jrt.the hobbit-第12节

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re　all　the　baggages　and　packages　lying　broken　open；　and　being　rummaged　by　goblins；　and　smelt　by　goblins；　and　fingered　by　goblins；　and　quarreled　over　by　goblins。
　I　am　afraid　that　was　the　last　they　ever　saw　of　those　excellent　little　ponies；　including　a　jolly　sturdy　little　white　fellow　that　Elrond　had　lent　to　Gandalf；　since　his　horse　was　not　suitable　for　the　mountain…paths。　For　goblins　eat　horses　and　ponies　and　donkeys　（and　other　much　more　dreadful　things）；　and　they　are　always　hungry。　Just　now　however　the　prisoners　were　thinking　only　of　themselves。　The　goblins　chained　their　hands　behind　their　backs　and　linked　them　all　together　in　a　line　and　dragged　them　to　the　far　end　of　the　cavern　with　little　Bilbo　tugging　at　the　end　of　the　row。
　There　in　the　shadows　on　a　large　flat　stone　sat　a　tremendous　goblin　with　a　huge　head；　and　armed　goblins　were　standing　round　him　carrying　the　axes　and　the　bent　swords　that　they　use。　Now　goblins　are　cruel；　wicked；　and　bad…hearted。
　They　make　no　beautiful　things；　but　they　make　many　clever　ones。　They　can　tunnel　and　mine　as　well　as　any　but　the　most　skilled　dwarves；　when　they　take　the　trouble；　though　they　are　usually　untidy　and　dirty。　Hammers；　axes；　swords；　daggers；　pickaxes；　tongs；　and　also　instruments　of　torture；　they　make　very　well；　or　get　other　people　to　make　to　their　design；　prisoners　and　slaves　that　have　to　work　till　they　die　for　want　of　air　and　light。　It　is　not　unlikely　that　they　invented　some　of　the　machines　that　have　since　troubled　the　world；　especially　the　ingenious　devices　for　killing　large　numbers　of　people　at　once；　for　wheels　and　engines　and　explosions　always　delighted　them；　and　also　not　working　with　their　own　hands　more　than　they　could　help；　but　in　those　days　and　those　wild　parts　they　had　not　advanced　（as　it　is　called）　so　far。　They　did　not　hate　dwarves　especially；　no　more　than　they　hated　everybody　and　everything；　and　particularly　the　orderly　and　prosperous；　in　some　parts　wicked　dwarves　had　even　made　alliances　with　them。　But　they　had　a　special　grudge　against　Thorin's　people；　because　of　the　war　which　you　have　heard　mentioned；　but　which　does　not　e　into　this　tale；　and　anyway　goblins　don't　care　who　they　catch；　as　long　as　it　is　done　smart　and　secret；　and　the　prisoners　are　not　able　to　defend　themselves。
　〃Who　are　these　miserable　persons？〃　said　the　Great　Goblin。　　〃Dwarves；　and　this！〃　said　one　of　the　drivers；　pulling　at　Bilbo's　chain　so　that　he　fell　forward　onto　his　knees。
　〃We　found　them　sheltering　in　our　Front　Porch。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean　by　it？〃　said　the　Great　Goblin　turning　to　Thorin。　〃Up　to　no　good；　I'll　warrant！　Spying　on　the　private　business　of　my　people；　I　guess！　　Thieves；　I　shouldn't　be　surprised　to　learn！　Murderers　and　friends　of　Elves；　not　unlikely！　e！　What　have　you　got　to　say？〃
　〃Thorin　the　dwarf　at　your　service！〃　he　replied…it　was　merely　a　polite　nothing。　〃Of　the　things　which　you　suspect　and　imagine　we　had　no　idea　at　all。　　We　sheltered　from　a　storm　in　what　seemed　a　convenient　cave　and　unused；　nothing　was　further　from　our　thoughts　than　inconveniencing　goblins　in　any　way　whatever。〃　That　was　true　enough！
