霍比特人：蒼蠅與蜘蛛 Flies and Spiders （下）

That was one of his most miserable moments. But he soon made up his mind that it was no good trying to do anything till day came with some little light, and quite useless to go blundering about tiring himself out with no hope of any breakfast to revive him. So he sat himself down with his back to a tree, and not for the last time fell to thinking of his far-distant hobbit-hole with its beautiful pantries. He was deep in thoughts of bacon and eggs and toast and butter when he felt something touch him. Something like a strong sticky string was against his left hand, and when he tried to move he found that his legs were already wrapped in the same stuff, so that when he got up he fell over.

這是他這輩子最悲慘的時(shí)刻之一，但他很快就拿定主意，直到天亮了有一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)微光之前都不要輕舉妄動(dòng)，而且，因?yàn)椴粫?huì)有早餐來(lái)補(bǔ)充體力，他絲毫不想在黑暗中摸來(lái)摸去，徒然消耗體力。于是他靠著一棵樹坐了下來(lái)，再次思念起遙遠(yuǎn)故鄉(xiāng)那擁有美麗餐點(diǎn)室的霍比特洞府來(lái)。他正想到火腿、雞蛋、吐司面包和黃油時(shí)，忽然感到有什么東西在碰他。有種又黏又韌的線纏住了他的左手，當(dāng)他想要站起身來(lái)的時(shí)候，發(fā)現(xiàn)，自己的雙腿已經(jīng)被同樣的東西給裹住了，因此他剛一站起來(lái)就倒了下來(lái)。

Then the great spider, who had been busy tying him up while he dozed, came from behind him and came at him. He could only see the thing’s eyes, but he could feel its hairy legs as it struggled to wind its abominable threads round and round him. It was lucky that he had come to his senses in time. Soon he would not have been able to move at all. As it was, he had a desperate fight before he got free. He beat the creature off with his hands—it was trying to poison him to keep him quiet, as small spiders do to flies—until he remembered his sword and drew it out. Then the spider jumped back, and he had time to cut his legs loose. After that it was his turn to attack. The spider evidently was not used to things that carried such stings at their sides, or it would have hurried away quicker. Bilbo came at it before it could disappear and stuck it with his sword right in the eyes. Then it went mad and leaped and danced and flung out its legs in horrible jerks, until he killed it with another stroke; and then he fell down and remembered nothing more for a long while.

然后，那只趁著他發(fā)呆時(shí)一直在忙著把他纏起來(lái)的大蜘蛛從他身后現(xiàn)身，沖他跑了過(guò)來(lái)。他只能看見那東西的雙眼，卻能在蜘蛛拼命用惡心的蛛絲一圈又一圈地往他身上纏時(shí)，感受到它那些毛茸茸的腿。算他運(yùn)氣，總算還能及時(shí)回過(guò)神來(lái)，再晚一些的話，他就根本不能動(dòng)了。他進(jìn)行了一番名副其實(shí)的殊死搏斗才得以脫身。他一開始只是不停地用手趕開蜘蛛——而它正像小蜘蛛對(duì)付蒼蠅一樣，想要在他身上注入毒液讓他消停下來(lái)——打了半天才想起來(lái)自己還帶著劍，馬上將它拔了出來(lái)。蜘蛛立刻往后跳開，他趕緊趁此機(jī)會(huì)揮劍令蜘蛛松開了腿。接下來(lái)就輪到他反攻了。蜘蛛顯然很不習(xí)慣對(duì)付這種身邊帶著刺的生物，否則它逃得還會(huì)更快些。比爾博不等它逃開就沖了上去，拔劍正刺中它的眼睛。它開始發(fā)狂般地跳躍、扭動(dòng)，所有的腳都可怕地抽搐著，直到比爾博給它補(bǔ)了一劍才一命嗚呼。比爾博經(jīng)過(guò)這番折騰后也一頭栽倒，好長(zhǎng)時(shí)間都不省人事。

There was the usual dim grey light of the forest-day about him when he came to his senses. The spider lay dead beside him, and his sword-blade was stained black. Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr. Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach, as he wiped his sword on the grass and put it back into its sheath.

當(dāng)他醒來(lái)的時(shí)候，身邊已落滿森林中白天常見的黯淡灰光，死蜘蛛躺在它身邊，寶劍劍刃上沾染了黑血。對(duì)巴金斯先生來(lái)說(shuō)，不靠巫師或是矮人們或是任何人的幫助，全憑自己一己之力在黑暗中殺死了巨型蜘蛛，這件事使他發(fā)生了巨大的變化。當(dāng)他在草地上擦拭寶劍，歸劍人鞘時(shí)，他覺(jué)得自己脫胎換骨，變成了另外一個(gè)人，比過(guò)去更為兇猛，更為勇敢，盡管腹中依然空空。

“I will give you a name,” he said to it, “and I shall call you Sting.”

“我?guī)湍闳€(gè)名字，”他對(duì)著寶劍說(shuō)，“就叫你刺叮好了!”

After that he set out to explore. The forest was grim and silent, but obviously he had first of all to look for his friends, who were not likely to be very far off, unless they had been made prisoners by the elves (or worse things). Bilbo felt that it was unsafe to shout, and he stood a long while wondering in what direction the path lay, and in what direction he should go first to look for the dwarves.

在那之后，他開始了對(duì)周圍的探索。森林中陰冷而又靜謐，但顯然他必須先去尋找自己的朋友們，他們應(yīng)該離得不會(huì)太遠(yuǎn)，除非他們已經(jīng)落入了精靈(或是更糟糕的東西)之手。比爾博覺(jué)得大喊大叫并不安全，因此他呆立了好一陣子，思考著小徑到底在何方，他又應(yīng)該先往哪個(gè)方向去尋找矮人們。

“O! why did we not remember Beorn’s advice, and Gandalf’s!” he lamented. “What a mess we are in now! We! I only wish it was we: it is horrible being all alone.”

“唉!我們?yōu)槭裁床焕斡浉实婪蚝拓悐W恩的忠告!”他懊悔地嘆道，“看看我們現(xiàn)在落到了怎樣的窘境啊!我們?!我真希望現(xiàn)在還能說(shuō)我們：孤單一人實(shí)在是好恐怖啊。”

In the end he made as good a guess as he could at the direction from which the cries for help had come in the night—and by luck (he was born with a good share of it) he guessed more or less right, as you will see. Having made up his mind he crept along as cleverly as he could. Hobbits are clever at quietness, especially in woods, as I have already told you; also Bilbo had slipped on his ring before he started. That is why the spiders neither saw nor heard him coming.

到了最后，他勉強(qiáng)猜了一個(gè)昨天晚上傳來(lái)呼救聲的方向，憑著運(yùn)氣(他生來(lái)就有很多好運(yùn))，他居然猜了個(gè)八九不離十，這一點(diǎn)大家到時(shí)候就知道了。下定決心后，他便邁著機(jī)敏的步伐走了起來(lái)?；舯忍厝松瞄L(zhǎng)于無(wú)聲無(wú)息地行動(dòng)，特別是在森林中，關(guān)于這一點(diǎn)之前跟大家提到過(guò)，而且比爾博在出發(fā)前已經(jīng)戴上了戒指，這也是為什么蜘蛛們完全沒(méi)看見也沒(méi)聽見他的到來(lái)。

He had picked his way stealthily for some distance, when he noticed a place of dense black shadow ahead of him, black even for that forest, like a patch of midnight that had never been cleared away. As he drew nearer, he saw that it was made by spider-webs one behind and over and tangled with another. Suddenly he saw, too, that there were spiders huge and horrible sitting in the branches above him, and ring or no ring he trembled with fear lest they should discover him. Standing behind a tree he watched a group of them for some time, and then in the silence and stillness of the wood he realised that these loathsome creatures were speaking one to another. Their voices were a sort of thin creaking and hissing, but he could make out many of the words that they said. They were talking about the dwarves!

