jrt.fellowshipofring-第72节

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ting　perhaps　for　a　change　of　days；　and　he　will　not　step　beyond　them。'
　　　‘But　within　those　bounds　nothing　seems　to　dismay　him；'　said　Erestor。　‘Would　he　not　take　the　Ring　and　keep　it　there；　for　ever　harmless？'
　　　‘No；'　said　Gandalf；　‘not　willingly。　He　might　do　so；　if　all　the　free　folk　of　the　world　begged　him；　but　he　would　not　understand　the　need。　And　if　he　were　given　the　Ring；　he　would　soon　forget　it；　or　most　likely　throw　it　away。　Such　things　have　no　hold　on　his　mind。　He　would　be　a　most　unsafe　guardian；　and　that　alone　is　answer　enough。'
　　　‘But　in　any　case；'　said　Glorfindel；　‘to　send　the　Ring　to　him　would　only　postpone　the　day　of　evil。　He　is　far　away。　We　could　not　now　take　it　back　to　him；　unguessed；　unmarked　by　any　spy。　And　even　if　we　could；　soon　or　late　the　Lord　of　the　Rings　would　learn　of　its　hiding　place　and　would　bend　all　his　power　towards　it。　Could　that　power　be　defied　by　Bombadil　alone？　I　think　not。　I　think　that　in　the　end；　if　all　else　is　conquered；　Bombadil　will　fall；　Last　as　he　was　First；　and　then　Night　will　e。'
　　　‘I　know　little　of　Iarwain　save　the　name；'　said　Galdor；　‘but　Glorfindel；　I　think；　is　right。　Power　to　defy　our　Enemy　is　not　in　him；　unless　such　power　is　in　the　earth　itself。　And　yet　we　see　that　Sauron　can　torture　and　destroy　the　very　hills。　What　power　still　remains　lies　with　us；　here　in　Imladris；　or　with　Cirdan　at　the　Havens；　or　in　Lórien。　But　have　they　the　strength；　have　we　here　the　strength　to　withstand　the　Enemy；　the　ing　of　Sauron　at　the　last；　when　all　else　is　overthrown？'
　　　‘I　have　not　the　strength；'　said　Elrond；　‘neither　have　they。'
　　　‘Then　if　the　Ring　cannot　be　kept　from　him　for　ever　by　strength'　said　Glorfindel；　‘two　things　only　remain　for　us　to　attempt：　to　send　it　over　the　Sea；　or　to　destroy　it。'
　　　‘But　Gandalf　has　revealed　to　us　that　we　cannot　destroy　it　by　any　craft　that　we　here　possess；'　said　Elrond。　‘And　they　who　dwell　beyond　the　Sea　would　not　receive　it：　for　good　or　ill　it　belongs　to　Middle…earth；　it　is　for　us　who　still　dwell　here　to　deal　with　it。'
　　　'Then；　said　Glorfindel；　'let　us　cast　it　into　the　deeps；　and　so　make　the　lies　of　Saruman　e　true。　For　it　is　clear　now　that　even　at　the　Council　his　feet　were　already　on　a　crooked　path。　He　knew　that　the　Ring　was　not　lost　for　ever；　but　wished　us　to　think　so；　for　he　began　to　lust　for　it　for　himself。　Yet　oft　in　lies　truth　is　hidden：　in　the　Sea　it　would　be　safe。'
　　　‘Not　safe　for　ever；'　said　Gandalf。　‘There　are　many　things　in　the　deep　waters；　and　seas　and　lands　may　change。　And　it　is　not　our　part　here　to　take　thought　only　for　a　season；　or　for　a　few　lives　of　Men；　or　for　a　passing　age　of　the　world。　We　should　seek　a　final　end　of　this　menace；　even　if　we　do　not　hope　to　make　one。'
　　　'And　that　we　shall　not　find　on　the　roads　to　the　Sea；'　said　Galdor。　'If　the　return　to　Iarwain　be　thought　too　dangerous；　then　flight　to　the　S？a　is　now　fraught　with　gravest　peril。　My　heart　tells　me　that　Sauron　will　expect　us　to　take　the　western　way；　when　he　learns　what　has　befallen。　He　soon　will。　The　Nine　have　been　unhorsed　indeed　but　that　is　but　a　respite；　ere　they　find　new　steeds　and　swifter。　Only　the　waning　might　of　Gondor　stands　now　between　him　and　a　march　in　power　along　the　coasts　into　the　North；　and　if　he　es；　assailing　the　White　Towers　and　the　Havens；　hereafter　the　Elves　may　have　no　escape　from　the　lengthening　shadows　of　Middle…earth。'
