滲透他上衣的黃色亞麻布料。提利昂咬緊舌頭，繼續(xù)侍酒。

Afterward the dwarfs stripped off their wooden armor and the sweat-soaked clothing beneath and changed into the fresh yellow tunics that had been provided them for serving. Tyrion was given a flagon of purple wine, Penny a flagon of water. They moved about the tent filling cups, their slippered feet whispering over thick carpets. It was harder work than it appeared. Before long his legs were cramping badly, and one of the cuts on his back had begun to bleed again, the red seeping through the yellow linen of his tunic. Tyrion bit his tongue and kept on pouring.

大多數(shù)賓客對他們和其他奴隸一樣沒多看一眼……但是一個(gè)顯然醉的不輕的淵凱人則稱耶贊應(yīng)該讓兩個(gè)侏儒操起來，另一個(gè)則想知道提利昂丟失鼻子的故事。我用它戳進(jìn)你老婆的陰道，然后她一口咬掉了，他幾乎就這么回答了……但是當(dāng)初那場風(fēng)暴已經(jīng)讓他明白自己還不想這么早死，所以他改口說，“割掉它是懲戒我的傲慢無禮，大人。”

Most of the guests paid them no more mind than they did the other slaves … but one Yunkishman declared drunkenly that Yezzan should make the two dwarfs fuck, and another demanded to know how Tyrion had lost his nose. I shoved it up your wife’s cunt and she bit it off, he almost replied … but the storm had persuaded him that he did not want to die as yet, so instead he said, “It was cut off to punish me for insolence, lord.”

接著一個(gè)穿著藍(lán)色托卡虎眼鑲邊的大人想起來在拍賣臺上提利昂曾吹噓過他錫瓦斯棋的高超技藝?！白屛覀冊囁幌?，”他說。一個(gè)棋桌和一副棋子很快便呈了上來。才一會(huì)兒功夫，那位大人便又惱又羞的滿臉通紅狂怒的推翻了棋桌，在淵凱人的笑聲中將棋子崩的到處都是。

Then a lord in a blue tokar fringed with tiger’s eyes recalled that Tyrion had boasted of his skill at cyvasse on the auction block. “Let us put him to the test,” he said. A table and set of pieces was duly produced. A scant few moments later, the red-faced lord shoved the table over in fury, scattering the pieces across the carpets to the sound of Yunkish laughter.

“你該讓他贏的，”佩妮小聲說。

“You should have let him win,” Penny whispered.

褐色的本·普棱笑呵呵地扶起游戲桌?！跋麓螕Q我吧，侏儒。我年輕時(shí)候，次子團(tuán)曾和瓦蘭提斯有契約，我就是在那兒學(xué)會(huì)的這游戲。”

Brown Ben Plumm lifted the fallen table, smiling. “Try me next, dwarf. When I was younger, the Second Sons took contract with Volantis. I learned the game there.”

“我只是區(qū)區(qū)一個(gè)奴隸。我高貴的主人才決定何時(shí)何人由我來奉陪。”提利昂轉(zhuǎn)向耶贊?！爸魅?？”

“I am only a slave. My noble master decides when and who I play.” Tyrion turned to Yezzan. “Master?”

黃色的大人看起來對這個(gè)提議頗感興趣。“你建議用錢作賭呢，長官？”

The yellow lord seemed amused by the notion. “What stakes do you propose, Captain?”

“若我贏了，這個(gè)奴隸便歸我，”普棱說。

“If I win, give this slave to me,” said Plumm.

“不行，”耶贊·祖·喀高茲回答?！暗侨裟愦驍×宋业馁?，你就能得到我買他花的那么多金子。”

“No,” Yezzan zo Qaggaz said. “But if you can defeat my dwarf, you may have the price I paid for him, in gold.”

“成交，”雇傭騎士說。散落的棋子從地毯上收集回來后，他們便坐下來對弈。

“Done,” the sellsword said. The scattered pieces were picked up off the carpet, and they sat down to play.

提利昂贏了第一局。普棱則在第二局贏回來，為了之前下的雙倍獎(jiǎng)金。當(dāng)他們開始第三輪博弈時(shí)，侏儒研究起他的對手來。他的皮膚棕褐，雙頰和下顎則覆滿了剃短的灰白摻雜的粗立胡須，他的臉溝壑交錯(cuò)滿是皺紋，還有幾塊舊疤。普棱在他看來長著一副和藹面相，笑起來便更顯慈祥。忠實(shí)的仆人，提利昂清楚。每個(gè)人最愛的叔叔，總講些笑話、舊時(shí)軼事、有些民間智慧。（好吧，誰解釋下roughspun是個(gè)什么東西，認(rèn)為這句是提利昂在懷念他叔叔笑獅子吉利安，所以開始翻譯的那種智慧是滿嘴跑火車的……詹姆和他都學(xué)習(xí)了這點(diǎn)……色太后好像也是==不過色太后從來木有回憶過這個(gè)叔叔）這一切都是假象。笑容從來沒觸及普棱的眼，在小心謹(jǐn)慎的后面掩藏著貪婪。饑渴，但謹(jǐn)慎，這就是這個(gè)家伙。

Tyrion won the first game. Plumm took the second, for double the stakes. As they set up for their third contest, the dwarf studied his opponent. Brown-skinned, his cheeks and jaw covered by a close-cropped bristly beard of grey and white, his face creased by a thousand wrinkles and a few old scars, Plumm had an amiable look to him, especially when he smiled. The faithful retainer, Tyrion decided. Every man’s favorite nuncle, full of chuckles and old sayings and roughspun wisdom. It was all sham. Those smiles never touched Plumm’s eyes, where greed hid behind a veil of caution. Hungry, but wary, this one.

