冰与火原著英语学习（刘博士英语原著阅读陪伴冰与火之歌006）
冰与火原著英语学习（刘博士英语原著阅读陪伴冰与火之歌006）下面解释几个词语/文化概念：在这一节里，Eddard 大人的大儿子Robb和 Jon 在Winterfell 的路上发现了一只巨狼（Direwolf）的尸体和它留下的六只小狼崽。Direwolf是Stark家族家族标志，Ned 有5个亲生的孩子加上Jon Snow 这个私生子。在故事发生的时候，巨狼在长墙以南已经灭绝200多年了，难道是天意将这六只狼崽子交给Stark家族的孩子们吗？死去的母巨狼是被一只鹿的鹿角给杀死的，而公鹿恰恰是国王Robert Baratheon 家族的标志，这难道又预示着什么吗？“Easy to say and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants’ time with this. If you want these pups you will feed them yourselves. I
【读你所爱，呵护你的心灵；掌握英语，打开你的三只眼】
“你有五个亲生的孩子，”Jon继续说。“三个儿子，两个女儿。巨狼是你的家族标志。是天意让你的孩子们拥有这些狼崽子的，大人。”
“You have five trueborn children ” Jon said. “Three sons two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups my lord.”
“说起来容易，做起来难。我不允许你们浪费佣人们的时间来帮你们做这件事。如果你们想留着这些小狼崽子的话，你们就要自己喂它们。听明白了吗？”
“Easy to say and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants’ time with this. If you want these pups you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?”
【本节导读】
在上一节里，我们简要地介绍了House Stark的家族背景。在本书故事发生的时候，Robert Baratheon 是当今的国王，Jon Arryn（Robert 在内战时的三大同盟之一）是他的首相（King’s Hand） 然而，Jon Arryn 意外死去，Robert 王于是千里迢迢来到北方，想劝说Eddard Stark (缩写或是小名叫 Ned) 做他的下一任首相。而此时，Ned 的妻子Catelyn 收到了Jon Arryn 的妻子，也是自己妹妹Lysa Arryn的一封密信，告诉他Lannister 家族是杀死Jon Arryn 的幕后凶手。那么，Ned是否应该接受Robert王的请求呢？
在这一节里，Eddard 大人的大儿子Robb和 Jon 在Winterfell 的路上发现了一只巨狼（Direwolf）的尸体和它留下的六只小狼崽。Direwolf是Stark家族家族标志，Ned 有5个亲生的孩子加上Jon Snow 这个私生子。在故事发生的时候，巨狼在长墙以南已经灭绝200多年了，难道是天意将这六只狼崽子交给Stark家族的孩子们吗？死去的母巨狼是被一只鹿的鹿角给杀死的，而公鹿恰恰是国王Robert Baratheon 家族的标志，这难道又预示着什么吗？
下面解释几个词语/文化概念：
Direwolf: 根据考古学，Dire Wolf是一种曾经生活在北美洲的史前狼种，它们生活在冰川时代（Ice age，最近的冰川时期在11000年以前）大约在10000年以前灭绝，它们生活的时代是猛犸象是同一时代。它们的体型巨大，因此在此书中，我将其翻译为巨狼。
