霍比特人： 熱情的歡迎 A Warm Welcome

A WARM WELCOME

熱情的歡迎

The day grew lighter and warmer as they floated along. After a while the river rounded a steep shoulder of land that came down upon their left. Under its rocky feet like an inland cliff the deepest stream had flowed lapping and bubbling. Suddenly the cliff fell away. The shores sank. The trees ended. Then Bilbo saw a sight:

一路漂去，天色越來越亮，天氣也越來越暖和。過了一陣子之后，在他們的左側(cè)出現(xiàn)了一個(gè)陡峭的山肩，在它那如同內(nèi)陸懸崖一般的巖腳下，那里的河水最深，不停打著旋，冒出白色的泡沫。然后突然間，山崖就消失了，河岸向下沉去，樹木也不見了。這時(shí)，比爾博看到了這樣一幅景象：

The lands opened wide about him, filled with the waters of the river which broke up and wandered in a hundred winding courses, or halted in marshes and pools dotted with isles on every side; but still a strong water flowed on steadily through the midst. And far away, its dark head in a torn cloud, there loomed the Mountain! Its nearest neighbours to the North-East and the tumbled land that joined it to them could not be seen. All alone it rose and looked across the marshes to the forest. The Lonely Mountain! Bilbo had come far and through many adventures to see it, and now he did not like the look of it in the least.

地勢(shì)變得一片開闊，河流的水向四周散開，沿著百多條蜿蜒的路徑流向旁邊的陸地，在有些地方蓄積成了沼澤與池塘，小小的島嶼在其間星羅棋布。不過在正中的地方，依舊有條粗壯的主流持續(xù)地往下奔流。在遙遠(yuǎn)的地方，河水黑黑的盡頭直插進(jìn)云堆中的地方，隱隱現(xiàn)出了那座山的身影!它的西北方向與其毗鄰的地區(qū)，以及將大山與這一地區(qū)連接起來的低地你都無法看見。它孤傲地矗立著，隔著沼澤遠(yuǎn)望著黑森林。那就是孤山!比爾博走過了迢迢長路，經(jīng)歷了重重艱險(xiǎn)才見到了它，但他卻一點(diǎn)兒也不喜歡它的樣子。

As he listened to the talk of the raftmen and pieced together the scraps of information they let fall, he soon realized that he was very fortunate ever to have seen it at all, even from this distance. Dreary as had been his imprisonment and unpleasant as was his position (to say nothing of the poor dwarves underneath him) still, he had been more lucky than he had guessed. The talk was all of the trade that came and went on the waterways and the growth of the traffic on the river, as the roads out of the East towards Mirkwood vanished or fell into disuse; and of the bickerings of the Lake-men and the Wood-elves about the upkeep of the Forest River and the care of the banks. Those lands had changed much since the days when dwarves dwelt in the Mountain, days which most people now remembered only as a very shadowy tradition. They had changed even in recent years, and since the last news that Gandalf had had of them. Great floods and rains had swollen the waters that flowed east; and there had been an earthquake or two (which some were inclined to attribute to the dragon—alluding to him chiefly with a curse and an ominous nod in the direction of the Mountain). The marshes and bogs had spread wider and wider on either side. Paths had vanished, and many a rider and wanderer too, if they had tried to find the lost ways across. The elf-road through the wood which the dwarves had followed on the advice of Beorn now came to a doubtful and little used end at the eastern edge of the forest; only the river offered any longer a safe way from the skirts of Mirkwood in the North to the mountain-shadowed plains beyond, and the river was guarded by the Wood-elves’ king.

他傾聽著駕木筏的精靈們的談話，把從他們那兒聽來的只言片語拼湊起來，他很快就明白了，他能夠看到孤山的全貌是多么幸運(yùn)，即便是從這么遠(yuǎn)的距離。盡管困在精靈洞穴中令他身心疲憊，而他此刻所處的位置也不太舒服(位于他腳下的矮人們就更別提了)，但他其實(shí)要比自己所認(rèn)為的幸運(yùn)得多。對(duì)方談?wù)摰亩际窃谒飞贤鶃淼馁Q(mào)易，以及這條河上日益增加的交通，因?yàn)閺臇|方通往黑森林的道路早已荒廢，不復(fù)使用了;他們還談到了長湖上的人類和森林精靈們對(duì)密林河和兩岸的維護(hù)。自從矮人離開孤山之后，這一片地區(qū)已經(jīng)有了很大的變動(dòng)，那個(gè)年代對(duì)于目前的人們來說只是一個(gè)非常模糊的傳說。即便在最近這些年里，從甘道夫上次聽到這片地區(qū)的消息以來，這里也已經(jīng)有了變化。洪水和大雨讓往東的河流變得更加洶涌，其間還有一兩次地震(有些人會(huì)將此歸咎于惡龍——他們?cè)谔岬剿臅r(shí)候往往以一句罵人話來指代，或者對(duì)著孤山的方向不懷好意地點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭)。河道兩旁的沼澤和泥塘不停地?cái)U(kuò)張，道路就這樣消失了，路上的騎馬者和漫步者也少了很多，如今幾乎沒多少人想要來尋找消失的路徑了。貝奧恩之前所建議的那條精靈道路，到了森林東邊也很少有人走了，通不通都很成問題。如今想從北邊的黑森林邊緣到達(dá)孤山腳下的平原，就只有這條河流還算是一條安全的通路，由森林精靈的國王派人守衛(wèi)著。

So you see Bilbo had come in the end by the only road that was any good. It might have been some comfort to Mr. Baggins shivering on the barrels, if he had known that news of this had reached Gandalf far away and given him great anxiety, and that he was in fact finishing his other business (which does not come into this tale) and getting ready to come in search of Thorin’s company. But Bilbo did not know it.

