Even so, some were getting away.
但是,有些船得以逃脱。
A river’s current was a tricky thing, and the wildfire was not spreading as evenly as he had hoped.
水流难以捉摸,野火不如他希望的那么散布均匀。
The main channel was all aflame,
确实,主河道化为一片火海,
but a good many of the Myrmen had made for the south bank and looked to escape unscathed,
但不少密尔舰艇逃向南岸,有希望全身而退,
and at least eight ships had landed under the city walls.
还有至少八艘船已在城下登陆。
Landed or wrecked, but it comes to the same thing, they’ve put men ashore.
不管顺利登陆还是失事搁浅,结果都一样,她们把人弄到了岸上。
Worse, a good part of the south wing of the enemy’s first two battle lines had been well upstream of the inferno when the hulks went up.
更糟的是,在废船起火前,敌军最前两个战列的左翼已突破防御,到达上游。
Stannis would be left with thirty or forty galleys, at a guess;
这样估算,史坦尼斯大概还剩三四十艘战舰,
more than enough to bring his whole host across, once they had regained their courage.
一旦他们重拾勇气,足以将整个军团运过河。
That might take a bit of time;
那恐怕得花上一点时间——就算再勇敢的人,
even the bravest would be dismayed after watching a thousand or so of his fellows consumed by wildfire.
看到数以千计的袍泽被野火吞噬,也会感到恐慌。
Hallyne said that sometimes the substance burned so hot that flesh melted like tallow.
哈林说这种物质烧起来非常炽热,血肉将像油脂一样融化。
Yet even so …
即便如此……
Tyrion had no illusions where his own men were concerned.
提利昂对自己的人不存幻想。
If the battle looks to be going sour they’ll break, and they’ll break bad, Jacelyn Bywater had warned him,
只要势头不妙,他们将即刻崩溃,逃之夭夭,杰斯林·拜瓦特警告过,
so the only way to win was to make certain the battle stayed sweet, start to finish.
因此获胜的惟一办法就是确保战斗从头至尾一直占上风。
He could see dark shapes moving through the charred ruins of the riverfront wharfs.
他看见焦黑的码头废墟中一片黑压压的人影。
Time for another sortie, he thought.
是再度突击的时候了,他想。
Men were never so vulnerable as when they first staggered ashore.
军队踉跄上岸时最为脆弱,
He must not give the foe time to form up on the north bank.
不能给敌人在北岸集结的时间。
He scrambled down off the merlon.
他翻下城垛。
“Tell Lord Jacelyn we’ve got enemy on the riverfront,”
“告诉杰斯林大人,河边有敌情,”
he said to one of the runners Bywater had assigned him.
他对拜瓦特派来的其中一位传令兵说,
To another he said, “Bring my compliments to Ser Arneld and ask him to swing the Whores thirty degrees west.”
然后转向另一个,“替我向亚耐德爵士致意,并让他将‘君临三妓’西转三十度。”
The angle would allow them to throw farther, if not as far out into the water.
虽不足封锁河面,至少能投得更远。
“Mother promised I could have the Whores,” Joffrey said.
“母亲答应让我指挥‘君临三妓’,”乔佛里说。
Tyrion was annoyed to see that the king had lifted the visor of his helm again.
提利昂恼火地发现国王又将面甲掀了起来。
Doubtless the boy was cooking inside all that heavy steel …
这孩子无疑在厚重的钢甲里闷得够呛……
but the last thing he needed was some stray arrow punching through his nephew’s eye.
但此刻他最不愿看到的就是一支流矢戳进外甥的眼睛。
He clanged the visor shut.
他“咣”一声拉下面甲。