Even in the wolfswood, you never found more than two or three of the white trees growing together; a grove of nine was unheard of. The forest floor was carpeted with fallen leaves, bloodred on top, black rot beneath. The wide smooth trunks were bone pale, and nine faces stared inward. The dried sap that crusted in the eyes was red and hard as ruby. Bowen Marsh commanded them to leave their horses outside the circle. "This is a sacred place, we will not defile it."
即便在北方,即便在狼林,你也找不到這種白色的樹會兩三棵長在一起,九棵簡直聞所未聞。林地鋪滿落葉,上層血紅,下面則是腐朽的黑色。寬而平滑的樹干如枯骨般蒼白,九張臉向圓心凝視,眼睛部位干涸的樹汁紅硬宛如寶石。波文·馬爾錫命令他們將馬匹留在圓圈之外。“這是神圣之地,我們不可褻瀆。”
When they entered the grove, Samwell Tarly turned slowly looking at each face in turn. No two were quite alike. "They're watching us," he whispered. "The old gods."
走進樹叢后,山姆威爾·塔利慢慢地轉頭審視每一張臉。它們全都不一樣。“遠古諸神,”他悄聲說,“他們正看著我們呢。”
Yes. Jon knelt, and Sam knelt beside him.
“對啊。”瓊恩單膝跪下,山姆也跪在他身邊。
They said the words together, as the last light faded in the west and grey day became black night.
在最后一線日光沉落西天,灰暗的白晝轉為黑夜的時刻,他們齊聲念出誓言。
Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow, they recited, their voices filling the twilit grove. "Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls.
“傾聽我的誓言,做我的見證。”他們的朗誦充斥暮色中的樹林,“長夜將至,我從今開始守望,至死方休。我將不娶妻,不封地,不生子。我將不戴寶冠,不爭榮寵。我將盡忠職守,生死于斯。我是黑暗中的利劍,長城上的守衛,