作者：George Raymond Richard Martin
来源：《冰与火之歌》（A Song of Ice and Fire）
Chapter Two
Catelyn
第 2 章 凯特琳
Catelyn had never likedthis godswood.
凯特琳向来不喜欢这座神木林。
She had been born aTully, at Riverrun far to the south, on the Red Fork of the Trident. Thegodswood there was a garden, bright and airy, where tall redwoods spreaddappled shadows across tinkling streams, birds sang from hidden nests, and theair was spicy with the scent of flowers.
她出身南境的徒利家族，自小在红叉河畔的奔流城长大。红叉河是三叉戟河的支流，那里的神木林是座明亮清朗的花园，高大的红木树影洒进溪涧，鸟儿在栖隐的林间巢穴里高唱，空气中弥漫百花馨香。
The gods of Winterfellkept a different sort of wood. It was a dark, primal place, three acres of oldforest untouched for ten thousand years as the gloomy castle rose around it. Itsmelled of moist earth and decay. No redwoods grew here. This was a wood ofstubborn sentinel trees armored in grey-green needles, of mighty oaks, ofironwoods as old as the realm itself. Here thick black trunks crowded closetogether while twisted branches wove a dense canopy overhead and misshappen rootswrestled beneath the soil. This was a place of deep silence and broodingshadows, and the gods who lived here had no names.
临冬城信仰的则是另一番气象。这是个阴暗原始的地方，昏暝古堡巍然独立其间，万年古木横亘周边，散发出潮湿和腐败的气味。此地不生红木，树林由披戴灰绿松针的哨兵树、壮实的橡树，以及与王国同样苍老的铁树所组成。在这里，粗壮厚实的黑色树干相互攘挤，扭曲的枝在头顶织就一片浓密的参天树顶，变形的错节盘根则在地底彼此角力。这是个属于深沉寂静和窒郁暗影的地方，而蛰居其间的神连名字也付之阙如。
But she knew she wouldfind her husband here tonight. Whenever he took a man’s life, afterward hewould seek the quiet of the godswood.
但她知道今晚可以在这里找到丈夫。每当他取人性命后，总会来此觅求神木林的宁静。
Catelyn had beenanointed with the seven oils and named in the rainbow of light that filled thesept of Riverrun. She was of the Faith, like her father and grandfather and hisfather before him. Her gods had names, and their faces were as familiar as thefaces of her parents. Worship was a septon with a censer, the smell of incense,a seven-sided crystal alive with light, voices raised in song. The Tullys kepta godswood, as all the great houses did, but it was only a place to walk orread or lie in the sun. Worship was for the sept.
凯特琳身受七种圣油祝福与加持，命名仪式乃是在浸沐于七彩虹光的奔流城圣堂里举行的。她和先辈数代一样信仰七神①。她信奉的神有名有姓，脸庞也如同自己双亲般熟悉。她在香炉冉冉的圣堂里祷告，燃香气味弥漫，指引的修士挂着光芒共生的七面水晶，喃喃地低声吟唱。徒利家族虽如其他大家贵族般拥有自己的神木林，但那只不过是个散步阅读或在暖阳下休憩的处所，敬拜神明向来是圣堂里的事。
For her sake, Ned hadbuilt a small sept where she might sing to the seven faces of god, but theblood of the First Men still flowed in the veins of the Starks, and his owngods were the old ones, the nameless, faceless gods of the greenwood theyshared with the vanished children of the forest.
奈德②为她建了座小圣堂，好让她有个向七面之神诵唱的地方。然而史塔克家族体内依旧流淌着“先民”的血液，他信奉那些既无名号亦无容貌的远古诸神，那些属于苍翠树林，先民与消失的森林之子共同信仰的神。
At the center of thegrove an ancient weirwood brooded over a small pool where the waters were blackand cold. “The heart tree,” Ned called it. The weirwood’s bark was white asbone, its leaves dark red, like a thousand bloodstained hands. A face had been carvedin the trunk of the great tree, its features long and melancholy, the deep-cuteyes red with dried sap and strangely watchful. They were old, those eyes;older than Winterfell itself. They had seen Brandon the Builder set the firststone, if the tales were true; they had watched the castle’s granite walls risearound them. It was said that the children of the forest had carved the facesin the trees during the dawn centuries before the coming of the First Menacross the narrow sea.