因此，大家看到了，比爾博最后踏上的其實(shí)是惟一可行的道路。關(guān)于道路荒廢與變動(dòng)的消息已經(jīng)傳到了甘道夫耳朵里，他聽了之后很是不安。他此刻正在忙著辦完其他的工作(具體內(nèi)容與本故事無關(guān))，然后就準(zhǔn)備來尋找索林和伙伴們。對(duì)于躲在桶子上渾身發(fā)抖的巴金斯先生來說，這或許能給他帶來一些安慰，但可惜的是，他當(dāng)時(shí)并不知道這一點(diǎn)。

All he knew was that the river seemed to go on and on and on for ever, and he was hungry, and had a nasty cold in the nose, and did not like the way the Mountain seemed to frown at him and threaten him as it drew ever nearer. After a while, however, the river took a more southerly course and the Mountain receded again, and at last, late in the day the shores grew rocky, the river gathered all its wandering waters together into a deep and rapid flood, and they swept along at great speed.

他只知道這條河似乎不停地向前延伸，永遠(yuǎn)沒個(gè)頭。他很餓，鼻子因?yàn)槭軟霰欢伦×?，而且他越靠近孤山，就越覺得那座山脈似乎在對(duì)他皺眉，威脅著他。不過，過了一陣子之后，河水略往南邊偏轉(zhuǎn)，孤山又朝后退了下去。到了那天稍晚些時(shí)候，河岸漸漸變成了巖石，大河也把它漫流向四周的河水給收了回來，變成了一股又深又急的洪流，令他們朝著目標(biāo)高速航行。

The sun had set when turning with another sweep towards the East the forest-river rushed into the Long Lake. There it had a wide mouth with stony clifflike gates at either side whose feet were piled with shingles. The Long Lake! Bilbo had never imagined that any water that was not the sea could look so big. It was so wide that the opposite shores looked small and far, but it was so long that its northerly end, which pointed towards the Mountain, could not be seen at all. Only from the map did Bilbo know that away up there, where the stars of the Wain were already twinkling, the Running River came down into the lake from Dale and with the Forest River filled with deep waters what must once have been a great deep rocky valley. At the southern end the doubled waters poured out again over high waterfalls and ran away hurriedly to unknown lands. In the still evening air the noise of the falls could be heard like a distant roar.

當(dāng)密林河又往東急彎，流入長湖的時(shí)候，太陽已經(jīng)落山了。那里有一個(gè)寬闊的湖口，兩邊有著像石崖一樣的大門，大門腳下堆滿了鵝卵石。這就是長湖啊!比爾博之前從來沒想到過，除了大海之外，還會(huì)有這么壯闊的水。湖面如此開闊，令對(duì)岸看上去又小又遙遠(yuǎn)，但它又是如此的長，其指向孤山方向的最北端甚至根本看不見。比爾博只是從地圖上才知道，在那里，星光已經(jīng)在閃爍，奔流河從山谷中流下，和密林河一起把水灌注進(jìn)了這個(gè)以前必定是深邃山谷的地方。在湖的南端，兩河匯流之后又流溢而出，構(gòu)成高高落下的瀑布，奔流向未知的土地。在寂靜的夜晚中，瀑布的響聲如同遙遠(yuǎn)的低吼傳進(jìn)人們的耳朵中來。

Not far from the mouth of the Forest River was the strange town he heard the elves speak of in the king’s cellars. It was not built on the shore, though there were a few huts and buildings there, but right out on the surface of the lake, protected from the swirl of the entering river by a promontory of rock which formed a calm bay. A great bridge made of wood ran out to where on huge piles made of forest trees was built a busy wooden town, not a town of elves but of Men, who still dared to dwell here under the shadow of the distant dragon-mountain. They still throve on the trade that came up the great river from the South and was carted past the falls to their town; but in the great days of old, when Dale in the North was rich and prosperous, they had been wealthy and powerful, and there had been fleets of boats on the waters, and some were filled with gold and some with warriors in armour, and there had been wars and deeds which were now only a legend. The rotting piles of a greater town could still be seen along the shores when the waters sank in a drought.

距離密林河入湖口不遠(yuǎn)的地方，就是比爾博聽精靈們?cè)趪醯木平牙锾岬竭^的那個(gè)奇怪城鎮(zhèn)。雖然岸邊確有幾棟小屋之類的建筑，但鎮(zhèn)子卻并不是建在岸上，而是坐落于湖面上。在一塊巨巖的保護(hù)之下，湖中央形成了一個(gè)平靜無波的小灣。一座木制的大橋通往湖心，一座繁華的城鎮(zhèn)就建造在從森林里砍下來的大樹構(gòu)成的木樁之上。這里居住的不是精靈而是人類，雖然處于遠(yuǎn)方惡龍盤踞的孤山的陰影之下，他們卻依然勇敢地居住在這里。這些人依舊靠著從南方河流逆流而上，再用大車經(jīng)過瀑布抵達(dá)他們小鎮(zhèn)的貿(mào)易來維持生活。不過，在古代，當(dāng)北方的河谷城依舊繁榮興盛的時(shí)候，他們?cè)?jīng)非常富有、非常強(qiáng)大。當(dāng)時(shí)河面上有無數(shù)船只往來，有些裝載著黃金，有些則運(yùn)送著全副武裝的戰(zhàn)士。當(dāng)年的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)和英雄的事跡，現(xiàn)在只剩下了傳說。當(dāng)干旱來臨湖面下降的時(shí)候，人們依舊可以從朽爛的木樁窺見古鎮(zhèn)當(dāng)年更大的規(guī)模。