Snow 作为人的姓名。在冰与火之歌中，Snow 作为一个姓，是给所有那些出生不幸，不知道自己父母是谁，因此没有自己姓名的人的姓。正因如此，Jon Snow 的名字已经隐含着他并不是Eddard Stark 的私生子，而是可能亲身父母另有其人。在今天的美国，人们通常把不知道姓名的人（或是不愿透露自己真实姓名的人，或是无法辨认身份的遇难者）称之为 “John Doe”（男性）/Jane Doe （女性）。
Ward: 在这本书中，Theon Greyjoy 被称为Stark 大人的Ward 该词语现在是一个普遍的姓（如 Grant Ward）。在欧洲中世纪时期，当不同的王国发生战争时，战胜国的国王通常会要求战败国的国王将自己的儿子（未来继承人）送到战胜国作为国王的Ward（被监护人），其实际身份是皇家人质。战胜国通过这种方式来控制战败国，并建立与战败国更和平的关系。在冰与火之歌中，Eddard Stark 曾经镇压过Iron Islands 岛主Balon Grejoy的暴乱。战争结束后，他将领主Balon 的儿子Theon Greyjoy 作为Ward（被监护人/人质）带回了Winterfell，以确保Iron Islands岛主对他的效忠 。
如果你只是对中文阅读感兴趣，阅读中文也一定会有所收获的。请直接跳过【刘博士英语突破学习法】的内容。
【刘博士英语突破学习法】：阅读——跟读——听读。
1） 如果你的英语学习重点是阅读突破，那么在理解中文译文内容后，请转向英语文本的阅读，你会发现英语没有想象的那么难。请在合适的时候转向直接阅读英语原文。英语阅读突破是一个自然的过程。当你习惯了无需中文辅助的英语阅读时，你就会自己知道你是否取得了阅读的突破。
2） 如果你的英语突破重点还包括口语和听力。请在熟读英语原文以后，开始跟着音频跟读和听读，直到可以完整的跟读和听读理解为止。
3） 以口语为突破的学习者，请跟读音频练习，直到你无需文本资料也可以自然流利跟读为止。
4） 以听力为突破的学习者，请看着文本资料听读音频，直到你无需文本也可以自然听懂为止。
【刘博士译文】
冰与火之歌1：权力的游戏—Bran 2:
就在这时，Jon在他们前方的山坡顶上又出现了。他挥着手向他们喊道：“爸爸，Bran，快来，来看看Robb发现什么了！”接着他又消失了。
Jory骑马来到Bran他们身边，“有麻烦了是吗，大人？”
“那还用说，”Bran的父亲大人说道。“走，咱么去看看我的儿子们现在又搞出什么麻烦事来。”他策马快跑起来。Jory和Bran以及其他人都在后面跟着。
他们看见Robb还在桥的北岸边，Jon骑在马上守在一旁。在夏末的新月之际刚刚下了一场大雪。Robb站在齐膝深的白雪里，他把头上的挡风帽子拉了下来，阳光照在他的头发上。他在怀里抱着什么东西，与此同时，他与Jon小声而激动的交谈着。
其他骑手们小心翼翼地穿过雪堆，在看不见的、崎岖不平的地面上摸索着寻找落脚点。Jory Cassel和Theon Greyjoy最先到达孩子们的身边。Greyjoy一边骑着马一边开着玩笑。Bran听到他突然倒吸一口冷气。“我的神呀！”他惊呼道，他一边努力地控制住他的马，一边伸手去拔剑。
Jory的剑已经拔了出来。“Robb，离它远点！”他大叫着，而此时他身下的马吓得惊了起来。
Robb咧开嘴笑了，他把目光从他怀里的那团东西转向Jory。“她伤不着你的，”Robb说。“她已经死了，Jory。”
Bran心中好奇的火焰被点着了。他本想让他的小马驹快点跑过去的，但他的父亲让他们在桥边下马，步行走过去。Bran一跳下马来就往前跑。
在这时，Jon、Jory和Theon Greyjoy也都下了马。“这究竟是什么鬼东西？”Greyjoy说道。
“是一只狼，”Robb告诉他。
“我看是一个怪物，”Greyjoy说，“你看看它的个头有多大。”
Bran的心砰砰地跳着，他穿过一片齐腰深的雪堆走到他哥哥们的身边。
在满是血迹的雪堆里，半埋着一个巨大的黑色尸体，它趴在那里，显然已经死了。它那乱糟糟的灰色皮毛上结了一层冰，它的身上有一种淡淡的腐臭气味，就像是女人身上喷了香水一般。Bran瞥见了它那双已经看不见的眼睛，里面爬满了蛆虫。它那张大嘴巴里露出了满嘴的黄牙。但是让Bran最不可思议的是它的巨大身体。那比他的小马驹还大，比他父亲在狗舍里养的最大的猎犬还要大一倍。
