Ⅱ 列王的紛爭(zhēng) Chapter6 瓊恩
JON
“山姆？”瓊恩輕聲喚道。
Sam?” Jon called softly.
空氣里彌漫著陳年積灰和腐朽紙張的味道。在他面前是一座座高大的木書架，頂端沒(méi)入黑暗，架上堆滿了皮面裝訂的書冊(cè)，以及一箱一箱的古老卷軸。在房間某處有一盞油燈，微弱的黃光從書堆中滲透出來(lái)。這里到處都是老舊紙張，為避免引火，瓊恩吹熄了手中蠟燭，跟隨燈光，在拱形天花板下的狹窄過(guò)道里穿梭。他一身黑衣、一頭黑發(fā)、一張長(zhǎng)臉，一雙灰眼，彷佛是黑暗中的陰影。他連雙手都戴著黑色鼴鼠皮手套：右手是因?yàn)樽苽从笫謩t是因?yàn)槭痔状饕贿咃@得很可笑。
The air smelled of paper and dust and years. Before him, tall wooden shelves rose up into dimness, crammed with leatherbound books and bins of ancient scrolls. A faint yellow glow filtered through the stacks from some hidden lamp. Jon blew out the taper he carried, preferring not to risk an open flame amidst so much old dry paper. Instead he followed the light, wending his way down the narrow aisles beneath barrel-vaulted ceilings. All in black, he was a shadow among shadows, dark of hair, long of face, grey of eye. Black moleskin gloves covered his hands; the right because it was burned, the left because a man felt half a fool wearing only one glove.
山姆威爾·塔利弓著背，坐在一張嵌進(jìn)石墻壁龕里的桌子邊。光線便是來(lái)源于懸掛他頭頂?shù)囊槐K油燈。他聽(tīng)見(jiàn)瓊恩的腳步聲，抬起頭來(lái)“你整晚都在這兒？”
Samwell Tarly sat hunched over a table in a niche carved into the stone of the wall. The glow came from the lamp hung over his head. He looked up at the sound of Jon’s steps.
“真的？”山姆似乎很驚訝。
“Have you been here all night?”
“你沒(méi)來(lái)和我們吃早餐，你的床也沒(méi)有睡過(guò)的痕跡?！崩姿固卣J(rèn)為山姆棄營(yíng)逃跑，但瓊恩不相信。當(dāng)逃兵總還需要一點(diǎn)勇氣，而山姆是連那點(diǎn)勇氣也沒(méi)有的。
“Have I?” Sam looked startled.
“已經(jīng)早上了嗎？在這下面沒(méi)法知道時(shí)間?！?/p>
“You didn’t break your fast with us, and your bed hadn’t been slept in.” Rast suggested that maybe Sam had deserted, but Jon never believed it. Desertion required its own sort of courage, and Sam had little enough of that.
“山姆，你真是傻得可愛(ài)?！杯偠鞯?，“我跟你保證，等我們只有又冷又硬的地面可睡，你就會(huì)想念床的感覺(jué)了?！?/p>
“Is it morning? Down here there’s no way to know.”
山姆打個(gè)呵欠，“伊蒙師傅派我下地窖來(lái)幫司令大人找地圖，我沒(méi)想到……瓊恩，你看這些書，從沒(méi)見(jiàn)過(guò)這么多！有好幾千本耶！”
“Sam, you’re a sweet fool,” Jon said. “You’ll miss that bed when we’re sleeping on the cold hard ground, I promise you.”
他環(huán)顧四周，“臨冬城的藏書室也有百來(lái)本書。找到地圖了嗎？”
Sam yawned. “Maester Aemon sent me to find maps for the Lord Commander. I never thought … Jon, the books, have you ever seen their like? There are thousands!”
“有啊有啊，”山姆揮舞他肥如香腸的手指，指著面前桌上散亂的書籍和卷軸。“起碼有十幾種?！彼归_(kāi)一張羊皮紙，“這上面的墨水雖然已經(jīng)褪色，但你還是可以看出繪圖者標(biāo)示的野人聚落，還有一本書……我放哪兒了？剛剛還在讀?！彼崎_(kāi)幾張卷軸，找出一本積滿灰塵，封皮腐爛的書。“就是這本，”他語(yǔ)帶虔敬地說(shuō)，“是一個(gè)姓雷德溫的游騎兵寫的，講述的是他從影子塔一路到冰封海岸的凄涼岬的旅行經(jīng)過(guò)。上面雖然沒(méi)有日期，但他提到北境之王多倫·史塔克，所以這一定是在征服戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)以前完成的。瓊恩，他們和巨人作戰(zhàn)呢！雷德溫甚至和森林之子有過(guò)貿(mào)易往來(lái)，這些全記在書里面?！彼⌒囊硪淼赜靡桓种阜?yè)，“你看，他畫了地圖……”
He gazed about him. “The library at Winterfell has more than a hundred. Did you find the maps?”
“山姆，或許你也可以把我們這次巡邏的經(jīng)過(guò)寫下來(lái)?！?/p>
“Oh, yes.” Sam’s hand swept over the table, fingers plump as sausages indicating the clutter of books and scrolls before him. “A dozen, at the least.” He unfolded a square of parchment. “The paint has faded, but you can see where the mapmaker marked the sites of wildling villages, and there’s another book … where is it now? I was reading it a moment ago.” He shoved some scrolls aside to reveal a dusty volume bound in rotted leather. “This,” he said reverently, “is the account of a journey from the Shadow Tower all the way to Lorn Point on the Frozen Shore, written by a ranger named Redwyn. It’s not dated, but he mentions a Dorren Stark as King in the North, so it must be from before the Conquest. Jon, they fought giants! Redwyn even traded with the children of the forest, it’s all here.” Ever so delicately, he turned pages with a finger. “He drew maps as well, see …”
他本意是鼓勵(lì)，卻說(shuō)錯(cuò)了話，山姆此刻最不需要?jiǎng)e人提醒的就是從明天起他們將面對(duì)的命運(yùn)。他隨手翻動(dòng)一些卷軸，“地圖還很多，如果給我時(shí)間……這里亂成一團(tuán)，不過(guò)我有辦法把一切都整理妥當(dāng)，我知道我能行，但那得花上好多時(shí)間……唉，說(shuō)真的，起碼要好些年才行?！?/p>
“Maybe you could write an account of our ranging, Sam.”
“恐怕莫爾蒙沒(méi)法等那么久，”瓊恩從箱子里抽出一束卷軸，吹掉上面厚厚的灰塵，不料展開(kāi)的時(shí)候，卷軸竟有一小角從他指間剝落?！澳憧?，這張快碎了。”他看著褪色的字跡皺眉。
He’d meant to sound encouraging, but it was the wrong thing to say. The last thing Sam needed was to be reminded of what faced them on the morrow. He shuffled the scrolls about aimlessly. “There’s more maps. If I had time to search …? everything’s a jumble. I could set it all to order, though; I know I could, but it would take time … well, years, in truth.”
“輕一點(diǎn)。”山姆繞過(guò)桌子，從他手中接過(guò)卷軸，像是對(duì)待受傷動(dòng)物似地捧著?！爸匾臅涗浽谛枰獣r(shí)常被謄抄。這里最老的書說(shuō)不定被抄過(guò)五六十次呢?！?/p>
“Mormont wanted those maps a little sooner than that.” Jon plucked a scroll from a bin, blew off the worst of the dust. A corner flaked off between his fingers as he unrolled it. “Look, this one is crumbling,” he said, frowning over the faded script.
