“The old man’s right for once,” Ser Jorah said.
“老頭子這回說得對,”喬拉爵士道,
“The Second Sons are an old company, and not without valor,
“次子團歷史悠久,也不乏英豪之輩,
but under Mero they’ve turned near as bad as the Brave Companions.
但在梅羅治下,墮落得差不多跟勇士團一樣糟。
The man is as dangerous to his employers as to his foes.
不管對敵人,還是對雇主,那家伙都一樣危險——
That’s why you find him out here.
這就是為什么您會在這里見到他,
None of the Free Cities will hire him any longer.”
沒一個自由貿易城邦愿意再雇傭他的兵團。”
“It is not his reputation that I want, it’s his five hundred horse.
“我不要他的名譽,只要他的五百騎兵。
What of the Stormcrows, is there any hope there?”
暴鴉團怎樣,有希望嗎?”
“No,” Ser Jorah said bluntly.
“沒有,”喬拉爵士坦率地說,
“That Prendahl is Ghiscari by blood.
“按血統論,那普蘭達是吉斯人,
Likely he had kin in Astapor.”
很可能在阿斯塔波有親戚。”
“A pity.
“可惜。
Well, perhaps we will not need to fight.
不過,也許無需打仗,
Let us wait and hear what the Yunkai’i have to say.”
我們先聽聽淵凱人怎么說吧。”
The envoys from Yunkai arrived as the sun was going down;
太陽快下山時,淵凱使節團抵達了:
fifty men on magnificent black horses and one on a great white camel.
五十個隨從騎壯實華美的黑馬,還有一人坐在高大的白駱駝上。
Their helms were twice as tall as their heads,
他們頭盔的高度是腦袋的兩倍,
so as not to crush the bizarre twists and towers and shapes of their oiled hair beneath.
這樣才不至于壓壞下面梳理上油后奇形怪狀、扭曲高聳的頭發。
They dyed their linen skirts and tunics a deep yellow, and sewed copper disks to their cloaks.
他們的布裙和外衣都染成深黃,披風上縫有無數銅盤。
The man on the white camel named himself Grazdan mo Eraz.
那坐白駱駝的人自稱格拉茲旦·莫·厄拉茲,
Lean and hard, he had a white smile such as Kraznys had worn until Drogon burned off his face.
精瘦結實,笑的時候會露出碩大而潔白的牙齒。和阿斯塔波的克拉茲尼一樣。
His hair was drawn up in a unicorn’s horn that jutted from his brow, and his tokar was fringed with golden Myrish lace.
他的頭發向上梳起,形成獨角獸的角,從前額突出,托卡長袍上的流蘇是金色的密爾蕾絲。
“Ancient and glorious is Yunkai, the queen of cities,”
“古老而榮耀的淵凱,諸城之女王,”
he said when Dany welcomed him to her tent.
待丹妮將他迎至帳內后,他說,
“Our walls are strong, our nobles proud and fierce, our common folk without fear.
“我們的城墻牢固堅強,我們的貴族自豪勇猛,我們的百姓無所畏懼,
Ours is the blood of ancient Ghis, whose empire was old when Valyria was yet a squalling child.
我們的血統襲自古吉斯——瓦雷利亞人還是呀呀學語的小兒時,古吉斯帝國已經統治世界了。
You were wise to sit and speak, Khaleesi.
肯坐下來商談,說明您很明智,卡麗熙,
You shall find no easy conquest here.”
征服這里是不可能完成的妄想。”
“Good.
“是嗎?
My Unsullied will relish a bit of a fight.”
我的無垢者正打算享受戰斗的樂趣呢。”
She looked to Grey Worm, who nodded.
她望向灰蟲子,灰蟲子點點頭。
Grazdan shrugged expansively.
格拉茲旦夸張地聳聳肩,
“If blood is what you wish, let it flow.
“若您要的是鮮血,那就讓它流淌。
I am told you have freed your eunuchs.
聽說您解放了阿斯塔波的太監,
Freedom means as much to an Unsullied as a hat to a haddock.”
其實自由對無垢者而言,如同帽子之于魚。”
He smiled at Grey Worm, but the eunuch might have been made of stone.
他朝灰蟲子微笑,但太監像石雕般毫無反應。
“Those who survive we shall enslave again, and use to retake Astapor from the rabble.
“活下來的,我們將再次奴役,并用來從那幫烏合之眾手里奪回阿斯塔波。
We can make a slave of you as well, do not doubt it.
我們也可以讓您當奴隸,不要懷疑,
There are pleasure houses in Lys and Tyrosh where men would pay handsomely to bed the last Targaryen.”
在里斯和泰洛西的青樓,人們會為跟最后的坦格利安上床而慷慨解囊。”
“It is good to see you know who I am,” said Dany mildly.
“你知道我是誰,很好。”丹妮溫和地說。
“I pride myself on my knowledge of the savage senseless west.”
“對于蠻荒愚昧的西方有所了解,是我引以為豪的一件事。”
Grazdan spread his hands, a gesture of conciliation.
格拉茲旦展開雙手,以示安撫。
“And yet, why should we speak thus harshly to one another?
“我們何必惡言相向?
It is true that you committed savageries in Astapor, but we Yunkai’i are a most forgiving people.
沒錯,您在阿斯塔波干下野蠻的行徑,但我們淵凱人寬大仁慈,對此并不耿耿在意。
Your quarrel is not with us, Your Grace.
陛下,您跟我們既無爭執,
Why squander your strength against our mighty walls when you will need every man to regain your father’s throne in far Westeros?
又為何要將力量浪費在我們堅固的城墻上呢?為了奪回您父親遠在維斯特洛的王座,您難道不需要每個人手嗎?
Yunkai wishes you only well in that endeavor.
淵凱祝愿您的努力取得成功,
And to prove the truth of that, I have brought you a gift.”
為茲證明,我們帶來了禮物。”
He clapped his hands, and two of his escort came forward bearing a heavy cedar chest bound in bronze and gold.
說罷他擊掌示意,兩名隨從抬上來一個鑲青銅和黃金的沉重雪松木箱,
They set it at her feet.
置于她腳邊。
“Fifty thousand golden marks,” Grazdan said smoothly.
“五萬金馬克,”格拉茲旦平靜地說,
“Yours, as a gesture of friendship from the Wise Masters of Yunkai.
“給您,象征淵凱賢主大人們的友誼。
Gold given freely is better than plunder bought with blood, surely?
慷慨贈予的金錢肯定比流血搶奪來的便宜,不是嗎?
So I say to you, Daenerys Targaryen, take this chest, and go.”
聽我說,丹妮莉絲·坦格利安,帶上這箱子離開吧。”