冰与火之歌系列之《权力的游戏》第506期:第二十七章 艾德(43)

 　　Chataya runs a choice establishment, Littlefinger said as they rode. I've half a mind to buy it.  莎塔雅这家店实在挺不赖，途中小指头说，有时候我还真想把它给买下来。

　　Brothels are a much sounder investment than ships, I've found. Whores seldom sink, and when they are boarded by pirates, why, the pirates pay good coin like everyone else.  我发现买妓院远比投资船队来得稳当，因为妓女不会沉，而海盗跳到她们身上的时候，唉，照样也得付钱哪。

　　Lord Petyr chuckled¹ at his own wit. 培提尔伯爵笑道，似乎对自己的幽默颇感满意。

　　Ned let him prattle² on. After a time, he quieted and they rode in silence. The streets of King's Landing were dark and deserted³.  奈德让他自说自话，过了一会儿，他也静了下来，他们便沉默地骑马前行。君临的街道阴暗而无人迹，大雨把所有的人都赶进了屋里。

　　The rain had driven everyone under their roofs. It beat down on Ned's head, warm as blood and relentless⁴ as old guilts. Fat drops of water ran down his face. 这雨不断敲打着奈德的头，温热如血，无情一如萦绕心头的过往罪衍。大颗水珠流下他的脸庞。

　　Robert will never keep to one bed, Lyanna had told him at Winterfell, on the night long ago when their father had promised her hand to the young Lord of Storm's End.  劳勃永不会安于一室。许久许久以前，在他们的父亲把她许配给风息堡年轻公爵的那个晚上，莱安娜在临冬城对他这么说。

　　I hear he has gotten a child on some girl in the Vale.  我听说他在艾林谷跟一个女孩生了孩子。

　　Ned had held the babe in his arms; he could scarcely deny her, nor would he lie to his sister, but he had assured her that what Robert did before their betrothal⁵ was of no matter, that he was a good man and true who would love her with all his heart. Lyanna had only smiled.  奈德自己便抱过那婴孩，实在无法否认她的话，况且他又不愿欺骗妹妹，便向她保证不论劳勃在婚约之前干过什么风流事，都无足轻重，因为他是个情感真诚的好人，全心全意地爱着她。

　　Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man's nature. 然而，莱安娜只是笑笑。我最亲爱的奈德啊，爱情诚然可贵，却终究无法改变一个人的本性。

　　The girl had been so young Ned had not dared to ask her age.  刚才那女孩年纪之轻，奈德甚至不敢问她几岁。

　　No doubt she'd been a virgin⁶; the better brothels could always find a virgin, if the purse was fat enough.  她原本毫无疑问是个黄花闺女，在稍微高级一点的妓院里，只要钱包够肥，就一定能找到这样的货色。

　　She had light red hair and a powdering of freckles⁷ across the bridge of her nose, and when she slipped free a breast to give her nipple to the babe, he saw that her bosom⁸ was freckled⁹ as well.  她长了一头淡红的头发，鼻梁两边各有一点雀斑，当她解开衣服，用奶头哺喂婴儿的时候，他发现她的胸部也有雀斑。

　　I named her Barra, she said as the child nursed. She looks so like him, does she not, milord? She has his nose, and his hair. 我给她取名芭拉，孩子一边吸奶，她一边说，大人，她跟他长得可真像，不是吗？她有他的鼻子，还有他的头发……

1 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

2 prattle   

n.闲谈；v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话；发出连续而无意义的声音

参考例句：

• Amy's happy prattle became intolerable.艾美兴高采烈地叽叽喳喳说个不停，汤姆感到无法忍受。
• Flowing water and green grass witness your lover's endless prattle.流水缠绕，小草依依，都是你诉不尽的情话。

3 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

4 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

5 betrothal   

n. 婚约, 订婚

参考例句：

• Their betrothal took place with great pomp and rejoicings. 他们举行了盛大而又欢乐的订婚仪式。
• "On the happy occasion of the announcement of your betrothal," he finished, bending over her hand. "在宣布你们订婚的喜庆日。" 他补充说，同时低下头来吻她的手。

6 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

7 freckles   

n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时，脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 bosom   

n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的

参考例句：

• She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
• A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。

9 freckled   

adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her face was freckled all over. 她的脸长满雀斑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Her freckled skin glowed with health again. 她长有雀斑的皮肤又泛出了健康的红光。 来自辞典例句