But men remembered little of all that, though some still sang old songs of the dwarf-kings of the Mountain, Thror and Thrain of the race of Durin, and of the coming of the Dragon, and the fall of the lords of Dale. Some sang too that Thror and Thrain would come back one day and gold would flow in rivers, through the mountain-gates, and all that land would be filled with new song and new laughter. But this pleasant legend did not much affect their daily business.

但人們對(duì)此已經(jīng)不大記得了，雖然有些人還在唱著有關(guān)山中矮人之王，有關(guān)瑟羅爾、瑟萊因以及都林的子民，有關(guān)惡龍的到來以及河谷城如何滅亡的歌搖。有些人還在歌曲中唱到，瑟羅爾和瑟萊因有天將會(huì)重回此地，黃金將會(huì)越過山門，從山中源源流出，大地又將重新充滿新的歌聲與新的歡笑。不過這個(gè)美好的傳說對(duì)他們每日的營生并沒有產(chǎn)生多少影響。

As soon as the raft of barrels came in sight boats rowed out from the piles of the town, and voices hailed the raft-steerers. Then ropes were cast and oars were pulled, and soon the raft was drawn out of the current of the Forest River and towed away round the high shoulder of rock into the little bay of Lake-town. There it was moored not far from the shoreward head of the great bridge. Soon men would come up from the South and take some of the casks away, and others they would fill with goods they had brought to be taken back up the stream to the Wood-elves’ home. In the meanwhile the barrels were left afloat while the elves of the raft and the boatmen went to feast in Lake-town.

木桶做成的筏子剛一進(jìn)入人們的視野，鎮(zhèn)子里就劃出了許多的小船，來人向劃木筏的人們打招呼。然后，他們拋出繩索，努力劃槳，把木筏拉離了密林河的水流，繞過高高的巖肩，拖進(jìn)了長湖鎮(zhèn)的小港灣中。它就?？吭诖髽蛲ㄍ渡系哪且活^附近。很快，南方的人們將會(huì)過來，把有些木桶拿走，其余的則將裝上貨物，再送回到森林精靈的家鄉(xiāng)去。這會(huì)兒，木桶被暫時(shí)扔在了那里，劃木筏的精靈和劃船的人到鎮(zhèn)上飲酒作樂去了。

They would have been surprised, if they could have seen what happened down by the shore, after they had gone and the shades of night had fallen. First of all a barrel was cut loose by Bilbo and pushed to the shore and opened. Groans came from inside, and out crept a most unhappy dwarf. Wet straw was in his draggled beard; he was so sore and stiff, so bruised and buffeted he could hardly stand or stumble through the shallow water to lie groaning on the shore. He had a famished and a savage look like a dog that has been chained and forgotten in a kennel for a week. It was Thorin, but you could only have told it by his golden chain, and by the colour of his now dirty and tattered sky-blue hood with its tarnished silver tassel. It was some time before he would be even polite to the hobbit.

如果他們見到了在他們離開并且黑夜降臨之后，岸邊所發(fā)生的事情，他們一定會(huì)感到驚訝無比。比爾博先將一個(gè)木桶從筏子上割下來，將它推到岸上打開。木桶里傳來一陣呻吟，然后從里面慢慢爬出一個(gè)滿臉不高興的矮人。他的胡子里掛著稻草，又濕又臟，人則渾身酸痛，動(dòng)作僵硬，滿是瘀青，好不容易才站起身來，蹣跚著涉過淺水，走到岸邊躺下，嘴里不停地哼哼著。他的樣子一看就像是餓了好久的野人，又好像是被拴上了鏈子，然后關(guān)在狗窩里一個(gè)星期忘了喂的狗。此人就是索林，但你只能從他的黃金項(xiàng)鏈，從滿是污跡、破破爛爛的天藍(lán)色兜帽和失去了光澤的銀流蘇中猜出來。過了好一陣子，他才勉強(qiáng)用比較禮貌的態(tài)度來對(duì)待霍比特人。

“Well, are you alive or are you dead?” asked Bilbo quite crossly. Perhaps he had forgotten that he had had at least one good meal more than the dwarves, and also the use of his arms and legs, not to speak of a greater allowance of air. “Are you still in prison, or are you free? If you want food, and if you want to go on with this silly adventure—it’s yours after all and not mine—you had better slap your arms and rub your legs and try and help me get the others out while there is a chance!”

“我說，你究竟是活著還是死了?”比爾博相當(dāng)不客氣地問道。他可能已經(jīng)忘記了，自己至少比矮人們多吃了一頓，舒展過了胳膊腿兒，更不用說還呼吸到了更多更好的空氣。“你是還在監(jiān)獄里呢，還是已經(jīng)獲得了自由?如果你想要吃東西，如果你想要繼續(xù)這場(chǎng)愚蠢的冒險(xiǎn)——這畢競(jìng)是你的冒險(xiǎn)，不是我的——!就請(qǐng)你甩甩胳膊揉揉腿，趁著還有機(jī)會(huì)，幫我把其他人都給放出來!”

