jrt.fellowshipofring-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


y　historical　books　and　records。
　　　The　largest　of　these　collections　were　probably　at　Undertowers；　at　Great　Smials；　and　at　Brandy　Hall。　This　account　of　the　end　of　the　Third　Age　is　drawn　mainly　from　the　Red　Book　of　Westmarch。　That　most　important　source　for　the　history　of　the　War　of　the　Ring　was　so　called　because　it　was　long　preserved　at　Undertowers；　the　home　of　the　Fairbairns；　Wardens　of　the　Westmarch。3　It　was　in　origin　Bilbo's　private　diary；　which　he　took　with　him　to　Rivendell。　Frodo　brought　it　back　to　the　Shire；　together　with　many　loose　leaves　of　notes；　and　during　S。R。　1420…1　he　nearly　filled　its　pages　with　his　account　of　the　War。　But　annexed　to　it　and　preserved　with　it；　probably　m　a　single　red　case；　were　the　three　large　volumes；　bound　in　red　leather；　that　Bilbo　gave　to　him　as　a　parting　gift。　To　these　four　volumes　there　was　added　in　Westmarch　a　fifth　containing　mentaries；　genealogies；　and　various　other　matter　concerning　the　hobbit　members　of　the　Fellowship。
　　　The　original　Red　Book　has　not　been　preserved；　but　many　copies　were　made；　especially　of　the　first　volume；　for　the　use　of　the　descendants　of　the　children　of　Master　Samwise。　The　most　important　copy；　however；　has　a　different　history。　It　was　kept　at　Great　Smials；　but　it　was　written　in　Condor；　probably　at　the　request　of　the　great…grandson　of　Peregrin；　and　pleted　in　S。R。　1592　（F。A。　172）。　Its　southern　scribe　appended　this　note：　Findegil；　King's　Writer；　finished　this　work　in　IV　172。　It　is　an　exact　copy　in　all　details　of　the　Thain's　Book　m　Minas　Tirith。　That　book　was　a　copy；　made　at　the　request　of　King　Elessar；　of　the　Red　Book　of　the　Periannath；　and　was　brought　to　him　by　the　Thain　Peregrin　when　he　retired　to　Gondor　in　IV　64。
　　　The　Thain's　Book　was　thus　the　first　copy　made　of　the　Red　Book　and　contained　much　that　was　later　omitted　or　lost。　In　Minas　Tirith　it　received　much　annotation；　and　many　corrections；　especially　of　names；　words；　and　quotations　in　the　Elvish　languages；　and　there　was　added　to　it　an　abbreviated　version　of　those　parts　of　The　Tale　of　Aragorn　and　Arwen　which　lie　outside　the　account　of　the　War。　The　full　tale　is　stated　to　have　been　written　by　Barahir；　grandson　of　the　Steward　Faramir；　some　time　after　the　passing　of　the　King。　But　the　chief　importance　of　Findegil's　copy　is　that　it　alone　contains　the　whole　of　Bilbo's　'Translations　from　the　Elvish'。　These　three　volumes　were　found　to　be　a　work　of　great　skill　and　learning　in　which；　between　1403　and　1418；　he　had　used　all　the　sources　available　to　him　in　Rivendell；　both　living　and　written。　But　since　they　were　little　used　by　Frodo；　being　almost　entirely　concerned　with　the　Elder　Days；　no　more　is　said　of　them　here。
　　　Since　Meriadoc　and　Peregrin　became　the　heads　of　their　great　families；　and　at　the　same　time　kept　up　their　connexions　with　Rohan　and　Gondor；　the　libraries　at　Bucklebury　and　Tuckborough　contained　much　that　did　not　appear　in　the　Red　Book。　In　Brandy　Hall　there　were　many　works　dealing　with　Eriador　and　the　history　of　Rohan。　Some　of　these　were　posed　or　begun　by　Meriadoc　himself；　though　in　the　Shire　he　was　chiefly　remembered　for　his　Herblore　of　the　Shire；　and　for　his　Reckoning　of　Years　m　which　he　discussed　the　relation　of　the　calendars　of　the　Shire　and　Bree　to　those　of　Rivendell；　Gondor；　and　Rohan。　He　also　wrote　a　short　treatise　on　Old　Words　and　Names　in　the　Shire；　having　special　interest　in　discovering　the　kinship　with　the　language　of　the　Rohirrim　of　such　'shire…words'　as　mathom　and　old　elements　in　place　names。
