So you are. Robb sounded sad, and even a little scared. Bran, I need to tell you something. There was a bird last night. From King's Landing. Maester Luwin woke me.
是啊，罗柏语气哀伤，甚至有些害怕。布兰，有件事我必须跟你讲清楚。昨晚来了只信鸦，从君临来，鲁温师傅半夜把我叫醒。
Bran felt a sudden dread. Dark wings, dark words, Old Nan always said, and of late the messenger ravens had been proving the truth of the proverb.
布兰突然感到一阵惊恐。黑色的翅膀，黑色的消息，老奶妈总这么说，而近来传递信息的渡鸦一再证明了这句俗谚的正确。
When Robb wrote to the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, the bird that came back brought word that Uncle Benjen was still missing.
罗柏写信给守夜人军团的司令官，鸟儿却带回班扬叔叔依旧下落不明的消息。
Then a message had arrived from the Eyrie, from Mother, but that had not been good news either.
接着鹰巢城有信传来，是母亲写的，可惜也并非好消息。
She did not say when she meant to return, only that she had taken the Imp as prisoner.
她没说何时回来，只说小恶魔如今是她的犯人。
Bran had sort of liked the little man, yet the name Lannister sent cold fingers creeping up his spine.
布兰其实还挺喜欢那矮个子，但兰尼斯特这个姓氏却教他背脊发凉。
There was something about the Lannisters, something he ought to remember, but when he tried to think what, he felt dizzy and his stomach clenched hard as a stone.
有件和兰尼斯特有关的事，他应该记得，然而每次他试图回忆，便觉头晕目眩，腹痛如绞。
Robb spent most of that day locked behind closed doors with Maester Luwin, Theon Greyjoy, and Hallis Mollen.
那一天，罗柏整日把自己关在房里，和鲁温师傅、席恩·葛雷乔伊，以及哈里斯·莫兰共商对策。
Afterward, riders were sent out on fast horses, carrying Robb's commands throughout the north.
之后信使骑着快马，将罗柏的命令传遍北境。
Bran heard talk of Moat Cailin, the ancient stronghold the First Men had built at the top of the Neck.
布兰依稀听到卡林湾这地名，那是先民在颈泽北端筑起的古老要塞。
No one ever told him what was happening, yet he knew it was not good.
究竟发生了什么，没人告诉他，但肯定不是什么好事。

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。