霍比特人：奇怪的住所 Queer Lodgings （下）

The wind was on the withered heath,

風(fēng)兒在荒原之上，

but in the forest stirred no leaf:

但在森林中樹葉還未受到擾動：

there shadows lay by night and day,

那里終日都是暗影憧憧，

and dark things silent crept beneath.

黑暗的東西在暗影下爬行。

The wind came down from mountains cold,

風(fēng)兒自寒冷的山中吹下，

and like a tide it roared and rolled;

如同潮水般咆哮翻滾;

the branches groaned, the forest moaned,

樹枝呻吟，森林哀號，

and leaves were laid upon the mould.

樹葉被吹落腐土堆中。

The wind went on from West to East;

風(fēng)兒從西方吹向東方，

all movement in the forest ceased,

森林中一切動靜停止，

but shrill and harsh across the marsh

風(fēng)聲凄厲掠過沼地，

its whistling voices were released.

天地間只聞陣陣呼嘯。

The grasses hissed, their tassels bent,

草地嘶嘶作響，草穗彎下腰桿，

the reeds were rattling—on it went

雜草簌簌發(fā)抖——風(fēng)兒繼續(xù)馳騁，

o’er shaken pool under heavens cool

掠過顫動的冰冷湖泊，

where racing clouds were torn and rent.

撕碎奔逃的云朵。

It passed the lonely Mountain bare

它越過孤獨的童山，

and swept above the dragon’s lair:

掃過惡龍的巢穴：

there black and dark lay boulders stark

那里又黑又暗，盡是赤裸的巨石，

and flying smoke was in the air.

空氣煙霧飄繞。

It left the world and took its flight

它離開世界，繼續(xù)飛翔

over the wide seas of the night.

越過夜的寬闊海洋。

The moon set sail upon the gale,

月光迎風(fēng)揚帆，

and stars were fanned to leaping light.

群星環(huán)列，發(fā)出耀眼光芒。

Bilbo began to nod again. Suddenly up stood Gandalf.

比爾博又開始打起瞌睡來了。突然間，甘道夫站了起來。

“It is time for us to sleep,” he said, “—for us, but not I think for Beorn. In this hall we can rest sound and safe, but I warn you all not to forget what Beorn said before he left us: you must not stray outside until the sun is up, on your peril.”

“該睡覺了。”他說，“——我是說我們，但我想貝奧恩可能還沒到睡的時候。我們可以安安心心地在這個大廳里休息，不過，我提醒你們可別忘了貝奧恩臨走之前說過的話：太陽升起之前，不要到外面亂跑，否則會有危險。”

Bilbo found that beds had already been laid at the side of the hall, on a sort of raised platform between the pillars and the outer wall. For him there was a little mattress of straw and woollen blankets. He snuggled into them very gladly, summertime though it was. The fire burned low and he fell asleep. Yet in the night he woke: the fire had now sunk to a few embers; the dwarves and Gandalf were all asleep, to judge by their breathing; a splash of white on the floor came from the high moon, which was peering down through the smoke-hole in the roof.

比爾博這才發(fā)現(xiàn)大廳的邊沿已經(jīng)鋪好了床，在柱子和外墻之間突起的平臺上。有一張小小的草墊席子和幾條羊毛毯是專門給他準備的，他非常高興地鉆進其中，盡管現(xiàn)在還是夏天。火苗漸漸小了下去，他進入了夢鄉(xiāng)。然而到了半夜的時候他醒了過來：火焰現(xiàn)在只剩下幾點余燼，從呼吸聲來判斷，甘道夫和矮人都已經(jīng)睡著了，地上灑滿了銀白的月光，高掛中天的月亮正從屋頂上的煙洞往屋里窺探著。

There was a growling sound outside, and a noise as of some great animal scuffling at the door. Bilbo wondered what it was, and whether it could be Beorn in enchanted shape, and if he would come in as a bear and kill them. He dived under the blankets and hid his head, and fell asleep again at last in spite of his fears.

外面?zhèn)鱽硪宦暫拷?，接著門邊傳來一陣巨大動物撥弄門的聲響。比爾博很好奇那會是什么動物，不知道是不是貝奧恩變成中了咒語之后的形態(tài)?他又會不會變成大熊進來把大家都殺死?想到這里，他躲進毯子內(nèi)把頭蓋住，雖然滿心害怕，但最后還是又睡著了。

It was full morning when he awoke. One of the dwarves had fallen over him in the shadows where he lay, and had rolled down with a bump from the platform on to the floor. It was Bofur, and he was grumbling about it, when Bilbo opened his eyes.

當(dāng)他醒來時，天已經(jīng)大亮了。有一名矮人在經(jīng)過他躺著的那片暗影時，不小心被他的身體給絆倒，然后“撲通”一聲從平臺上滾了下來。那是波弗，當(dāng)比爾博睜開眼的時候，他正在為此咕噥著。

“Get up lazybones,” he said, “or there will be no breakfast left for you.”

“快起來吧，懶骨頭，”他說，“不然就沒早餐剩下給你啦!”

Up jumped Bilbo. “Breakfast!” he cried. “Where is breakfast?”

比爾博一躍而起。“早餐!”他大喊道，“早餐在哪兒呢?”