“哎，可這張沒(méi)什么好抄的。二十三桶鹽漬鱈魚，十八罐魚油，一桶腌……”
“Be gentle.” Sam came around the table and took the scroll from his hand, holding it as if it were a wounded animal. “The important books used to be copied over when they needed them. Some of the oldest have been copied half a hundred times, probably.”
“這是張貨物清單，”山姆說(shuō)，“或是買賣的收據(jù)。”
“Well, don’t bother copying that one. Twenty-three barrels of pickled cod, eighteen jars of fish oil, a cask of salt …”
“誰(shuí)管六百年前的人吃多少鱈魚?。俊杯偠鞑唤{悶。
“An inventory,” Sam said, “or perhaps a bill of sale.”
“我就會(huì)，”山姆小心翼翼地把卷軸放回原本的箱子，“從帳目里，你可以學(xué)到很多，真的，我不騙你。比方說(shuō)，你可以從中得知當(dāng)時(shí)守夜人軍團(tuán)有多少人，過(guò)著什么樣的生活，吃些什么東西……”
“Who cares how much pickled cod they ate six hundred years ago?” Jon wondered.
“他們吃的還不就是食物？”瓊恩道，“他們的生活和我們有什么兩樣？”
“I would.” Sam carefully replaced the scroll in the bin from which Jon had plucked it. “You can learn so much from ledgers like that, truly you can. It can tell you how many men were in the Night’s Watch then, how they lived, what they ate …”
“那你可就錯(cuò)啰，瓊恩，這里處處是寶藏哪?！?/p>
“They ate food,” said Jon, “and they lived as we live.”
“你說(shuō)是就是吧?！杯偠靼胄虐胍?。所謂的“寶藏”，應(yīng)該是指黃金、白銀和珠寶，決非灰塵、蜘蛛和腐爛皮革吧？
“You’d be surprised. This vault is a treasure, Jon.”
“我是說(shuō)真的耶！”胖子激動(dòng)得沖口而出。他年紀(jì)比瓊恩大，依法已經(jīng)成年，可他怎么看都還像個(gè)孩子?！拔艺业紧~梁木上人面的畫像，一本關(guān)于森林之子語(yǔ)言的專著……還有連學(xué)城都沒(méi)有的作品，比如古瓦雷利亞流傳下來(lái)的卷軸，千年之前的學(xué)士所做的季節(jié)變化紀(jì)錄……”
“If you say so.” Jon was doubtful. Treasure meant gold, silver, and jewels, not dust, spiders, and rotting leather.
“書又不會(huì)跑，等我們回來(lái)再看也不遲嘛。”
“I do,” the fat boy blurted. He was older than Jon, a man grown by law, but it was hard to think of him as anything but a boy. “I found drawings of the faces in the trees, and a book about the tongue of the children of the forest … works that even the Citadel doesn’t have, scrolls from old Valyria, counts of the seasons written by maesters dead a thousand years …”
“那也要我們回得來(lái)……”
“The books will still be here when we return.”
“熊老這次所挑的兩百個(gè)弟兄都是經(jīng)驗(yàn)豐富的老手，其中更有四分之三是游騎兵，況且‘?dāng)嗾啤屏诌€會(huì)從影子塔帶一百弟兄來(lái)跟我們會(huì)合。就算待在角陵你父親大人的城堡里，也不會(huì)比這更安全了?！?/p>
“If we return …”
山姆威爾·塔利勉強(qiáng)擠出一絲哀傷的笑容，“我在父親的城堡里本來(lái)也不怎么安全?！?/p>
“The Old Bear is taking two hundred seasoned men, three-quarters of them rangers. Qhorin Halfhand will be bringing another hundred brothers from the Shadow Tower. You’ll be as safe as if you were back in your lord father’s castle at Horn Hill.”
諸神對(duì)人的種種殘酷捉弄，莫不以此為甚，瓊恩不禁想。迫不及待想?yún)⒓舆@次長(zhǎng)征的派普和陶德必須留守黑城堡，需要面對(duì)鬼影森林的，卻是山姆威爾·塔利。他是個(gè)自承懦弱的的人，肥胖無(wú)比，膽子奇小，騎馬舞劍樣樣不行。可熊老打算隨軍攜帶兩籠信鴉，以便沿途將訊息送回城堡，而伊蒙學(xué)士雙眼已盲，身子又太過(guò)孱弱，無(wú)法與他們同行，只好由他的事務(wù)官代替?！吧侥?，我們需要你照顧信鴉，我自己也需要你幫忙照著葛蘭，確保他小心一點(diǎn)。”
Samwell Tarly managed a sad little smile. “I was never very safe in my father’s castle either.”
那他一定是傻子山姆的下巴抖了抖，“又不是只有我能照顧信鴉，換你或葛蘭也行，這事誰(shuí)都做得來(lái)?！彼穆曇衾飵е唤z絕望，“我可以教你怎么弄，你也識(shí)字，幫莫爾蒙大人寫信不會(huì)比我差?！?/p>
The gods play cruel jests, Jon thought. Pyp and Toad, all a lather to be a part of the great ranging, were to remain at Castle Black. It was Samwell Tarly, the self-proclaimed coward, grossly fat, timid, and near as bad a rider as he was with a sword, who must face the haunted forest. The Old Bear was taking two cages of ravens, so they might send back word as they went. Maester Aemon was blind and far too frail to ride with them, so his steward must go in his place. “We need you for the ravens, Sam. And someone has to help me keep Grenn humble.”
“我是熊老的事務(wù)官，我得跟在他身邊，照顧他的坐騎，幫他搭帳篷，沒(méi)時(shí)間照顧鳥(niǎo)兒的。山姆，你發(fā)過(guò)誓，已經(jīng)是守夜人的一員了。”
Sam’s chins quivered. “You could care for the ravens, or Grenn could, or anyone,” he said with a thin edge of desperation in his voice. “I could show you how. You know your letters too, you could write down Lord Mormont’s messages as well as I.”
“守夜人不該害怕，對(duì)不對(duì)？”
“I’m the Old Bear’s steward. I’ll need to squire for him, tend his horse, set up his tent; I won’t have time to watch over birds as well. Sam, you said the words. You’re a brother of the Night’s Watch now.”
“我們誰(shuí)不害怕呢？要有人不怕，那他一定是傻子?！边^(guò)去這兩年來(lái)，已經(jīng)有太多游騎兵下落不明，其中也包括瓊恩的叔叔班揚(yáng)·史塔克。他們?cè)谏掷镎业绞迨宓膬擅窒拢鶓K遭殺害，尸首更在寒夜中死而復(fù)生。瓊恩一想起這事，灼傷的手指便不由自主地抽搐起來(lái)。至今他依舊會(huì)在夢(mèng)中看到尸鬼奧瑟，那雙燃燒的藍(lán)眼和黑冷的雙手，但這些可不能對(duì)山姆提起?！拔腋赣H對(duì)我說(shuō)過(guò)，不必為恐懼而羞恥，重要的是如何去面對(duì)。走吧，我?guī)湍隳玫貓D?！?/p>
“A brother of the Night’s Watch shouldn’t be so scared.”