Thorin of course saw the sense of this, so after a few more groans he got up and helped the hobbit as well as he could. In the darkness floundering in the cold water they had a difficult and very nasty job finding which were the right barrels. Knocking outside and calling only discovered about six dwarves that could answer. These were unpacked and helped ashore where they sat or lay muttering and moaning; they were so soaked and bruised and cramped that they could hardly yet realize their release or be properly thankful for it.

索林當(dāng)然知道事情的緊迫性，因此，在又哼哼了幾聲之后，他爬了起來，盡可能地給霍比特人幫手。天色已是一片黑暗，要想在冰冷的湖水里摸索出哪些是裝著人的木桶的確是非常困難的工作。他們?cè)谀就巴饷嬗智糜趾暗?，最后只找到了六個(gè)還有力氣回應(yīng)的矮人。這些矮人被救了出來，弄到岸上，他們同樣坐在那里哀嚎抱怨起來。他們渾身濕透，身上到處是擦傷和瘀青，所以一時(shí)間還沒有意識(shí)到自己已經(jīng)重獲了自由，要對(duì)此心存感激。

Dwalin and Balin were two of the most unhappy, and it was no good asking them to help. Bifur and Bofur were less knocked about and drier, but they lay down and would do nothing. Fili and Kili, however, who were young (for dwarves) and had also been packed more neatly with plenty of straw into smaller casks, came out more or less smiling, with only a bruise or two and a stiffness that soon wore off.

杜瓦林和巴林是怨氣最大的，請(qǐng)他們倆幫忙肯定要討沒趣。比弗和波弗受到的撞擊少一點(diǎn)，身上也更干一些，但他們躺在地上耍賴，什么也不愿干。至于奇力和菲力，他們年紀(jì)比較輕(相對(duì)矮人而言的)，又被塞在比較小的、稻草比較多的桶里面，因此出來時(shí)臉上還或多或少地掛著笑容，身上只有一兩道瘀青，僵麻的四肢也很快恢復(fù)了。

“I hope I never smell the smell of apples again!” said Fili. “My tub was full of it. To smell apples everlastingly when you can scarcely move and are cold and sick with hunger is maddening. I could eat anything in the wide world now, for hours on end—but not an apple!”

“希望我這輩子再也不要聞到蘋果的味道了!”菲力說，“我的桶里面全是那股味道。人不能動(dòng)彈，又冷又難過，肚子餓得發(fā)慌，在這種情況下一直聞蘋果的味道簡(jiǎn)直要讓人發(fā)瘋!現(xiàn)在在這個(gè)廣闊天地里我什么都吃得下去，而且能一口氣吃上幾個(gè)小時(shí)——就是蘋果例外!”

With the willing help of Fili and Kili, Thorin and Bilbo at last discovered the remainder of the company and got them out. Poor fat Bombur was asleep or senseless; Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin were waterlogged and seemed only half alive; they all had to be carried one by one and laid helpless on the shore.

在菲力和奇力自愿的幫助之下，索林和比爾博終于找到了其余的同伴，將他們救了出來。可憐的胖邦伯不是睡著了，就是失去了知覺;多瑞、諾瑞、歐瑞、歐因和格羅因都被水泡著，看起來半死不活的。他們只能被一個(gè)一個(gè)地抱上岸，上來之后就無力地躺倒在地上一動(dòng)不動(dòng)。

“Well! Here we are!” said Thorin. “And I suppose we ought to thank our stars and Mr. Baggins. I am sure he has a right to expect it, though I wish he could have arranged a more comfortable journey. Still—all very much at your service once more, Mr. Baggins. No doubt we shall feel properly grateful, when we are fed and recovered. In the meanwhile what next?”

“哇!終于到了!”索林說，“我想我們?cè)摳兄x主宰我們命運(yùn)的星座和巴金斯先生。我想他有權(quán)期待得到我們的感謝，盡管我希望他要是能把我們的旅程安排得更舒服一點(diǎn)就好了。即便如此，巴金斯先生，我們又欠你個(gè)大人情了。等我們吃飽喝足之后，我們肯定會(huì)感到由衷感激的。不過這會(huì)兒，我們接下來該怎么辦?”

“I suggest Lake-town,” said Bilbo. “What else is there?”

“我建議去長湖鎮(zhèn)，”比爾博說，“不然還能去哪兒?”

Nothing else could, of course, be suggested; so leaving the others Thorin and Fili and Kili and the hobbit went along the shore to the great bridge. There were guards at the head of it, but they were not keeping very careful watch, for it was so long since there had been any real need. Except for occasional squabbles about river-tolls they were friends with the Wood-elves. Other folk were far away; and some of the younger people in the town openly doubted the existence of any dragon in the mountain, and laughed at the greybeards and gammers who said that they had seen him flying in the sky in their young days. That being so it is not surprising that the guards were drinking and laughing by a fire in their hut, and did not hear the noise of the unpacking of the dwarves or the footsteps of the four scouts. Their astonishment was enormous when Thorin Oakenshield stepped in through the door.