“Mostly inside us,” answered the other dwarves who were moving about the hall; “but what is left is out on the veranda. We have been about looking for Beorn ever since the sun got up; but there is no sign of him anywhere, though we found breakfast laid as soon as we went out.”

“大部分在我們肚子里，”其他在大廳中走來走去的矮人說道，“剩下的則在陽臺上。太陽出來之后我們就一直在找貝奧恩，可哪兒都不見他的影子。不過，我們一出去，就發(fā)現(xiàn)早餐已經(jīng)擺好了。”

“Where is Gandalf?” asked Bilbo, moving off to find something to eat as quick as he could.

“甘道夫呢?”比爾博用最快的動作朝外面奔去，想要找東西吃。

“O! out and about somewhere,” they told him. But he saw no sign of the wizard all that day until the evening. Just before sunset he walked into the hall, where the hobbit and the dwarves were having supper, waited on by Beorn’s wonderful animals, as they had been all day. Of Beorn they had seen and heard nothing since the night before, and they were getting puzzled.

“哦!大概在外面什么地方吧。”他們告訴他。但他一直到傍晚都沒有見到巫師的蹤影。太陽快落山的時候，他才走了進來，矮人和霍比特人正在用晚餐，貝奧恩那些聰明能干的動物服侍著他們，白天一整天也都是他們在服侍著。至于貝奧恩，自從昨天晚上之后，就沒有他的任何音訊，這讓他們越來越有點摸不著頭腦了。

“Where is our host, and where have you been all day yourself?” they all cried.

“我們的主人呢?你自己這一整天又跑到哪兒去了?”他們異口同聲地問道。

“One question at a time—and none till after supper! I haven’t had a bite since breakfast.”

“一次一個問題——而且得先吃了晚飯再說。我從今天早餐開始還什么也沒吃呢。”

At last Gandalf pushed away his plate and jug—he had eaten two whole loaves (with masses of butter and honey and clotted cream) and drunk at least a quart of mead—and he took out his pipe. “I will answer the second question first,” he said, “—but bless me! this is a splendid place for smoke rings!” Indeed for a long time they could get nothing more out of him, he was so busy sending smoke rings dodging round the pillars of the hall, changing them into all sorts of different shapes and colours, and setting them at last chasing one another out of the hole in the roof. They must have looked very queer from outside, popping out into the air one after another, green, blue, red, silver-grey, yellow, white; big ones, little ones; little ones dodging through big ones and joining into figure-eights, and going off like a flock of birds into the distance.

等甘道夫終于推開了他的盤子和酒壺之后——他一口氣吃了整整兩大條面包(上面涂了厚厚的黃油、蜂蜜和凝結(jié)的奶油)，又喝了至少一夸脫的蜂蜜酒——他又悠悠地拿出了他的煙斗。“我先回答第二個問題，”他說，“——但是天哪!這兒可真是個噴煙圈的好地方!”又有好長一段時間大伙兒從他嘴里什么話也摳不出來，他只顧著噴出煙圈，讓它們在柱子間繞來躲去，變幻成各種各樣的形狀和顏色，最后把它們一個追著一個地從屋頂?shù)耐L(fēng)口送了出去。誰要是從外面看的話一定覺得很奇怪，從那個口子里一個接一個地有煙圈冒出來，綠的、藍的、紅的、銀灰色的、黃的、白的，有大個兒的，有小個兒的，小煙圈為了閃躲而從大煙圈之間鉆過去，構(gòu)成了數(shù)字8的形狀，最后又像一群鳥兒那樣向著遠方飛去。

“I have been picking out bear-tracks,” he said at last. “There must have been a regular bears’ meeting outside here last night. I soon saw that Beorn could not have made them all: there were far too many of them, and they were of various sizes too. I should say there were little bears, large bears, ordinary bears, and gigantic big bears, all dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn. They came from almost every direction, except from the west over the river, from the Mountains. In that direction only one set of footprints led—none coming, only ones going away from here. I followed these as far as the Carrock. There they disappeared into the river, but the water was too deep and strong beyond the rock for me to cross. It is easy enough, as you remember, to get from this bank to the Carrock by the ford, but on the other side is a cliff standing up from a swirling channel. I had to walk miles before I found a place where the river was wide and shallow enough for me to wade and swim, and then miles back again to pick up the tracks again. By that time it was too late for me to follow them far. They went straight off in the direction of the pine-woods on the east side of the Misty Mountains, where we had our pleasant little party with the Wargs the night before last. And now I think I have answered your first question, too,” ended Gandalf, and he sat a long while silent.

“我一直在追蹤熊的足跡。”他終于開口說話了，“昨天晚上，這里外面一定有一個大熊的常規(guī)聚會。我很快就知道，貝奧恩不可能同時化身成那么多只熊，因為它們的數(shù)量太多了，身材大小也各不相同。我應(yīng)該這么說，那里有小熊，有大熊，有普通的熊，有超級巨大的熊，都從半夜跳舞跳到快天亮。他們幾乎是從四面八方趕過來的，惟一的例外是河對岸的西方，也就是迷霧山脈的方向。在那個方向，只有一道離開的足跡，而不是過來。我跟蹤那路足跡一直來到卡爾巖。足跡從那之后就消失在了河中。不過巨巖后面的水流太過湍急，我沒有辦法過河。你們應(yīng)該還記得從渡口過到卡爾巖其實不算太困難，但在另外一邊則是一道矗立在水流湍急的峽谷之上的懸崖。我走了好幾哩的路，才找到一個河水又寬又淺可以渡過的地方，然后我還得再走好幾哩路回來才能夠繼續(xù)跟蹤足跡。那時，天色已晚，我再也不能繼續(xù)追蹤下去了。那路腳印直直通往迷霧山脈東邊的松樹林中，也就是我們前天晚上和座狼經(jīng)歷過小小聚會的地方。現(xiàn)在，我想我也同時回答了你們的第一個問題。”甘道夫說完了，他坐著，很長一段時間都沒有再說話。

Bilbo thought he knew what the wizard meant. “What shall we do,” he cried, “if he leads all the Wargs and the goblins down here? We shall all be caught and killed! I thought you said he was not a friend of theirs.”