　　　'Long　yet　will　that　march　be　delayed；'　said　Boromir。　'Gondor　wanes；　you　say。　But　Gondor　stands；　and　even　the　end　of　its　strength　is　still　very　strong。'
　　　'And　yet　its　vigilance　can　no　longer　keep　back　the　Nine；'　said　Galdor。　'And　other　roads　he　may　find　that　Gondor　does　not　guard。'
　　　'Then；'　said　Erestor；　‘there　are　but　two　courses；　as　Glorfindel　already　has　declared：　to　hide　the　Ring　for　ever；　or　to　unmake　it。　But　both　are　beyond　our　power。　Who　will　read　this　riddle　for　us？'
　　　'None　here　can　do　so；'　said　Elrond　gravely。　‘At　least　none　can　foretell　what　will　e　to　pass；　if　we　take　this　road　or　that。　But　it　seems　to　me　now　clear　which　is　the　road　that　we　must　take。　The　westward　road　seems　easiest。　Therefore　it　must　be　shunned。　It　will　be　watched。　Too　often　the　Elves　have　fled　that　way。　Now　at　this　last　we　must　take　a　hard　road；　a　road　unforeseen。　There　lies　our　hope；　if　hope　it　be。　To　walk　into　peril…to　Mordor。　We　must　send　the　Ring　to　the　Fire。'
　　　Silence　fell　again。　Frodo；　even　in　that　fair　house；　looking　out　upon　a　sunlit　valley　filled　with　the　noise　of　clear　waters；　felt　a　dead　darkness　in　his　heart。　Boromir　stirred；　and　Frodo　looked　at　him。　He　was　fingering　his　great　horn　and　frowning。　At　length　he　spoke。
　　　'I　do　not　understand　all　this；'　he　said。　‘Saruman　is　a　traitor；　but　did　he　not　have　a　glimpse　of　wisdom？　Why　do　you　speak　ever　of　hiding　and　destroying？　Why　should　we　not　think　that　the　Great　Ring　has　e　into　our　hands　to　serve　us　in　the　very　hour　of　need？　Wielding　it　the　Free　Lords　of　the　Free　may　surely　defeat　the　Enemy。　That　is　what　he　most　fears；　I　deem。
　　　'The　Men　of　Gondor　are　valiant；　and　they　will　never　submit；　but　they　may　be　beaten　down。　Valour　needs　first　strength；　and　then　a　weapon。　Let　the　Ring　be　your　weapon；　if　it　has　such　power　as　you　say。　Take　it　and　go　forth　to　victory！'
　　　'Alas；　no；'　said　Elrond。　'We　cannot　use　the　Ruling　Ring。　That　we　now　know　too　well。　It　belongs　to　Sauron　and　was　made　by　him　alone；　and　is　altogether　evil。　Its　strength；　Boromir；　is　too　great　for　anyone　to　wield　at　will；　save　only　those　who　have　already　a　great　power　of　their　own。　But　for　them　it　holds　an　even　deadlier　peril。　The　very　desire　of　it　corrupts　the　heart。　Consider　Saruman。　If　any　of　the　Wise　should　with　this　Ring　overthrow　the　Lord　of　Mordor；　using　his　own　arts；　he　would　then　set　himself　on　Sauron's　throne；　and　yet　another　Dark　Lord　would　appear。　And　that　is　another　reason　why　the　Ring　should　be　destroyed：　as　long　as　it　is　in　the　world　it　will　be　a　danger　even　to　the　Wise。　For　nothing　is　evil　in　the　beginning。　Even　Sauron　was　not　so。　I　fear　to　take　the　Ring　to　hide　it。　I　will　not　take　the　Ring　to　wield　it。'
　　　‘Nor　I；'　said　Gandalf。