的確，除此之外也沒有別的選擇了。于是，索林、菲力、奇力和比爾博就把其他人先放在一邊，沿著河岸來到大橋邊。橋頭上有守衛(wèi)，但他們的看守十分松懈，因?yàn)橐呀?jīng)有好一段時(shí)間他們的看守都沒派上過什么用場(chǎng)了。除了偶爾為了河上的通行費(fèi)有些小爭(zhēng)議外，他們和森林精靈其實(shí)是不錯(cuò)的朋友。其他的人類都居住在很遠(yuǎn)的地方，鎮(zhèn)上有些年輕人根本不相信山中有惡龍，甚至?xí)靶δ切┞暦Q在自己年輕時(shí)見過惡龍?jiān)诳罩酗w翔的老頭兒老太太。因?yàn)槿绱?，所以守衛(wèi)們會(huì)忙著在小屋內(nèi)圍著火堆喝酒談笑，根本沒聽見矮人們從桶里出來的響動(dòng)以及四人偵察小分隊(duì)的腳步聲，就不足為奇了。當(dāng)索林·橡木盾從門口走進(jìn)來的時(shí)候，守衛(wèi)們個(gè)個(gè)都感到了震驚。

“Who are you and what do you want?” they shouted leaping to their feet and groping for weapons.

“你是誰，想干什么?”他們一邊喊著，一邊跳起來，伸手去摸武器。

“Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!” said the dwarf in a loud voice, and he looked it, in spite of his torn clothes and draggled hood. The gold gleamed on his neck and waist; his eyes were dark and deep. “I have come back. I wish to see the Master of your town!”

“我是索林，孤山下的瑟羅爾王之孫，瑟萊因王之子!”矮人朗聲說道。雖然他衣著破爛，兜帽濕答答的，但他看上去的確有國王子孫的氣派。他的脖子上和腰間都掛著閃耀的黃金，雙眼幽黑而深邃。“我回來了。我想見你們的鎮(zhèn)長!”

Then there was tremendous excitement. Some of the more foolish ran out of the hut as if they expected the Mountain to go golden in the night and all the waters of the lake turn yellow right away. The captain of the guard came forward.

一時(shí)間眾人都變得非常興奮，有些比較笨的家伙立刻跑出屋外，似乎以為大山會(huì)在夜里就變成黃金，所有的湖水也會(huì)立刻變成金黃色。守衛(wèi)的隊(duì)長走上前來。

“And who are these?” he asked, pointing to Fili and Kili and Bilbo.

“這幾位是?”他指著菲力、奇力和比爾博問道。

“The sons of my father’s daughter,” answered Thorin, “Fili and Kili of the race of Durin, and Mr. Baggins who has travelled with us out of the West.”

“他們都是我的外甥，”索林回答，“菲力和奇力都是都林一族的，巴金斯先生是和我們一起從西方來的伙伴。”

“If you come in peace lay down your arms!” said the captain.

“如果你們?yōu)榱撕推降哪康亩鴣恚驼?qǐng)放下武器!”隊(duì)長說。

“We have none,” said Thorin, and it was true enough: their knives had been taken from them by the wood-elves, and the great sword Orcrist too. Bilbo had his short sword, hidden as usual, but he said nothing about that. “We have no need of weapons, who return at last to our own as spoken of old. Nor could we fight against so many. Take us to your master!”

“我們根本沒有武器，”索林回答，這話一點(diǎn)不假，他們的小刀都被森林精靈收走了，連那把奧克銳斯特劍也不例外。比爾博的短劍在身上，像平常一樣是藏起來的，但他什么也沒多說。“我們不需要武器，我們就像老話預(yù)言的那樣，終于回到了我們的故土。而且我們也沒辦法與這么多人為敵。帶我們?nèi)ヒ娔銈兊逆?zhèn)長吧!

“He is at feast,” said the captain.

“他正在參加宴會(huì)呢。”隊(duì)長說。

“Then all the more reason for taking us to him,” burst in Fili, who was getting impatient at these solemnities. “We are worn and famished after our long road and we have sick comrades. Now make haste and let us have no more words, or your master may have something to say to you.”

“那就更要帶我們?nèi)ヒ娝恕?rdquo;菲力突然插嘴道，他對(duì)這些客套早就已經(jīng)覺得不耐煩了，“我們趕了很長的路，又累又餓，還有伙伴生了病。趕快帶我們過去，不要再讓我們費(fèi)口舌了，否則你們的首領(lǐng)怪罪下來，你就要負(fù)全責(zé)。”

“Follow me then,” said the captain, and with six men about them he led them over the bridge through the gates and into the market-place of the town. This was a wide circle of quiet water surrounded by the tall piles on which were built the greater houses, and by long wooden quays with many steps and ladders going down to the surface of the lake. From one great hall shone many lights and there came the sound of many voices. They passed its doors and stood blinking in the light looking at long tables filled with folk.

“那就跟我來吧”，隊(duì)長帶著六名部下，護(hù)送著他們走過大橋，穿過鎮(zhèn)門，來到市集所在的地方。這是很大一圈寧靜的水面，周圍被高大的木樁所包圍，鎮(zhèn)上大一些的房子都是建在這圈木樁上的，然后有長長的木頭碼頭通過許多臺(tái)階和梯子可以下到水面。其中一棟大屋內(nèi)透出許多光亮和鼎沸的人聲。他們通過大門，在刺目的亮光中眨了一會(huì)兒眼睛，看著坐滿了人的長桌。

“I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain! I return!” cried Thorin in a loud voice from the door, before the captain could say anything.