他躡手躡腳地走了一段距離后，注意到前方有塊地方的黑影特別黑，即便在黑森林里也算黑了，仿佛一團(tuán)不曾褪去過(guò)的夜色。他走到近前，發(fā)現(xiàn)那里層層疊疊、縱橫交錯(cuò)的全都是蜘蛛網(wǎng)。突然間，他還看見了體型巨大、樣貌猙獰的蜘蛛盤踞在他頭頂?shù)臉渲ι?。不管戴沒(méi)戴著戒指，他都因恐懼而發(fā)起抖來(lái)，生怕被蜘蛛們發(fā)現(xiàn)。他躲在樹后面，盯著一伙蜘蛛看了會(huì)兒，然后，在森林中極度靜謐的襯托下，他意識(shí)到這些討厭的怪物原來(lái)正在相互交談。它們的聲音乍一聽像是微弱的嘶聲和摩擦聲，但細(xì)聽之下他可以聽清楚它們說(shuō)的大部分內(nèi)容。它們居然正在談?wù)摪?

“It was a sharp struggle, but worth it,” said one. “What nasty thick skins they have to be sure, but I’ll wager there is good juice inside.”

“真是好一場(chǎng)掙扎啊，不過(guò)相當(dāng)值得，”一只說(shuō)，“他們的外皮肯定又臟又厚，不過(guò)我敢打賭里面一定有甜美的汁液!”

“Aye, they’ll make fine eating, when they’ve hung a bit,” said another.

“啊，把他們掛一陣子之后就會(huì)好吃多了!”另一只說(shuō)道。

“Don’t hang ’em too long,” said a third. “They’re not as fat as they might be. Been feeding none too well of late, I should guess.”

“別掛太久了，”第三只說(shuō)，“他們不像應(yīng)該有的那么胖，我猜多半是最近沒(méi)吃啥東西。”

“Kill ’em, I say,” hissed a fourth; “kill ’em now and hang ’em dead for a while.”

“叫我說(shuō)殺了算了，”第四只蜘蛛嘶嘶地說(shuō)道，“現(xiàn)在把他們殺了，然后把死的掛上一會(huì)兒。”

“They’re dead now, I’ll warrant,” said the first. “

“我敢保證他們現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)死了。”第一只說(shuō)。

That they are not. I saw one a-struggling just now. Just coming round again, I should say, after a bee-autiful sleep. I’ll show you.”

"成該還沒(méi)死，我剛才還看到有一個(gè)在掙扎來(lái)著。我想他們多半剛從美夢(mèng)中醒來(lái)，我來(lái)弄給你們看。”

With that one of the fat spiders ran along a rope till it came to a dozen bundles hanging in a row from a high branch. Bilbo was horrified, now that he noticed them for the first time dangling in the shadows, to see a dwarvish foot sticking out of the bottoms of some of the bundles, or here and there the tip of a nose, or a bit of beard or of a hood.

話一說(shuō)完，一只肥大的蜘蛛就沿著蛛絲跑了下去，來(lái)到一根髙處樹枝上并排掛著的十幾捆東西邊。比爾博現(xiàn)在才注意到樹上掛著這些東西，不禁覺(jué)得非常害怕。他看見有些蛛絲捆的底部伸出了一只矮人的腳，還有些蛛絲捆里這兒那兒地露出一只鼻子，一撮胡子或是兜帽的一角。

To the fattest of these bundles the spider went—“It is poor old Bombur, I’ll bet,” thought Bilbo—and nipped hard at the nose that stuck out. There was a muffled yelp inside, and a toe shot up and kicked the spider straight and hard. There was life in Bombur still. There was a noise like the kicking of a flabby football, and the enraged spider fell off the branch, only catching itself with its own thread just in time.

蜘蛛走到最大的一捆旁邊——“我打賭那一定是可憐的老邦伯。”比爾博想——然后，對(duì)著凸在外面的鼻子狠狠咬了一口。蛛絲捆里傳來(lái)了悶聲慘叫，一只腳趾頭猛地伸了出來(lái)，重重地踢在了蜘蛛身上?？磥?lái)邦伯還活著。隨著一聲踢在癟掉的足球上的聲音，惱羞成怒的蜘蛛從樹枝上摔了下去，幸虧它及時(shí)放出自己的蛛絲，才沒(méi)有直接摔到地上。

The others laughed. “You were quite right,” they said, “the meat’s alive and kicking!”

其他的蜘蛛都哈哈大笑起來(lái)。“你說(shuō)得很對(duì)!”他們說(shuō)，“咱們的嘴邊肉還活蹦亂跳著呢!”

“I’ll soon put an end to that,” hissed the angry spider climbing back onto the branch.

“我馬上就會(huì)讓他蹦跶不起來(lái)了!”那只惱怒的蜘蛛發(fā)著嘶嘶的聲音重新又爬回到了樹枝上。

Bilbo saw that the moment had come when he must do something. He could not get up at the brutes and he had nothing to shoot with; but looking about he saw that in this place there were many stones lying in what appeared to be a now dry little watercourse. Bilbo was a pretty fair shot with a stone, and it did not take him long to find a nice smooth egg-shaped one that fitted his hand cosily. As a boy he used to practise throwing stones at things, until rabbits and squirrels, and even birds, got out of his way as quick as lightning if they saw him stoop; and even grownup he had still spent a deal of his time at quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wand, bowls, ninepins and other quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort—indeed he could do lots of things, besides blowing smoke-rings, asking riddles and cooking, that I haven’t had time to tell you about. There is no time now. While he was picking up stones, the spider had reached Bombur, and soon he would have been dead. At that moment Bilbo threw. The stone struck the spider plunk on the head, and it dropped senseless off the tree, flop to the ground, with all its legs curled up.