比爾博認為他明白了巫師的意思。“那我們該怎么做呢，”他喊了起來，“如果他把所有的座狼和半獸人都引回來怎么辦?我們一定會全都被抓起來殺掉的!我記得你說過他不是他們的朋友。”

“So I did. And don’t be silly! You had better go to bed, your wits are sleepy.”

“我的確是這樣說過。別傻了!你最好去睡覺吧，你的智慧都在打瞌睡了。”

The hobbit felt quite crushed, and as there seemed nothing else to do he did go to bed; and while the dwarves were still singing songs he dropped asleep, still puzzling his little head about Beorn, till he dreamed a dream of hundreds of black bears dancing slow heavy dances round and round in the moonlight in the courtyard. Then he woke up when everyone else was asleep, and he heard the same scraping, scuffling, snuffling, and growling as before.

霍比特人覺得挺受打擊，可由于似乎也沒什么別的事好做了，他只能悻悻地上床去了。當(dāng)矮人還在唱歌的時候，他已經(jīng)沉沉睡去，小腦袋里還在為貝奧恩而感到迷惑，直到他做起夢來，夢見幾百只黑熊在院子里的月光下緩步跳著緩慢而又笨拙的舞蹈。等其他人都睡覺的時候，他又醒了過來，門外和昨晚一樣傳來了搔爬、嗅聞和嘶吼的聲音。

Next morning they were all wakened by Beorn himself. “So here you all are still!” he said. He picked up the hobbit and laughed: “Not eaten up by Wargs or goblins or wicked bears yet I see”; and he poked Mr. Baggins’ waistcoat most disrespectfully. “Little bunny is getting nice and fat again on bread and honey,” he chuckled. “Come and have some more!”

第二天早上，他們都被貝奧恩親自叫了起來。“你們都還在啊!”他抱起霍比特人笑著說，“看來還沒被座狼、半獸人或是邪惡的大熊給吃掉啊!”他十分無禮地戳了戳巴金斯先生的背心。“咱們的小兔子吃了面包和蜂蜜，又恢復(fù)健康，重新變胖了!”他咯咯笑道，“快來再吃點吧!”

So they all went to breakfast with him. Beorn was most jolly for a change; indeed he seemed to be in a splendidly good humour and set them all laughing with his funny stories; nor did they have to wonder long where he had been or why he was so nice to them, for he told them himself. He had been over the river and right back up into the mountains—from which you can guess that he could travel quickly, in bear’s shape at any rate. From the burnt wolf-glade he had soon found out that part of their story was true; but he had found more than that: he had caught a Warg and a goblin wandering in the woods. From these he had got news: the goblin patrols were still hunting with Wargs for the dwarves, and they were fiercely angry because of the death of the Great Goblin, and also because of the burning of the chief wolf’s nose and the death from the wizard’s fire of many of his chief servants. So much they told him when he forced them, but he guessed there was more wickedness than this afoot, and that a great raid of the whole goblin army with their wolf-allies into the lands shadowed by the mountains might soon be made to find the dwarves, or to take vengeance on the men and creatures that lived there, and who they thought must be sheltering them.

因此，他們和他一起吃起了早餐。貝奧恩一改以往的冷淡，心情似乎變得大好，他說了許多有趣的故事，讓所有的人都和他一起哈哈大笑。大家也沒有花多少時間，就明白了他究竟去了哪兒，以及為什么他對大家這么友善起來，因為他自己親口道出了真相。在他失蹤期間，他渡過了河，到山里面跑了一趟——從中你可以想見，至少當(dāng)他變身為熊的形體出沒時，他可以用多么快的速度奔跑。從那片燒焦的狼群聚集過的林中空地，他很快就確認他們故事中的那部分是真實的，但是，他還發(fā)現(xiàn)了更多的真相。他在森林中抓到了一匹座狼和一個半獸人在四處游蕩，從這兩個家伙的口中他得到消息：半獸人的巡邏隊依舊和座狼一起在追捕著這些矮人，由于半獸人首領(lǐng)的死亡，也由于巫師的火焰令座狼首領(lǐng)鼻子燒傷，令它的許多得力部下死亡，他們的怒氣難以平息。當(dāng)他拷問這兩個家伙的時候，他們只說出了這些，不過，他認為背后肯定會有更多的邪惡勾當(dāng)。不久以后，全體半獸人大軍可能會和他們的盟友座狼全體出動，對大山周邊的地區(qū)進行掃蕩，搜捕矮人，對居住在這一地區(qū)的人類和動物，以及他們認為在庇護著矮人們的人展開瘋狂的報復(fù)。

“It was a good story, that of yours,” said Beorn, “but I like it still better now I am sure it is true. You must forgive my not taking your word. If you lived near the edge of Mirkwood, you would take the word of no one that you did not know as well as your brother or better. As it is, I can only say that I have hurried home as fast as I could to see that you were safe, and to offer you any help that I can. I shall think more kindly of dwarves after this. Killed the Great Goblin, killed the Great Goblin!” he chuckled fiercely to himself.