山姆怏怏不樂(lè)地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭。書架擺放得非常緊密，彼此間隔很窄，僅容一人通行。走出地窖，便來(lái)到弟兄們稱為“蟲(chóng)道”的隧道，蜿蜒曲折的蟲(chóng)道位于地下，連接著黑城堡的堡壘和塔樓。夏日之際，除了老鼠橫行，鮮少有人使用蟲(chóng)道，可到冬天就大不一樣。當(dāng)積雪深達(dá)五十尺，夾雜冰霜的北風(fēng)呼嘯而至?xí)r，聯(lián)系黑城堡各處的唯有這些通道。
“We’re all scared. We’d be fools if we weren’t.” Too many rangers had been lost the past two years, even Benjen Stark, Jon’s uncle. They had found two of his uncle’s men in the wood, slain, but the corpses had risen in the chill of night. Jon’s burnt fingers twitched as he remembered. He still saw the wight in his dreams, dead Othor with the burning blue eyes and the cold black hands, but that was the last thing Sam needed to be reminded of. “There’s no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it. Come, I’ll help you gather up the maps.”
那樣的日子就快到了吧，他們爬出地窖，瓊恩一邊想。他已經(jīng)在伊蒙學(xué)士那兒親眼目睹了報(bào)告夏日終結(jié)的使節(jié)——一只來(lái)自學(xué)城，通體雪白，和白靈一樣沉靜的信鴉。他在童年時(shí)代，曾經(jīng)見(jiàn)識(shí)過(guò)冬天的景象，不過(guò)大家都說(shuō)那個(gè)冬天既非苦寒，更不漫長(zhǎng)。這次可不一樣，他打骨子里感覺(jué)得到。
Sam nodded unhappily. The shelves were so closely spaced that they had to walk single file as they left. The vault opened onto one of the tunnels the brothers called the wormwalks, winding subterranean passages that linked the keeps and towers of Castle Black under the earth. In summer the wormwalks were seldom used, save by rats and other vermin, but winter was a different matter. When the snows drifted forty and fifty feet high and the ice winds came howling out of the north, the tunnels were all that held Castle Black together.
等他們登上級(jí)級(jí)陡峭石梯，走回地面，山姆已經(jīng)像鐵匠的風(fēng)箱一樣氣喘吁吁。迎面一陣勁風(fēng)，吹得瓊恩的斗篷劈啪作響。白靈趴在谷倉(cāng)的籬笆墻下睡覺(jué)，當(dāng)瓊恩走近，它便一躍而起，跟在他們身后，毛茸茸的白尾巴豎得筆直。
Soon, Jon thought as they climbed. He’d seen the harbinger that had come to Maester Aemon with word of summer’s end, the great raven of the Citadel, white and silent as Ghost. He had seen a winter once, when he was very young, but everyone agreed that it had been a short one, and mild. This one would be different. He could feel it in his bones.
山姆瞇眼朝長(zhǎng)城望去。城墻巍然聳立，儼然如一座七百尺的冰封絕壁。瓊恩時(shí)而覺(jué)得長(zhǎng)城似有生命，自有其心緒變換。冰壁的顏色隨著光線移動(dòng)而改變，有時(shí)是河流凍結(jié)的深藍(lán)，有時(shí)是堆積陳雪的污白，若有流云蔽日，則又黯淡下來(lái)，成了凹凸山石的淺灰。長(zhǎng)城向東西兩面延伸，直至視線盡頭，其龐然之勢(shì)，使得墻下的木造堡壘和石砌塔樓都顯得微不足道。它，就是世界的盡頭。
The steep stone steps had Sam puffing like a blacksmith’s bellows by the time they reached the surface. They emerged into a brisk wind that made Jon’s cloak swirl and snap. Ghost was stretched out asleep beneath the wattle-and-daub wall of the granary, but he woke when Jon appeared, bushy white tail held stiffly upright as he trotted to them.
而我們卻要越墻北進(jìn)。
Sam squinted up at the Wall. It loomed above them, an icy cliff seven hundred feet high. Sometimes it seemed to Jon almost a living thing, with moods of its own. The color of the ice was wont to change with every shift of the light. Now it was the deep blue of frozen rivers, now the dirty white of old snow, and when a cloud passed before the sun it darkened to the pale grey of pitted stone. The Wall stretched east and west as far as the eye could see, so huge that it shrunk the timbered keeps and stone towers of the castle to insignificance. It was the end of the world.
晨空中飄著幾朵淺灰薄云，但在云層之外，依舊可見(jiàn)那淡紅的線條。黑衣弟兄們把這顆天際的流浪星叫做“莫爾蒙的火炬”，半開(kāi)玩笑地說(shuō)這一定是天上諸神特地送來(lái)，指引老人穿越鬼影森林的。
And we are going beyond it.
“這慧星好亮，白天都看得見(jiàn)?！鄙侥放e起一疊書遮眼。
The morning sky was streaked by thin grey clouds, but the pale red line was there behind them. The black brothers had dubbed the wanderer Mormont’s Torch, saying (only half in jest) that the gods must have sent it to light the old man’s way through the haunted forest.
“別管慧星了，熊老要的是地圖?！?/p>
“The comet’s so bright you can see it by day now,” Sam said, shading his eyes with a fistful of books.
白靈跑到前面。少了去鼴鼠村妓院挖寶醉酒的游騎兵，早晨的營(yíng)區(qū)顯得十分空曠。連葛蘭都去了。派普、霍德和陶德為慶祝葛蘭初次出任務(wù)，決定付錢買女人幫他完成初次。瓊恩和山姆也在受邀之列，不過(guò)對(duì)山姆而言，妓女和鬼影森林是差不多同樣可怕的東西，瓊恩則沒(méi)那個(gè)念頭?！澳銈円趺措S便，”他對(duì)陶德說(shuō)，“我可是發(fā)過(guò)誓的?！?/p>
“Never mind about comets, it’s maps the Old Bear wants.”
經(jīng)過(guò)圣堂時(shí)，他聽(tīng)見(jiàn)里面?zhèn)鱽?lái)高聲吟唱的圣歌。戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)來(lái)臨的前夕，有人想干妓女，有人想求神靈，瓊恩不知道嗣后哪邊會(huì)比較滿意，只是圣堂和妓院一樣對(duì)他沒(méi)有吸引力。他所信仰的諸神以荒野為宗廟，那里的魚梁木伸展著蒼白如骨的枝干。七神在長(zhǎng)城外沒(méi)有力量，他心想，但我的神卻等著我呢。
Ghost loped ahead of them. The grounds seemed deserted this morning, with so many rangers off at the brothel in Mole’s Town, digging for buried treasure and drinking themselves blind. Grenn had gone with them. Pyp and Halder and Toad had offered to buy him his first woman to celebrate his first ranging. They’d wanted Jon and Sam to come as well, but Sam was almost as frightened of whores as he was of the haunted forest, and Jon had wanted no part of it. “Do what you want,” he told Toad, “I took a vow.”