“这不是怪物，”Jon平静地说道，“那是一只巨狼（Direwolf）。它们比其他的狼都要大。”
Theon Greyjoy 说：“已经有两百年了，再也没有人在长墙以南见到过巨狼。”
“我现在就见到了一只，”Jon回答。
Bran不舍地将他的目光从那个怪物身上移开。这时，他才注意到了Robb怀里抱着的那团东西。他兴奋地叫了起来，然后挤到Robb身边。那只小狼崽像是一团灰黑色的毛球，它眼睛还是闭着的。当Robb抱着它时，它用鼻子盲目地蹭着Robb的胸膛，似乎是在他的皮外套下寻找吃奶的地方，还不时发出一声可怜的呜咽声。Bran犹犹豫豫地伸出手来。“别怕，”Robb告诉他。“你可以摸摸它。”
Bran紧张地用手快快地抚摸了一下那只小狼崽，这时他听见Jon说：“这只是你的，”他转过身来。他的私生哥哥把第二只小狼崽放进他的怀里。“总共有五只呢。”Bran在雪地里坐了下来，他紧紧抱着小狼崽，把他贴在自己的脸上。狼崽的毛碰在脸颊上又柔软又温暖。
“在这么多年后，巨狼又在疆域里出现了，”马夫长Hullen嘟囔道，“我可不觉得这是件好事儿。”
“这是一个征兆，”Jory也说。
父亲皱了皱眉头“这只是一只死了的巨狼而已，Jory，”他说。不过，他似乎也感到了一种不安。当他围着死尸走动查看时，他的靴子踩得雪吱吱作响。“我们知不知道是什么东西杀了她？”
“它的喉咙上插着什么东西，”Robb告诉父亲，他很自豪自己在父亲问这个问题之前他就找到了答案。“就在那儿，就在下巴下面.”。
他的父亲跪下身去，用手在野兽的脑袋下面摸索着。
他使劲地一拔，然后把拔出来的东西举起来给大家看。那是一截一尺长的鹿角，鹿角尖已经折断了，上面湿乎乎地沾满了血。
一阵突如其来的沉寂笼罩着在场的所有人。大家不安地看着鹿角，没有人敢说话。即便是Bran也能感受到他们的恐惧，尽管他不明白究竟怎么回事。
他的父亲把鹿角扔到一边，然后用雪把手擦干净。“我真觉得不可思议，她居然能撑到把狼崽子都生出来。”他的话打破了这一阵沉寂。
“也许她没活那么久，”Jory说，“我听说过这样的事……也许狼崽子出生的时候母狼已经死了。”
“死狼生下来的狼崽子，”另一个人插话道，“那就更倒霉了。”
“无所谓了，”Hullen说，“这些狼崽子也活不了多久了。”
Bran吃惊地发出了一声无语的尖叫。
“它们死得越早越好，”Theon Greyjoy附和道。他拔出剑来。“把那家伙给我，Bran。”
小狼崽子蠕动着，紧紧贴在Bran身上，似乎它听到了也明白了这话。“不！”Bran激动地喊道，“它是我的。”
“把你的剑收起来，Greyjoy，”Robb说话了。在那一刻，他的话听起来很有权威，就像是他们的父亲一样，就像是他有一天终将成为的领主一样。“我们会收留这些小狼崽子的。”
“你不能这么做，孩子，”Harwin说道。Harwin是Hullen的儿子。
“杀掉他们也许是最仁慈的选择了，”Hullen也说。
Bran看着他的父亲大人，向他求援，但父亲只是皱着眉头，他的眉头邹成一道深沟。“Hullen说得是大实话，孩子。与其让它们悲惨地冻死或是饿死，倒不如快刀斩乱麻。”
“不嘛！”Bran能够感觉到眼泪在眼睛里就快流出来了，他把目光挪开。他可不想在他父亲面前哭哭啼啼。
Robb固执地抗拒着：“Rodrik爵士的红母狗上周又生崽子了，”他说。“那一小窝狗崽子里只有两只活了下来。她会有足够的奶水的。”
“如果这些狼崽子想去吃她奶的话，她会把这些狼崽子给撕成碎片的。”
“Stark 大人，”John说话了。Bran听到他这么正式地称呼父亲，感觉怪怪的。他带着最后一丝希望看着Jon。“一共有五只狼崽，”Jon告诉父亲。“三只公的，两只母的。”
“那又怎么样，Jon？”
“你有五个亲生的孩子，”Jon继续说。“三个儿子，两个女儿。巨狼是你的家族标志。是天意让你的孩子们拥有这些狼崽子的，大人。”