林子中央有棵古老的鱼梁木，笼罩着一泓黑冷池水，奈德称之为“心 树”。鱼梁木的树皮灰白如骨，叶色深红，有如千只染血手掌。树干上刻了一张人脸，容貌深长而忧郁，满是干涸红树汁的深陷眼凹形容怪异、充满警戒意味。那是一双古老的眼睛，比临冬城本身还要古老，它们曾经目睹“筑城者”布兰登安下第一块基石，倘若传说属实，它们也见证了城堡的大理石墙在四周逐渐高筑。传说这些脸是在黎明纪元时，在“先 民”渡过狭海而来之前，由森林之子刻上去的。
In the south the lastweirwoods had been cut down or burned out a thousand years ago, except on theIsle of Faces where the green men kept their silent watch. Up here it wasdifferent. Here every castle had its godswood, and every godswood had its hearttree, and every heart tree its face.
南方的鱼梁木早在千年前便遭砍伐焚烧殆尽，只在千面屿上还有“绿人”静静地看守。然而在北境一切都迥然不同，这里每一座城堡都有自己的神木林，每片神木林都有一棵心树，每棵心树都有一张人脸。
Catelyn found herhusband beneath the weirwood, seated on a moss-covered stone. The greatswordIce was across his lap, and he was cleaning the blade in those waters black asnight. A thousand years of humus lay thick upon the godswood floor, swallowingthe sound of her feet, but the red eyes of the weirwood seemed to follow her asshe came. “Ned,” she called softly.
凯特琳在鱼梁木下找到了她的丈夫，他静坐在苔藓爬盖的磐石上。宝剑“寒冰”斜躺于膝，而他正用那漆黑如永夜的池水清洗剑上血污。千年累积的腐植质厚厚地覆盖在神木林的土地上，吸走了她的足音，但鱼梁木那双红眼却仿佛紧跟不舍。“奈德。”她轻声唤道。
He lifted his head tolook at her. “Catelyn,” he said. His voice was distant and formal. “Where arethe children?”
他抬起头看着她。“凯特琳，”他的语调庄重而遥远。“孩子们呢？”
He would always ask herthat. “In the kitchen, arguing about names for the wolf pups.” She spread hercloak on the forest floor and sat beside the pool, her back to the weirwood.She could feel the eyes watching her, but she did her best to ignore them.“Arya is already in love, and Sansa is charmed and gracious, but Rickon is notquite sure.”
他总是会先问这句。“都在厨房里，为了要帮小狼们取些什么名字正吵架呢。”她把披风铺在林地上，然后在池边坐下，背靠鱼梁木。她感觉得到那双眼睛正盯着自己看，但她竭尽所能去忽略它。“艾莉亚已经爱得发狂，珊莎也很喜欢，瑞肯则还不太确定。”
“Is he afraid?” Nedasked.
“他害怕吗？”奈德问。
“A little,” sheadmitted. “He is only three.”
“有一点，”她承认，“毕竟他才三岁。”。
Ned frowned. “He mustlearn to face his fears. He will not be three forever. And winter is coming.”
奈德皱眉：“他得学着面对自己的恐惧，他不可能永远都是三岁，更何况凛冬将至。”
“Yes,” Catelyn agreed.The words gave her a chill, as they always did. The Stark words. Every noblehouse had its words. Family mottoes, touchstones, prayers of sorts, theyboasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty and truth, swore faith andcourage. All but the Starks.Winter is coming , said the Stark words. Not forthe first time, she reflected on what a strange people these northerners were.
“是啊，”凯特琳也同意，最后那句话一如既往地教她不寒而栗。这是史塔克家族的铭言，每一个贵族家族都有着自己的箴言警句：或是世代相传的座右铭，或是待人处事的衡量标准，或是针对困境的祷词；有的夸耀荣誉，有些讲究忠贞诚信，还有的为信仰和勇气宣誓，惟独史塔克家族例外。凛冬将至，史塔克家族的铭言如是说。她已经不只一次在心里暗忖：这些北方人究竟是什么样的一群怪人。
“The man died well, I’llgive him that,” Ned said. He had a swatch of oiled leather in one hand. He ranit lightly up the greatsword as he spoke, polishing the metal to a dark glow.“I was glad for Bran’s sake. You would have been proud of Bran.”
