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scratch out an existence

勉强维持生计 / 白手起家

`scratch out an existence` 字面意思是「刮擦出一段存在」，引申为「非常艰难地维持生活」或「白手起家、从零开始创造条件」。这里 Corlys 说他的家族过去数世纪在海上艰难地打拼出了今天的地位。

But unlike the Targaryens, we were no dragonlords.

For centuries, my house had to scratch out an existence from the sea

with grit and luck.