雇傭騎士差不多和淵凱的大人一個(gè)水平，但是他走的每一步都感情內(nèi)斂堅(jiān)韌不動(dòng)，而非魯莽。他開局布兵每次都不一樣，但有一點(diǎn)不變——保守、防御、消極。他不是為贏而玩。提利昂發(fā)現(xiàn)。他只求不敗。這讓他在第二局得勝，這次小個(gè)子因?yàn)橐淮尾煌晟频拿凸ザ|羽而歸。但是在第三局、第四局、第五局這套戰(zhàn)術(shù)便失效了，而第五局便成了他們的終局。

The sellsword was nearly as bad a player as the Yunkish lord had been, but his play was stolid and tenacious rather than bold. His opening arrays were different every time, yet all the same—conservative, defensive, passive. He does not play to win, Tyrion realized. He plays so as not to lose. It worked in their second game, when the little man overreached himself with an unsound assault. It did not work in the third game, nor the fourth, nor the fifth, which proved to be their last.

在最終局即將結(jié)束時(shí)，他的堡壘已盡數(shù)摧毀，龍業(yè)已被屠，大象在前，重騎兵則圍著馬尾繞圈，普棱抬頭笑起來說，“尤羅又將了我一軍，我已經(jīng)死了四次?！?/p>

Near the end of that final contest, with his fortress in ruins, his dragon dead, elephants before him and heavy horse circling round his rear, Plumm looked up smiling and said, “Yollo wins again. Death in four.”

“三次?！碧崂号牧伺乃凝??！拔液苄疫\(yùn)。也許你需要在下次比賽前揉揉我的腦袋，長官。我的些許好運(yùn)氣也許就搓到你手上了呢?！蹦氵€是會(huì)輸，但是你也許能讓我玩的盡興點(diǎn)。笑了笑，他從棋桌下退出，重新拾起酒壺，又為耶贊·祖·喀高茲斟滿，而為褐色的本·普棱就顯然少倒了不少。他那巨型的主人在第三局便已醉到人事不省，他手上的高腳杯滑落，里面的酒全灑在地毯上，但當(dāng)他醒過來大概會(huì)挺高興。

“Three.” Tyrion tapped his dragon. “I was lucky. Perhaps you should give my head a good rub before our next game, Captain. Some of that luck might rub off on your fingers.” You will still lose, but you might give me a better game. Grinning, he pushed back from the cyvasse table, picked up his wine flagon, and returned to pouring with Yezzan zo Qaggaz considerably richer and Brown Ben Plumm considerably impoverished. His gargantuan master had fallen off into drunken sleep during the third game, his goblet slipping from his yellowed fingers to spill its contents on the carpet, but perhaps he would be pleased when he awakened.

當(dāng)最高將領(lǐng)雅克哈茲·佐·揚(yáng)扎克在一對健壯的奴隸護(hù)送下離席后，其他賓客也普遍似乎收到了離席的信號。在帳子空了以后，保姆告訴仆人們他們可以用剩下的食物飽餐一頓?！翱禳c(diǎn)吃。這些在你們睡覺前得清理干凈。”

When the supreme commander Yurkhaz zo Yunzak departed, supported by a pair of burly slaves, that seemed to be a general signal for the other guests to take their leaves as well. After the tent had emptied out, Nurse reappeared to tell the servers that they might make their own feast from the leavings. “Eat quickly. All this must be clean again before you sleep.”

提利昂跪在地上，腿疼得要命而那該死后背的疼痛又開始叫囂了，依舊試圖擦掉高貴的耶贊灑在高貴的耶贊的地毯上的那塊酒污，這時(shí)督察用他拿鞭子的末端拍了拍他的臉頰?！坝攘_，你干的不錯(cuò)。你和你老婆?！?/p>

Tyrion was on his knees, his legs aching and his bloody back screaming with pain, trying to scrub out the stain that the noble Yezzan’s spilled wine had left upon the noble Yezzan’s carpet, when the overseer tapped his cheek gently with the end of his whip. “Yollo. You have done well. You and your wife.”

“她不是我老婆?！?/p>

“She is not my wife.”

“那么就是你婊子，你們兩個(gè)，都站起來。”

“Your whore, then. On your feet, both of you.”

提利昂搖晃著站起來，一條腿在身下顫抖。他的大腿又打結(jié)了，痙攣的厲害導(dǎo)致得靠佩妮搭手他才站起來?！拔覀冏隽耸裁?？”

Tyrion rose unsteadily, one leg trembling beneath him. His thighs were knots, so cramped that Penny had to lend him a hand to pull him to his feet. “What have we done?”

“不少，而且還會(huì)更多，”督察說?！氨Ｄ氛f過你們?nèi)羰嵌簶妨烁赣H便能被獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)不是？雖然高貴的耶贊不愿意失去他的小珍寶，你也看到了，但是雅克哈茲·佐·揚(yáng)扎克還是勸他說自己留著這樣的滑稽秀太自私了。歡呼吧！慶賀和平條約的簽訂，你們有幸能在達(dá)茲納克的大斗獸場表演騎士秀。上千人都會(huì)看到你們！一萬人哪！還有，哦，到時(shí)候我們得笑成什么樣子！”

“Much and more,” said the overseer. “Nurse said you would be rewarded if you pleased your father, did he not? Though the noble Yezzan is loath to lose his little treasures, as you have seen, Yurkhaz zo Yunzak persuaded him that it would be selfish to keep such droll antics to himself. Rejoice! To celebrate the signing of the peace, you shall have the honor of jousting in the Great Pit of Daznak. Thousands will come see you! Tens of thousands! And, oh, how we shall laugh!”