兵器庫(kù)外，安德魯·塔斯爵士正在操練昨晚剛到的新兵。人是康威帶來(lái)的，他和尤倫等人一樣，行走七國(guó)各地，專司為長(zhǎng)城守軍招募人手。這群人中包括一個(gè)拄木杖的灰胡老頭，兩個(gè)看起來(lái)像兄弟的金發(fā)男孩，一個(gè)脂粉味重的青年，身穿臟污的緞子外衣，還有一個(gè)衣著破爛、有只木頭假腿的人，以及一個(gè)自以為厲害、不住傻笑的愚漢——安德魯爵士正在矯正他的錯(cuò)誤想法。跟前任教頭艾里沙·索恩爵士相比，安德魯溫和了許多，不過(guò)被他操練下來(lái)，照樣渾身帶傷。一見(jiàn)有人挨打，山姆就皺起眉頭。瓊恩·雪諾倒是很專注地看他們過(guò)招。
As they passed the sept, he heard voices raised in song. Some men want whores on the eve of battle, and some want gods. Jon wondered who felt better afterward. The sept tempted him no more than the brothel; his own gods kept their temples in the wild places, where the weirwoods spread their bone-white branches. The Seven have no power beyond the Wall, he thought, but my gods will be waiting.
“雪諾，你覺(jué)得他們?nèi)绾?？”唐納·諾伊站在兵器庫(kù)門邊，上身赤裸，圍著一條皮圍裙，斷掉的左手也裸露在外。雖然諾伊大腹便便，胸膛寬闊，鼻子扁塌，下巴長(zhǎng)滿黑須，委實(shí)不怎么好看，但瓊恩見(jiàn)到他卻很高興，因?yàn)槭聦?shí)證明，武器師傅是個(gè)好朋友。
Outside the armory, Ser Endrew Tarth was working with some raw recruits. They’d come in last night with Conwy, one of the wandering crows who roamed the Seven Kingdoms collecting men for the Wall. This new crop consisted of a greybeard leaning on a staff, two blond boys with the look of brothers, a foppish youth in soiled satin, a raggy man with a clubfoot, and some grinning loon who must have fancied himself a warrior. Ser Endrew was showing him the error of that presumption. He was a gentler master-at-arms than Ser Alliser Thorne had been, but his lessons would still raise bruises. Sam winced at every blow, but Jon Snow watched the swordplay closely.
“他們一身夏天的味道，”瓊恩一邊說(shuō)，一邊看著安德魯爵士朝對(duì)手沖鋒，將其撞翻在地?！翱低哪膬赫襾?lái)這些人？”
“What do you make of them, Snow?” Donal Noye stood in the door of his armory, bare-chested under a leather apron, the stump of his left arm uncovered for once. With his big gut and barrel chest, his flat nose and bristly black jaw, Noye did not make a pretty sight, but he was a welcome one nonetheless. The armorer had proved himself a good friend.
“海鷗鎮(zhèn)附近某個(gè)領(lǐng)主的地牢，”鐵匠回答，“一個(gè)強(qiáng)盜，一個(gè)理發(fā)匠，一個(gè)乞丐，兩個(gè)孤兒，還有個(gè)小男妓。我們得靠這種貨色來(lái)守護(hù)王國(guó)。”
“They smell of summer,” Jon said as Ser Endrew bullrushed his foe and knocked him sprawling. “Where did Conwy find them?”
“他們能行，”瓊恩朝山姆會(huì)心一笑，“我們不也一樣？”
“A lord’s dungeon near Gulltown,” the smith replied. “A brigand, a barber, a beggar, two orphans, and a boy whore. With such do we defend the realms of men.”
諾伊把他拉近，“你哥哥的事，聽(tīng)說(shuō)了沒(méi)？”
“They’ll do.” Jon gave Sam a private smile. “We did.”
“昨晚聽(tīng)說(shuō)的?！笨低湍侨盒卤研侣剮?lái)北方，昨晚全大廳談?wù)摰亩际沁@個(gè)。瓊恩還不確定自己是什么感覺(jué)。羅柏當(dāng)了國(guó)王？那個(gè)從小和他一起玩耍打架，一起喝下生平第一杯酒的哥哥？可是，哺育我們的不是同一個(gè)母親的奶水，所以如今羅柏會(huì)用鑲珠寶的酒杯啜飲夏日紅，而我則會(huì)跪在某條不知名的小溪邊，吮吸捧起的融雪。“羅柏一定能當(dāng)個(gè)好國(guó)王?！彼\(chéng)地說(shuō)。
Noye drew him closer. “You’ve heard these tidings of your brother?”
他那兩個(gè)弟弟呢？
“Last night.” Conwy and his charges had brought the news north with them, and the talk in the common room had been of little else. Jon was still not certain how he felt about it. Robb a king? The brother he’d played with, fought with, shared his first cup of wine with? But not mother’s milk, no. So now Robb will sip summerwine from jeweled goblets, while I’m kneeling beside some stream sucking snowmelt from cupped hands. “Robb will make a good king,” he said loyally.
“是嗎？”鐵匠直勾勾地盯著他，“小子，我也希望如此。以前我對(duì)勞勃也是這么希望?！?/p>
“Will he now?” The smith eyed him frankly. “I hope that’s so, boy, but once I might have said the same of Robert.”
“聽(tīng)說(shuō)他的戰(zhàn)錘就是你打的?！杯偠飨肫饋?lái)。
“They say you forged his warhammer,” Jon remembered.
“沒(méi)錯(cuò)，我曾是他的手下，拜拉席恩家族的部屬，風(fēng)息堡的鐵匠和武器師傅，直到我少了這條胳膊。我還記得史蒂芬大人被大海卷走前的音容笑貌，他那三個(gè)兒子打從出生命名起，我就看著他們長(zhǎng)大。我告訴你——?jiǎng)诓魃夏琼斖豕诤?，整個(gè)人就變了。有些人生來(lái)就該打仗，和劍一樣，若把它們掛起來(lái)，就只等著生銹吧。”
“Aye. I was his man, a Baratheon man, smith and armorer at Storm’s End until I lost the arm. I’m old enough to remember Lord Steffon before the sea took him, and I knew those three sons of his since they got their names. I tell you this—Robert was never the same after he put on that crown. Some men are like swords, made for fighting. Hang them up and they go to rust.”
“他那兩個(gè)弟弟呢？”瓊恩問(wèn)。
“And his brothers?” Jon asked.
武器匠沉吟片刻，“如果說(shuō)勞勃是真鋼，那史坦尼斯就是純鐵，又黑又硬又堅(jiān)強(qiáng)，卻也容易損壞，和鐵一樣，彎曲之前就會(huì)先斷掉。至于藍(lán)禮嘛，他像是閃閃發(fā)光的亮銅，看起來(lái)漂亮，實(shí)際卻不值幾個(gè)錢。”
The armorer considered that a moment. “Robert was the true steel. Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He’ll break before he bends. And Renly, that one, he’s copper, bright and shiny, pretty to look at but not worth all that much at the end of the day.”