“我是索林，孤山下的瑟羅爾王之孫，瑟萊因王之子!我回來了!”還不等隊(duì)長來得及開口介紹，索林就在門邊用響亮的聲音喊了起來。

All leaped to their feet. The Master of the town sprang from his great chair. But none rose in greater surprise than the raft-men of the elves who were sitting at the lower end of the hall. Pressing forward before the Master’s table they cried:

所有的人都跳了起來，鎮(zhèn)長也從他的大椅子里彈了起來。但是，最驚訝的還得數(shù)那些劃木筏過來的精靈們，他們坐在大廳比較低的那頭。他們擠到鎮(zhèn)長的桌邊叫道：

“These are prisoners of our king that have escaped, wandering vagabond dwarves that could not give any good account of themselves, sneaking through the woods and molesting our people!”

“這些是從我們國王手中逃出來的犯人，這些矮人四處游蕩，講不清楚自己的來歷，在森林里面鬼鬼祟祟，還騷擾我們的同胞!”

“Is this true?” asked the Master. As a matter of fact he thought it far more likely than the return of the King under the Mountain, if any such person had ever existed.

“這是真的嗎?”鎮(zhèn)長問道。事實(shí)上，鎮(zhèn)長自己也覺得這個(gè)說法比較像回事，至少比什么孤山下的國王回歸要靠譜，他連有沒有這么一號(hào)人物都吃不準(zhǔn)。

“It is true that we were wrongfully waylaid by the Elvenking and imprisoned without cause as we journeyed back to our own land,” answered Thorin. “But lock nor bar may hinder the homecoming spoken of old. Nor is this town in the Wood-elves’ realm. I speak to the Master of the town of the Men of the Lake, not to the raft-men of the king.”

“在我們回鄉(xiāng)的路上，的確是遭到了精靈國王的無端阻攔和拘禁。”索林回答，“但是，無論是鎖鏈還是鐵欄都無法阻止回鄉(xiāng)的預(yù)言。況且，這座城鎮(zhèn)也不在森林精靈的疆域之內(nèi)，我是在跟長湖鎮(zhèn)的人類鎮(zhèn)長說話，而不是在跟精靈國王手下的木筏精靈說話。”

Then the Master hesitated and looked from one to the other. The Elvenking was very powerful in those parts and the Master wished for no enmity with him, nor did he think much of old songs, giving his mind to trade and tolls, to cargoes and gold, to which habit he owed his position. Others were of different mind, however, and quickly the matter was settled without him. The news had spread from the doors of the hall like fire through all the town. People were shouting inside the hall and outside it. The quays were thronged with hurrying feet. Some began to sing snatches of old songs concerning the return of the King under the Mountain; that it was Thror’s grandson not Thror himself that had come back did not bother them at all. Others took up the song and it rolled loud and high over the lake.

鎮(zhèn)長猶豫了，目光從一方又轉(zhuǎn)到另一方身上。精靈國王在這一帶擁有相當(dāng)?shù)膭?shì)力，鎮(zhèn)長不想與他為敵，而且他是頗不以那些古老的歌謠為然的，因?yàn)樗X子里整天想的都是貿(mào)易和通行費(fèi)，貨物和金子，而他也是因?yàn)橄敕▽?shí)際的習(xí)慣才爬上鎮(zhèn)長這個(gè)位子的。然而其他人思考問題的方式都與他不同，所以這件事最后跳過他而決定了下來。消息很快就出了大門，如同野火一般傳遍了整個(gè)鎮(zhèn)子，人們?cè)诖笪輧?nèi)外興奮地叫喊著，碼頭上到處都是快步跑來跑去的腳。有些人開始唱起了山下之王回歸歌的零星片斷，至于回來的是瑟羅爾的孫子而非瑟羅爾本人則對(duì)他們來說毫不重要。其他人漸漸也應(yīng)和著唱了起來，歌聲越來越響，高高地飄蕩在湖面上。

The King beneath the mountains,

大山之下的國王，

The King of carven stone,

雕刻巖石的國王，

The lord of silver fountains

銀色噴泉的君王，

Shall come into his own!

將回到他的故鄉(xiāng)!

His crown shall be upholden,

他的王冠將得到萬人擁戴，

His harp shall be restrung,

他的豎琴重新響起清音嘹亮，

His halls shall echo golden

往昔的歌曲再度唱起，

To songs of yore re-sung.

在他的大廳中激起金色回響。

The woods shall wave on mountains

山上樹木將迎風(fēng)擺舞，

And grass beneath the sun;

綠草將沐浴陽光;

His wealth shall flow in fountains

他的財(cái)富在山中奔流

And the rivers golden run.

將河水染成金黃。

The streams shall run in gladness,

山泉?dú)g樂地流淌，

The lakes shall shine and burn,

湖光閃爍粼粼波光，

All sorrow fail and sadness

別了，所有的痛苦與哀傷，

At the Mountain-king’s return!

山下之王已回到故鄉(xiāng)!

So they sang, or very like that, only there was a great deal more of it, and there was much shouting as well as the music of harps and of fiddles mixed up with it. Indeed such excitement had not been known in the town in the memory of the oldest grandfather. The Wood-elves themselves began to wonder greatly and even to be afraid. They did not know of course how Thorin had escaped, and they began to think their king might have made a serious mistake. As for the Master he saw there was nothing else for it but to obey the general clamour, for the moment at any rate, and to pretend to believe that Thorin was what he said. So he gave up to him his own great chair and set Fili and Kili beside him in places of honour. Even Bilbo was given a seat at the high table, and no explanation of where he came in—no songs had alluded to him even in the obscurest way—was asked for in the general bustle.