“今天那个人死得很干脆，这一点我承认。”奈德说，他手里握了一块上了油的皮革，边说边轻拭剑身，金属被逐渐磨出暗沉的光泽。“我很为布兰高兴，你要是在场，也会为他骄傲的。”
“I am always proud ofBran,” Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it. She could see therippling deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itselfa hundred times in the forging. Catelyn had no love for swords, but she couldnot deny that Ice had its own beauty. It had been forged in Valyria, before theDoom had come to the old Freehold, when the ironsmiths had worked their metalwith spells as well as hammers. Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp asthe day it was forged. The name it bore was older still, a legacy from the ageof heroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North.
“我向来都很为他骄傲。”凯特琳边看他拭剑边答道，她可以瞧见钢铁深处的波纹，那是锻冶时千锤百炼的印记。凯特琳对刀剑素无好感，但她不能否认“寒冰”确有其独特的美。它是末日浩劫降临古自由堡垒以前，在瓦雷利亚锻造而成，当时的铁匠不仅用凿锤冶铁，更用法术来形塑金属。宝剑已有四百年历史，却仍旧如它锻冶初成时那般锋利。它的名字则更源远流长，乃是袭自古代英雄纪元时的族剑之名，那时史塔克一族是北境之王。
“He was the fourth thisyear,” Ned said grimly. “The poor man was half-mad. Something had put a fear inhim so deep that my words could not reach him.” He sighed. “Ben writes that thestrength of the Night’s Watch is down below a thousand. It’s not onlydesertions. They are losing men on rangings as well.”
“这已经是今年第四个逃兵了，”奈德沉着脸说，“那个可怜的家伙已经疯了一半，不知什么东西把他吓成那副德行，连我说话都起不了作用。”他叹口气，“班写信来说守夜人的兵力只剩不到一千，不只因为逃兵，他们派出去的巡逻队也损失惨重。”
“Is it the wildlings?”she asked.
“是野人的关系吗？”她问。
“Who else?” Ned liftedIce, looked down the cool steel length of it. “And it will only grow worse. Theday may come when I will have no choice but to call the banners and ride northto deal with this King-beyond-the-Wall for good and all.”
“还会有谁呢？”奈德举起“寒冰”，俯首审视手中冰冷的钢铁。“恐怕情况只会越来越糟，也许我真的别无选择，非得召集封臣，率军北进，与这个绝境长城以外的国王一决生死。”
“Beyond the Wall?” Thethought made Catelyn shudder.
“绝境长城以外？”凯特琳想到就不禁浑身颤抖。
Ned saw the dread on herface. “Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear.”
奈德察觉了她脸上的恐惧。“我们用不着害怕曼斯·雷德。”
“There are darker thingsbeyond the Wall.” She glanced behind her at the heart tree, the pale bark andred eyes, watching, listening, thinking its long slow thoughts.
“长城之外还有更可怕的东西。”她转过头去，看着心树惨白的树皮和赭红的双眼，凝视、倾听、考虑着深邃悠远的思绪。
His smile was gentle.“You listen to too many of Old Nan’s stories. The Others are as dead as thechildren of the forest, gone eight thousand years. Maester Luwin will tell youthey never lived at all. No living man has ever seen one.”
他的微笑好温柔。“老奶妈的故事你听太多啦。异鬼和森林之子一样，早已经消失了八千多年。鲁温师傅会告诉你他们根本就没存在过，没有活人见过他们。”
“Until this morning, noliving man had ever seen a direwolf either,” Catelyn reminded him.
“今天早上之前，不也没人见过冰原狼？”凯特琳提醒他。
“I ought to know betterthan to argue with a Tully,” he said with a rueful smile. He slid Ice back intoits sheath. “You did not come here to tell me crib tales. I know how little youlike this place. What is it, my lady?”
“我怎么也说不过徒利家的人，”他嘴角浮起一抹后悔的微笑，将“寒冰”收回剑鞘。“我猜你不是跑来跟我聊睡前故事的，何况我知道你一点也不喜欢这个地方。究竟是什么事，我的好夫人？”
Catelyn took herhusband’s hand. “There was grievous news today, my lord. I did not wish totrouble you until you had cleansed yourself.” There was no way to soften theblow, so she told him straight. “I am so sorry, my love. Jon Arryn is dead.”