羅柏又是何種金屬呢？瓊恩不敢問(wèn)。諾伊從前是拜拉席恩家的人，恐怕他認(rèn)為喬佛里才是合法的國(guó)王，羅柏則是叛徒一個(gè)吧。在守夜人的弟兄間，有個(gè)不成文的規(guī)定，決不能對(duì)這種事做深入討論。長(zhǎng)城守軍來(lái)自七國(guó)各地，不論一個(gè)人發(fā)過(guò)多少誓，舊愛(ài)和親情終究難以泯滅……這點(diǎn)瓊恩自己便深有體會(huì)。就連山姆也有困惑：他的家族宣誓效忠高庭，而高庭的提利爾公爵如今支持藍(lán)禮。所以最好別多談這些，守夜人軍團(tuán)是不偏不倚的。“莫爾蒙大人等著我們呢，”瓊恩說(shuō)。
And what metal is Robb? Jon did not ask. Noye was a Baratheon man; likely he thought Joffrey the lawful king and Robb a traitor. Among the brotherhood of the Night’s Watch, there was an unspoken pact never to probe too deeply into such matters. Men came to the Wall from all of the Seven Kingdoms, and old loves and loyalties were not easily forgotten, no matter how many oaths a man swore … as Jon himself had good reason to know. Even Sam—his father’s House was sworn to Highgarden, whose Lord Tyrell supported King Renly. Best not to talk of such things. The Night’s Watch took no sides. “Lord Mormont awaits us,” Jon said.
“那我就不耽擱你們了，快去找熊老吧?！敝Z伊拍拍他肩膀，微笑道，“雪諾，明天開(kāi)始，愿諸神與你們同在，把你叔叔給我找回來(lái)，聽(tīng)到了沒(méi)？”
“I won’t keep you from the Old Bear.” Noye clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. “May the gods go with you on the morrow, Snow. You bring back that uncle of yours, you hear?”
“嗯，一定！”瓊恩向他保證。
“We will,” Jon promised him.
自從居所被燒后，莫爾蒙總司令便改駐國(guó)王塔。瓊恩把白靈留在門口的守衛(wèi)處?！坝忠罉翘?，”他們一邊上樓，山姆一邊抱怨，“我最討厭樓梯?！?/p>
Lord Commander Mormont had taken up residence in the King’s Tower after the fire had gutted his own. Jon left Ghost with the guards outside the door. “More stairs,” said Sam miserably as they started up. “I hate stairs.”
“哎，好在森林里沒(méi)有。”
“Well, that’s one thing we won’t face in the wood.”
他們剛進(jìn)書房，烏鴉便一眼發(fā)現(xiàn)?！把┲Z！”它厲聲叫道。莫爾蒙原本正在談話，“你們花的時(shí)間可不少，”他推開(kāi)桌上吃剩的早餐，清出空間?！胺胚@里，我等會(huì)兒看?！?/p>
When they entered the solar, the raven spied them at once. “Snow!” the bird shrieked. Mormont broke off his conversation. “Took you long enough with those maps.” He pushed the remains of breakfast out of the way to make room on the table. “Put them here. I’ll have a look at them later.”
索倫·斯莫伍德是個(gè)體格結(jié)實(shí)的游騎兵，下巴的線條不明顯，嘴巴更是埋藏在一小撮胡子下。他原本和艾里沙·索恩交好，因此對(duì)瓊恩和山姆素?zé)o好感，只冷冷地看了他們一眼。“依我之見(jiàn)，”他毫不理會(huì)剛來(lái)的兩人，繼續(xù)對(duì)莫爾蒙說(shuō)，“總司令應(yīng)該坐鎮(zhèn)黑城堡，負(fù)責(zé)統(tǒng)籌和管轄?！?/p>
Thoren Smallwood, a sinewy ranger with a weak chin and a weaker mouth hidden under a thin scraggle of beard, gave Jon and Sam a cool look. He had been one of Alliser Thorne’s henchmen, and had no love for either of them. “The Lord Commander’s place is at Castle Black, lording and commanding,” he told Mormont, ignoring the newcomers, “it seems to me.”
烏鴉拍拍黑翅膀，“我！我！我！”
The raven flapped big black wings. “Me, me, me.”
“哪天等你當(dāng)上總司令，愛(ài)怎樣便怎樣?！蹦獱柮蓪?duì)游騎兵道，“但依我之見(jiàn)呢，一來(lái)我還沒(méi)翹辮子，二來(lái)弟兄們也沒(méi)推舉你取代我的位子?！?/p>
“If you are ever Lord Commander, you may do as you please,” Mormont told the ranger, “but it seems to me that I have not died yet, nor have the brothers put you in my place.”
“現(xiàn)在班揚(yáng)·史塔克和杰瑞米爵士都死了，我就是首席游騎兵?！彼鼓榈鹿虉?zhí)地說(shuō)，“應(yīng)該由我來(lái)指揮出擊。”
“I’m First Ranger now, with Ben Stark lost and Ser Jaremy killed,” Smallwood said stubbornly. “The command should be mine.”
莫爾蒙無(wú)動(dòng)于衷。“班是我派出去的，在他之前我還派了威瑪爵士，我可不想把你也送出去，然后坐在這兒干等，直等個(gè)昏天黑地才終于放棄希望，判定你也棄尸荒野。”他指出。“還有，在我們確定史塔克死亡之前，他依舊是首席游騎兵。就算他真死了，也該由我來(lái)指派繼任者，輪不到你作主。好啦，少浪費(fèi)我時(shí)間，我們天一亮就得出發(fā)，你沒(méi)忘吧？”
Mormont would have none of it. “I sent out Ben Stark, and Ser Waymar before him. I do not mean to send you after them and sit wondering how long I must wait before I give you up for lost as well.” He pointed. “And Stark remains First Ranger until we know for a certainty that he is dead. Should that day come, it will be me who names his successor, not you. Now stop wasting my time. We ride at first light, or have you forgotten?”
斯莫伍德立正，“是，大人?！背鋈サ臅r(shí)候，他朝瓊恩皺了皺眉頭，彷佛在責(zé)怪他。
Smallwood pushed to his feet. “As my lord commands.” On the way out, he frowned at Jon, as if it were somehow his fault.
“首席游騎兵？”熊老的視線停在山姆身上，“我還不如讓你當(dāng)算了！就有人這么厚顏無(wú)恥，竟然當(dāng)著我的面嫌我老，比不上他啦！小子，我看起來(lái)老嗎？”莫爾蒙的頭發(fā)早已逃離他遍布老人斑的頭皮，卻在他的下巴重新集結(jié)，一大叢毛茸茸的灰胡幾乎遮住了胸部。他用力一捶胸膛，“我看起來(lái)虛弱嗎？”
“First Ranger!” The Old Bear’s eyes lighted on Sam. “I’d sooner name you First Ranger. He has the effrontery to tell me to my face that I’m too old to ride with him. Do I look old to you, boy?” The hair that had retreated from Mormont’s spotted scalp had regrouped beneath his chin in a shaggy grey beard that covered much of his chest. He thumped it hard. “Do I look frail?”
山姆張開(kāi)嘴，卻只發(fā)出一點(diǎn)可憐的尖聲，他向來(lái)很怕熊老?！爱?dāng)然不，大人，”瓊恩趕忙接話，“您強(qiáng)壯得像……像……”
Sam opened his mouth, gave a little squeak. The Old Bear terrified him. “No, my lord,” Jon offered quickly. “You look strong as a … a …”
“雪諾，少來(lái)哄我，你很清楚我不吃這套。來(lái)，讓我瞧瞧地圖?！蹦獱柮纱拄?shù)胤雌鸬貓D，每張都只看一眼，咕噥一聲?！澳阒徽业竭@些？”
“Don’t cozen me, Snow, you know I won’t have it. Let me have a look at these maps.” Mormont pawed through them brusquely, giving each no more than a glance and a grunt. “Was this all you could find?”