“你們的故事真不錯!”貝奧恩說，“但當(dāng)我確定它是真的之后，我更喜歡它了。你們必須原諒我不能輕信你們的說法，如果你們長期居住在黑森林的邊緣，就會知道除了親如兄弟的朋友之外，根本不能相信任何人。因此，我只能說我已經(jīng)盡全力趕了回來，想要確認你們的安全，并且盡可能為你們提供所需要的幫助。從今之后，我對矮人的看法又要變好一點了。殺死了半獸人首領(lǐng)，居然殺死了半獸人首領(lǐng)!”他咧開大嘴咯咯笑個不停。

“What did you do with the goblin and the Warg?” asked Bilbo suddenly.

“你把抓到的那個半獸人和那匹座狼怎么樣了?”比爾博突然問道。

“Come and see!” said Beorn, and they followed round the house. A goblin’s head was stuck outside the gate and a warg-skin was nailed to a tree just beyond. Beorn was a fierce enemy. But now he was their friend, and Gandalf thought it wise to tell him their whole story and the reason of their journey, so that they could get the most help he could offer.

“來看看吧!”貝奧悤說，于是他們就跟著走出了屋子。一顆半獸人的腦袋就插在門外，而座狼的毛皮則釘在遠處的樹上。貝奧恩對付敵人可真是毫不留情。但他現(xiàn)在是他們的朋友，甘道夫認為，把完整的故事和這趟冒險真正的原因告訴他才是明智之舉，這樣才能夠獲得他徹底的幫助。

This is what he promised to do for them. He would provide ponies for each of them, and a horse for Gandalf, for their journey to the forest, and he would lade them with food to last them for weeks with care, and packed so as to be as easy as possible to carry—nuts, flour, sealed jars of dried fruits, and red earthenware pots of honey, and twice-baked cakes that would keep good a long time, and on a little of which they could march far. The making of these was one of his secrets; but honey was in them, as in most of his foods, and they were good to eat, though they made one thirsty. Water, he said, they would not need to carry this side of the forest, for there were streams and springs along the road. “But your way through Mirkwood is dark, dangerous and difficult,” he said. “Water is not easy to find there, nor food. The time is not yet come for nuts (though it may be past and gone indeed before you get to the other side), and nuts are about all that grows there fit for food; in there the wild things are dark, queer, and savage. I will provide you with skins for carrying water, and I will give you some bows and arrows. But I doubt very much whether anything you find in Mirkwood will be wholesome to eat or to drink. There is one stream there, I know, black and strong which crosses the path. That you should neither drink of, nor bathe in; for I have heard that it carries enchantment and a great drowsiness and forgetfulness. And in the dim shadows of that place I don’t think you will shoot anything, wholesome or unwholesome, without straying from the path. That you MUST NOT do, for any reason.

貝奧恩答應(yīng)要給他們?nèi)缦聨椭核麜o每人一四小馬，甘道夫則是一匹成年駿馬，供他們踏上前往森林的路途，還會幫他們裝滿充足的食物，如果小心安排的話，這些食物夠他們吃上好幾個星期的。這些食物經(jīng)過特殊的包裝，攜帶起來十分的方便——有堅果、面粉、裝在密封罐子里的干果、紅色陶罐裝的蜂蜜，還有經(jīng)過兩次烘烤的蛋糕，它們可以保存很長時間，而且只要吃一小口，就可以走很遠的路。這些蛋糕的制作是他的秘密之一，但就和他制作的大多數(shù)食品一樣，里面都包含蜂蜜，雖然吃了會感覺有點口渴，但味道卻是非常好。根據(jù)他的說法，在森林的這一邊他們不需要攜帶飲用水，因為一路上都有小溪和泉水。“但是，穿越黑森林的道路黑暗、危險而又困難，”他說，“在那里，食物和飲水都很不好找。堅果成熟的季節(jié)還沒到來(不過，等他們走到另一邊的時候，季節(jié)可能又已經(jīng)過了)，而生長在那里的所有東西中，又只有堅果適合拿來當(dāng)食物。在那座森林里，野生的動物都是黑暗、詭異而又兇猛的。我會提供你們可以攜帶飲水的皮囊，以及一些弓箭。不過，我很懷疑你們在黑森林里找到的東西能夠安全地吃喝。我知道森林中有一條河流，強勁的黑水?dāng)r在你們的路上。那河里的水你們絕對不可以喝，也不可以在里面洗澡，因為，我聽說河水帶有強大的魔法，會讓人昏昏欲睡，并且漸漸忘記一切。在黑森林的暗影中，我認為如果你們想要射到一些東西，不管能吃還是不能吃，都有可能會偏離你們的前進路線。所以，無論出于任何理由，絕對不要去打獵。

“That is all the advice I can give you. Beyond the edge of the forest I cannot help you much; you must depend on your luck and your courage and the food I send with you. At the gate of the forest I must ask you to send back my horse and my ponies. But I wish you all speed, and my house is open to you, if ever you come back this way again.”