凯特琳握住丈夫的手。“今天我们接获了悲伤的消息，大人，我不想在你清理宝剑之前打扰你。”既然无法减轻伤害，她决定实话实说。 “亲爱的，我很难过，琼恩·艾林过世了。”
His eyes found hers, andshe could see how hard it took him, as she had known it would. In his youth,Ned had fostered at the Eyrie, and the childless Lord Arryn had become a secondfather to him and his fellow ward, Robert Baratheon. When the Mad King Aerys IITargaryen had demanded their heads, the Lord of the Eyrie had raised hismoon-and-falcon banners in revolt rather than give up those he had pledged toprotect.
他们视线相对，她可以清楚地看见他受的打击有多大，正如她所预料。奈德年轻时曾在鹰巢城做过养子，而膝下无子的艾林公爵待他和另一名养子劳勃·拜拉席恩有如生父再世。当疯王伊里斯·坦格利安二世要求他交出两人的项上人头时，这位鹰巢城公爵揭起他的新月猎鹰旗，宁可兴兵发难也不愿出卖他誓言守护的人。
And one day fifteenyears ago, this second father had become a brother as well, as he and Ned stoodtogether in the sept at Riverrun to wed two sisters, the daughters of LordHoster Tully.
而就在十五年前的那一天，这位再世生父又成了奈德的连襟。他们俩并肩站在奔流城的圣堂里，娶了一对姐妹，也就是霍斯特·徒利公爵的两个女儿。
“Jon . . . ” he said.“Is this news certain?”
“琼恩……”他说，“这消息确实么？”
“It was the king’s seal,and the letter is in Robert’s own hand. I saved it for you. He said Lord Arrynwas taken quickly. Even Maester Pycelle was helpless, but he brought the milkof the poppy, so Jon did not linger long in pain.”
“信上有国王的印鉴，且是劳勃亲手书写。他说艾林公爵走得很仓促，就连派席尔国师也束手无策。不过国师给他喝了罂粟花奶，所以琼恩并没受太多折磨。”
“That is some smallmercy, I suppose,” he said. She could see the grief on his face, but even thenhe thought first of her. “Your sister,” he said. “And Jon’s boy. What word ofthem?”
“我想这也算是最后的一点慈悲。”他说，她看见他脸上的悲伤，但他最先想到的还是她。“你妹妹，”他问，“还有琼恩的儿子，有他们的消息吗？”。
“The message said onlythat they were well, and had returned to the Eyrie,” Catelyn said. “I wish theyhad gone to Riverrun instead. The Eyrie is high and lonely, and it was ever herhusband’s place, not hers. Lord Jon’s memory will haunt each stone. I know mysister. She needs the comfort of family and friends around her.”
“信上只说他们安然无恙，并已返回了鹰巢城。”凯特琳说，“我真希望他们回的是奔流城。鹰巢城高耸孤绝，那里一直是她丈夫的地盘，并非她的归宿。琼恩大人的回忆肯定会萦绕鹰巢城里每一块砖石。我很了解妹妹，她需要的是家人和朋友的支持与陪伴。”
“Your uncle waits in theVale, does he not? Jon named him Knight of the Gate, I’d heard.”
“你叔叔不是正在艾林谷中等着她？我听说琼恩任命他做了血门骑士。”
Catelyn nodded. “Bryndenwill do what he can for her, and for the boy. That is some comfort, but still .. . ”
凯特琳点点头，“布林登当然会尽他所能照顾她和她儿子，可是……”
“Go to her,” Ned urged.“Take the children. Fill her halls with noise and shouts and laughter. That boyof hers needs other children about him, and Lysa should not be alone in hergrief.”
“那么你去陪她吧，”奈德劝促，“把孩子们也一起带去，让她的居所充满欢笑和喧闹。那孩子需要其他同伴的陪伴，你妹妹更不应该独自哀悼。”
“Would that I could,”Catelyn said. “The letter had other tidings. The king is riding to Winterfellto seek you out.”
“如果我能去就好了。”凯特琳说道：“信上还说到别的事，国王正在前往临冬城的路上，他要找你共商国事。”
It took Ned a moment tocomprehend her words, but when the understanding came, the darkness left hiseyes. “Robert is coming here?” When she nodded, a smile broke across his face.