“我……大-大-大人，”山姆結(jié)巴起來(lái)，“還……還有很多，可-可-可是……那里很……很亂……”
“I … m-m-my lord,” Sam stammered, “there … there were more, b-b-but … the dis-disorder …”
“這些都太舊了?！蹦獱柮杀г梗臑貘f也厲聲應(yīng)和，“舊了！舊了！”
“These are old,” Mormont complained, and his raven echoed him with a sharp cry of “Old, old.”
“聚落的位置或許會(huì)改變，但丘陵和河流的方位是一樣的?！杯偠髦赋?。
“The villages may come and go, but the hills and rivers will be in the same places,” Jon pointed out.
“這倒是。塔利，烏鴉挑好了沒(méi)？”
“True enough. Have you chosen your ravens yet, Tarly?”
“伊-伊-伊蒙師傅打-打-打算今晚再-再-再挑，喂-喂-喂完它們之后?！?/p>
“M-m-maester Aemon m-means to p-pick them come evenfall, after the f-f-feeding.”
“我要他最好的鳥(niǎo)兒，不僅聰明，還要夠強(qiáng)壯。”
“I’ll have his best. Smart birds, and strong.”
“強(qiáng)壯！”他的烏鴉一邊整理羽毛，一邊叫，“強(qiáng)壯！強(qiáng)壯！”
“Strong,” his own bird said, preening. “Strong, strong.”
“若是我們?nèi)辉琢?，我得讓繼任者知道我們死在哪里，怎么個(gè)死法?！?/p>
“If it happens that we’re all butchered out there, I mean for my successor to know where and how we died.”
此言一出，山姆威爾·塔利頓時(shí)嚇得說(shuō)不出話來(lái)。莫爾蒙往前靠去，“塔利，從前我還只有你一半年紀(jì)的時(shí)候，我母親跟我說(shuō)，如果我張開(kāi)嘴巴傻站著，黃鼠狼可能會(huì)誤以為我嘴巴是它老巢，然后一溜煙鉆進(jìn)喉嚨去。所以，你有事就趕快說(shuō)，否則小心黃鼠狼?！彼拄?shù)負(fù)]手示意他退下，“你走吧，我忙得很，沒(méi)空聽(tīng)你胡扯。我想學(xué)士那兒應(yīng)該有工作等著你。”
Talk of butchery reduced Samwell Tarly to speechlessness. Mormont leaned forward. “Tarly, when I was a lad half your age, my lady mother told me that if I stood about with my mouth open, a weasel was like to mistake it for his lair and run down my throat. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beware of weasels.” He waved a brusque dismissal. “Off with you, I’m too busy for folly. No doubt the maester has some work you can do.”
山姆吞吞口水，向后一退，連忙快步離去，還差點(diǎn)絆倒在草席上。
Sam swallowed, stepped back, and scurried out so quickly he almost tripped over the rushes.
“這小子真像看起來(lái)那么蠢嗎？”他走之后，司令開(kāi)口問(wèn)?！按?！”烏鴉埋怨道。莫爾蒙沒(méi)等瓊恩回答，“他父親大人在藍(lán)禮國(guó)王的朝臣中頗有份量，我本有心派他……算了，叫這個(gè)蠢話連篇的胖小子去見(jiàn)藍(lán)禮，恐怕沒(méi)好結(jié)果。我請(qǐng)亞耐爾爵士去好了，他比較沉穩(wěn)，況且他母親還是綠蘋果佛索威家的人?！?/p>
“Is that boy as big a fool as he seems?” the Lord Commander asked when he’d gone. “Fool,” the raven complained. Mormont did not wait for Jon to answer. “His lord father stands high in King Renly’s councils, and I had half a notion to dispatch him … no, best not. Renly is not like to heed a quaking fat boy. I’ll send Ser Arnell. He’s a deal steadier, and his mother was one of the green-apple Fossoways.”
彷佛依舊有生命“大人，可否容我問(wèn)一句，您向藍(lán)禮國(guó)王所求何事呢？”
“If it please my lord, what would you have of King Renly?”
“小子，我跟每個(gè)國(guó)王要的東西還不都一樣？士兵、戰(zhàn)馬、刀劍、盔甲、谷物、乳酪、酒類、羊毛、釘子……守夜人軍團(tuán)一點(diǎn)不挑剔，別人給什么，咱們照單全收?！彼氖种冈诖帜咀烂嫔锨么?，“假如風(fēng)向順?biāo)欤锷尘羰吭谝粋€(gè)月內(nèi)便會(huì)抵達(dá)君臨，但小毛頭喬佛里會(huì)不會(huì)理睬他，這我可就不敢說(shuō)了。蘭尼斯特家對(duì)咱守夜人從沒(méi)好過(guò)?！?/p>
“The same things I’d have of all of them, lad. Men, horses, swords, armor, grain, cheese, wine, wool, nails … the Night’s Watch is not proud, we take what is offered.” His fingers drummed against the rough-hewn planks of the table. “If the winds have been kind, Ser Alliser should reach King’s Landing by the turn of the moon, but whether this boy Joffrey will pay him any heed, I do not know. House Lannister has never been a friend to the Watch.”
“但索恩帶了尸鬼的手，可以提起他們的注意?！蹦鞘且患盒牡臇|西，顏色慘白，長(zhǎng)了黑色的手指，裝在罐子里還扭個(gè)沒(méi)完，彷佛依舊有生命。
“Thorne has the wight’s hand to show them.” A grisly pale thing with black fingers, it was, that twitched and stirred in its jar as if it were still alive.
“我倒希望咱們還有一只，好讓藍(lán)禮也瞧瞧?！?/p>
“Would that we had another hand to send to Renly.”
“戴文說(shuō)長(zhǎng)城外什么都有。”
“Dywen says you can find anything beyond the Wall.”
“得了吧，‘戴文說(shuō)’。上回他出巡邏，還說(shuō)什么看到十五尺高的巨熊?！蹦獱柮珊吡艘宦?，“從前有人說(shuō)我老妹找頭熊當(dāng)情人，這比那還離譜。雖然這是個(gè)死人會(huì)走路的世界……唉，就算這樣，一個(gè)人還是該相信自己的眼睛。我親眼見(jiàn)過(guò)死人走路，但我可沒(méi)見(jiàn)什么巨熊?！彼麑徱暛偠髁季茫安贿^(guò)我們談的是手，你的手還好吧？”
“Aye, Dywen says. And the last time he went ranging, he says he saw a bear fifteen feet tall.” Mormont snorted. “My sister is said to have taken a bear for her lover. I’d believe that before I’d believe one fifteen feet tall. Though in a world where dead come walking … ah, even so, a man must believe his eyes. I have seen the dead walk. I’ve not seen any giant bears.” He gave Jon a long, searching look. “But we were speaking of hands. How is yours?”
“好多了?！杯偠髅撓慢B鼠皮手套給他看。從手掌到肘部，疤痕遍布，班駁的紅嫩皮膚雖仍不便伸縮，但已經(jīng)逐漸愈合?！斑€有點(diǎn)癢，但伊蒙師傅說(shuō)這是好現(xiàn)象，他給了我一種藥膏，讓我?guī)е飞贤??！?/p>
“Better.” Jon peeled off his moleskin glove and showed him. Scars covered his arm halfway to the elbow, and the mottled pink flesh still felt tight and tender, but it was healing. “It itches, though. Maester Aemon says that’s good. He gave me a salve to take with me when we ride.”
