jrt.the hobbit-第10节

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leading　their　ponies；　till　they　were　brought　to　a　good　path　and　so　at　last　to　the　very　brink　of　the　river。　It　was　flowing　fast　and　noisily；　as　mountain…streams　do　of　a　summer　evening；　when　sun　has　been　all　day　on　the　snow　far　up　above。　There　was　only　a　narrow　bridge　of　stone　without　a　parapet；　as　narrow　as　a　pony　could　well　walk　on；　and　over　that　they　had　to　go；　slow　and　careful；　one　by　one；　each　leading　his　pony　by　the　bridle。　The　elves　had　brought　bright　lanterns　to　the　shore；　and　they　sang　a　merry　song　as　the　party　went　across。
　〃Don't　dip　your　beard　in　the　foam；　father！〃　they　cried　to　Thorin；　who　was　bent　almost　on　to　his　hands　and　knees。　〃It　is　long　enough　without　watering　it。〃
　〃Mind　Bilbo　doesn't　eat　all　the　cakes！〃　they　called。　〃He　is　too　fat　to　get　through　key…holes　yet！〃
　〃Hush；　hush！　Good　People！　and　good　night！〃　said　Gandalf；　who　came　last。
　〃Valleys　have　ears；　and　some　elves　have　over　merry　tongues。　Good　night！〃　And　so　at　last　they　all　came　to　the　Last　Homely　House；　and　found　its　doors　flung　wide。
　Now　it　is　a　strange　thing；　but　things　that　are　good　to　have　and　days　that　are　good　to　spend　are　soon　told　about；　and　not　much　to　listen　to；　while　things　that　are　unfortable；　palpitating；　and　even　gruesome；　may　make　a　good　tale；　and　take　a　deal　of　telling　anyway。　They　stayed　long　in　that　good　house；　fourteen　days　at　least；　and　they　found　it　hard　to　leave。　Bilbo　would　gladly　have　stopped　there　for　ever　and　ever…even　supposing　a　wish　would　have　taken　him　right　back　to　his　hobbit…hole　without　trouble。　Yet　there　is　little　to　tell　about　their　stay。
　The　master　of　the　house　was　an　elf…friend…one　of　those　people　whose　fathers　came　into　the　strange　stories　before　the　beginning　of　History；　the　wars　of　the　evil　goblins　and　the　elves　and　the　first　men　in　the　North。　In　those　days　of　our　tale　there　were　still　some　people　who　had　both　elves　and　heroes　of　the　North　for　ancestors；　and　Elrond　the　master　of　the　house　was　their　chief。　He　was　as　noble　and　as　fair　in　face　as　an　elf…lord；　as　strong　as　a　warrior；　as　wise　as　a　wizard；　as　venerable　as　a　king　of　dwarves；　and　as　kind　as　summer。　He　es　into。　many　tales；　but　his　part　in　the　story　of　Bilbo's　great　adventure　is　only　a　small　one；　though　important；　as　you　will　see；　if　we　ever　get　to　the　end　of　it。　His　house　was　perfect；　whether　you　liked　food；　or　sleep；　or　work；　or　story…telling；　or　singing；　or　just　sitting　and　thinking　best；　or　a　pleasant　mixture　of　them　all。　Evil　things　did　not　e　into　that　valley。
　I　wish　I　had　time　to　tell　you　even　a　few　of　the　tales　or　one　or　two　of　the　songs　that　they　heard　in　that　house。　All　of　them；　the　ponies　as　well；　grew　refreshed　and　strong　in　a　few　days　there。　Their　clothes　were　mended　as　well　as　their　bruises；　their　tempers　and　their　hopes。　Their　bags　were　filled　with　food　and　provisions　light　to　carry　but　strong　to　bring　them　over　the　mountain　passes。　Their　plans　were　improved　with　the　best　advice。　So　the　time　came　to　mid…　summer　eve；　and　they　were　to　go　on　again　with　the　early　sun　on　midsummer　morning。
