And winter is coming." Yes, Catelyn agreed. The words gave her a chill, as they always did. 更何况凛冬将至。「是啊，」凯特琳也同意，最後那句话一如往常地教她不寒而栗。

The Stark¹ words. Every noble house had its words. Family mottoes, touchstones, prayers of sorts, 那是史塔克家族的警语，每一个贵族家族都有自己的箴言警句：或是世代相传的座右铭，或是待人处事的衡量标准，或是面临困境的祷词；

they boasted of honor and glory, promised loyalty² and truth, swore faith and courage. 有的夸耀荣誉，有些讲究忠贞诚信，还有的为信仰勇气宣誓，

All but the Starks. Winter is coming, said the Stark words. 唯独史塔克家族例外。凛冬将至，史塔克家族的警语是这麽说的。

Not for the first time, she reflected on what a strange people these northerners were. 她已经不只一次在心里暗自疑惑，这些北方人究竟是什麽样的一群怪人。

The man died well, I'll give him that, Ned said. He had a swatch of oiled leather in one hand. 「今天那个人死得很乾脆，这一点我不否认。」奈德说道，他手里握了一块上了油的皮革，

He ran it lightly up the greatsword as he spoke³, polishing the metal to a dark glow. 边说边轻拭剑身，把金属磨出一道暗沉的光泽。

I was glad for Bran's sake. You would have been proud of Bran. 「我很为布兰高兴，你要是在场，也会为他骄傲的。」

I am always proud of Bran, Catelyn replied, watching the sword as he stroked it. 「我向来都很为他骄傲。」凯特琳看著他拭剑答道，

She could see the rippling⁴ deep within the steel, where the metal had been folded back on itself a hundred times in the forging. 她可以看见钢铁深处的波纹，那是锻制时千锤百链的印记。

Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not deny that Ice had its own beauty. 凯特琳对刀剑素无好感，但她不能否认「寒冰」确实有其独特的美。

It had been forged in Valyria, before the Doom⁵ had come to the old Freehold, 它是在未日浩劫降临古自由堡垒以前，在瓦雷利亚锻造而成的，

when the ironsmiths had worked their metal with spells as well as hammers. 当时的铁匠不仅用凿槌冶铁，也用法术来形塑金属。

Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp as the day it was forged. 宝剑已有四百年历史，却仍旧如同它锻冶初成时那般锋利，

The name it bore was older still, a legacy⁶ from the age of heroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North. 它的名字则更是源远流长，是古代英雄纪元时的精神遗产，那时史塔克一族是北境之王。