"Rickon did too. We dreamed the same dream."

“瑞肯也梦见了。我们做了同样的梦。”

"Call it greensight, if you wish...

“你愿意的话，称这为绿之视野也无妨……

but remember as well all those tens of thousands of dreams that you and Rickon have dreamed that did not come true.

但你要记住，你和瑞肯做过的成千上万其他的梦最终并没有成真。

Do you perchance recall what I taught you about the chain collar that every maester wears?"

你不会忘了我教你的关于每个学士必备的颈链的故事吧？”

Bran thought for a moment, trying to remember.

布兰想了一会儿，试图说完整。

"A maester forges his chain in the Citadel of Oldtown.

“学士必须在旧镇的学城铸造自己的颈链。

It's a chain because you swear to serve, and it's made of different metals because you serve the realm and the realm has different sorts of people.

它是锁链只因配上它的人必须为他人服务。它包含多种金属只因配上它的人服务于国度里各个阶层的居民。

Every time you learn something you get another link.

每当完成新的学业你便能加上新的链条。

Black iron is for ravenry, silver for healing, gold for sums and numbers.

黑铁代表管理乌鸦，白银代表救死扶伤，黄金代表财务会计。

I don't remember them all."

其他的颜色我不记得了。”

Luwin slid a finger up under his collar and began to turn it, inch by inch.

鲁温把手指伸到颈链下面，一个又一个链条抡起来。

He had a thick neck for a small man, and the chain was tight, but a few pulls had it all the way around.

他人长得矮小，脖子却很粗，所以颈链很紧，得用力才能转动。

"This is Valyrian steel," he said when the link of dark grey metal lay against the apple of his throat.

“这是瓦雷利亚钢，”当一环暗灰色金属链转到喉头的时候他说，

"Only one maester in a hundred wears such a link.

“一百个学士里面只有一个能戴上这环链条。

This signifies that I have studied what the Citadel calls the higher mysteries—magic, for want of a better word.

它代表我学到了学城里称之为高级神秘术的知识——魔法，当然取这个名字只是为了动听。

A fascinating pursuit, but of small use, which is why so few maesters trouble themselves with it.

这是个很迷人的东西，却并不实用，所以少有学士投身这个方向。”

"All those who study the higher mysteries try their own hand at spells, soon or late.

“或迟或早，学习高级神秘术的人总忍不住想自行施展魔法。

I yielded to the temptation too, I must confess it.

我必须承认，连我自己也抵挡不住那种诱惑。

Well, I was a boy, and what boy does not secretly wish to find hidden powers in himself?

是啊，我当时还是个孩子，哪个孩子没偷偷幻想在自己身上发现神奇的力量呢？

I got no more for my efforts than a thousand boys before me, and a thousand since.

然而我的下场和我之前的一千个小孩相同，和我之后的一千个也一样。

Sad to say, magic does not work."

非常遗憾，所谓的魔法根本不起作用。”

"Sometimes it does," Bran protested.

“它们有时候会起作用的，”布兰抗议。

"I had that dream, and Rickon did too.

“像我做了那个梦，瑞肯也做了。

And there are mages and warlocks in the east..."

而且东方还有魔法师和男巫……”

"There are men who call themselves mages and warlocks," Maester Luwin said.

“世上确有人自称为魔法师和男巫，”鲁温师傅说。

"I had a friend at the Citadel who could pull a rose out of your ear, but he was no more magical than I was.

“在学城，我有个朋友便能从你的耳朵里变出一朵玫瑰花，但事实上，他和我一样都不会魔法。

Oh, to be sure, there is much we do not understand.

啊，必须指出的是，世上不为人知的事还很多很多。