　Elrond　knew　all　about　runes　of　every　kind。　That　day　he　looked　at　the　swords　they　had　brought　from　the　trolls'　lair；　and　he　said：　〃These　are　not　troll…make。　They　are　old　swords；　very　old　swords　of　the　High　Elves　of　the　West；　my　kin。　They　were　made　in　Gondolin　for　the　Goblin…wars。　They　must　have　e　from　a　dragon's　hoard　or　goblin　plunder；　for　dragons　and　goblins　destroyed　that　city　many　ages　ago。　This；　Thorin；　the　runes　name　Orcrist；　the　Goblin…cleaver　in　the　ancient　tongue　of　Gondolin；　it　was　a　famous　blade。　This；　Gandalf；　was　Glamdring；　Foe…hammer　that　the　king　of　Gondolin　once　wore。　Keep　them　well！〃
　〃Whence　did　the　trolls　get　them；　I　wonder？〃　said　Thorin　looking　at　his　sword　with　new　interest。
　〃I　could　not　say；〃　said　Elrond；　〃but　one　may　guess　that　your　trolls　had　plundered　other　plunderers；　or　e　on　the　remnants　of　old　robberies　in　some　hold　in　the　mountains　of　the　North。　I　have　heard　that　there　are　still　forgotten　treasures　of　old　to　be　found　in　the　deserted　caverns　of　the　mines　of　Moria；　since　the　dwarf　and　goblin　war。〃
　Thorin　pondered　these　words。　〃I　will　keep　this　sword　in　honour；〃　he　said。　
　〃May　it　soon　cleave　goblins　once　again！〃
　〃A　wish　that　is　likely　to　be　granted　soon　enough　in　the　mountains！〃　said　Elrond。　〃But　show　me　now　your　map！〃　He　took　it　and　gazed　long　at　it；　and　he　shook　his　head；　for　if　he　did　not　altogether　approve　of　dwarves　and　their　love　of　gold；　he　hated　dragons　and　their　cruel　wickedness；　and　he　grieved　to　remember　the　ruin　of　the　town　of　Dale　and　its　merry　bells；　and　the　burned　banks　of　the　bright　River　Running。　The　moon　was　shining　in　a　broad　silver　crescent。　He　held　up　the　map　and　the　white　light　shone　through　it。　〃What　is　this？〃　he　said。　〃There　are　moon…letters　here；　beside　the　plain　runes　which　say　'five　feet　high　the　door　and　three　may　walk　abreast。'　〃　〃What　are　moon…letters？〃　asked　the　hobbit　full　of　excitement。　He　loved　maps；　as　I　have　told　you　before；　and　he　also　liked　runes　and　letters　and　cunning　handwriting；　though　when　he　wrote　himself　it　was　a　bit　thin　and　spidery。
　〃Moon…letters　are　rune…letters；　but　you　cannot　see　them；〃　said　Elrond；　〃not　when　you　look　straight　at　them。　They　can　only　be　seen　when　the　moon　shines　behind　them；　and　what　is　more；　with　the　more　cunning　sort　it　must　be　a　moon　of　the　same　shape　and　season　as　the　day　when　they　were　written。　The　dwarves　invented　them　and　wrote　them　with　silver　pens；　as　your　friends　could　tell　you。　These　must　have　been　written　on　a　midsummer's　eve　in　a　crescent　moon；　a　long　while　ago。〃
　〃What　do　they　say？〃　asked　Gandalf　and　Thorin　together；　a　bit　vexed　perhaps　that　even　Elrond　should　have　found　this　out　first；　though　really　there　had　not　been　a　chance　before；　and　there　would　not　have　been　another　until　goodness　knows　when。
　〃Stand　by　the　grey　stone　when　the　thrush　knocks；〃　read　Elrond；　〃and　the　setting　sun　with　the　last　light　of　Durin's　Day　will　shine　upon　the　key…hole。〃　〃Durin；　Durin！〃　said　Thorin。　〃He　was　the　father　of　the　fathers　of　the　eldest　race　of　Dwarves；　the　Longbeards；　and　my　first　ancestor：　I　am　his　heir。〃　〃Then　what　is　Durin's　Day？〃　asked　Elrond。