他們就是這樣唱的，內(nèi)容應(yīng)該八九不離十吧，只是歌曲的數(shù)量比這要多得多，不僅有人們吼得響亮的歌聲，其中也混雜著豎琴和小提琴的樂聲。事實(shí)上，就連鎮(zhèn)中最老的老爺爺，在其一生的記憶中都沒見到過這樣的狂歡場(chǎng)面。森林精靈心中也開始大大動(dòng)搖起來，甚至感到了害怕。他們當(dāng)然不知道索林是怎么逃出來的，開始擔(dān)心國王也許犯了個(gè)大錯(cuò)。至于鎮(zhèn)長，看到除了遵照民意別無選擇，至少眼前如此，便假裝相信了索林的說法。于是，他把自己的大座椅讓給了索林，把菲力和奇力讓在了自己旁邊的貴賓席。就連比爾博也問都沒問他的來歷便在主桌上給他安排了一個(gè)座位。由于沒有哪首歌哪怕以最曲折間接的方式提到過他，所以人們都七嘴八舌地探問著他的來頭。

Soon afterwards the other dwarves were brought into the town amid scenes of astonishing enthusiasm. They were all doctored and fed and housed and pampered in the most delightful and satisfactory fashion. A large house was given up to Thorin and his company; boats and rowers were put at their service; and crowds sat outside and sang songs all day, or cheered if any dwarf showed so much as his nose.

很快，其他的矮人也在一片令人吃驚的熱情歡迎場(chǎng)面中被帶進(jìn)了鎮(zhèn)子。他們都以最令人愉快和滿意的方式得到了醫(yī)治和款待。索林和伙伴們被請(qǐng)進(jìn)一所大房子居住，船只和槳手被安排在門外隨時(shí)聽候差遣。人們坐在他們門外整日唱著歌，只要有哪個(gè)矮人哪怕僅僅在窗口露出鼻子，就會(huì)招來陣陣的歡呼。

Some of the songs were old ones; but some of them were quite new and spoke confidently of the sudden death of the dragon and of cargoes of rich presents coming down the river to Lake-town. These were inspired largely by the Master and they did not particularly please the dwarves, but in the meantime they were well contented and they quickly grew fat and strong again. Indeed within a week they were quite recovered, fitted out in fine cloth of their proper colours, with beards combed and trimmed, and proud steps. Thorin looked and walked as if his kingdom was already regained and Smaug chopped up into little pieces.

在人們所唱的歌中，有些是老歌，不過有些則是新編的，里面信心十足地預(yù)言了惡龍的突然死亡，以及一批批的寶物順河而下流到長湖鎮(zhèn)。這些歌曲很大部分都是在鎮(zhèn)長的授意下編出來的，矮人們聽了不是很高興，但這段時(shí)間他們的生活還是相當(dāng)令人滿意，眾人很快就恢復(fù)了之前的體重和精力。的確，在一個(gè)星期之內(nèi)，他們就完全康復(fù)，穿上了顏色合適的好布做的衣服，胡子經(jīng)過了梳理與修剪，步履中開始透露出自豪。索林的外表和他走路的樣子看起來似乎他已經(jīng)收復(fù)了他的王國，惡龍斯毛格也早已被剁成了碎片。

Then, as he had said, the dwarves’ good feeling towards the little hobbit grew stronger every day. There were no more groans or grumbles. They drank his health, and they patted him on the back, and they made a great fuss of him; which was just as well, for he was not feeling particularly cheerful. He had not forgotten the look of the Mountain, nor the thought of the dragon, and he had besides a shocking cold. For three days he sneezed and coughed, and he could not go out, and even after that his speeches at banquets were limited to “Thag you very buch.”

然后，就像他說過的那樣，矮人們對(duì)于霍比特人的好感與日俱增。他們不再抱怨和嘀咕，每次喝酒都會(huì)向他敬酒祝他健康，他們會(huì)親熱地拍拍他的后背，每次見了他都要和他說上好些話。這一點(diǎn)倒是很有用處，因?yàn)楸葼柌┻@陣的心情并不是很好。他并沒有忘記孤山那猙獰的樣子，腦子里也一刻沒有把惡龍放下過，而且他還經(jīng)歷了一場(chǎng)十分嚴(yán)重的感冒。整整三天他又是打噴嚏又是咳嗽的，哪里都去不了，即便是三天之后，他在宴會(huì)上也只能跟別人甕聲甕氣地說上一句“謝謝，謝謝。”

In the meanwhile the Wood-elves had gone back up the Forest River with their cargoes, and there was great excitement in the king’s palace. I have never heard what happened to the chief of the guards and the butler. Nothing of course was ever said about keys or barrels while the dwarves stayed in Lake-town, and Bilbo was careful never to become invisible. Still, I daresay, more was guessed than was known, though doubtless Mr. Baggins remained a bit of a mystery. In any case the king knew now the dwarves’ errand, or thought he did, and he said to himself:

這時(shí)，森林精靈們已經(jīng)帶著貨物沿密林河而上，踏上歸途了，而國王的宮殿里也亂翻了天。再也沒有人聽說過守衛(wèi)隊(duì)長和總管后來到底怎樣了。矮人們逗留在長湖鎮(zhèn)期間，當(dāng)然一句話也沒有提到過鑰匙或是木桶的事情，而比爾博也十分小心，從來沒有用過隱身的本事。不過，雖然巴金斯先生在外人眼中無疑還是相當(dāng)神秘的，但我想人們多多少少還是能猜到一點(diǎn)的。至少，國王就已經(jīng)知道了矮人們的使命，或者說他自以為已經(jīng)知道了。因此，他對(duì)自己說：

“Very well! We’ll see! No treasure will come back through Mirkwood without my having something to say in the matter. But I expect they will all come to a bad end, and serve them right!” He at any rate did not believe in dwarves fighting and killing dragons like Smaug, and he strongly suspected attempted burglary or something like it—which shows he was a wise elf and wiser than the men of the town, though not quite right, as we shall see in the end. He sent out his spies about the shores of the lake and as far northward towards the Mountain as they would go, and waited.