　　　Boromir　looked　at　them　doubtfully；　but　he　bowed　his　head。　‘So　be　it；'　he　said。　‘Then　in　Gondor　we　must　trust　to　such　weapons　as　we　have。　And　at　the　least；　while　the　Wise　ones　guard　this　Ring；　we　will　fight　on。　Mayhap　the　Sword…that…was…Broken　may　still　stem　the　tide　…　if　the　hand　that　wields　it　has　inherited　not　an　heirloom　only；　but　the　sinews　of　the　Kings　of　Men。'
　　　‘Who　can　tell？'　said　Aragorn。　‘But　we　will　put　it　to　the　test　one　day。'
　　　‘May　the　day　not　be　too　long　delayed；'　said　Boromir。　'For　though　I　do　not　ask　for　aid；　we　need　it。　It　would　fort　us　to　know　that　others　fought　also　with　all　the　means　that　they　have。'
　　　‘Then　be　forted；'　said　Elrond。　‘For　there　are　other　powers　and　realms　that　you　know　not；　and　they　are　hidden　from　you。　Anduin　the　Great　flows　past　many　shores；　ere　it　es　to　Argonath　and　the　Gates　of　Gondor。'
　　　'Still　it　might　be　well　for　all；'　said　Glóin　the　Dwarf；　'if　all　these　strengths　were　joined；　and　the　powers　of　each　were　used　in　league。　Other　rings　there　may　be；　less　treacherous；　that　might　be　used　in　our　need。　The　Seven　are　lost　to　us　…　if　Balin　has　not　found　the　ring　of　Thrór　which　was　the　last；　naught　has　been　heard　of　it　since　Thrór　perished　in　Moria。　Indeed　I　may　now　reveal　that　it　was　partly　in　hope　to　find　that　ring　that　Balin　went　away。'
　　　‘Balin　will　find　no　ring　in　Moria；'　said　Gandalf。　‘Thrór　gave　it　to　Thráin　his　son；　but　not　Thráin　to　Thorin。　It　was　taken　with　torment　from　Thráin　in　the　dungeons　of　Dol　Guldur。　I　came　too　late。'
　　　'Ah；　alas！'　cried　Glóin。　'When　will　the　day　e　of　our　revenge？　But　still　there　are　the　Three。　What　of　the　Three　Rings　of　the　Elves？　Very　mighty　Rings；　it　is　said。　Do　not　the　Elf…lords　keep　them？　Yet　they　too　were　made　by　the　Dark　Lord　long　ago。　Are　they　idle？　I　see　Elf…lords　here。　Will　they　not　say？'
　　　The　Elves　returned　no　answer。　‘Did　you　not　hear　me；　Glóin？'　said　Elrond。　‘The　Three　were　not　made　by　Sauron；　nor　did　he　ever　touch　them。　But　of　them　it　is　not　permitted　to　speak。　So　much　only　in　this　hour　of　doubt　I　may　now　say。　They　are　not　idle。　But　they　were　not　made　as　weapons　of　war　or　conquest：　that　is　not　their　power。　Those　who　made　them　did　not　desire　strength　or　domination　or　hoarded　wealth；　but　understanding；　making；　and　healing；　to　preserve　all　things　unstained。　These　things　the　Elves　of　Middle…earth　have　in　some　measure　gained；　though　with　sorrow。　But　all　that　has　been　wrought　by　those　who　wield　the　Three　will　turn　to　their　undoing；　and　their　minds　and　hearts　will　bee　revealed　to　Sauron；　if　he　regains　the　One。　It　would　be　better　if　the　Three　had　never　been。　That　is　his　purpose。'
　　　‘But　what　then　would　happen；　if　the　Ruling　Ring　were　destroyed　as　you　counsel？'　asked　Glóin。
　　　'We　know　not　for　certain；'　answered　Elrond　sadly。　‘Some　hope　that　the　Three　Rings；　which　Sauron　has　never　touched；　would　then　bee　free；　and　their　rulers　might　heal　the　hurts　of　the　world　that　he　has　wrought。　But　maybe　when　the　One　has　gone；　the　Three　will　fail；　and　many　fair　things　will　fade　and　be　forgotten。　That　is　my　belief。'
　　　‘Yet　all　the　Elves　are　willing　to　endure　this　chance；'　said　Glorfindel　'if　by　it　the　power　of　Sauron　may　be　broken；　and　the　fear　of　his　dominion　be　taken　away　for　ever。'
　　　'Thus　we　return　once　m