Bran看见他父亲的脸色变了，他也看见其他人在交换着眼神。在那一刻，他真是爱死Jon了。虽然现在Bran只有七岁，他非常明白哥哥这么做意味着什么。他说的数字之所以正确，是因为Jon把自己排除在外。他包括了姐姐们，甚至还包括小宝宝Rickon，但他唯独没有包括自己这个姓Snow的私生子。按北方的传统，Snow这个姓是给北方所有的那些出生不幸，没有自己姓名（不知道自己父亲是谁）的人的。
他们的父亲当然更明白啦。“你自己不想要一只小狼崽吗，Jon？”他轻柔地问道。
“巨狼是恩宠Stark家族的旗号的，”Jon直截了当地说道，“我不是Stark家的人，父亲。”
他们的父王若有所思地打量着Jon。Robb赶紧用他的话打破了这一刻沉默。“我会亲自给他喂奶的，父亲，”他承诺道，“我会把毛巾在热奶里浸湿了，然后让他就着毛巾吸奶。”
“我也会的！”Bran附和道。
父亲大人的目光长长地而又仔细地掂量着他的儿子们。“说起来容易，做起来难。我不允许你们浪费佣人们的时间来帮你们做这件事。如果你们想留着这些小狼崽子的话，你们就要自己喂它们。听明白了吗？”
Bran急切地点着头。小狼崽在他的怀抱里蠕动着，用温热的舌头舔着他的脸。
“你们还必须要训练他们，”他们的父亲继续说。“你们必须好好训练它们。我给你们说清楚了：狗舍的训狗师是绝对不会插手管你们的这些怪物的。如果你们不好好照顾它们，或是虐待它们，或是不好好训练它们，你们就只有祈求众神（老天爷）来帮你们忙了。这些家伙不是一般的狗，它们不会求人给它吃东西，也不是你踢它一脚它就会乖乖溜走的。巨狼可以轻而易举地把人的一只胳膊扯掉，轻松地就像是狗杀死一只老鼠。你们肯定你们想留着它们吗？”
“是的，父亲，”Bran说道。
“是的，”Robb 也同意道。
“而且即使你们费了很多工夫，狼崽子们还是有可能养不活的。”
“他们不会死的，”Robb说，“我们不会让他们死掉的。”
“好吧，那你们就留着它们吧。Jory，Desmond，把其他的狼崽子也一块儿抱上。我们该回Winterfell城堡了。”
直到大家都骑着马上了路，Bran才终于可以感受这一刻胜利的甜蜜与喜悦。在这个时候，他的狼崽紧紧蜷缩在他的皮衣里面，温暖地靠着他。终于安全了，可以一路回家了。Bran开始想，该给他取什么名字好呢？
他们在桥上刚走了一半，Jon突然让马停了下来。
“有什么事吗，Jon？”他们的父亲大人问。
“你听见没有？”
Bran可以听到风吹过树林，他们的马蹄落在用铁树木板铺成的桥面上的声音，还有他那只饥饿的小狼仔的呜咽声。但是Jon却在听其他的声音。
“在那儿，”Jon说道。他掉转马头，快速地从桥上返回。其他人看着他在雪地里巨狼死去的地方下了马，看见他跪下身去。不一会儿，他骑着马回来了，满脸都是笑容。
“他一定是从那一窝狼崽子那里爬走了，”Jon说。
“或者是被赶走的。”他们的父亲说到。他看着那第六只小狼崽。他的毛是纯白色的，而其他的狼崽子都是灰色的。他的眼睛血红血红，就像那天早上死去的那个衣衫褴褛的死刑犯的血一样红。Bran觉得尤为奇怪的是，其他的小狼崽子眼睛都还没有睁开呢，只有这一只狼崽子的眼睛睁开了。
“这家伙一定是有白化病（Albino）吧，”Theon Greyjoy带着一副挖苦的笑容说。“这家伙肯定比其他的狼崽子要死的更快。”
Jon Snow长长地、冷冷地看着他父亲的被监护人。“我可不这么认为，Greyjoy，”他回答道。“这一只是属于我的。”
【刘博士音频】
【the English Text】
A Song of Ice and Fire 006 Bran 02
That was when Jon reappeared on the crest of the hill before them. He waved and shouted down at them. “Father Bran come quickly see what Robb has found!” Then he was gone again.