“用長(zhǎng)爪方便嗎？”
“You can wield Longclaw despite the pain?”
“沒(méi)問(wèn)題，”瓊恩伸出手指，依學(xué)士吩咐的方式握拳然后張開(kāi)?！耙撩蓭煾狄颐刻爝@樣活動(dòng)，就能保持指頭的靈敏。”
“Well enough.” Jon flexed his fingers, opening and closing his fist the way the maester had shown him. “I’m to work the fingers every day to keep them nimble, as Maester Aemon said.”
“伊蒙眼睛雖然瞎了，腦袋可清楚得很。希望諸神保佑，讓他再活個(gè)二十年。你知道，他原本可能當(dāng)上國(guó)王嗎？”
“Blind he may be, but Aemon knows what he’s about. I pray the gods let us keep him another twenty years. Do you know that he might have been king?”
瓊恩大吃一驚，“他只對(duì)我說(shuō)過(guò)他的父親是國(guó)王，可……我以為他不是長(zhǎng)子?！?/p>
Jon was taken by surprise. “He told me his father was king, but not … I thought him perhaps a younger son.”
“他的確不是。他的祖父是戴倫·坦格利安，即國(guó)王戴倫二世，就是他將多恩領(lǐng)并入王國(guó)。他依協(xié)議娶了一位多恩公主，而她為他生了四個(gè)兒子。伊蒙的父親梅卡是其中的幼子，而伊蒙則是梅卡的三子。注意，雖然斯莫伍德把我說(shuō)得老朽不堪，但這些都是在我出生之前很久的事?！?/p>
“So he was. His father’s father was Daeron Targaryen, the Second of His Name, who brought Dorne into the realm. Part of the pact was that he wed a Dornish princess. She gave him four sons. Aemon’s father Maekar was the youngest of those, and Aemon was his third son. Mind you, all this happened long before I was born, ancient as Smallwood would make me.”
“聽(tīng)說(shuō)他的祖父為他取名伊蒙，是為了紀(jì)念龍騎士伊蒙王子?！?/p>
“Maester Aemon was named for the Dragonknight.”
“沒(méi)錯(cuò)，人們不是常說(shuō)伊蒙才是戴倫國(guó)王真正的父親，而不是‘庸王’伊耿四世么？可是呢，咱們的伊蒙生來(lái)便沒(méi)有龍騎士的武藝。他老說(shuō)自己動(dòng)作慢，只有腦筋轉(zhuǎn)得快。難怪被他爺爺送去學(xué)城，當(dāng)時(shí)他才九、十歲吧，我想……他在繼承順位中排在第九或第十?！?/p>
“So he was. Some say Prince Aemon was King Daeron’s true father, not Aegon the Unworthy. Be that as it may, our Aemon lacked the Dragonknight’s martial nature. He likes to say he had a slow sword but quick wits. Small wonder his grandfather packed him off to the Citadel. He was nine or ten, I believe … and ninth or tenth in the line of succession as well.”
瓊恩知道伊蒙師傅早已年逾百歲，要將這位身體孱弱、肌肉萎縮、滿臉皺紋、雙目失明的老人，想成與艾莉亞同齡的小男孩，實(shí)在很古怪。
Maester Aemon had counted more than a hundred name days, Jon knew. Frail, shrunken, wizened, and blind, it was hard to imagine him as a little boy no older than Arya.
莫爾蒙續(xù)道：“當(dāng)伊蒙的大伯，也就是王位繼承人，在一次比武大會(huì)上意外身亡時(shí)，他還在埋首書堆呢。他大伯本有兩名子嗣，可沒(méi)過(guò)多久便相繼死于春季大瘟疫。戴倫國(guó)王也同時(shí)染病去世，因此王位傳給了戴倫的次子伊里斯?！?/p>
Mormont continued. “Aemon was at his books when the eldest of his uncles, the heir apparent, was slain in a tourney mishap. He left two sons, but they followed him to the grave not long after, during the Great Spring Sickness. King Daeron was also taken, so the crown passed to Daeron’s second son, Aerys.”
“‘瘋王’伊里斯？”瓊恩糊涂了，伊里斯是勞勃之前的國(guó)王，距今應(yīng)該沒(méi)這么久啊。
“The Mad King?” Jon was confused. Aerys had been king before Robert, that wasn’t so long ago.
“不，那是伊里斯一世。勞勃推翻的是二世。”
“No, this was Aerys the First. The one Robert deposed was the second of that name.”
“這是多久以前的事??？”
“How long ago was this?”
“我看總有八十年了吧，”熊老道，“說(shuō)不確切，當(dāng)時(shí)連我都還沒(méi)出生，伊蒙卻已造好了大半頸鏈。伊里斯依照坦格利安家的傳統(tǒng)，娶了妹妹為妻，之后又統(tǒng)治了十多年。伊蒙則宣誓成為學(xué)士，隨后離開(kāi)學(xué)城，去為某個(gè)貴族服務(wù)……直到他的伯父過(guò)世，且未留下子嗣。鐵王座由是傳給了戴倫國(guó)王最后一個(gè)兒子，即伊蒙的父親梅卡。新王將兒子們通通召回宮中，他本打算讓伊蒙擔(dān)任重臣，可伊蒙不愿篡取理當(dāng)屬于大學(xué)士的地位，因而拒絕了。他去了長(zhǎng)兄的城堡，選擇為他服務(wù)，那一位也叫戴倫?？墒悄兀@個(gè)戴倫不久也沒(méi)了命，身后只留有一個(gè)弱智的女兒。如果我沒(méi)記錯(cuò)，他好像是逛妓院染了梅毒。王國(guó)接下來(lái)的繼承人是次子伊利昂。”
“Eighty years or close enough,” the Old Bear said, “and no, I still hadn’t been born, though Aemon had forged half a dozen links of his maester’s chain by then. Aerys wed his own sister, as the Targaryens were wont to do, and reigned for ten or twelve years. Aemon took his vows and left the Citadel to serve at some lordling’s court … until his royal uncle died without issue. The Iron Throne passed to the last of King Daeron’s four sons. That was Maekar, Aemon’s father. The new king summoned all his sons to court and would have made Aemon part of his councils, but he refused, saying that would usurp the place rightly belonging to the Grand Maester. Instead he served at the keep of his eldest brother, another Daeron. Well, that one died too, leaving only a feeble-witted daughter as heir. Some pox he caught from a whore, I believe. The next brother was Aerion.”
“‘魔鬼’伊利昂？”瓊恩知道這個(gè)人，“自以為成龍的王子”是老奶媽的故事里特別恐怖的一個(gè)，小弟布蘭最愛(ài)聽(tīng)了。
“Aerion the Monstrous?” Jon knew that name. “The Prince Who Thought He Was a Dragon” was one of Old Nan’s more gruesome tales. His little brother Bran had loved it.
“正是，不過(guò)他稱自己為‘明焰’伊利昂。某天晚上，他喝過(guò)了頭，居然灌下一罐野火，并對(duì)朋友夸口說(shuō)野火可以使他成龍，所幸諸神有眼，只讓他成為死尸一具。他死后不到一年，梅卡國(guó)王也在對(duì)抗盜匪頭目的戰(zhàn)事中陣亡?！?/p>
“The very one, though he named himself Aerion Brightflame. One night, in his cups, he drank a jar of wildfire, after telling his friends it would transform him into a dragon, but the gods were kind and it transformed him into a corpse. Not quite a year after, King Maekar died in battle against an outlaw lord.”
