冰与火之歌系列之《权力的游戏》第268期:第十八章 赫德(14)

 　　What was it that Jon had said when they found the pups in the snow? Your children were meant to have these pups, my lord.  当初琼恩在雪地里找到那群小狼时，他说了些什么？大人，您的孩子注定要拥有这些小狼。

　　And he had killed Sansa's, and for what? Was it guilt¹ he was feeling? Or fear? If the gods had sent these wolves, what folly² had he done? 结果他却亲手杀了珊莎的狼，到头来这是为了什么？他现在的感觉是罪恶？还是恐惧？假如这些狼实乃上天所赐，他究竟犯了何等滔天大罪？

　　Painfully, Ned forced his thoughts back to the dagger³ and what it meant. The Imp⁴'s dagger, he repeated. It made no sense.  奈德痛苦地强迫自己将思绪拉回眼前的匕首，思考隐含其后的含义。小恶魔的刀。他复诵。这太不合理。

　　His hand curled around the smooth dragonbone hilt, and he slammed the blade into the table, felt it bite into the wood.  他紧握平滑的龙骨刀柄，将之狠狠地插进桌面，感觉它深深地咬入木头。

　　It stood mocking him. Why should Tyrion Lannister want Bran dead? The boy has never done him harm. 匕首就这么立着，仿佛在嘲弄他。提利昂·兰尼斯特为什么要布兰的命？那孩子从没招惹他。

　　Do you Starks have nought⁵ but snow between your ears? Littlefinger asked. The Imp would never have acted alone. 你们史塔克家的人都没脑筋的？小指头问，小恶魔当然不会单独行动。

　　Ned rose and paced the length of the room. If the queen had a role in this or, gods forbid, the king himself?no, I will not believe that.  奈德起身，绕着房间踱步。难道说王后亦参与此事？或者，诸神在上，连国王他也…不，绝对不可能。

　　Yet even as he said the words, he remembered that chill morning on the barrowlands, and Robert's talk of sending hired knives after the Targaryen princess.  他一边说着，一边想起了那个荒冢地的清冷早晨，劳勃提到派刺客去对付坦格利安公主。

　　He remembered Rhaegar's infant son, the red ruin of his skull⁶, and the way the king had turned away, as he had turned away in Darry's audience hall not so long ago.  他忆起雷加那尚在襁褓的儿子，血淋淋的头颅，以及国王置之不理的态度，正如不久以前他在戴瑞的会客厅里的所作所为。

　　He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once. 珊莎的哀告至今犹在耳际，一如莱安娜临终前的恳求。

　　Most likely the king did not know, Littlefinger said.  国王八成不知情。小指头道。

1 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

2 folly   

n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话

参考例句：

• Learn wisdom by the folly of others.从别人的愚蠢行动中学到智慧。
• Events proved the folly of such calculations.事情的进展证明了这种估计是愚蠢的。

3 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

4 imp   

n.顽童

参考例句：

• What a little imp you are!你这个淘气包！
• There's a little imp always running with him.他总有一个小鬼跟着。

5 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

6 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。