听力原文

Dawn broke as they crested a low ridge, and finally the king pulled up. By then they were miles south of the main party. Robert was flushed and exhilarated as Ned reined up beside him. “Gods,” he swore, laughing, “it feels good to get out and ride the way a man was meant to ride! I swear, Ned, this creeping along is enough to drive a man mad.” He had never been a patient man, Robert Baratheon. “That damnable wheelhouse, the way it creaks and groans, climbing every bump in the road as if it were a mountain?.?.?.?I promise you, if that wretched thing breaks another axle, I’m going to burn it, and Cersei can walk!”

直到他们登上一道低缓山脊，晨曦初露，国王方才慢下脚步，此时他们已在营地南方数里之遥。奈德跟上劳勃，只见他满脸通红，神采飞扬。"妈的，"他笑着咒道，"到野外像个男人一样骑他妈一段可真痛快！我告诉你，奈德，那慢吞吞的牛步会把人给逼疯的。"劳勃·拜拉席恩向来不是个有耐性的人。"瞧那天杀的轮宫叽叽嘎嘎的呻吟模样，遇到石子都一副爬山的样子……那鬼东西敢再给我断根车轴，我保证放火烧了它，然后叫瑟曦跟着走路！"

Ned laughed. “I will gladly light the torch for you.”

奈德笑道："那我很乐意为您点火。"

“Good man!” The king clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ve half a mind to leave them all behind and just keep going.”

"说得好！"国王拍拍他肩膀，"我还真想丢下他们，就这样骑下去呢。"

A smile touched Ned’s lips. “I do believe you mean it.”

一抹笑意浮上奈德嘴角。"我相信您是认真的。"

“I do, I do,” the king said. “What do you say, Ned? Just you and me, two vagabond knights on the kingsroad, our swords at our sides and the gods know what in front of us, and maybe a farmer’s daughter or a tavern wench to warm our beds tonight.”

"那当然，那当然。"国王道，"奈德，你觉得怎样？就咱两个游侠骑士仗剑闯江湖，兵来将挡，水来土淹。晚上便找个农夫女儿或是酒店侍女帮咱们温床。"

“Would that we could,” Ned said, “but we have duties now, my liege?.?.?.?to the realm, to our children, I to my lady wife and you to your queen. We are not the boys we were.”

"果真如此倒好，"奈德说，"但是陛下，如今我们有责任在身……不只是对整个王国，更要对我们的子女负责，何况我有我的夫人，您有您的王后，我们已经不再是当年的年轻小伙了。"

背景介绍：

《权力的游戏》是一部中世纪史诗奇幻题材的电视连续剧。该剧以美国作家乔治·R·R·马丁的奇幻巨作《冰与火之歌》七部曲为基础改编创作，由大卫·贝尼奥夫和丹尼尔·威斯编剧、HBO电视网推出。乔治·雷蒙德·理查德·马丁是欧美奇幻小说大师。马丁的作品主要以人物为关注点，描写细腻丰富，突破了幻想文学界固有的创作模式，多次引领阅读潮流。由于马丁的辉煌成就，他被誉为美国的托尔金和新世纪的海明威。从1989年开始，马丁淡出文学界，转而投身演艺界发展，1996年他才重返文坛而开始奇幻文学的创作，处女作便是《权力的游戏》，即为《冰与火之歌》的首部曲。《权力的游戏》甫出便拿下了British Fantasy Society、 世界奇幻奖和星云奖年度最佳幻想作品提名，在非官方的不记名奇幻作品投票中，《冰与火之歌》俨然已经可以和《魔戒》平起平坐，作者网站的访问量也是和斯蒂芬·金、J.K.罗琳等不相上下，其受欢迎的程度可见一斑。乔治马丁被时代杂志评选为2011年影响世界的一百人之一。

妙语连珠

1. pull up

拔起；停下来；阻止

eg. The cab pulled up and the driver jumped out.

出租车慢慢停了下来，司机跳下了车。

eg. Now slowly pull your mouth upwards, sucking ever so gently as you pull up.

现在慢慢向上拉起你的嘴，同时如你拔嘴般温柔地不断吮吸。

2. by then

到那时候

eg. By then, some plants will be flowering shortly after Christmas.

到那时，某些植物将在圣诞节后不久就开花。

eg. Besides, I had three children by then and I wanted the best of everything for them.

除此之外，我那时候还有三个孩子，我想让他们拥有最好的东西。

3. leave behind

留下；遗留；超过

eg. "I'd go and live there and leave Kentucky behind," says Brown.

“我要去那里生活，永远离开肯塔基州”，布朗说道。

eg. What about the people you leave behind?

你留下的亲人们会如何？