奈德好一会儿才理解她话中含义，但当他恍然大悟时，眼中阴霾顿时一扫而空。“劳勃要来？”她点点头，他脸上随即绽开一抹微笑。
Catelyn wished she couldshare his joy. But she had heard the talk in the yards; a direwolf dead in thesnow, a broken antler in its throat. Dread coiled within her like a snake, butshe forced herself to smile at this man she loved, this man who put no faith insigns. “I knew that would please you,” she said. “We should send word to yourbrother on the Wall.”
凯特琳真希望自己能分享他此刻的喜悦，但她在庭院里听到了传闻，说是有只冰原狼死在雪地里，喉咙中有根断裂的鹿角。恐惧如同毒蛇般在她心里蜷曲，但她迫使自己在这个她所深爱的男人面前强颜欢笑，这个不相信任何预兆的男人。“我就知道你听了会高兴，”她说，“我们应该通知你在长城的弟弟。”
“Yes, of course,” heagreed. “Ben will want to be here. I shall tell Maester Luwin to send hisswiftest bird.” Ned rose and pulled her to her feet. “Damnation, how many yearshas it been? And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party,did the message say?”
“对，对，当然，”他同意，“班一定想来。我请鲁温师傅派他最快的鸟儿送信去。”奈德直起身，也拉她起来。“该死，我们有多少年没见面了？他居然没有特意通知我。信上有否注明大约有多少人会来？”
“I should think ahundred knights, at the least, with all their retainers, and half again as manyfreeriders. Cersei and the children travel with them.”
“我想至少有一百位骑士罢，加上他们的随从，还有这个数目一半的自由骑手。瑟曦和她的孩子们也都来了。”
“Robert will keep aneasy pace for their sakes,” he said. “It is just as well. That will give usmore time to prepare.”
“那么为他们着想，劳勃不会走太快的。”他说：“也好，这样一来我们才多点时间准备。”
“The queen’s brothersare also in the party,” she told him.
“王后的哥哥也在队伍里。”她告诉他。
Ned grimaced at that.There was small love between him and the queen’s family, Catelyn knew. TheLannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert’s cause, when victory wasall but certain, and he had never forgiven them. “Well, if the price forRobert’s company is an infestation of Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as thoughRobert is bringing half his court.”
奈德听后脸色立刻一沉。凯特琳很清楚他对王后的家族素无好感，凯岩城的兰尼斯特家族当年是最晚加入劳勃势力的大贵族，直等到胜败情势明朗化后方才表态，而奈德始终没有原谅他们。“也罢，如果劳勃来访的代价是这些兰尼斯特家的讨厌鬼，那就认了罢。只是，听起来劳勃好像把他半个宫廷的人都带来了。”
“Where the king goes,the realm follows,” she said.
“国王走到哪儿，王国就跟到哪儿嘛。”她答道。
“It will be good to seethe children. The youngest was still sucking at the Lannister woman’s teat thelast time I saw him. He must be, what, five by now?”
“看看那些孩子倒也不错。上次见到那个兰尼斯特女人，劳勃最小的儿子还在喝她的奶水。一转眼都几年了？他现在应该已经……多少……五岁了吧？”
“Prince Tommen isseven,” she told him. “The same age as Bran. Please, Ned, guard your tongue.The Lannister woman is our queen, and her pride is said to grow with everypassing year.”
“托曼王子七岁了，”她告诉他，“和布兰同年。奈德，请你小心措辞，那兰尼斯特女人好歹是我们的王后，而且据说她一年比一年傲慢。”
Ned squeezed her hand.“There must be a feast, of course, with singers, and Robert will want to hunt.I shall send Jory south with an honor guard to meet them on the kingsroad andescort them back. Gods, how are we going to feed them all? On his way already,you said? Damn the man. Damn his royal hide.”
奈德捏捏她的手，“我们得办场晚宴，当然还要请乐师和歌手，嗯，劳勃铁定会去外面打猎。我这就派乔里带上一名荣誉护卫南下国王大道去迎接，把他们护送回来吧。诸神在上，我们要怎么喂饱这些人啊？你说他已经在路上了？这家伙真该死，他这做国王的家伙真是该死。”
① 七大王国多数信仰由安达尔人所带来的神祗：七位神分别是天父、圣母、战士、铁 匠、少女、陌客和老妪。
② 奈德（Ned）是艾德（Eddard）的小名，译成中文不易看出原文的差异性，但为了表现角色之间的亲疏关系，还是保留原著中的用法。