“這是我能給你們的全部忠告了，一旦越過了森林的邊緣，我就幫不上什么忙了，你們必須得靠自己的運氣和勇氣，以及我給你們的食物。到了森林的入口處，我也必須請你們將馬匹送回來。我祝你們一切順利，如果你們還有機會沿這條路回來，我的大門隨時為你們敞開。”

They thanked him, of course, with many bows and sweepings of their hoods and with many an “at your service, O master of the wide wooden halls!” But their spirits sank at his grave words, and they all felt that the adventure was far more dangerous than they had thought, while all the time, even if they passed all the perils of the road, the dragon was waiting at the end.

大家當(dāng)然對他表示了感謝，他們鞠了好多次躬，脫了好多次帽子，說了好多遍“寬闊的木廳主人，愿意聽候您差遣!”但大家的情緒卻因為他凝重的話語而變得有點低落，他們都覺得即將開始的冒險比之前所想的還要危險，而且就算他們通過了一路上種種危險的考驗，惡龍還是在最后等著他們。

All that morning they were busy with preparations. Soon after midday they ate with Beorn for the last time, and after the meal they mounted the steeds he was lending them, and bidding him many farewells they rode off through his gate at a good pace.

整個早上大家都在忙著作出發(fā)的準備，中午一過，他們就最后一次和貝奧恩一起吃飯，午餐用完后他們就跨上貝奧恩借給他們的馬，和他道了好幾次別之后，就策馬揚鞭奔出了門外。

As soon as they left his high hedges at the east of his fenced lands they turned north and then bore to the north-west. By his advice they were no longer making for the main forest-road to the south of his land. Had they followed the pass, their path would have led them down a stream from the mountains that joined the great river miles south of the Carrock. At that point there was a deep ford which they might have passed, if they had still had their ponies, and beyond that a track led to the skirts of the wood and to the entrance of the old forest road. But Beorn had warned them that that way was now often used by the goblins, while the forest-road itself, he had heard, was overgrown and disused at the eastern end and led to impassable marshes where the paths had long been lost. Its eastern opening had also always been far to the south of the Lonely Mountain, and would have left them still with a long and difficult northward march when they got to the other side. North of the Carrock the edge of Mirkwood drew closer to the borders of the Great River, and though here the Mountains too drew down nearer, Beorn advised them to take this way; for at a place a few days’ ride due north of the Carrock was the gate of a little-known pathway through Mirkwood that led almost straight towards the Lonely Mountain.

他們從東面離開了貝奧恩那用高高的籬笆圍起來的領(lǐng)地，出來之后立刻轉(zhuǎn)向北方，然后就朝著西北方向前進。根據(jù)他的建議，他們不再按原先打算的那樣，從貝奧恩領(lǐng)地的南面踏上通往森林的大道，因為如果走那條路的話，最后將必須渡過從山脈中流下的一條小河，這條小河會在卡爾巖以南幾哩的地方匯入大河。在兩條河流的交匯點，會有一片河水相對較深的河灘，如果他們還有小馬的話，或許可以渡過。過了河之后，會有一條路通往森林的邊緣，來到老林路的入口。但貝奧恩警告他們，半獸人現(xiàn)在經(jīng)常會踏上這條道路。而且他也聽說，老林路本身的東端已經(jīng)因長久棄置不用而為樹木所覆蓋，硬走下去的話，便會來到無路可走也無法穿越的沼澤地。再說，就算他們勉強走到了森林的另一邊，黑森林東端的出口也一直是離孤山南方距離最遠的一個，他們還必須往北經(jīng)歷一段十分漫長而又艱辛的路程，才能夠到達孤山。卡爾巖北邊的黑森林邊緣更靠近大河，雖然這里離迷霧山脈也更近些，但貝奧恩建議他們不妨走這條路，因為從這邊往北騎幾天，就會來到黑森林一條鮮為人知的道路入口，那條道路穿越森林，幾乎直直地通向孤山。

“The goblins,” Beorn had said, “will not dare to cross the Great River for a hundred miles north of the Carrock nor to come near my house—it is well protected at night!—but I should ride fast; for if they make their raid soon they will cross the river to the south and scour all the edge of the forest so as to cut you off, and Wargs run swifter than ponies. Still you are safer going north, even though you seem to be going back nearer to their strongholds; for that is what they will least expect, and they will have the longer ride to catch you. Be off now as quick as you may!”

“那些半獸人，”貝奧恩說，“是不敢越過大河來到卡爾巖以北一百哩的范圍內(nèi)，更不敢靠近我的住所——這里在晚間可是警備森嚴!——不過，換作是我，我會盡快策馬前進，因為如果他們不久就發(fā)動攻擊的話，那么他們將會渡河南下，掃蕩森林所有的邊緣地區(qū)，將你們截住，而座狼跑得可是比你們的小馬快多了。所以其實還是朝北走更安全，雖然看起來好像是離他們的根據(jù)地更近了，因為那里是他們最想不到的地方，他們反而要兜更大的圈子才能抓到你們?，F(xiàn)在就出發(fā)吧，能走多快就走多快!”