　　　At　Great　Smials　the　books　were　of　less　interest　to　Shire…folk；　though　more　important　for　larger　history。　None　of　them　was　written　by　Peregrin；　but　he　and　his　successors　collected　many　manuscripts　written　by　scribes　of　Gondor：　mainly　copies　or　summaries　of　histories　or　legends　relating　to　Elendil　and　his　heirs。　Only　here　in　the　Shire　were　to　be　found　extensive　materials　for　the　history　of　Númenor　and　the　arising　of　Sauron。　It　was　probably　at　Great　Smials　that　The　Tale　of　Years4　was　put　together；　with　the　assistance　of　material　collected　by　Meriadoc。　Though　the　dates　given　are　often　conjectural；　especially　for　the　Second　Age；　they　deserve　attention。　It　is　probable　that　Meriadoc　obtained　assistance　and　information　from　Rivendell；　which　he　visited　more　than　once。　There；　though　Elrond　had　departed；　his　sons　long　remained；　together　with　some　of　the　High…elven　folk。　It　is　said　that　Celeborn　went　to　dwell　there　after　the　departure　of　Galadriel；　but　there　is　no　record　of　the　day　when　at　last　he　sought　the　Grey　Havens；　and　with　him　went　the　last　living　memory　of　the　Elder　Days　in　Middle…earth。
　　　
　　　Book　I
　　　Chapter　1
　　　　A　Long…expected　Party
　　　
　　　When　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　of　Bag　End　announced　that　he　would　shortly　be　celebrating　his　eleventy…first　birthday　with　a　party　of　special　magnificence；　there　was　much　talk　and　excitement　in　Hobbiton。
　　　Bilbo　was　very　rich　and　very　peculiar；　and　had　been　the　wonder　of　the　Shire　for　sixty　years；　ever　since　his　remarkable　disappearance　and　unexpected　return。　The　riches　he　had　brought　back　from　his　travels　had　now　bee　a　local　legend；　and　it　was　popularly　believed；　whatever　the　old　folk　might　say；　that　the　Hill　at　Bag　End　was　full　of　tunnels　stuffed　with　treasure。　And　if　that　was　not　enough　for　fame；　there　was　also　his　prolonged　vigour　to　marvel　at。　Time　wore　on；　but　it　seemed　to　have　little　effect　on　Mr。　Baggins。　At　ninety　he　was　much　the　same　as　at　fifty。　At　ninety…nine　they　began　to　call　him　well…preserved；　but　unchanged　would　have　been　nearer　the　mark。　There　were　some　that　shook　their　heads　and　thought　this　was　too　much　of　a　good　thing；　it　seemed　unfair　that　anyone　should　possess　（apparently）　perpetual　youth　as　well　as　（reputedly）　inexhaustible　wealth。
　　　'It　will　have　to　be　paid　for；'　they　said。　'It　isn't　natural；　and　trouble　will　e　of　it！'
　　　But　so　far　trouble　had　not　e；　and　as　Mr。　Baggins　was　generous　with　his　money；　most　people　were　willing　to　forgive　him　his　oddities　and　his　good　fortune。　He　remained　on　visiting　terms　with　his　relatives　（except；　of　course；　the　Sackville…Bagginses）；　and　he　had　many　devoted　admirers　among　the　hobbits　of　poor　and　unimportant　families。　But　he　had　no　close　friends；　until　some　of　his　younger　cousins　began　to　grow　up。