瓊恩對(duì)王國(guó)歷史并非一無(wú)所知，這都要拜魯溫學(xué)士所賜?！澳且荒暾匍_(kāi)過(guò)大議會(huì)。”他插話，“全國(guó)諸侯決定放棄伊利昂王子年幼的兒子和戴倫王子的女兒，而把王冠交給伊耿。”
Jon was not entirely innocent of the history of the realm; his own maester had seen to that. “That was the year of the Great Council,” he said. “The lords passed over Prince Aerion’s infant son and Prince Daeron’s daughter and gave the crown to Aegon.”
“你只說(shuō)對(duì)了一半。他們本將王冠悄悄地獻(xiàn)給伊蒙，卻也被他悄悄地拒絕了。他告訴他們：諸神托付給他的使命是服侍，而非統(tǒng)治，他發(fā)下誓言，就決不背棄，縱然總主教愿意赦免他也不行。噯，只要頭腦健全的人都不愿讓伊利昂的后代坐上王位，而戴倫的女兒不僅低能，更非男性，最后不得已，只好改立伊蒙的弟弟為王——這就是伊耿五世，老王的四子的四子，他們叫他”不該成王的王“。伊蒙深知自己倘若繼續(xù)留在朝中，難免被反對(duì)伊耿的人士利用，于是他來(lái)到長(zhǎng)城，再未離去，而讓他的弟弟，他的侄子，他的侄孫一個(gè)接一個(gè)統(tǒng)治國(guó)事，復(fù)又死去，直到詹姆·蘭尼斯特結(jié)束了龍之國(guó)王一族的血脈?！?/p>
“Yes and no. First they offered it, quietly, to Aemon. And quietly he refused. The gods meant for him to serve, not to rule, he told them. He had sworn a vow and would not break it, though the High Septon himself offered to absolve him. Well, no sane man wanted any blood of Aerion’s on the throne, and Daeron’s girl was a lackwit besides being female, so they had no choice but to turn to Aemon’s younger brother—Aegon, the Fifth of His Name. Aegon the Unlikely, they called him, born the fourth son of a fourth son. Aemon knew, and rightly, that if he remained at court those who disliked his brother’s rule would seek to use him, so he came to the Wall. And here he has remained, while his brother and his brother’s son and his son each reigned and died in turn, until Jaime Lannister put an end to the line of the Dragonkings.”
“國(guó)王！”烏鴉嘎嘎怪叫，振翅飛過(guò)書房，停在莫爾蒙肩上?！皣?guó)王！”它搖頭晃腦地又叫一聲。
“King,” croaked the raven. The bird flapped across the solar to land on Mormont’s shoulder. “King,” it said again, strutting back and forth.
有朝一日會(huì)統(tǒng)治臨冬城“它好像很喜歡這個(gè)詞?！杯偠魑⑿Φ?。
“He likes that word,” Jon said, smiling.
“這個(gè)詞容易說(shuō)，更容易討人喜歡?！?/p>
“An easy word to say. An easy word to like.”
“國(guó)王！”鳥(niǎo)兒又叫。
“King,” the bird said again.
“我想它希望您也有頂王冠，大人。”
“I think he means for you to have a crown, my lord.”
“國(guó)內(nèi)現(xiàn)在有三個(gè)王，而我還嫌多了兩個(gè)咧?！蹦獱柮缮斐鍪种?，彈了一下烏鴉的下巴，但視線自始至終沒(méi)有離開(kāi)瓊恩·雪諾。
“The realm has three kings already, and that’s two too many for my liking.” Mormont stroked the raven under the beak with a finger, but all the while his eyes never left Jon Snow.
他覺(jué)得事有蹊蹺，“大人，您為何告訴我伊蒙師傅的事？”
It made him feel odd. “My lord, why have you told me this, about Maester Aemon?”
“不為什么，”莫爾蒙動(dòng)動(dòng)身子，皺緊眉頭，“你哥哥羅柏如今是北境之王，你和伊蒙有了共同之處，你們都是國(guó)王的兄弟?！?/p>
“Must I have a reason?” Mormont shifted in his seat, frowning. “Your brother Robb has been crowned King in the North. You and Aemon have that in common. A king for a brother.”
“不僅如此，”瓊恩說(shuō)，“我們也都發(fā)過(guò)誓。”
“And this too,” said Jon. “A vow.”
熊老響亮地哼了一聲，烏鴉也飛起來(lái)，拍拍翅膀繞著房間轉(zhuǎn)?！疤热裘總€(gè)背誓者都發(fā)配來(lái)守長(zhǎng)城，我就不愁人手不夠了?！?/p>
The Old Bear gave a loud snort, and the raven took flight, flapping in a circle about the room. “Give me a man for every vow I’ve seen broken and the Wall will never lack for defenders.”
“我早知道羅柏有朝一日會(huì)統(tǒng)治臨冬城?！?/p>
“I’ve always known that Robb would be Lord of Winterfell.”
莫爾蒙吹一聲口哨，鳥(niǎo)兒又飛回來(lái)，歇在他手上。“領(lǐng)主和國(guó)王，這是兩回事，”他從口袋里掏出一把玉米，喂給烏鴉?！八麄儠?huì)給你哥哥羅柏穿上五顏六色的綾羅綢緞，你卻得一輩子黑衣黑甲；他會(huì)娶漂亮公主為妻，膝下兒孫成群，而你不僅永遠(yuǎn)無(wú)法結(jié)婚，更別想生兒育女；羅柏高高在上，統(tǒng)治四方，你卻只有做牛做馬的份；別人罵你是‘烏鴉’，卻會(huì)尊稱他為‘陛下’；他不管干下何等無(wú)聊事，一律被詩(shī)人吹捧上天，而你即便立下豐功偉業(yè)，也注定籍籍無(wú)聞。假如這些對(duì)你一點(diǎn)都不困擾，瓊恩……那你就是個(gè)天大的騙子。你知道，我說(shuō)的沒(méi)錯(cuò)。”
Mormont gave a whistle, and the bird flew to him again and settled on his arm. “A lord’s one thing, a king’s another.” He offered the raven a handful of corn from his pocket. “They will garb your brother Robb in silks, satins, and velvets of a hundred different colors, while you live and die in black ringmail. He will wed some beautiful princess and father sons on her. You’ll have no wife, nor will you ever hold a child of your own blood in your arms. Robb will rule, you will serve. Men will call you a crow. Him they’ll call Your Grace. Singers will praise every little thing he does, while your greatest deeds all go unsung. Tell me that none of this troubles you, Jon … and I’ll name you a liar, and know I have the truth of it.”
瓊恩站起來(lái)，全身緊繃猶如弓弦，“如果這些真能對(duì)我造成困擾，我這個(gè)私生子又該怎么辦呢？”
Jon drew himself up, taut as a bowstring. “And if it did trouble me, what might I do, bastard as I am?”
“你覺(jué)得呢？”莫爾蒙問(wèn)，“身為私生子，你該怎么辦？”
“What will you do?” Mormont asked. “Bastard as you are?”
“繼續(xù)困擾，”瓊恩道，“但堅(jiān)守誓言。”
“Be troubled,” said Jon, “and keep my vows.”