　〃Urn！〃　said　the　Great　Goblin。　〃So　you　say！　Might　I　ask　what　you　were　doing　up　in　the　mountains　at　all；　and　where　you　were　ing　from；　and　where　you　were　going　to？　In　fact　I　should　like　to　know　all　about　you。　Not　that　it　willdo　you　much　good；　Thorin　Oakenshield；　I　know　too　much　about　your　folk　already；　but　let's　have　the　truth；　or　I　will　prepare　something　particularly　unfortable　for　you！〃
　〃We　were　on　a　journey　to　visit　our　relatives；　our　nephews　and　nieces；　and　first；　second；　and　third　cousins；　and　the　other　descendants　of　our　grandfathers；　who　live　on　the　East　side　of　these　truly　hospitable　mountains；〃　said　Thorin；　not　quite　knowing　what　to　say　all　at　once　in　a　moment；　when　obviously　the　exact　truth　would　not　do　at　all。
　〃He　is　a　liar；　O　truly　tremendous　one！〃　said　one　of　the　drivers。　〃Several　of　our　people　were　struck　by　lightning　in　the　cave；　when　we　invited　these　creatures　to　e　below；　and　they　are　as　dead　as　stones。　Also　he　has　not　explained　this！〃　He　held　out　the　sword　which　Thorin　had　worn；　the　sword　which　came　from　the　Trolls'　lair。
　The　Great　Goblin　gave　a　truly　awful　howl　of　rage　when　he　looked　at　it；　and　all　his　soldiers　gnashed　their　teeth；　clashed　their　shields；　and　stamped。　　They　knew　the　sword　at　once。　It　had　killed　hundreds　of　goblins　in　its　time；　when　the　fair　elves　of　Gondolin　hunted　them　in　the　hills　or　did　battle　before　their　walls。　They　had　called　it　Orcrist；　Goblin…cleaver；　but　the　goblins　called　it　simply　Biter。　They　hated　it　and　hated　worse　any　one　that　carried　it。　　〃Murderers'　and　elf…friends！〃　the　Great　Goblin　shouted。　〃Slash　them！　Beat　them！　Bite　them！　Gnash　them！　Take　them　away　to　dark　holes　full　of　snakes；　and　never　let　them　see　the　light　again！〃　He　was　in　such　a　rage　that　he　jumped　off　his　seat　and　himself　rushed　at　Thorin　with　his　mouth　open。　　Just　at　that　moment　all　the　lights　in　the　cavern　went　out；　and　the　great　fire　went　off　poof！　into　a　tower　of　blue　glowing　smoke；　right　up　to　the　roof；　that　scattered　piercing　white　sparks　all　among　the　goblins。　　The　yells　and　yammering；　croaking；　jibbering　and　jabbering；　howls；　growls　and　curses；　shrieking　and　skriking；　that　followed　were　beyond　description。　　Several　hundred　wild　cats　and　wolves　being　roasted　slowly　alive　together　would　not　have　pared　with　it。　The　sparks　were　burning　holes　in　the　goblins；　and　the　smoke　that　now　fell　from　the　roof　made　the　air　too　thick　for　even　their　eyes　to　see　through。　Soon　they　were　falling　over　one　another　and　rolling　in　heaps　on　the　floor；　biting　and　kicking　and　fighting　as　if　they　had　all　gone　mad。
　Suddenly　a　sword　flashed　in　its　own　light。　Bilbo　saw　it　go　right　through　the　Great　Goblin　as　he　stood　dumbfounded　in　the　middle　of　his　rage。　He　fell　dead；　and　the　goblin　soldiers　fled　before　the　sword　shrieking　into　the　darkness。
　The　sword　went　back　into　its　sheath。　〃Follow　me　quick！〃　said　a　voice　fierce　and　quiet；　and　before　Bilbo　understood　what　had　happened　he　was　trotting　along　again；　as　fast　as　he　could　trot；　at　the　end　of　the　line；　down　more　dark　passages　with　the　yells　of　the　goblin…hall　growing　fainter　behind　him。　A　pale　light　was　leading　them　on。