Jory rode up beside them. “Trouble my lord?”
“Beyond a doubt ” his lord father said. “Come let us see what mischief my sons have rooted out now.” He sent his horse into a trot. Jory and Bran and the rest came after.
They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge with Jon still mounted beside him. The late summer snows had been heavy this moonturn. Robb stood knee-deep in white his hood pulled back so the sun shone in his hair. He was cradling something in his arm while the boys talked in hushed excited voices.
The riders picked their way carefully through the drifts groping for solid footing on the hidden uneven ground. Jory Cassel and Theon Greyjoy were the first to reach the boys. Greyjoy was laughing and joking as he rode. Bran heard the breath go out of him. “Gods!” he exclaimed struggling to keep control of his horse as he reached for his sword.
Jory’s sword was already out. “Robb get away from it!” he called as his horse reared under him.
Robb grinned and looked up from the bundle in his arms. “She can’t hurt you ” he said. “She’s dead Jory.”
Bran was afire with curiosity by then. He would have spurred the pony faster but his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot. Bran jumped off and ran.
By then Jon Jory and Theon Greyjoy had all dismounted as well. “What in the seven hells is it?” Greyjoy was saying.
“A wolf ” Robb told him.
“A freak ” Greyjoy said. “Look at the size of it.”
Bran’s heart was thumping in his chest as he pushed through a waist-high drift to his brothers’ side.
Half-buried in bloodstained snow a huge dark shape slumped in death. Ice had formed in its shaggy grey fur and the faint smell of corruption clung to it like a woman’s perfume. Bran glimpsed blind eyes crawling with maggots a wide mouth full of yellowed teeth. But it was the size of it that made him gasp. It was bigger than his pony twice the size of the largest hound in his father’s kennel.
“It’s no freak ” Jon said calmly. “That’s a direwolf. They grow larger than the other kind.”
Theon Greyjoy said “There’s not been a direwolf sighted south of the Wall in two hundred years.”
“I see one now ” Jon replied.
Bran tore his eyes away from the monster. That was when he noticed the bundle in Robb’s arms. He gave a cry of delight and moved closer. The pup was a tiny ball of grey-black fur its eyes still closed. It nuzzled blindly against Robb’s chest as he cradled it searching for milk among his leathers making a sad little whimpery sound. Bran reached out hesitantly. “Go on ” Robb told him. “You can touch him.”
Bran gave the pup a quick nervous stroke then turned as Jon said “Here you go.” His half brother put a second pup into his arms. “There are five of them.” Bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face. Its fur was soft and warm against his cheek.
“Direwolves loose in the realm after so many years ” muttered Hullen the master of horse. “I like it not.”
“It is a sign ” Jory said.
Father frowned. “This is only a dead animal Jory ” he said. Yet he seemed troubled. Snow crunched under his boots as he moved around the body. “Do we know what killed her?”
“There’s something in the throat ” Robb told him proud to have found the answer before his father even asked. “There just under the jaw.
His father knelt and groped under the beast’s head with his hand.
He gave a yank and held it up for all to see. A foot of shattered antler tines snapped off all wet with blood.
A sudden silence descended over the party. The men looked at the antler uneasily and no one dared to speak. Even Bran could sense their fear though he did not understand.