比爾博見此情景，就知道是該他做些什么的時(shí)候了。他沒(méi)辦法與這些怪物正面對(duì)抗，手上也沒(méi)有東西可以投擲。不過(guò)，在經(jīng)過(guò)一番搜尋之后，他發(fā)現(xiàn)附近有條似乎已干涸了的水道，那里有許多小石頭。比爾博在扔石頭方面可是個(gè)高手，他沒(méi)有花多少時(shí)間就找到了一顆雞蛋大小、十分稱手的石頭。小時(shí)候，他曾經(jīng)練過(guò)扔石頭，練到后來(lái)，兔子、松鼠，甚至是飛鳥，只要一看見他彎下腰來(lái)，就會(huì)迅速地逃之夭夭。即便是他長(zhǎng)大以后，他依然在擲鐵環(huán)、扔飛鏢、射箭、滾木球、九柱地滾球等需要瞄準(zhǔn)和投擲的、不太劇烈的游戲上花費(fèi)不少時(shí)間。事實(shí)上，除了吐煙圈、猜謎語(yǔ)和烹飪之外，他還有很多拿手的事情，只是之前沒(méi)時(shí)間詳細(xì)告訴大家罷了?，F(xiàn)在也沒(méi)時(shí)間。在他撿石頭的當(dāng)口，蜘蛛已經(jīng)來(lái)到了邦伯跟前，邦伯的性命已經(jīng)危在旦夕。正在這千鈞一發(fā)之際，比爾博出手了，他扔出的石頭咚的一聲正中蜘蛛的腦袋，蜘蛛應(yīng)聲便從樹上落下，撲通墜地，八條腿全都蜷縮了起來(lái)。

The next stone went whizzing through a big web, snapping its cords, and taking off the spider sitting in the middle of it, whack, dead. After that there was a deal of commotion in the spider-colony, and they forgot the dwarves for a bit, I can tell you. They could not see Bilbo, but they could make a good guess at the direction from which the stones were coming. As quick as lightning they came running and swinging towards the hobbit, flinging out their long threads in all directions, till the air seemed full of waving snares.

第二顆石頭嗖的一聲穿過(guò)一張大蛛網(wǎng)，扯斷了蛛絲，把盤踞在蛛網(wǎng)中央的蜘蛛帶了下來(lái)，啪嗒掉在地上，一命嗚呼。接下來(lái)，蜘蛛們的領(lǐng)地內(nèi)掀起了一場(chǎng)大騷亂，讓它們暫時(shí)有點(diǎn)顧不上矮人們了。它們雖然看不見比爾博，卻大致能猜測(cè)到石頭飛來(lái)的方向。于是它們立刻以閃電般的速度搖搖晃晃地沖向霍比特人，并將蛛絲撒向四面八方，使得天空中似乎到處都是舞動(dòng)的羅網(wǎng)。

Bilbo, however, soon slipped away to a different place. The idea came to him to lead the furious spiders further and further away from the dwarves, if he could; to make them curious, excited and angry all at once. When about fifty had gone off to the place where he had stood before, he threw some more stones at these, and at others that had stopped behind; then dancing among the trees he began to sing a song to infuriate them and bring them all after him, and also to let the dwarves hear his voice.

不過(guò)，比爾博早就溜到別的地方去了。他靈機(jī)一動(dòng)，想要把這些憤怒的蜘蛛引得離矮人越遠(yuǎn)越好，要讓它們既好奇、激動(dòng)，同時(shí)又憤怒。等大約有五十只蜘蛛沖到他之前所站的位置時(shí)，他又朝它們?nèi)恿藥最w石頭，還朝后面那些停下了腳步的其他蜘蛛也丟了幾顆石頭。接著，他一邊在樹林間跳著舞步，一邊還唱起歌來(lái)，為的是要激怒這些蜘蛛，讓它們?nèi)几^(guò)來(lái)追自己，同時(shí)，也讓矮人們能夠聽見他的聲音。

This is what he sang:

他唱道：

Old fat spider spinning in a tree!

老胖蜘蛛在樹上織網(wǎng)!

Old fat spider can’t see me!

它看不見我呀，它又老又胖!

Attercop! Attercop!

笨蜘蛛啊!笨蜘蛛!

Won’t you stop,

快停下，來(lái)找我吧，

Stop your spinning and look for me?

別再織你的破網(wǎng)啦!

Old Tomnoddy, all big body,

老笨蜘蛛胖又胖.

Old Tomnoddy can’t spy me!

想找我，沒(méi)方向!

Attercop! Attercop!

笨蜘蛛啊!笨蜘蛛!

Down you drop!

快從樹上下來(lái)吧!

You’ll never catch me up your tree!

在樹上可沒(méi)法把我抓!

Not very good perhaps, but then you must remember that he had to make it up himself, on the spur of a very awkward moment. It did what he wanted any way. As he sang he threw some more stones and stamped. Practically all the spiders in the place came after him: some dropped to the ground, others raced along the branches, swung from tree to tree, or cast new ropes across the dark spaces. They made for his noise far quicker than he had expected. They were frightfully angry. Quite apart from the stones no spider has ever liked being called Attercop, and Tomnoddy of course is insulting to anybody.

這首歌聽起來(lái)也許不怎么樣，不過(guò)大家得知道，那可是他在火燒眉毛的情勢(shì)下現(xiàn)編的，而且再怎么說(shuō)，它也的確達(dá)到了目的。他一邊唱一邊扔出了更多的石頭，還用力跺腳，幾乎把附近所有的蜘蛛都引出來(lái)追他了：有些蜘蛛拽著蛛絲垂到地上，有些在樹枝上快跑，從一棵樹擺蕩到另一棵樹上，或是對(duì)著黑暗的空間拋出新的蛛絲。它們辨認(rèn)他聲音方向的速度比他想像的快多了，這些蜘蛛生起氣來(lái)是非常可怕的。除了被扔石頭之外，蜘蛛也從來(lái)不喜歡有人罵它們長(zhǎng)得胖，而“笨”更是對(duì)所有人來(lái)說(shuō)都是一種侮辱。

Off Bilbo scuttled to a fresh place, but several of the spiders had run now to different points in the glade where they lived, and were busy spinning webs across all the spaces between the tree-stems. Very soon the hobbit would be caught in a thick fence of them all round him—that at least was the spiders’ idea. Standing now in the middle of the hunting and spinning insects Bilbo plucked up his courage and began a new song:

比爾博又動(dòng)作敏捷地來(lái)到了一個(gè)新的藏身之處，不過(guò)，這時(shí)有幾只蜘蛛已經(jīng)分別沖到了林中空地(這里平時(shí)就是它們生活的地方)的各處，開始在樹干與樹干之間織起網(wǎng)來(lái)。要不了多久，霍比特人就會(huì)被密密的蛛網(wǎng)給團(tuán)團(tuán)包圍住了——至少蜘蛛是這么打算的。比爾博站在這群正忙于織網(wǎng)圍捕的昆蟲之間，鼓起勇氣，唱起了又一首歌：

Lazy Lob and crazy Cob

懶羅伯，瘋卡伯，

are weaving webs to wind me.

織起網(wǎng)子想纏我。

I am far more sweet than other meat,

我的肉兒香又甜，

but still they cannot find me!

可惜你們沒(méi)口福!

Here am I, naughty little fly;

我在這兒，頑皮小蒼蠅;

you are fat and lazy.

你們真是胖又懶!

You cannot trap me, though you try,

別看網(wǎng)兒織得歡，

in your cobwebs crazy.

休想讓我往里鉆。

With that he turned and found that the last space between two tall trees had been closed with a web—but luckily not a proper web, only great strands of double-thick spider-rope run hastily backwards and forwards from trunk to trunk. Out came his little sword. He slashed the threads to pieces and went off singing.

唱到這兒他一轉(zhuǎn)身，就發(fā)現(xiàn)兩棵大樹之間最后的空間被蛛網(wǎng)給封閉了，幸好那還不是已經(jīng)完工的蛛網(wǎng)，只是倉(cāng)促在樹干與樹干之間用雙股的蛛絲來(lái)回扯出的幾大條。他拔出短劍，將蛛網(wǎng)砍成碎片，唱著歌兒走出了包圍圈。

The spiders saw the sword, though I don’t suppose they knew what it was, and at once the whole lot of them came hurrying after the hobbit along the ground and the branches, hairy legs waving, nippers and spinners snapping, eyes popping, full of froth and rage. They followed him into the forest until Bilbo had gone as far as he dared. Then quieter than a mouse he stole back.

