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The squire Whitebeard, standing by the figurehead with one lean hand curled about his tall hardwood staff, turned toward them and said,
那個侍從白胡子起初站在精雕的船首像邊上，用消瘦的手拄著長長的硬木拐杖，此刻轉過身來，
“Balerion the Black Dread was two hundred years old when he died during the reign of Jaehaerys the Conciliator.
“黑死神貝勒里恩在仲裁者杰赫里斯一世統治時期方才死去，共活了兩百歲。
He was so large he could swallow an aurochs whole.
他大得出奇，可一口吞下整只野牛。
A dragon never stops growing, Your Grace, so long as he has food and freedom.”
陛下，龍是不會停止生長的，只要擁有食物和自由。”
His name was Arstan, but Strong Belwas had named him Whitebeard for his pale whiskers, and most everyone called him that now.
他本名阿斯坦，因為滿臉白胡須，所以被壯漢貝沃斯起了個綽號叫白胡子，這個綽號也很快被大家所接受。
He was taller than Ser Jorah, though not so muscular;
他雖不及喬拉爵士肌肉結實，卻比后者高大，
his eyes were a pale blue, his long beard as white as snow and as fine as silk.
眼睛是淺藍色，長長的雪白胡子如絲綢一樣順滑。
“Freedom?” asked Dany, curious.
“自由？”丹妮略感不解，
“What do you mean?”
“什么意思？”
“In King’s Landing, your ancestors raised an immense domed castle for their dragons.
“在君臨，您的先祖為他們的龍蓋了一棟圓頂巨堡，
The Dragonpit, it is called. It still stands atop the Hill of Rhaenys, though all in ruins now.
稱為‘龍穴’，迄今仍矗立在雷尼絲丘陵頂，只是早成廢墟。
That was where the royal dragons dwelt in days of yore, and a cavernous dwelling it was,
昔日，王室的龍就在那居住，好像一個大洞穴，
with iron doors so wide that thirty knights could ride through them abreast.
外面有非常寬闊的鐵門，里面可容三十個騎士騎馬并肩通過。
Yet even so, it was noted that none of the pit dragons ever reached the size of their ancestors.
即便如此，龍穴里的龍卻從沒長到他們祖先的大小。
The maesters say it was because of the walls around them, and the great dome above their heads.”
學士們都說，這是墻和圓頂的關系。”
“If walls could keep us small, peasants would all be tiny and kings as large as giants,” said Ser Jorah.
“見鬼，假如墻能限制體積，那農民該像侏儒，而國王該像巨人，”喬拉爵士說，
“I’ve seen huge men born in hovels, and dwarfs who dwelt in castles.”
“事實恰恰相反，茅屋里往往生出大個子，城堡中住的卻是矮子。”
“Men are men,” Whitebeard replied.
“人是人，”白胡子回答，
“Dragons are dragons.”
“龍是龍。”
Ser Jorah snorted his disdain.
喬拉爵士哼了一聲以示輕蔑，
“How profound.”
“還真把自己當那么回事。”
The exile knight had no love for the old man, he’d made that plain from the first.
被放逐的騎士不喜歡這個老人，打一開始就表現得很明顯。
“What do you know of dragons, anyway?”
“那有勞你給我們介紹一下龍的知識，怎么樣呢？”
“Little enough, that’s true.
“不，我也不甚了解。
Yet I served for a time in King’s Landing in the days when King Aerys sat the Iron Throne,
但好歹我當初在君臨生活期間，鐵王座上坐的是伊里斯國王，
and walked beneath the dragonskulls that looked down from the walls of his throne room.”
有幸見過懸掛在王座廳墻上的巨龍頭骨。”
“Viserys talked of those skulls,” said Dany.
“韋賽里斯對我提起過那些頭骨，”丹妮道，
“The Usurper took them down and hid them away.
“據說篡奪者把它們取下來收藏，
He could not bear them looking down on him upon his stolen throne.”
因為不堪忍受它們日日俯瞰他坐著偷來的王座。”
She beckoned Whitebeard closer.
她招手示意白胡子靠近。
“Did you ever meet my royal father?”
“你見過我的父王嗎？”
King Aerys II had died before his daughter was born.
國王伊里斯二世在他女兒出生前就死了。
“I had that great honor, Your Grace.”
“我很榮幸地見過他，女王陛下。”
“Did you find him good and gentle?”
“他是否善良溫和？”
Whitebeard did his best to hide his feelings, but they were there, plain on his face.
白胡子盡力掩飾自己的感受，但那些感受其實清清楚楚地寫在他的臉上。
“His Grace was … often pleasant.”
“陛下他……通常很和善。”
“Often?” Dany smiled.
“通常？”丹妮微笑，
“But not always?”
“不是一直？”
“He could be very harsh to those he thought his enemies.”
“對于心目中的敵手，他會非常殘酷。”
“A wise man never makes an enemy of a king,” said Dany.
“明智的人決不會成為國王的敵手，”丹妮說，
“Did you know my brother Rhaegar as well?”
“那么，你也了解我哥哥雷加嗎？”
“It was said that no man ever knew Prince Rhaegar, truly.
“據說沒有人真正了解雷加王子。
I had the privilege of seeing him in tourney, though, and often heard him play his harp with its silver strings.”
我只在比武會上見過他，也聽他彈過銀弦豎琴。”
Ser Jorah snorted.
喬拉爵士嗤之以鼻，
“Along with a thousand others at some harvest feast.
“只怕是和成千人一起參加豐收宴會時聽的吧，
Next you’ll claim you squired for him.”
虧你還沒宣稱自己是他的侍從。”
“I make no such claim, ser.
“我當然不敢如此夸口，爵士。
Myles Mooton was Prince Rhaegar’s squire, and Richard Lonmouth after him.
雷加王子的第一任侍從是米斯 慕頓，接下來是瑞卡德 隆莫斯。
When they won their spurs, he knighted them himself, and they remained his close companions.
他倆后來都被他親手冊封為騎士，并成為他終身的伙伴。
Young Lord Connington was dear to the prince as well, but his oldest friend was Arthur Dayne.”
除此之外，王太子殿下還有許多密友，包括年輕的克林頓伯爵，以及老朋友亞瑟 戴恩。”
“The Sword of the Morning!” said Dany, delighted.
“拂曉神劍！”丹妮愉快地喊道，
“Viserys used to talk about his wondrous white blade.
“韋賽里斯跟我說過那把不同尋常的白劍，
He said Ser Arthur was the only knight in the realm who was our brother’s peer.”
他還說亞瑟爵士是全國上下惟一可與我哥匹敵的騎士。”
Whitebeard bowed his head.
白胡子低頭，
“It is not my place to question the words of Prince Viserys.”
“我沒資格質疑韋賽里斯王子的話。”