　〃The　first　day　of　the　dwarves'　New　Year；〃　said　Thorin；　〃is　as　all　should　know　the　first；　day　of　the　last　moon　of　Autumn　on　the　threshold　of　Winter。　We　still　call　it　Durin's　Day　when　the　last　moon　of　Autumn　and　the　sun　are　in　the　sky　together。　But　this　will　not　help　us　much；　I　fear；　for　it　passes　our　skill　in　these　days　to　guess　when　such　a　time　will　e　again。〃　〃That　remains　to　be　seen；〃　said　Gandalf。　〃Is　there　any　more　writing？〃　〃None　to　be　seen　by　this　moon；〃　said　Elrond；　and　he　gave　the　map　back　to　Thorin；　and　then　they　went　down　to　the　water　to　see　the　elves　dance　and　sing　upon　the　midsummer's　eve。
　The　next　morning　was　a　midsummer's　morning　as　fair　and　fresh　as　could　be　dreamed：　blue　sky　and　never　a　cloud；　and　the　sun　dancing　on　the　water。　Now　they　rode　away　amid　songs　of　farewell　and　good　speed；　with　their　hearts　ready　for　more　adventure；　and　with　a　knowledge　of　the　road　they　must　follow　over　the　Misty　Mountains　to　the　land　beyond。
　
　Chapter　4
　Over　Hill　and　Under　Hill
　
　There　were　many　paths　that　led　up　into　those　mountains；　and　many　passes　over　them。　But　most　of　the　paths　were　cheats　and　deceptions　and　led　nowhere　or　to　bad　ends；　and　most　of　the　passes　were　infested　by　evil　things　and　dreadful　dangers。　The　dwarves　and　the　hobbit；　helped　by　the　wise　advice　of　Elrond　and　the　knowledge　and　memory　of　Gandalf；　took　the　right　road　to　the　right　pass。
　Long　days　after　they　had　climbed　out　of　the　valley　and　left　the　Last　Homely　House　miles　behind；　they　were　still　going　up　and　up　and　up。　It　was　a　hard　path　and　a　dangerous　path；　a　crooked　way　and　a　lonely　and　a　long。　Now　they　could　look　back　over　the　lands　they　had　left；　laid　out　behind　them　far　below。　Far；　far　away　in　the　West；　where　things　were　blue　and　faint；　Bilbo　knew　there　lay　his　own　country　of　safe　and　fortable　things；　and　his　little　hobbit…hole。　He　shivered。　It　was　getting　bitter　cold　up　here；　and　the　wind　came　shrill　among　the　rocks。　Boulders；　too；　at　times　came　galloping　down　the　mountain…sides；　let　loose　by　midday　sun　upon　the　snow；　and　passed　among　them　（which　was　lucky）；　or　over　their　heads　（which　was　alarming）。　The　nights　were　fortless　and　chill；　and　they　did　not　dare　to　sing　or　talk　too　loud；　for　the　echoes　were　uncanny；　and　the　silence　seemed　to　dislike　being　broken…except　by　the　noise　of　water　and　the　wail　of　wind　and　the　crack　of　stone。　　〃The　summer　is　getting　on　down　below；〃　thought　Bilbo；　〃and　haymaking　is　going　on　and　picnics。　They　will　be　harvesting　and　blackberrying；　before　we　even　begin　to　go　down　the　other　side　at　this　rate。〃　And　the　others　were　thinking　equally　gloomy　thoughts；　although　when　they　had　said　good…bye　to　Elrond　in　the　high　hope　of　a　midsummer　morning；　they'　had　spoken　gaily　of　the　passage　of　the　mountains；　and　of　riding　swift　across　the　lands　beyond。　They　had　thought　of　ing　to　the　secret　door　in　the　Lonely　Mountain；　perhaps　that　very　next　first　moon　of　Autumn…〃　and　perhaps　it　will　be　Durin's　Day〃　they　had　said。　Only　Gandalf　had　shaken　his　head　and　said　nothing。　Dwarves　had　not　passed　that　way　for　many　years；　but　Gandalf　had；　and　he　knew　how　evil　and　danger　had　grown　and　thriven　in　the　Wild；　since