蜘蛛們看得見寶劍(不過(guò)我估計(jì)它們并不知道那是什么東西)，立刻便全體分地面和樹枝上兩路，殺氣騰騰地朝著霍比特人奔來(lái)。它們毛茸茸的腳上下舞動(dòng)，螯爪與絲囊啪啪作響，眼珠突出著，口邊冒著白色的泡沫，一副怒氣沖沖的樣子。它們跟著比爾博一路追進(jìn)森林，比爾博一直走到不敢走了為止，然后，他又用比老鼠更加無(wú)聲無(wú)息的腳步偷偷溜了回來(lái)。

He had precious little time, he knew, before the spiders were disgusted and came back to their trees where the dwarves were hung. In the meanwhile he had to rescue them. The worst part of the job was getting up on to the long branch where the bundles were dangling. I don’t suppose he would have managed it, if a spider had not luckily left a rope hanging down; with its help, though it stuck to his hand and hurt him, he scrambled up—only to meet an old slow wicked fat-bodied spider who had remained behind to guard the prisoners, and had been busy pinching them to see which was the juiciest to eat. It had thought of starting the feast while the others were away, but Mr. Baggins was in a hurry, and before the spider knew what was happening it felt his sting and rolled off the branch dead.

他知道，在蜘蛛們追煩了，回到懸掛矮人的樹這里來(lái)之前，他只有非常寶貴的一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)時(shí)間，他必須在這點(diǎn)時(shí)間里把矮人們救出來(lái)。這個(gè)任務(wù)中最令人頭痛的部分，就是要爬到那掛著許多矮人蛛絲捆的長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的樹枝上去。如果不是有個(gè)蝴蛛碰巧留了一條蛛絲垂落下來(lái)，他可能根本就上不去。盡管蛛絲粘在了他的手上，還把他的手勒得生疼，他還是憑借著蛛絲的幫助，勉強(qiáng)爬了上去。可上去之后才發(fā)現(xiàn)，上面竟然有一只老態(tài)龍鐘、體態(tài)肥胖的惡蜘蛛，它是被留下來(lái)看守這些俘虜?shù)?，此刻它正忙碌地東按按西戳戳，看看哪個(gè)俘虜最汁多味美，準(zhǔn)備趁其他蜘蛛都不在的時(shí)候好好搶先一步享受美味大餐。不過(guò)比爾博急著辦正事，沒(méi)空與它多糾纏，因此，它還沒(méi)回過(guò)神來(lái)，便覺(jué)得身上一記刺痛，隨即掉落樹枝喪了命。

Bilbo’s next job was to loose a dwarf. What was he to do? If he cut the string which hung him up, the wretched dwarf would tumble thump to the ground a good way below. Wriggling along the branch (which made all the poor dwarves dance and dangle like ripe fruit) he reached the first bundle.

比爾博接下來(lái)要做的是先松開一個(gè)矮人的束縛。他該怎么做呢?如果他切斷蛛絲，可憐的矮人一定會(huì)撲通一聲摔落到下面的地面去。他小心翼翼地在樹枝上爬著(這讓所有可憐的矮人像成熟的果實(shí)一樣晃動(dòng)起來(lái))，來(lái)到了第一個(gè)蛛絲捆的跟前。

“Fili or Kili,” he thought by the tip of a blue hood sticking out at the top. “Most likely Fili,” he thought by the tip of a long nose poking out of the winding threads. He managed by leaning over to cut most of the strong sticky threads that bound him round, and then, sure enough, with a kick and a struggle most of Fili emerged. I am afraid Bilbo actually laughed at the sight of him jerking his stiff arms and legs as he danced on the spider-string under his armpits, just like one of those funny toys bobbing on a wire.

“不是菲力就是奇力。”他從蛛網(wǎng)邊緣冒出來(lái)的藍(lán)色帽尖推測(cè)。接著，根據(jù)從錯(cuò)綜的蛛絲間伸出的長(zhǎng)鼻子，他進(jìn)一步判斷道：“應(yīng)該是菲力吧!”他把身子湊了上去，把纏住他的大部分又黏又韌的蛛絲割斷，然后，果然，一踢一掙之后，菲力從蛛絲捆里探出了大半個(gè)身子。菲力伸展蹬動(dòng)著麻木的雙臂與雙腿，拼命從胳肢窩下的蛛絲中掙脫著，估計(jì)比爾博看見這番景象一定笑了出來(lái)，因?yàn)檫@實(shí)在是太像用線提著的木偶娃娃在跳滑稽舞了。

Somehow or other Fili was got on to the branch, and then he did his best to help the hobbit, although he was feeling very sick and ill from spider-poison, and from hanging most of the night and the next day wound round and round with only his nose to breathe through. It took him ages to get the beastly stuff out of his eyes and eyebrows, and as for his beard, he had to cut most of it off. Well, between them they started to haul up first one dwarf and then another and slash them free. None of them were better off than Fili, and some of them were worse. Some had hardly been able to breathe at all (long noses are sometimes useful you see) and some had been more poisoned.

經(jīng)過(guò)一番折騰后，菲力終于爬上了樹枝，然后盡力協(xié)助霍比特人解救伙伴，盡管他的身體狀況其實(shí)很不好。他身上還殘留著蜘蛛的毒液，昨晚一晚上和今天一天都被掛在樹枝上，身體被蛛絲纏得密密匝匝，只露出一個(gè)鼻子呼吸，因此這會(huì)兒感到有點(diǎn)頭暈?zāi)垦?。他花了好一?huì)兒才把那些惡心的蛛絲從眼睛和眉毛上弄掉，至于胡子，則只能大部分都割掉了。兩人開始攜手把矮人們一個(gè)個(gè)拽上來(lái)，砍斷蛛絲，將他們解救出來(lái)。這些人當(dāng)中沒(méi)有一個(gè)情況好過(guò)菲力的，有些甚至相當(dāng)糟糕。有些人幾乎連呼吸都停止了(大家看到了吧，長(zhǎng)鼻子有時(shí)還是很有用的)，有些人則是毒中得比較深。

In this way they rescued Kili, Bifur, Bofur, Dori and Nori. Poor old Bombur was so exhausted—he was the fattest and had been constantly pinched and poked—that he just rolled off the branch and fell plop on to the ground, fortunately on to leaves, and lay there. But there were still five dwarves hanging at the end of the branch when the spiders began to come back, more full of rage than ever.

他們就以這種方式救出了奇力、比弗、波弗、多瑞和諾瑞?？蓱z的老邦伯體虛乏力——因?yàn)樗前酥凶钆值囊粋€(gè)，所以一直都被蜘蛛們按來(lái)戳去的——他只能一滾從樹枝上滾了下去，撲通落到地上，躺倒不動(dòng)了。所幸地上有厚厚的樹葉，他并沒(méi)有性命危險(xiǎn)?？墒牵?dāng)蜘蛛們比之前更加怒火中燒地陸續(xù)回來(lái)時(shí)，樹上還掛著五名矮人沒(méi)來(lái)得及救下來(lái)。

Bilbo immediately went to the end of the branch nearest the tree-trunk and kept back those that crawled up. He had taken off his ring when he rescued Fili and forgotten to put it on again, so now they all began to splutter and hiss:“Now we see you, you nasty little creature! We will eat you and leave your bones and skin hanging on a tree. Ugh! he’s got a sting has he? Well, we’ll get him all the same, and then we’ll hang him head downwards for a day or two.”

