评论
打印
Bran
布兰
Long before the first pale fingers of light pried apart Bran's shutters, his eyes were open.
曙光渗进窗帘之前，布兰便已醒了。
There were guests in Winterfell, visitors come for the harvest feast. This morning they would be tilting at quintains in the yard. Once that prospect would have filled him with excitement, but that was before.
临冬城到了许多客人，都是来参加丰收宴会的。今天早上，他们会在场子里练习戳刺矛靶。若是从前，他定会为此兴奋难耐，但那都是意外发生之前的事了。
Not now. The Walders would break lances with the squires of Lord Manderly's escort, but Bran would have no part of it. He must play the prince in his father's solar. "Listen, and it may be that you will learn something of what lordship is all about," Maester Luwin had said.
而今一切都不一样了。大小瓦德可以和曼德勒大人手下的侍从切磋枪技，却没有布兰的分，他得待在父亲的书房里，扮演王子的角色。“用心聆听，说不定你就能从中学到统御他人的技巧。”鲁温师傅道。
Bran had never asked to be a prince. It was knighthood he had always dreamed of; bright armor and streaming banners, lance and sword, a warhorse between his legs. Why must he waste his days listening to old men speak of things he only half understood? Because you're broken, a voice inside reminded him. A lord on his cushioned chair might be crippled — the Walders said their grandfather was so feeble he had to be carried everywhere in a litter — but not a knight on his destrier. Besides, it was his duty. "You are your brother's heir and the Stark in Winterfell," Ser Rodrik said, reminding him of how Robb used to sit with their lord father when his bannermen came to see him.
布兰不想当王子，他一直以来的梦想是成为骑士，闪亮的铠甲，飘动的旗帜，持枪配剑，脚跨战马。为什么他要日复一日听老人家谈论这些他听着一知半解的事情？因为你是个残废，心里有个声音提醒他。安坐高堂的领主老爷有点缺陷没关系——大小瓦德就说他们祖父因为过于虚弱，上哪儿都得坐轿子——但是骑马打仗的骑士就不同。说到底，这也是他职责所在，“你是你哥哥的继承人，是临冬城史塔克家族的代表。”罗德利克爵士说，他提醒他：从前当诸侯们前来晋见他父亲时，罗柏也都会在场作陪。