His father tossed the antler to the side and cleansed his hands in the snow. “I’m surprised she lived long enough to whelp ” he said. His voice broke the spell.
“Maybe she didn’t ” Jory said. “I’ve heard tales . . . maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came.”
“Born with the dead ” another man put in. “Worse luck.”
“No matter ” said Hullen. “They be dead soon enough too.”
Bran gave a wordless cry of dismay.
“The sooner the better ” Theon Greyjoy agreed. He drew his sword. “Give the beast here Bran.” The little thing squirmed against him as if it heard and understood. “No!” Bran cried out
fiercely. “It’s mine.”
“Put away your sword Greyjoy ” Robb said. For a moment he sounded as commanding as their father like the lord he would someday be. “We will keep these pups.”
“You cannot do that boy ” said Harwin who was Hullen’s son.
“It be a mercy to kill them ” Hullen said.
Bran looked to his lord father for rescue but got only a frown a furrowed brow. “Hullen speaks truly son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation.”
“No!” He could feel tears welling in his eyes and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father.
Robb resisted stubbornly. “Ser Rodrik’s red bitch whelped again last week ” he said. “It was a small litter only two live pups. She’ll have milk enough.”
“She’ll rip them apart when they try to nurse.”
“Lord Stark ” Jon said. It was strange to hear him call Father that so formal. Bran looked at him with desperate hope. “There are five pups ” he told Father. “Three male two female.”
“What of it Jon?”
“You have five trueborn children ” Jon said. “Three sons two daughters. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. Your children were meant to have these pups my lord.”
Bran saw his father’s face change saw the other men exchange glances. He loved Jon with all his heart at that moment. Even at seven Bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself. He had included the girls included even Rickon the baby but not the bastard who bore the surname Snow the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the north unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own.
Their father understood as well. “You want no pup for yourself Jon?” he asked softly.
“The direwolf graces the banners of House Stark ” Jon pointed out. “I am no Stark Father.”
Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully. Robb rushed into the silence he left. “I will nurse him myself Father ” he promised. “I will soak a towel with warm milk and give him suck from that.”
“Me too!” Bran echoed.
The lord weighed his sons long and carefully with his eyes. “Easy to say and harder to do. I will not have you wasting the servants’ time with this. If you want these pups you will feed them yourselves. Is that understood?”
Bran nodded eagerly. The pup squirmed in his grasp licked at his face with a warm tongue.
“You must train them as well ” their father said. “You must train them. The kennelmaster will have nothing to do with these monsters I promise you that. And the gods help you if you neglect them or brutalize them or train them badly. These are not dogs to beg for treats and slink off at a kick. A direwolf will rip a man’s arm off his shoulder as easily as a dog will kill a rat. Are you sure you want this?”
“Yes Father ” Bran said.
“Yes ” Robb agreed.
“The pups may die anyway despite all you do.”
“They won’t die ” Robb said. “We won’t let them die.”
“Keep them then. Jory Desmond gather up the other pups. It’s time we were back to Winterfell.”
It was not until they were mounted and on their way that Bran allowed himself to taste the sweet air of victory. By then his pup was snuggled inside his leathers warm against him safe for the long ride home. Bran was wondering what to name him.
Halfway across the bridge Jon pulled up suddenly. “What is it Jon?” their lord father asked.
“Can’t you hear it?”
Bran could hear the wind in the trees the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks the whimpering of his hungry pup but Jon was listening to something else.
“There ” Jon said. He swung his horse around and galloped back across the bridge. They watched him dismount where the direwolf lay dead in the snow watched him kneel. A moment later he was riding back to them smiling.
“He must have crawled away from the others ” Jon said.
“Or been driven away ” their father said looking at the sixth pup. His fur was white where the rest of the litter was grey. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind.
“An albino ” Theon Greyjoy said with wry amusement. “This one will die even faster than the others.”
Jon Snow gave his father’s ward a long chilling look. “I think not Greyjoy ” he said. “This one belongs to me.”