　〃Quicker；　quicker！〃　said　the　voice。　〃The　torches　will　soon　be　relit。〃　〃Half　a　minute！〃　said　Dori；　who　was　at　the　back　next　to　Bilbo；　and　a　decent　fellow。　He　made　the　hobbit　scramble　on　his　shoulders　as　best　he　could　with　his　tied　hands；　and　then　off　they　all　went　at　a　run；　with　a　clink…clink　of　chains；　and　many　a　stumble；　since　they　had　no　hands　to　steady　themselves　with。　Not　for　a　long　while　did　they　stop；　and　by　that　time　they　must　have　been　right　down　in　the　very　mountain's　heart。
　Then　Gandalf　lit　up　his　wand。　Of　course　it　was　Gandalf；　but　just　then　they　were　too　busy　to　ask　how　he　got　there。　He　took　out　his　sword　again；　and　again　it　flashed　in　the　dark　by　itself。　It　burned　with　a　rage　that　made　it　gleam　if　goblins　were　about；　now　it　was　bright　as　blue　flame　for　delight　in　the　killing　of　the　great　lord　of　the　cave。　It　made　no　trouble　whatever　of　cutting　through　the　goblin…chains　and　setting　all　the　prisoners　free　as　quickly　as　possible。　This　sword's　name　was　Glamdring　the　Foe…hammer；　if　you　remember。　The　goblins　just　called　it　Beater；　and　hated　it　worse　than　Biter　if　possible。　Orcrist；　too；　had　been　saved；　for　Gandalf　had　brought　it　along　as　well；　snatching　it　from　one　of　the　terrified　guards。　Gandalf　thought　of　most　things；　and　though　he　could　not　do　everything；　he　could　do　a　great　deal　for　friends　in　a　tight　er。
　〃Are　we　all　here？〃　said　he；　handing　his　sword　back　to　Thorin　with　a　bow。　　〃Let　me　see：　one…that's　Thorin；　two；　three；　four；　five；　six；　seven；　eight；　nine；　ten；　eleven；　where　are　Fili　and　Kili？　Here　they　are；　twelve；　thirteen…and　here's　Mr。　Baggins：　fourteen！　Well；　well！　it　might　be　worse；　and　then　again　it　might　be　a　good　deal　better。　No　ponies；　and　no　food；　and　no　knowing　quite　where　we　are；　and　hordes　of　angry　goblins　just　behind！　On　we　go！〃　On　they　went。　Gandalf　was　quite　right：　they　began　to　hear　goblin　noises　and　horrible　cries　far　behind　in　the　passages　they　had　e　through。　That　sent　them　on　faster　than　ever；　and　as　poor　Bilbo　could　not　possibly　go　half　as　fast…for　dwarves　can　roll　along　at　a　tremendous　pace；　I　can　tell　you；　when　they　have　to…they　took　it　in　turn　to　carry　him　on　their　backs。　　Still　goblins　go　faster　than　dwarves；　and　these　goblins　knew　the　way　better　（they　had　made　the　paths　themselves）；　and　were　madly　angry；　so　that　do　what　they　could　the　dwarves　heard　the　cries　and　howls　getting　closer　and　closer。　Soon　they　could　hear　even　the　flap　of　the　goblin　feet；　many　many　feet　which　seemed　only　just　round　the　last　corner。　The　blink　of　red　torches　could　be　seen　behind　them　in　the　tunnel　they　were　following；　and　they　were　getting　deadly　tired。
　〃Why；　O　why　did　I　ever　leave　my　hobbit…hole！〃　said　poor　Mr。　Baggins　bumping　up　and　down　on　Bombur's　back。
　〃Why；　O　why　did　I　ever　bring　a　wretched　little　hobbit　on　a　treasure　hunt！〃　said　poor　Bombur；　who　was　fat；　and　staggered　along　with　the　sweat　dripping　down　his　nose　in　his　heat　and　terror。
　At　this　point　Gandalf　fell　behind；　and　Thorin　with　him。　They　turned　a　sharp　corner。　〃About　turn！〃　he　shouted。　〃Draw　your　sword；　Thorin！〃　There　was　nothing　els