比爾博立刻沖到最靠近主干的樹枝旁，抵擋那些向上爬來(lái)的蜘蛛。他在救菲力的時(shí)候把戒指取了下來(lái)，后來(lái)就忘記再戴上了，所以蜘蛛們開始帶著嘶嘶聲惡狠狠地對(duì)著他說(shuō)道：“現(xiàn)在我們可看見你了，你這個(gè)可惡的小家伙!我們會(huì)吃掉你，把你的骨頭和皮掛在樹上。啊!他還有根刺哪，對(duì)不對(duì)?沒(méi)問(wèn)題，我們一樣能抓到他的，到時(shí)候我們要把他腦袋沖下好好掛個(gè)一兩天。”

While this was going on, the other dwarves were working at the rest of the captives, and cutting at the threads with their knives. Soon all would be free, though it was not clear what would happen after that. The spiders had caught them pretty easily the night before, but that had been unawares and in the dark. This time there looked like being a horrible battle.

這邊戰(zhàn)斗在進(jìn)行的過(guò)程中，那邊其他的矮人正在用小刀割斷蛛絲，解救其余的俘虜。過(guò)不了多久，大家就能重獲自由了，只是還不知道在那之后又會(huì)怎樣。昨天晚上，蜘蛛們很輕易地就抓住了他們，但那是因?yàn)樗麄儧](méi)有防備，而且又是在一片黑暗中，而這次看來(lái)雙方要有一場(chǎng)惡戰(zhàn)了。

Suddenly Bilbo noticed that some of the spiders had gathered round old Bombur on the floor, and had tied him up again and were dragging him away. He gave a shout and slashed at the spiders in front of him. They quickly gave way, and he scrambled and fell down the tree right into the middle of those on the ground. His little sword was something new in the way of stings for them. How it darted to and fro! It shone with delight as he stabbed at them. Half a dozen were killed before the rest drew off and left Bombur to Bilbo.

突然間，比爾博注意到有些蜘蛛聚攏到了躺在地上的邦伯身邊，又將他捆了起來(lái)，準(zhǔn)備把他拖走。他大喝一聲，對(duì)著眼前的蜘蛛揮劍砍去。它們快速向后退去，他趁機(jī)連爬帶跌地下了樹，正好落在那群蜘蛛的中間。他的寶劍對(duì)它們來(lái)說(shuō)是一種以前從沒(méi)見到過(guò)的刺，只見寶劍上下翻飛，當(dāng)刺到蜘蛛們的時(shí)候，它發(fā)出了興奮的閃光。片刻工夫，便有五六只蜘蛛在劍下喪命，其他的蜘蛛倉(cāng)皇逃遁，把邦伯留給了比爾博。

“Come down! Come down!” he shouted to the dwarves on the branch. “Don’t stay up there and be netted!” For he saw spiders swarming up all the neighbouring trees, and crawling along the boughs above the heads of the dwarves.

“快下來(lái)!快下來(lái)!”他對(duì)著樹枝上的矮人們喊道，“不要停在上面，再陷入蛛網(wǎng)!”因?yàn)樗l(fā)現(xiàn)有許多蜘蛛聚集到了所有周邊的樹上，然后沿著樹枝爬到了矮人們的頭上。

Down the dwarves scrambled or jumped or dropped, eleven all in a heap, most of them very shaky and little use on their legs. There they were at last, twelve of them counting poor old Bombur, who was being propped up on either side by his cousin Bifur, and his brother Bofur; and Bilbo was dancing about and waving his Sting; and hundreds of angry spiders were goggling at them all round and about and above. It looked pretty hopeless.

矮人們或爬、或跳、或掉地從樹上下來(lái)了，十一個(gè)人湊到了一堆，大多數(shù)人都搖搖欲墜的，兩條腿派不上什么用場(chǎng)。算上可憐的老邦伯的話，十二名矮人終于團(tuán)聚到了一起。老邦伯一邊一個(gè)被人扶著，左邊的是他的表弟比弗，右邊的是他的親弟弟波弗。比爾博在他們身邊繞來(lái)繞去，揮舞著寶劍不停地砍殺，數(shù)百只憤怒的蜘蛛從四面八方瞪著他們，形勢(shì)實(shí)在讓人感到相當(dāng)絕望。

Then the battle began. Some of the dwarves had knives, and some had sticks, and all of them could get at stones; and Bilbo had his elvish dagger. Again and again the spiders were beaten off, and many of them were killed. But it could not go on for long. Bilbo was nearly tired out; only four of the dwarves were able to stand firmly, and soon they would all be overpowered like weary flies. Already the spiders were beginning to weave their webs all round them again from tree to tree.

廝殺開始了。有些矮人有刀，有些手里有棍子，所有的人都能拿得到石塊，比爾博的手上則是精靈寶劍。蜘蛛們的攻擊被一次次地打退，留下了許多尸體。但這樣的局面維持不了多久了，比爾博已經(jīng)幾乎精疲力竭，而矮人之中只有四個(gè)能勉強(qiáng)站穩(wěn)，不用多久他們就會(huì)像垂死掙扎的蒼蠅一樣因氣力不支而被殺。蜘蛛們已經(jīng)又開始在一棵棵樹之間織起了天羅地網(wǎng)。

In the end Bilbo could think of no plan except to let the dwarves into the secret of his ring. He was rather sorry about it, but it could not be helped.

最后，比爾博別無(wú)選擇，只能與矮人們分享有關(guān)他戒指的秘密。他對(duì)此覺(jué)得心有不甘，但這已經(jīng)是形勢(shì)所迫了。

“I am going to disappear,” he said. “I shall draw the spiders off, if I can; and you must keep together and make in the opposite direction. To the left there, that is more or less the way towards the place where we last saw the elf-fires.”

“我馬上就要消失了，”他說(shuō)，“我會(huì)盡力把蜘蛛引開的，你們必須要聚在一起，朝相反的方向跑。最好是往那里的左邊跑，那里大約能通向我們最后一次看到精靈營(yíng)火的地方。”

It was difficult to get them to understand, what with their dizzy heads, and the shouts, and the whacking of sticks and the throwing of stones; but at last Bilbo felt he could delay no longer—the spiders were drawing their circle ever closer. He suddenly slipped on his ring, and to the great astonishment of the dwarves he vanished.

矮人們的腦袋暈暈乎乎的，周圍是一片叫喊聲、棍棒揮舞聲和投擲石頭的聲音，在這樣的一團(tuán)混亂中，實(shí)在是很難讓矮人們理解他說(shuō)的話。但比爾博覺(jué)得再也不能拖延下去了——蜘蛛們步步緊逼，不斷縮小著包圍圈。他突然戴上了戒指，在矮人們驚訝的目光中消失了。

Soon there came the sound of “Lazy Lob” and “Attercop” from among the trees away on the right. That upset the spiders greatly. They stopped advancing, and some went off in the direction of the voice. “Attercop” made them so angry that they lost their wits. Then Balin, who had grasped Bilbo’s plan better than the rest, led an attack. The dwarves huddled together in a knot, and sending a shower of stones they drove at the spiders on the left, and burst through the ring. Away behind them now the shouting and singing suddenly stopped.