“好極了!我們走著瞧!這事兒要是沒我的份，他們休想經(jīng)過黑森林把寶物運(yùn)出去。反正我估計(jì)他們也不會(huì)有什么好下場(chǎng)，那就算他們活該!”他無論如何都不相信矮人們可以通過正面的戰(zhàn)斗殺了斯毛格這樣的惡龍，他估計(jì)他們充其量也只能從惡龍那里偷走點(diǎn)什么——這表明他是個(gè)相當(dāng)聰明的精靈，比鎮(zhèn)上的人類要聰明得多。其實(shí)他也沒完全猜對(duì)，這一點(diǎn)我們到最后就知道了。他派出了探子前往湖畔地區(qū)，甚至命令他們盡可能往北靠近孤山，靜觀事態(tài)的變化。

At the end of a fortnight Thorin began to think of departure. While the enthusiasm still lasted in the town was the time to get help. It would not do to let everything cool down with delay. So he spoke to the Master and his councillors and said that soon he and his company must go on towards the Mountain.

兩周之后，索林開始考慮要離開這里了。趁鎮(zhèn)中的狂熱還在持續(xù)，正是獲得幫助的好時(shí)候。如果再拖下去，等人們的熱情冷卻下來，就一切都來不及了。于是他找鎮(zhèn)長和他的參議們面談，說他和同伴們不久之后就必須重新上路前往孤山了。

Then for the first time the Master was surprised and a little frightened; and he wondered if Thorin was after all really a descendant of the old kings. He had never thought that the dwarves would actually dare to approach Smaug, but believed they were frauds who would sooner or later be discovered and be turned out. He was wrong. Thorin, of course, was really the grandson of the King under the Mountain, and there is no knowing what a dwarf will not dare and do for revenge or the recovery of his own.

鎮(zhèn)長第一次感到吃驚，甚至有了一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)害怕。他不由得開始懷疑索林別真的是古代國王的后裔。他之前從來沒想過矮人們會(huì)真的冒險(xiǎn)去接近斯毛格，心里只當(dāng)他們是一幫騙吃騙喝的家伙，早晚會(huì)露餡兒，然后被趕出去。可他錯(cuò)了。索林真的是山下之王的后代，而對(duì)于真正的矮人來說，還從來沒聽說過有哪個(gè)會(huì)不敢復(fù)仇和奪回屬于自己的東西。

But the Master was not sorry at all to let them go. They were expensive to keep, and their arrival had turned things into a long holiday in which business was at a standstill. “Let them go and bother Smaug, and see how he welcomes them!” he thought. “Certainly, O Thorin Thrain’s son Thror’s son!” was what he said. “You must claim your own. The hour is at hand, spoken of old. What help we can offer shall be yours, and we trust to your gratitude when your kingdom is regained.”

但是對(duì)于讓他們走，鎮(zhèn)長一點(diǎn)也不感到有什么愧疚。養(yǎng)這么一大幫人是很花錢的，而自他們來后，鎮(zhèn)上仿佛進(jìn)入了長長的假期，所有的生意都停頓了下來。“就讓他們?nèi)ミ稊_斯毛格吧，且看他會(huì)怎樣款待他們!”他心中暗想道。“當(dāng)然了，偉大的瑟羅爾之孫，瑟萊因之子索林!”這是他說出來的話，“你們必須拿回屬于你們的東西，古老預(yù)言中提到的時(shí)刻已經(jīng)來到，我們會(huì)盡力給予你們幫助，相信你們?cè)趭Z回王國之后，一定會(huì)知恩圖報(bào)。”

So one day, although autumn was now getting far on, and winds were cold, and leaves were falling fast, three large boats left Lake-town, laden with rowers, dwarves, Mr. Baggins, and many provisions. Horses and ponies had been sent round by circuitous paths to meet them at their appointed landing-place. The Master and his councillors bade them farewell from the great steps of the town-hall that went down to the lake. People sang on the quays and out of windows. The white oars dipped and splashed, and off they went north up the lake on the last stage of their long journey. The only person thoroughly unhappy was Bilbo.

于是某一天，盡管秋意已漸濃，冷風(fēng)陣陣，落葉飄零，三艘大船還是離開了長湖鎮(zhèn)，船上除了槳手外，還有矮人、巴金斯先生和許多的給養(yǎng)。馬匹和小馬會(huì)有人沿著環(huán)湖的道路提前幫他們送到指定的會(huì)合處。鎮(zhèn)長和他的參議們站在從鎮(zhèn)上的大屋通往湖而的寬大階梯上向他們道別。人們或站在碼頭上，或從窗戶中探出頭來唱歌歡送他們。白色的大槳落入水中濺起水花，他們沿著大湖北上而去，踏上了漫長旅程的最后一段。只有一個(gè)人一點(diǎn)兒都不高興，那就是比爾博。