He was the fourth this year, Ned said grimly¹. The poor man was half-mad. 这已经是今年第四个逃兵了，奈德沉著脸说道，那个可怜的家伙已经疯了一半，

Something had put a fear in him so deep that my words could not reach him. 不知什麽东西把他吓成那副德行，连我说话都起不了作用。

He sighed. Ben writes that the strength of the Night's Watch is down below a thousand. 他叹口气：“班写信来说守夜人的兵力只剩不到一千，

It's not only desertions. They are losing men on rangings as well. 不只是因为逃兵，他们派出去的巡逻队也损失惨重。”

Is it the wildlings? she asked. 是野人的关系麽？她问道。

Who else? Ned lifted Ice, looked down the cool steel length of it. 还会有谁呢？奈德举起寒冰，俯首审视手中冰冷的钢铁。

And it will only grow worse. 而且恐怕情况只会越来越糟，

The day may come when I will have no choice but to call the banners² and ride north to deal with this King-beyond-the-Wall for good and all. 也许我更会别无选择，非得召集家臣，率军北进，与这个绝境长城以外的国王一决生死。

Beyond the Wall? The thought made Catelyn shudder³. 绝境长城以外？凯特琳想到就不禁浑身颤抖。

Ned saw the dread⁴ on her face. Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear. 奈德察觉了她脸上的恐惧。我们用不著害怕曼斯·雷德。

There are darker things beyond the Wall. 长城外还有更可怕的东西。

She glanced behind her at the heart tree, the pale bark and red eyes, watching, listening, thinking its long slow thoughts. 她转过头去，看著城心树惨白的树皮和赭红的双眼，凝视、倾听、思考著深邃悠远的思绪。

His smile was gentle. You listen to too many of Old Nan's stories. 他的微笑好温柔。你听了太多老奶妈的故事了。

The Others are as dead as the children of the forest, gone eight thousand years. 异鬼和森林之子一样，早已经消失了八千多年。

Maester Luwin will tell you they never lived at all. No living man has ever seen one. 鲁温师傅会告诉你他们根本就没存在过，没有人活著见过他们。

Until this morning, no living man had ever seen a direwolf either, Catelyn reminded him. 在今天早上以前，不也没有人见过冰原狼麽？凯特琳提醒他。