很快，在右邊的樹林里面?zhèn)鱽?lái)了“懶蜘蛛”和“笨蜘蛛”的喊聲，這使得蜘蛛們很是驚惶。它們停下了前進(jìn)的腳步，有些朝著聲音傳來(lái)的方向沖了過(guò)去。“笨蝴蛛”的稱呼讓他們?cè)趹嵟率チ死碇?。這時(shí)，比其他人多領(lǐng)會(huì)了一點(diǎn)比爾博計(jì)策的巴林，帶著其他人發(fā)起了一次反攻。矮人們聚攏成一團(tuán)，朝著左邊的蜘蛛送出一蓬石頭的彈雨，然后趁勢(shì)沖出了包圍圈。這時(shí)，他們身后比爾博的喊叫聲和歌唱聲突然停了下來(lái)。

Hoping desperately that Bilbo had not been caught the dwarves went on. Not fast enough, though. They were sick and weary, and they could not go much better than a hobble and a wobble, though many of the spiders were close behind. Every now and then they had to turn and fight the creatures that were overtaking them; and already some spiders were in the trees above them and throwing down their long clinging threads.

矮人們一邊熱切地希望比爾博沒(méi)有被蜘蛛們給抓住，一邊腳下不停地繼續(xù)前進(jìn)。不過(guò)他們走得可不夠快。他們的身體又累又難過(guò)，所以即使背后有許多蜘蛛窮追不舍，他們也只能是一瘸一拐，蹣跚而行。時(shí)不時(shí)地，他們必須要回過(guò)身來(lái)，與追上來(lái)的蜘蛛搏斗一番。有一些蜘蛛已經(jīng)來(lái)到了他們頭頂?shù)臉渖希延珠L(zhǎng)又黏的蛛絲拋了下來(lái)。

Things were looking pretty bad again, when suddenly Bilbo reappeared, and charged into the astonished spiders unexpectedly from the side.

就在形勢(shì)再度陷入危急的時(shí)候，比爾博突然現(xiàn)身，從斜刺里出其不意地殺入到蜘蛛們的包圍圈中。

“Go on! Go on!” he shouted. “I will do the stinging!”

“快走!快走!”他大喊道，“我來(lái)斷后!”

And he did. He darted backwards and forwards, slashing at spider-threads, hacking at their legs, and stabbing at their fat bodies if they came too near. The spiders swelled with rage, and spluttered and frothed, and hissed out horrible curses; but they had become mortally afraid of Sting, and dared not come very near, now that it had come back. So curse as they would, their prey moved slowly but steadily away. It was a most terrible business, and seemed to take hours. But at last, just when Bilbo felt that he could not lift his hand for a single stroke more, the spiders suddenly gave it up, and followed them no more, but went back disappointed to their dark colony.

他也真的做到了，只見他前沖后突，割蛛絲，砍蛛腿，如果有蜘蛛逼近，他就刺穿它們肥胖的身體。蜘蛛們滿腔怒火，發(fā)出噼里啪啦的聲音，口角吐著白沫，用嘶嘶聲惡毒地咒罵著。但是，它們已經(jīng)知道了刺叮的厲害，因此當(dāng)它重現(xiàn)戰(zhàn)團(tuán)之后，就不敢逼得太近。因此，不管它們?cè)僭趺粗淞R，它們的獵物還是緩慢而又持續(xù)地朝包圍圈外溜走。這實(shí)在是一個(gè)讓人感到無(wú)比煎熬的過(guò)程，持續(xù)了似乎有幾個(gè)小時(shí)之久。但到最后，正當(dāng)比爾博覺(jué)得再也抬不起手來(lái)作一下劈刺的時(shí)候，蜘蛛們突然放棄了，不再緊追不舍，而是滿懷失望地回它們黑暗的領(lǐng)地去了。

The dwarves then noticed that they had come to the edge of a ring where elf-fires had been. Whether it was one of those they had seen the night before, they could not tell. But it seemed that some good magic lingered in such spots, which the spiders did not like. At any rate here the light was greener, and the boughs less thick and threatening, and they had a chance to rest and draw breath.

矮人們這才注意到，他們已經(jīng)來(lái)到了一個(gè)圈子的邊緣，這里就是精靈營(yíng)火曾經(jīng)出現(xiàn)過(guò)的地方。不過(guò)，他們不能確定這是否就是他們昨晚見到的營(yíng)火。不管怎樣，這些地方似乎殘留著一些善良的魔法，令蝴蛛們頗有忌憚。這里的天光更顯翠綠，樹枝也不那么濃密，少了些威脅的意味。他們終于有機(jī)會(huì)可以坐下來(lái)喘口氣了。

There they lay for some time, puffing and panting. But very soon they began to ask questions. They had to have the whole vanishing business carefully explained, and the finding of the ring interested them so much that for a while they forgot their own troubles. Balin in particular insisted on having the Gollum story, riddles and all, told all over again, with the ring in its proper place. But after a time the light began to fail, and then other questions were asked. Where were they, and where was their path, and where was there any food, and what were they going to do next? These questions they asked over and over again, and it was from little Bilbo that they seemed to expect to get the answers. From which you can see that they had changed their opinion of Mr. Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him (as Gandalf had said they would). Indeed they really expected him to think of some wonderful plan for helping them, and were not merely grumbling. They knew only too well that they would soon all have been dead, if it had not been for the hobbit; and they thanked him many times. Some of them even got up and bowed right to the ground before him, though they fell over with the effort, and could not get on their legs again for some time. Knowing the truth about the vanishing did not lessen their opinion of Bilbo at all; for they saw that he had some wits, as well as luck and a magic ring—and all three are very useful possessions. In fact they praised him so much that Bilbo began to feel there really was something of a bold adventurer about himself after all, though he would have felt a lot bolder still, if there had been anything to eat.

他們?cè)谀抢锾闪艘粫?huì)兒，呼哧呼哧地喘著大氣。但他們馬上就開始好奇地提問(wèn)了。他們讓比爾博詳細(xì)解釋憑空消失是怎么回事，他找到戒指的經(jīng)過(guò)讓他們非常感興趣，以至于讓他們一時(shí)間忘記了自己的麻煩。巴林對(duì)此尤其有興趣，纏著比爾博要他把咕嚕的故事，包括猜謎語(yǔ)的詳情和關(guān)于戒指的細(xì)節(jié)都再講一遍。但過(guò)了一會(huì)兒之后，身邊的綠光開始轉(zhuǎn)暗，這時(shí)他們才想起問(wèn)一些別的問(wèn)題：這里到底是哪兒?原先的小徑在何處?該到哪里去找些食物?接下來(lái)又該怎么辦?他們一遍遍地問(wèn)著這些問(wèn)題，似乎期待著能從小比爾博那里得到回答。從這一點(diǎn)上你們就可以看出來(lái)，矮人們對(duì)于巴金斯先生的看法已經(jīng)完全改變了，開始對(duì)他表現(xiàn)出了極大的尊敬(甘道夫早就說(shuō)過(guò)會(huì)有這一天的)。他們真的認(rèn)為他會(huì)想出好的計(jì)劃來(lái)幫他們脫離困境，而不是窩在這里一味抱怨。他們心里明白得很，要不是霍比特人舍命相救，他們撐不了多久就沒(méi)命了。他們對(duì)他謝了又謝，有幾個(gè)矮人甚至站起身來(lái)，要給他來(lái)個(gè)九十度的鞠躬，結(jié)果因?yàn)橥溶浂乖诘厣?，一時(shí)之間爬不起來(lái)。盡管他們知道了神秘消失的真相，卻一點(diǎn)也沒(méi)有減少對(duì)比爾博的敬意，因?yàn)樗麄兌济靼祝葼柌┎粌H有好運(yùn)氣和一枚魔法戒指，還相當(dāng)有急智——這三樣可都是非常有用的東西。事實(shí)上，他們對(duì)于比爾博的稱贊，讓他也開始覺(jué)得自己真是個(gè)偉大的冒險(xiǎn)者，盡管如果能有點(diǎn)東西吃的話，他還能變得更勇敢些。

