評論
打印
Jon shifted the bucket to his right hand and thrust his left down into the bloody bits. The ravens began to scream noisily and fly at the bars, beating at the metal with night-black wings. The meat had been chopped into pieces no larger than a finger joint. He lifted his fist and tossed the raw red morsels into the cage, and the squawking and squabbling grew hotter. Feathers flew as two of the larger birds fought over a choice piece. Quickly Jon grabbed a second handful and threw it in after the first. "Lord Mormont's raven likes fruit and corn."
瓊恩將桶子換到右手，左手伸進血紅的肉塊。鴉群見狀，紛紛發出嘈雜的尖叫，在鐵欄里飛來飛去，拍動漆黑如夜的翅膀擊打著金屬鳥籠。肉被切成比指節大不了多少的小碎塊，他抓起滿滿一把血紅肉片丟進籠中，尖叫和振翅聲立刻愈演愈烈。兩只體型較大的渡鴉為了爭奪一塊上好的肉，彼此廝打起來，一時之間羽毛紛飛。瓊恩趕忙又抓一把，丟給其中一只。“莫爾蒙大人的烏鴉喜歡吃水果和玉米。”
He is a rare bird, the maester said. "Most ravens will eat grain, but they prefer flesh. It makes them strong, and I fear they relish the taste of blood. In that they are like men... and like men, not all ravens are alike."
“那是只很罕見的鳥，”學士道：“大部分的烏鴉雖然也吃谷子，但還是偏好肉類。這不光能讓它們強壯，恐怕它們生性就嗜血。在這點上，它們和人類倒是挺像……所以，和人一樣，烏鴉的個性也不全然相同。”
Jon had nothing to say to that. He threw meat, wondering why he'd been summoned. No doubt the old man would tell him, in his own good time. Maester Aemon was not a man to be hurried.
瓊恩接不上話，只好繼續丟肉，不禁納悶自己為何會被找來。也罷，等老人家覺得時機適當，自然會告訴他。伊蒙學士這個人可是催不得的。
Doves and pigeons can also be trained to carry messages, the maester went on, "though the raven is a stronger flyer, larger, bolder, far more clever, better able to defend itself against hawks... yet ravens are black, and they eat the dead, so some godly men abhor them.
“鴿子雖然也可以訓練來遞送訊息，”學士續道，“但我們用來送信的渡鴉不僅強健，體型大，膽子壯，聰明得多，遇上老鷹也更有能力自衛……然而渡鴉色黑，又以尸體為食，因此有些信仰虔誠的人憎恨它們。