　　　The　eldest　of　these；　and　Bilbo's　favourite；　was　young　Frodo　Baggins。　When　Bilbo　was　ninety…nine；　he　adopted　Frodo　as　his　heir；　and　brought　him　to　live　at　Bag　End；　and　the　hopes　of　the　Sackville…Bagginses　were　finally　dashed。　Bilbo　and　Frodo　happened　to　have　the　same　birthday；　September　22nd。　'You　had　better　e　and　live　here；　Frodo　my　lad；'　said　Bilbo　one　day；　'and　then　we　can　celebrate　our　birthday…parties　fortably　together。'　At　that　time　Frodo　was　still　in　his　tweens；　as　the　hobbits　called　the　irresponsible　twenties　between　childhood　and　ing　of　age　at　thirty…three。
　　　Twelve　more　years　passed。　Each　year　the　Bagginses　had　given　very　lively　bined　birthday…parties　at　Bag　End；　but　now　it　was　understood　that　something　quite　exceptional　was　being　planned　for　that　autumn。　Bilbo　was　going　to　be　eleventy…one；　111；　a　rather　curious　number　and　a　very　respectable　age　for　a　hobbit　（the　Old　Took　himself　had　only　reached　130）；　and　Frodo　was　going　to　be　thirty…three；　33）　an　important　number：　the　date　of　his　'ing　of　age'。
　　　Tongues　began　to　wag　in　Hobbiton　and　Bywater；　and　rumour　of　the　ing　event　travelled　all　over　the　Shire。　The　history　and　character　of　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　became　once　again　the　chief　topic　of　conversation；　and　the　older　folk　suddenly　found　their　reminiscences　in　wele　demand。
　　　No　one　had　a　more　attentive　audience　than　old　Ham　Gamgee；　monly　known　as　the　Gaffer。　He　held　forth　at　The　Ivy　Bush；　a　small　inn　on　the　Bywater　road；　and　he　spoke　with　some　authority；　for　he　had　tended　the　garden　at　Bag　End　for　forty　years；　and　had　helped　old　Holman　in　the　same　job　before　that。　Now　that　he　was　himself　growing　old　and　stiff　in　the　joints；　the　job　was　mainly　carried　on　by　his　youngest　son；　Sam　Gamgee。　Both　father　and　son　were　on　very　friendly　terms　with　Bilbo　and　Frodo。　They　lived　on　the　Hill　itself；　in　Number　3　Bagshot　Row　just　below　Bag　End。
　　　'A　very　nice　well…spoken　gentlehobbit　is　Mr。　Bilbo；　as　I've　always　said；'　the　Gaffer　declared。　With　perfect　truth：　for　Bilbo　was　very　polite　to　him；　calling　him　'Master　Hamfast'；　and　consulting　him　constantly　upon　the　growing　of　vegetables　…　in　the　matter　of　'roots'；　especially　potatoes；　the　Gaffer　was　recognized　as　the　leading　authority　by　all　in　the　neighbourhood　（including　himself）。
　　　'But　what　about　this　Frodo　that　lives　with　him？'　asked　Old　Noakes　of　Bywater。　'Baggins　is　his　name；　but　he's　more　than　half　a　Brandybuck；　they　say。　It　beats　me　why　any　Baggins　of　Hobbiton　should　go　looking　for　a　wife　away　there　in　Buckland；　where　folks　are　so　queer。'
　　　'And　no　wonder　they're　queer；'　put　in　Daddy　Twofoot　（the　Gaffer's　next…door　neighbour）；　'if　they　live　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　Brandywine　River；　and　right　agin　the　Old　Forest。　That's　a　dark　bad　place；　if　half　the　tales　be　true。'
　　　'You're　right；　Dad！'　said　the　Gaffer。　'Not　that　the　Brandybucks　of　Buck…land　live　in　the　Old　Forest；　but　they're　a　queer　breed；　seemingly。　They　fool　about　with　boats　on　that　big　river　…　and　that　isn't　natural。　Small　wonder　that　trouble　came　of　it；　I　say。　But　be　that　as　it　may；　Mr。　Frodo　is　as　nice　a　young　hobbit　as