That is why they were now riding in silence, galloping wherever the ground was grassy and smooth, with the mountains dark on their left, and in the distance the line of the river with its trees drawing ever closer. The sun had only just turned west when they started, and till evening it lay golden on the land about them. It was difficult to think of pursuing goblins behind, and when they had put many miles between them and Beorn’s house they began to talk and to sing again and to forget the dark forest-path that lay in front. But in the evening when the dusk came on and the peaks of the mountains glowered against the sunset they made a camp and set a guard, and most of them slept uneasily with dreams in which there came the howl of hunting wolves and the cries of goblins.

正因為如此，他們這會兒才在不出聲地策馬疾行。只要地面上有了草，道路變得平坦，他們就會縱馬飛奔。黑黢黢的大山矗立在他們的左側(cè)，遠處，細細的一線河流挾帶著兩岸的樹木正在不斷逼近。他們出發(fā)的時候，太陽才剛剛往西方移去，到晚上之前太陽都將在他們身邊的土地上灑下萬道金光。此情此景實在讓人很難想像身后會有半獸人的追兵。當(dāng)他們離開貝奧恩的居所許多哩之后，大伙兒又開始有說有笑起來，并且有點忘記了前面還有森林中黑暗的道路在等著他們。但等到夜幕降臨，大山的座座山峰在落日的映襯下露出猙獰的面目時，他們扎下營來，并且安排了輪班守夜。即便如此，大多數(shù)人還是睡得很不踏實，夢中出現(xiàn)了座狼的狂嗥與半獸人的怪叫。

Still the next morning dawned bright and fair again. There was an autumn-like mist white upon the ground and the air was chill, but soon the sun rose red in the East and the mists vanished, and while the shadows were still long they were off again. So they rode now for two more days, and all the while they saw nothing save grass and flowers and birds and scattered trees, and occasionally small herds of red deer browsing or sitting at noon in the shade. Sometimes Bilbo saw the horns of the harts sticking up out of the long grass, and at first he thought they were the dead branches of trees. That third evening they were so eager to press on, for Beorn had said that they should reach the forest-gate early on the fourth-day, that they rode still forward after dusk and into the night beneath the moon. As the light faded Bilbo thought he saw away to the right, or to the left, the shadowy form of a great bear prowling along in the same direction. But if he dared to mention it to Gandalf, the wizard only said: “Hush! Take no notice!”

第二天天亮后，依舊是一派風(fēng)和日麗的景象。一層仿佛秋日的白霧淡淡地籠罩著地面，空氣微微有些涼意，不過沒多久，火紅的太陽從東方升起，薄霧隨即消散，地上的影子還很長時他們便動身了。他們又這樣騎了整整兩天，一路上什么都沒有看到，除了草地、花朵、飛鳥和稀疏的樹木，偶爾會有一小群一小群的馬鹿在午后的樹蔭下吃草或坐著休憩。有時，比爾博可以看見公鹿的鹿角從草叢中伸出來，剛開始的時候，他還以為這是干枯的樹枝呢。到了第三天的晚上，因為貝奧恩曾經(jīng)說過他們第四天一早應(yīng)該就可以到達森林的入口處，所以他們急著趕路，夜幕降臨以后也不停馬蹄，一走就走到了月光照耀下的黑夜。當(dāng)月光褪去的時候，比爾博覺得在四周的樹林中，忽而好像在右邊，忽而又好像在左邊，自己看見了一頭大熊沿著與他們相同的方向在潛行。但如果他鼓起勇氣跟甘道夫提起這事兒，巫師卻只是說：“噓!別管那么多!”

Next day they started before dawn, though their night had been short. As soon as it was light they could see the forest coming as it were to meet them, or waiting for them like a black and frowning wall before them. The land began to slope up and up, and it seemed to the hobbit that a silence began to draw in upon them. Birds began to sing less. There were no more deer; not even rabbits were to be seen. By the afternoon they had reached the eaves of Mirkwood, and were resting almost beneath the great overhanging boughs of its outer trees. Their trunks were huge and gnarled, their branches twisted, their leaves were dark and long. Ivy grew on them and trailed along the ground.

雖然晚上沒休息多少時間，但第二天他們還是天沒亮就出發(fā)了。等到天剛亮的時候，他們就看見森林向著他們迎了過來，或者說是像一座皺著眉頭的黑色高墻一樣等待著他們。地勢漸漸變得陡了起來，霍比特人覺得有一種沉默之勢在向他們逼來。鳥兒的歌唱越來越聽不到了，野鹿不再出現(xiàn)了，連兔子都看不見了。到了下午的時候，他們已經(jīng)抵達了黑森林的邊緣，幾乎就在它最外端樹木伸出的巨大枝條下方歇腳。這些樹的樹干十分粗大，上面長滿了樹瘤，樹枝扭曲著，樹葉狹長而深色。藤蔓攀附在它們身上，又一路順著地面延伸。

“Well, here is Mirkwood!” said Gandalf. “The greatest of the forests of the Northern world. I hope you like the look of it. Now you must send back these excellent ponies you have borrowed.”

