評論
打印
A bitter truth, but no less true for that.
話雖不好聽，卻是千真萬確。
His fleet is gone, save for the Lyseni, and Salladhor Saan will flee at the first sight of a Lannister sail.
除開里斯船，他沒了艦隊，而薩拉多·桑恩是個見到蘭尼斯特的影子就會卷旗逃跑的老滑頭。
Most of the lords who supported Stannis have gone over to Joffrey or died …”
支持史坦尼斯的諸侯泰半倒向喬佛里，要么就是死了……”
“Even the lords of the narrow sea?
“狹海諸侯也一樣？
The lords sworn to Dragonstone?”
連直屬龍石島的封臣都靠不住？”
Lord Alester waved his hand feebly.
艾利斯特伯爵無力地擺擺手。
“Lord Celtigar was captured and bent the knee.
“賽提加伯爵被俘后屈膝投降，
Monford Velaryon died with his ship, the red woman burned Sunglass, and Lord Bar Emmon is fifteen, fat, and feeble.
莫佛德·瓦列利安隨座艦陣亡，桑格拉斯給紅袍女燒死，巴爾艾蒙伯爵只有十五歲，是個虛胖的毛頭小子——
Those are your lords of the narrow sea.
這些就是你口中的狹海諸侯。
Only the strength of House Florent is left to Stannis, against all the might of Highgarden, Sunspear,
史坦尼斯只剩佛羅倫家的力量，卻要對抗高庭、陽戟城
and Casterly Rock, and now most of the storm lords as well.
和凱巖城的聯盟，外加風息堡眾多直屬諸侯。
The best hope that remains is to try and salvage something with a peace.
我們只好期望通過談判來保住一些成果，
That is all I meant to do.
那就是我想做的全部，
Gods be good, how can they call it treason?”
諸神保佑，怎能稱這為‘背叛’呢？”
Davos stood frowning.
戴佛斯皺緊眉頭。
“My lord, what did you do?”
“大人，您做了什么？”
“Not treason.
“我不是叛徒。
Never treason.
絕對不是叛徒。
I love His Grace as much as any man.
我比任何人都更熱愛陛下。
My own niece is his queen, and I remained loyal to him when wiser men fled.
我的親侄女是他的王后，那些聰明人棄他于不顧，我卻依然忠心耿耿。
I am his Hand, the Hand of the King, how can I be a traitor?
我是他的首相，我是國王之手，絕對不是叛徒！
I only meant to save our lives, and … honor … yes.”
我只想挽救我們的性命……和榮譽……是的。”
He licked his lips.
他舔舔嘴唇。
“I penned a letter.
“我寫了一封信，
Salladhor Saan swore that he had a man who could get it to King’s Landing, to Lord Tywin.
薩拉多·桑恩發誓說可以運用關系把它帶到君臨，呈給泰溫公爵。
His lordship is a … a man of reason, and my terms … the terms were fair … more than fair.”
公爵大人他是個……理智的人，而我的條件……很公平……對我們……很有利。”
“What terms were these, my lord?”
“您提出了什么條件，大人？”
“It is filthy here,” Lord Alester said suddenly.
“這里真臟，”艾利斯特伯爵突然說，
“And that odor … what is that odor?”
“味道……什么味道？”
“The pail,” said Davos, gesturing.
“便桶的味道，”戴佛斯邊說邊比劃，
“We have no privy here. What terms?”
“這兒沒廁所。什么條件？”
His lordship stared at the pail in horror.
伯爵大人驚恐地瞪著便桶。
“That Lord Stannis give up his claim to the Iron Throne and retract all he said of Joffrey’s bastardy,
“史坦尼斯大人放棄對鐵王座的要求，收回關于喬佛里出身的言論；
on the condition that he be accepted back into the king’s peace and confirmed as Lord of Dragonstone and Storm’s End.
與之相對，國王不再與我們作戰，并確認大人對龍石島和風息堡的權利。
I vowed to do the same, for the return of Brightwater Keep and all our lands.
我個人會向國王宣誓效忠，然后收回亮水城及我家所有領地。
I thought … Lord Tywin would see the sense in my proposal.
我想……泰溫公爵會贊賞這個合情合理的建議，
He still has the Starks to deal with, and the ironmen as well.
畢竟他還要對付史塔克家和鐵群島。
I offered to seal the bargain by wedding Shireen to Joffrey’s brother Tommen.”
為使條約鞏固，我還提議讓希琳嫁給喬佛里的弟弟托曼，”
He shook his head.
他搖搖頭。
“The terms … they are as good as we are ever like to get.
“這些條件……我們最多只能保住這些，
Even you can see that, surely?”
連你也看得出，對不對？
“Yes,” said Davos, “even me.”
“是的，”戴佛斯說，“連我也看得出。”
Unless Stannis should father a son, such a marriage would mean that Dragonstone and Storm’s End would one day pass to Tommen,
除非史坦尼斯生個兒子，這樣的婚姻意味著龍石島和風息堡終有一天會落到托曼手上，
which would doubtless please Lord Tywin.
無疑能讓泰溫公爵滿意；
Meanwhile, the Lannisters would have Shireen as hostage to make certain Stannis raised no new rebellions.
同時，希琳將成為蘭尼斯特家族的人質，以確保史坦尼斯不會再叛。
“And what did His Grace say when you proposed these terms to him?”
“您向陛下提議時，他怎么說？”
“He is always with the red woman, and … he is not in his right mind, I fear.
“他一直跟紅袍女在一起，恐怕……恐怕思維不大正常。
This talk of a stone dragon … madness, I tell you, sheer madness.
關于石頭龍的說法……瘋了，我告訴你，完全是瘋了。
Did we learn nothing from Aerion Brightfire, from the nine mages, from the alchemists?
‘明焰’伊利昂、九大法師和煉金術士們難道不是教訓嗎？
Did we learn nothing from Summerhall?
盛夏廳難道不是教訓嗎？
No good has ever come from these dreams of dragons, I told Axell as much.
成天夢想著龍是沒有好結果的。我給亞賽爾分析過，
My way was better. Surer.
應該穩妥地來，
And Stannis gave me his seal, he gave me leave to rule.
既然史坦尼斯把印章給了我，我就有統治的權力，
The Hand speaks with the king’s voice.”
身為首相，我可以代表國王。”
“Not in this.”
“這次不行。”
Davos was no courtier, and he did not even try to blunt his words.
戴佛斯并非廷臣，說話一貫直率。
“It is not in Stannis to yield, so long as he knows his claim is just.
“以史坦尼斯的脾氣，認準了的事，就決不會屈服。
No more than he can unsay his words against Joffrey, when he believes them true.
同樣，他也不可能收回對喬佛里的揭發。
As for the marriage, Tommen was born of the same incest as Joffrey, and His Grace would sooner see Shireen dead than wed to such.”
至于婚約，既然托曼跟喬佛里皆出于亂倫，那陛下寧愿讓希琳去死也不會讓她嫁給他。”
A vein throbbed in Florent’s forehead.
佛羅倫前額青筋暴突，
“He has no choice.”
“可他沒有選擇！”
“You are wrong, my lord.
“您錯了，大人，
He can choose to die a king.”
他可以選擇身為國王而死。”
“And us with him?
“我們呢？
Is that what you desire, Onion Knight?”
你也想死嗎，洋蔥騎士？”
“No.
“不想。
But I am the king’s man, and I will make no peace without his leave.”
但我是國王的人，沒有他的準許，不會自作主張。”
Lord Alester stared at him helplessly for a long moment, and then began to weep.
艾利斯特絕望地注視他良久，然后啜泣起來。