But there was nothing, nothing at all; and none of them were fit to go and look for anything, or to search for the lost path. The lost path! No other idea would come into Bilbo’s tired head. He just sat staring in front of him at the endless trees; and after a while they all fell silent again. All except Balin. Long after the others had stopped talking and shut their eyes, he kept on muttering and chuckling to himself.

可吃的東西真的沒(méi)有，一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)都沒(méi)有。眾人之中沒(méi)有一個(gè)適合去找食物，或是探路的。唉，那迷失的小徑啊!比爾博疲倦的腦子里只想著這幾個(gè)字。他坐在地上，望著眼前無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的樹木發(fā)呆。沒(méi)過(guò)多久，大家都不出聲了，只有巴林例外。在其他人都已經(jīng)停止了說(shuō)話，閉上眼睛休息之后，他還在自言自語(yǔ)，自得其樂(lè)地笑著。

“Gollum! Well I’m blest! So that’s how he sneaked past me, is it? Now I know! Just crept quietly along did you, Mr. Baggins? Buttons all over the doorstep! Good old Bilbo—Bilbo—Bilbo—bo—bo—bo—” And then he fell asleep, and there was complete silence for a long while.

“咕嚕!我的個(gè)乖乖!原來(lái)他是這樣偷偷從我身邊溜過(guò)去的?我總算知道了!巴金斯先生，你是戴著隱身戒指悄悄溜進(jìn)來(lái)的?紐扣在門前的臺(tái)階上撒了一地!可愛的老比爾博——比爾博——比爾博——博——博——博——”然后他就睡著了，四周陷入了長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的死寂。

All of a sudden Dwalin opened an eye, and looked round at them. “Where is Thorin?” he asked.

突然間，杜瓦林睜開了一只眼睛，朝周圍的伙伴們掃了一圈。“索林到哪兒去了?”他問(wèn)道。

It was a terrible shock. Of course there were only thirteen of them, twelve dwarves and the hobbit. Where indeed was Thorin? They wondered what evil fate had befallen him, magic or dark monsters; and shuddered as they lay lost in the forest. There they dropped off one by one into uncomfortable sleep full of horrible dreams, as evening wore to black night; and there we must leave them for the present, too sick and weary to set guards or to take turns at watching.

大伙兒感到無(wú)比震驚。對(duì)啊，這里只有十三個(gè)人：十二名矮人和霍比特人。索林到底跑哪兒去了?他們開始幻想著索林到底遭遇到什么樣的厄運(yùn)，究竟是著了魔法，還是遇上了邪惡的怪物呢?大家失神地躺在樹林里打著寒戰(zhàn)。隨著傍晚漸漸變成黑夜，他們就這樣一個(gè)接一個(gè)地睡著了。他們睡得都很不好，每個(gè)人都噩夢(mèng)連篇的。由于病痛和疲憊，他們根本無(wú)力設(shè)置哨兵或是輪班守夜。我們暫時(shí)把他們放到一邊，先來(lái)看看另一邊的情形吧。

Thorin had been caught much faster than they had. You remember Bilbo falling like a log into sleep, as he stepped into a circle of light? The next time it had been Thorin who stepped forward, and as the lights went out he fell like a stone enchanted. All the noise of the dwarves lost in the night, their cries as the spiders caught them and bound them, and all the sounds of the battle next day, had passed over him unheard. Then the Wood-elves had come to him, and bound him, and carried him away.

索林被抓其實(shí)要比他們?cè)绲枚?。大家還記得比爾博在踏進(jìn)精靈營(yíng)火圈后倒頭死睡的那一次吧?在接下來(lái)的那一次，輪到索林第一個(gè)沖進(jìn)去，因此在火光熄滅后，他也著了魔法，陷入了死睡。飄散在夜色中的矮人們的喧鬧聲，他們被蜘蛛抓住并捆起來(lái)時(shí)發(fā)出的叫喊，第二天戰(zhàn)斗中的廝殺聲，所有這一切他全都沒(méi)有聽見。然后，森林精靈們便找到了他，把他捆起來(lái)帶走了。

The feasting people were Wood-elves, of course. These are not wicked folk. If they have a fault it is distrust of strangers. Though their magic was strong, even in those days they were wary. They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise. For most of them (together with their scattered relations in the hills and mountains) were descended from the ancient tribes that never went to Faerie in the West. There the Light-elves and the Deep-elves and the Sea-elves went and lived for ages, and grew fairer and wiser and more learned, and invented their magic and their cunning craft in the making of beautiful and marvellous things, before some came back into the Wide World. In the Wide World the Wood-elves lingered in the twilight of our Sun and Moon, but loved best the stars; and they wandered in the great forests that grew tall in lands that are now lost. They dwelt most often by the edges of the woods, from which they could escape at times to hunt, or to ride and run over the open lands by moonlight or starlight; and after the coming of Men they took ever more and more to the gloaming and the dusk. Still elves they were and remain, and that is Good People.

當(dāng)然，在林中宴飲的正是這些精靈。他們并不是什么壞家伙，如果說(shuō)他們有什么缺點(diǎn)的話，那就是不信任陌生人。即便擁有很強(qiáng)的魔法，可在這些日子里他們還是非常小心翼翼。他們和西方的高等精靈不同，更具危險(xiǎn)性，也沒(méi)那么聰明。他們之中的大多數(shù)(加上他們散居于大小山脈間的親族)，都是從沒(méi)有去過(guò)西方圣土的那些古老部族傳承下來(lái)的。那些光明精靈、淵博精靈和海洋精靈，都去過(guò)西方圣土，并在那兒住了很多年，變得更美麗、更智慧、更博學(xué)，并且發(fā)明出他們自己的魔法，研究出如何制造美麗和神奇東西的技術(shù)，然后他們之中的一部分才重新回到這個(gè)世界來(lái)。在這個(gè)世界中，森林精靈在太陽(yáng)和月亮的光華間游走，但他們最愛的還是星辰。他們會(huì)在今日早已絕跡的壯闊森林中漫游，且大多數(shù)居住在森林的邊緣，在那里，他們有時(shí)進(jìn)入森林狩獵，有時(shí)則在月光或是星光下馳騁于平原之上。在人類到來(lái)之后，他們?cè)絹?lái)越不喜歡光天化日了，不過(guò)，他們依舊是精靈，是善良的種族。

In a great cave some miles within the edge of Mirkwood on its eastern side there lived at this time their greatest king. Before his huge doors of stone a river ran out of the heights of the forest and flowed on and out into the marshes at the feet of the high wooded lands. This great cave, from which countless smaller ones opened out on every side, wound far underground and had many passages and wide halls; but it was lighter and more wholesome than any goblin-dwelling, and neither so deep nor so dangerous. In fact the subjects of the king mostly lived and hunted in the open woods, and had houses or huts on the ground and in the branches. The beeches were their favourite trees. The king’s cave was his palace, and the strong place of his treasure, and the fortress of his people against their enemies.