“好啦，這就是黑森林了!”甘道夫說，“北方世界中最廣大的森林。我希望你們喜歡它的樣子?，F(xiàn)在，你們得把借來的這些出色的小馬給送回去了

The dwarves were inclined to grumble at this, but the wizard told them they were fools. “Beorn is not as far off as you seem to think, and you had better keep your promises anyway, for he is a bad enemy. Mr. Baggins’ eyes are sharper than yours, if you have not seen each night after dark a great bear going along with us or sitting far off in the moon watching our camps. Not only to guard you and guide you, but to keep an eye on the ponies too. Beorn may be your friend, but he loves his animals as his children. You do not guess what kindness he has shown you in letting dwarves ride them so far and so fast, nor what would happen to you, if you tried to take them into the forest.”

矮人們看樣子想要對此發(fā)一點牢騷，但巫師告訴他們這樣的想法是愚蠢的。“貝奧恩離你們的距離比你們想像的要近，你們最好不要失信，他可是一個惹不起的對手。巴金斯先生的眼力比你們要好很多，因為你們沒看見，每天晚上夜幕降臨之后都有一頭大熊跟著我們，或是在月光下遠遠地守護著我們的營地。他不只是為了保護你們、指引你們，也是為了看著他的小馬。貝奧恩把你們當(dāng)朋友，可他把動物當(dāng)成是自己的孩子。你們想像不到，貝奧恩肯讓矮人們把馬騎得這么遠這么快，這其中蘊含著多么大的善意;你們也想像不到，如是你們把小馬帶進森林里，會有什么樣的后果發(fā)生。”

“What about the horse, then?” said Thorin. “You don’t mention sending that back.”

“那你騎的馬呢?”梭林說，“你怎么沒提到要把它送回去?”

“I don’t, because I am not sending it.”

“我是沒提，因為我不準備把它送回去。”

“What about your promise then?”

“那你的承諾又該怎么辦呢?”

“I will look after that. I am not sending the horse back, I am riding it!”

“這我自然會處理，我不把馬送回去的原因是我還要騎!”

Then they knew that Gandalf was going to leave them at the very edge of Mirkwood, and they were in despair. But nothing they could say would change his mind.

這時，他們才知道甘道夫準備在黑森林邊和他們分手，大家的情緒一下子陷入了低谷。不過，無論他們好說歹說，就是無法改變他的心意。

“Now we had this all out before, when we landed on the Carrock,” he said. “It is no use arguing. I have, as I told you, some pressing business away south; and I am already late through bothering with you people. We may meet again before all is over, and then again of course we may not. That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense; and I am sending Mr. Baggins with you. I have told you before that he has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before long. So cheer up Bilbo and don’t look so glum. Cheer up Thorin and Company! This is your expedition after all. Think of the treasure at the end, and forget the forest and the dragon, at any rate until tomorrow morning!”

“關(guān)于這一點，我們之前到達卡爾巖的時候就已經(jīng)說好了的，”他說，“再吵也沒有意義。我之前跟你們說過，我在南方有些更急迫的事情要去辦。我為了照顧你們，事實上已經(jīng)遲到了。在一切都結(jié)束以前，我們或許還會見面，也有可能就此無緣再見。這要取決于你們的運氣、勇氣和判斷力。而且，我還派了巴金斯先生和你們一起去。我早就跟你們說過，人不可貌相，你們要不了多久就會明白這一點的。比爾博，高興起來，不要苦著一張臉。高興起來，梭林和大家伙兒!畢竟這是你們的冒險。想想最終可以獲得的財寶吧，至少在明天早上之前，先忘記這森林和惡龍吧。”

When tomorrow morning came he still said the same. So now there was nothing left to do but to fill their water-skins at a clear spring they found close to the forest-gate, and unpack the ponies. They distributed the packages as fairly as they could, though Bilbo thought his lot was wearisomely heavy, and did not at all like the idea of trudging for miles and miles with all that on his back.

等第二天早上來了，他依然這么說。因此，大家別無選擇，只能在森林入口前一條清澈的小溪里把他們的皮囊都裝滿水，把小馬背上的行李都卸下來。他們將行李盡可能地平均分攤，不過比爾博還是覺得他那份重得要命。想到要背著這么多東西在森林里長途跋涉，他就不免憂心忡忡。

“Don’t you worry!” said Thorin. “It will get lighter all too soon. Before long I expect we shall all wish our packs heavier, when the food begins to run short.”

“別擔(dān)心!”梭林說，“不用多久它就會變輕的。我估計等食物開始短缺的時候，我們很快就會巴不得當(dāng)初的包揪能更重一些才好了。”

Then at last they said good-bye to their ponies and turned their heads for home. Off they trotted gaily, seeming very glad to put their tails towards the shadow of Mirkwood. As they went away Bilbo could have sworn that a thing like a bear left the shadow of the trees and shambled off quickly after them.

最后，他們向小馬道了別，讓它們掉頭回家。它們高興地小跑起來，看來似乎對于能夠把黑森林拋在身后感到非常高興。在它們離開的時候，比爾博可以發(fā)誓他看見了一只像大熊的東西離開了林中的暗影，跟著它們—躍一躍地奔回去了。

Now Gandalf too said farewell. Bilbo sat on the ground feeling very unhappy and wishing he was beside the wizard on his tall horse. He had gone just inside the forest after breakfast (a very poor one), and it had seemed as dark in there in the morning as at night, and very secret: “a sort of watching and waiting feeling,” he said to himself.

