Lord Hoster sucked at the thick white potion as eager as a babe at the breast,

霍斯特公爵像个吃奶的婴儿一般急切地吮吸稠白的饮料。

and Catelyn could see peace settle over him once more.

宁静终于回到他的身躯。

"He'll sleep now, my lady," the maester said when the cup was empty.

“他马上就会睡着了，夫人，”药杯喝干之后，学士对她说。

The milk of the poppy had left a thick white film around her father's mouth.

残存的罂粟奶汁在父亲唇边围成又黏又白的圆圈，

Maester Vyman wiped it away with a sleeve.

韦曼师傅用衣袖替他擦拭。

Catelyn could watch no more.

凯特琳看不下去了。

Hoster Tully had been a strong man, and proud.

霍斯特·徒利曾是个多么坚强而骄傲的人，

It hurt her to see him reduced to this.

如今变成这副模样，真让她心中隐隐作痛。

She went out to the terrace.

她走出去，站在阳台上。

The yard below was crowded with refugees and chaotic with their noises,

下方的庭院挤满难民，人来人往，十分嘈杂；

but beyond the walls the rivers flowed clean and pure and endless.

但城墙之外，大河悠悠，纯粹不染，亘古长流。

Those are his rivers, and soon he will return to them for his last voyage.

这是他的大河，再过不久，它们将送他踏上最后一段旅程，领他回归于它们之中。

Maester Vyman had followed her out.

韦曼学士随她出来。

"My lady," he said softly,

“夫人，”他轻柔地说，

"I cannot keep the end at bay much longer.

“我已尽了全力，但只怕他撑不了多久。

We ought send a rider after his brother.

派信使通知他弟弟吧，

Ser Brynden would wish to be here."

叫布林登爵士回来。”

"Yes," Catelyn said, her voice thick with her grief.

“好的，”凯特琳说，声音因悲伤而粗浊。

"And the Lady Lysa as well, perhaps?"

“是不是把莱莎夫人也请来？”

"Lysa will not come."

“莱莎不会来。”

"If you wrote her yourself, perhaps..."

“如果您给她写封亲笔信，也许……”

"I will put some words to paper, if that please you."

“唉，你认为有效，我就写吧。”

She wondered who Lysa's "wretched stripling" had been.

她不禁揣测莱莎的那个“无耻小子”到底是谁。

Some young squire or hedge knight, like as not...

大概是某个年轻侍从或雇佣骑士……

though by the vehemence with which Lord Hoster had opposed him,

不过从父亲这么激烈的反应看来，

he might have been a tradesman's son or baseborn apprentice, even a singer.

也许只是个商人之子或低贱的学徒一类，甚至是个歌手。

Lysa had always been too fond of singers.

莱莎最喜欢歌手。

I must not blame her.

我不想责怪她，

Jon Arryn was twenty years older than our father, however noble.

不管琼恩·艾林有多高贵，

The tower her brother had set aside for her use was the very same that she and Lysa had shared as maids.

毕竟他比父亲都还整整大出二十岁。弟弟把她与莱莎在少女时代同居的塔楼清扫出来给她住。

It would feel good to sleep on a featherbed again, with a warm fire in the hearth;

想到能再睡上那张羽毛床，这感觉实在是太好了。

when she was rested the world would seem less bleak.

壁炉必定早早燃起温暖的火焰，躺上那床，整个世界便不再黯淡。

But outside her chambers she found Utherydes Wayn waiting with two women clad in grey,

然而在卧室门口等她的却是乌瑟莱斯·韦恩，在他身边还有两个灰衣女人，

their faces cowled save for their eyes.

面容藏在兜帽之内，只露出两只眼睛。

Catelyn knew at once why they were here. "Ned?"

凯特琳当下便明白过来。“奈德？”

The sisters lowered their gaze. Utherydes said,

静默修女们垂下目光。乌瑟莱斯道，

"Ser Cleos brought him from King's Landing, my lady."

“克里奥爵士把他从君临带回来了，夫人。”

"Take me to him," she commanded.

“带我去见他，”她命令。

They had laid him out on a trestle table and covered him with a banner,

他们让他躺在一张搁板桌上，用一面旗帜覆盖他的身躯，

the white banner of House Stark with its grey direwolf sigil.

那是史塔克家族的白底灰色冰原奔狼旗。

"I would look on him," Catelyn said.

“我想看看他，”凯特林说。

"Only the bones remain, my lady."

“只有骨骼存留了，夫人。”