在距黑森林的東部邊緣幾哩之處有一座巨大的洞穴，此時(shí)里面居住著他們最偉大的國(guó)王。在他巨大的石門前，一道來(lái)自森林高地的河流蜿蜒而下，流進(jìn)林木蔥蘢的平原旁的濕地。這個(gè)巨大的洞穴，在其每一邊都有著數(shù)不盡的小洞穴，一直綿延到遠(yuǎn)處的地下，里面有許多通道和寬闊的廳堂。這地底世界遠(yuǎn)比半獸人居住的地方要亮堂、干凈，沒(méi)有那么幽深，也沒(méi)那么危險(xiǎn)。事實(shí)上，國(guó)王的臣民大多在森林中居住狩獵，他們居住的屋子多半在地面上或樹枝間。山毛櫸是他們最喜歡的樹。國(guó)王的洞穴是他的宮殿，也是他收藏寶物的地方，更是他的同胞們對(duì)抗外敵的堡壘。

It was also the dungeon of his prisoners. So to the cave they dragged Thorin—not too gently, for they did not love dwarves, and thought he was an enemy. In ancient days they had had wars with some of the dwarves, whom they accused of stealing their treasure. It is only fair to say that the dwarves gave a different account, and said that they only took what was their due, for the elf-king had bargained with them to shape his raw gold and silver, and had afterwards refused to give them their pay. If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems; and though his hoard was rich, he was ever eager for more, since he had not yet as great a treasure as other elf-lords of old. His people neither mined nor worked metals or jewels, nor did they bother much with trade or with tilling the earth. All this was well known to every dwarf, though Thorin’s family had had nothing to do with the old quarrel I have spoken of. Consequently Thorin was angry at their treatment of him, when they took their spell off him and he came to his senses; and also he was determined that no word of gold or jewels should be dragged out of him.

這里也是他們關(guān)押囚犯的地牢。因此，他們將索林拖來(lái)了此處——態(tài)度不算太客氣，因?yàn)樗麄儾幌矚g矮人，并且認(rèn)為他是敵人。在古代，他們?cè)?jīng)指控有些矮人偷盜他們的寶藏，并且與他們進(jìn)行了戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。不過(guò)這事兒要是不聽聽矮人們給出的不同說(shuō)法便算不上公平。據(jù)他們的說(shuō)法他們只是拿回了他們應(yīng)得的東西，因?yàn)榫`國(guó)王和他們談好了工錢，要求他們幫他打造金銀器，可過(guò)后卻拒絕付給他們報(bào)酬。如果說(shuō)精靈國(guó)王有什么弱點(diǎn)的話，那一定是對(duì)財(cái)寶的貪戀，尤其是對(duì)白銀和白色的寶石。雖然他已經(jīng)收藏了許多的寶物，但他還是永不滿足，因?yàn)樗膶毑剡€比不上其他遠(yuǎn)古精靈貴族那樣豐富。他的子民不會(huì)開礦，也不會(huì)鑄造金屬或是打造珠寶，更懶得花工夫去做買賣或是種地。每個(gè)矮人都知道精靈與矮人的這段過(guò)節(jié)，雖然索林的祖先與之一點(diǎn)關(guān)系也沒(méi)有。因此，當(dāng)身上的魔法被解除，索林蘇醒過(guò)來(lái)之后，他對(duì)于精靈們的態(tài)度很是氣憤，他拿定主意，他們休想從他口中獲得關(guān)于金子或珠寶的一個(gè)字兒。

The king looked sternly on Thorin, when he was brought before him, and asked him many questions. But Thorin would only say that he was starving.

在索林被帶到國(guó)王面前之后，國(guó)王嚴(yán)肅地看著他，問(wèn)了他許多問(wèn)題，但索林只是一個(gè)勁兒地說(shuō)他餓得要死。

“Why did you and your folk three times try to attack my people at their merrymaking?” asked the king.

“我的同胞們?cè)跉g宴時(shí)，你和你的同伙為何三次試圖發(fā)起攻擊?”國(guó)王問(wèn)。

“We did not attack them,” answered Thorin; “we came to beg, because we were starving.”

“我們沒(méi)有攻擊他們，”索林回答，“我們是想來(lái)討點(diǎn)吃的，因?yàn)槲覀凁I了很久。”

“Where are your friends now, and what are they doing?”

“你的朋友們到哪兒去了，現(xiàn)在在干什么?”

“I don’t know, but I expect starving in the forest.”

“我不知道，不過(guò)我估計(jì)他們大概還在森林里挨餓呢。”

“What were you doing in the forest?”

“你們?cè)谏掷锩娓墒裁?”

“Looking for food and drink, because we were starving.”

“找食物和飲水，因?yàn)槲覀凁I了很久。”

“But what brought you into the forest at all?” asked the king angrily.

“可你們當(dāng)初為什么會(huì)進(jìn)森林?”國(guó)王憤怒地問(wèn)道。

At that Thorin shut his mouth and would not say another word.

對(duì)于這個(gè)問(wèn)題，索林閉上嘴，一個(gè)字也不愿回答了。

“Very well!” said the king. “Take him away and keep him safe, until he feels inclined to tell the truth, even if he waits a hundred years.”

“好極了!”國(guó)王說(shuō)，“把他帶走，好好看管，等他到愿意說(shuō)實(shí)話為止，哪怕等上一百年。”

Then the elves put thongs on him, and shut him in one of the inmost caves with strong wooden doors, and left him. They gave him food and drink, plenty of both, if not very fine; for Wood-elves were not goblins, and were reasonably well-behaved even to their worst enemies, when they captured them. The giant spiders were the only living things that they had no mercy upon.

精靈們用皮帶將他綁起，把他關(guān)進(jìn)了裝有結(jié)實(shí)木門的最幽深的洞穴之一，然后就走了。他們留給了他很多吃的喝的，雖然不見得有多好，但數(shù)量卻很多。森林精靈們畢竟不是半獸人，即便是對(duì)待成為階下囚的死敵，也還保持得體的舉止。惟一會(huì)讓他們毫不留情的就只有那些大蜘蛛了。

There in the king’s dungeon poor Thorin lay; and after he had got over his thankfulness for bread and meat and water, he began to wonder what had become of his unfortunate friends. It was not very long before he discovered; but that belongs to the next chapter and the beginning of another adventure in which the hobbit again showed his usefulness.

索林就這么躺在國(guó)王的地牢中。在他心存感謝地用過(guò)了面包、肉和水之后，他開始擔(dān)心起那些不幸的朋友們的處境來(lái)。過(guò)不了多久，他就能知道了，不過(guò)，這是發(fā)生在下一章的事情，那是又一場(chǎng)冒險(xiǎn)的開端，霍比特人將再次讓人領(lǐng)略到他的大用處。