現(xiàn)在輪到甘道夫跟大家說再見了。比爾博坐在地上，心中非常難過，真希望自己和巫師一起坐在那匹高大的駿馬上。他在剛吃完早餐(相當(dāng)寒酸)后，曾經(jīng)往森林中進去了一點點稍稍探了探，發(fā)現(xiàn)那森林在白天也似乎和晚上沒什么兩樣，而且給人一種極為隱秘的感覺——“好像有什么東西在暗中觀察著你，等待著你!”他自言自語道。

“Good-bye!” said Gandalf to Thorin. “And goodbye to you all, good-bye! Straight through the forest is your way now. Don’t stray off the track!—if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood; and then I don’t suppose I, or any one else, will ever see you again.”

“再見啦!”甘道夫?qū)λ罅终f，“也和你們大家道別了，再會!你們應(yīng)該直直地穿過森林，千萬別走岔了路!——一旦迷了路的話，那你們重新找到路并且走出黑森林的機會只有千分之一。那樣的話，我，或者是別的任何人，恐怕都再也看不到你們了!”

“Do we really have to go through?” groaned the hobbit.

“我們真的一定要過去嗎?”霍比特人抱怨道。

“Yes, you do!” said the wizard, “if you want to get to the other side. You must either go through or give up your quest. And I am not going to allow you to back out now, Mr. Baggins. I am ashamed of you for thinking of it. You have got to look after all these dwarves for me,” he laughed.

“是的，一定要!”巫師說，“如果你們想要到森林的另一邊去的話。要么穿過去，要么就放棄。巴金斯先生，我可不想讓你臨陣退縮，光是想到這點就讓我替你覺得丟臉，你得要替我照顧這些矮人啊!”他笑著說。

“No! no!” said Bilbo. “I didn’t mean that. I meant, is there no way round?”

“不是!不是!”比爾博說，“我不是那個意思，我是想說，難道沒有別的路可以繞過去嗎?”

“There is, if you care to go two hundred miles or so out of your way north, and twice that south. But you wouldn’t get a safe path even then. There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now, and in for all sorts of fun wherever you go. Before you could get round Mirkwood in the North you would be right among the slopes of the Grey Mountains, and they are simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description. Before you could get round it in the South, you would get into the land of the Necromancer; and even you, Bilbo, won’t need me to tell you tales of that black sorcerer. I don’t advise you to go anywhere near the places overlooked by his dark tower! Stick to the forest-track, keep your spirits up, hope for the best, and with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day and see the Long Marshes lying below you, and beyond them, high in the East, the Lonely Mountain where dear old Smaug lives, though I hope he is not expecting you.”

“有，如果你想要往北走上兩百哩，然后再往南走上兩倍距離的話。可即便那樣，道路也不見得安全，這一帶根本就沒有什么安全的道路。記得，你們已經(jīng)越過了野地的邊緣，所以不管你去到哪里，都不會缺少?‘樂子’的。在你能夠從北邊繞過黑森林之前，你會一頭撞進灰色山脈的各種山坡，那里到處都是半獸人、大半獸人，還有其他讓人難以形容的可怕奧克。在你從南邊繞過黑森林之前，你們將會踏入死靈法師的領(lǐng)土。比爾博，即使是你，也不需要我來告訴你這位黑色死靈法師的故事了吧。我建議你們最好不要靠近任何屬于他那黑色勢力范圍內(nèi)的地方!還是鐵了心走森林這條路吧，抖擻精神，抱著最好的期望，只要再加上一份大大的運氣，定會有一天能走出森林，看見長沼澤在你們的腳下。越過這片沼澤，兀然矗立在東邊的，就是老斯毛格所住的孤山了，希望他不會預(yù)料到你們的出現(xiàn)。”

“Very comforting you are to be sure,” growled Thorin. “Good-bye! If you won’t come with us, you had better get off without any more talk!”

“你可真會安慰人哪，”梭林低吼道，“再會了!既然你不跟我們來，那就別再多廢話了，快上路吧!”

“Good-bye then, and really good-bye!” said Gandalf, and he turned his horse and rode down into the West. But he could not resist the temptation to have the last word. Before he had passed quite out of hearing he turned and put his hands to his mouth and called to them. They heard his voice come faintly: “Good-bye! Be good, take care of yourselves—and DON’T LEAVE THE PATH!”

“那就再會啦，真的告別了!”甘道夫撥轉(zhuǎn)馬頭，朝著西方奔馳而去。但他實在忍不住還要最后叮嚀幾句。于是在他奔出眾人的視野之前，他又轉(zhuǎn)過頭來，雙手攏在嘴前對他們喊了起來。他們聽見他的聲音依稀傳來：“再會!多保重——千萬不要離開正路!”

Then he galloped away and was soon lost to sight. “O good-bye and go away!” grunted the dwarves, all the more angry because they were really filled with dismay at losing him. Now began the most dangerous part of all the journey. They each shouldered the heavy pack and the water-skin which was their share, and turned from the light that lay on the lands outside and plunged into the forest.

然后他就策馬疾馳，很快消失在眾人的視野外了。“哦，再見啦，快走吧!”矮人們咕噥道，心中更加生氣了，因為他們真的為失去了他而感到郁悶?，F(xiàn)在，全部旅程中最危險的部分開始了。每個人都背起了屬于自己的那份沉重背包和水囊，離開了播灑在外面世界的光明，一頭鉆進了黑森林。