the fellowship of the ring-第59部分

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　beforeits　fall；　and　my　mother　was　Elwing；　daughter　of　Dior；　son　of　Lúthien　ofDoriath。　I　have　seen　three　ages　in　the　West　of　the　world；　and　many　defeats；　
and　many　fruitless　victories。　
‘I　was　the　herald　of　Gil…galad　and　marched　with　his　host。　I　was　at　theBattle　of　Dagorlad　before　the　Black　Gate　of　Mordor；　where　we　had　the　mastery：　
for　the　Spear　of　Gil…galad　and　the　Sword　of　Elendil；　Aiglos　and　Narsil；　nonecould　withstand。　I　beheld　the　last　bat　on　the　slopes　of　Orodruin；　whereGil…galad　died；　and　Elendil　fell；　and　Narsil　broke　beneath　him；　but　Sauronhimself　was　overthrown；　and　Isildur　cut　the　Ring　from　his　hand　with　the　hilt…　
shard　of　his　father's　sword；　and　took　it　for　his　own。'　
At　this　the　stranger；　Boromir；　broke　in。　‘So　that　is　what　became　of　theRing！'　he　cried。　‘If　ever　such　a　tale　was　told　in　the　South；　it　has　long　beenforgotten。　I　have　heard　of　the　Great　Ring　of　him　that　we　do　not　name；　but　webelieved　that　it　perished　from　the　world　in　the　ruin　of　his　first　realm。　
Isildur　took　it！　That　is　tidings　indeed。'　
‘Alas！　yes；'　said　Elrond。　‘Isildur　took　it；　as　should　not　have　been。　Itshould　have　been　cast　then　into　Orodruin's　fire　nigh　at　hand　where　it　wasmade。　But　few　marked　what　Isildur　did。　He　alone　stood　by　his　father　in　thatlast　mortal　contest；　and　by　Gil…galad　only　Círdan　stood；　and　I。　But　Isildurwould　not　listen　to　our　counsel。　　
'　〃This　I　will　have　as　weregild　for　my　father；　and　my　brother；〃　he　said；　
and　therefore　whether　we　would　or　no；　he　took　it　to　treasure　it。　But　soon　hewas　betrayed　by　it　to　his　death；　and　so　it　is　named　in　the　North　Isildur'sBane。　Yet　death　maybe　was　better　than　what　else　might　have　befallen　him。　
'Only　to　the　North　did　these　tidings　e；　and　only　to　a　few。　Smallwonder　it　is　that　you　have　not　heard　them；　Boromir。　From　the　ruin　of　theGladden　Fields；　where　Isildur　perished；　three　men　only　came　ever　back　over　themountains　after　long　wandering。　One　of　these　was　Ohtar；　the　esquire　of　　
　
Isildur；　who　bore　the　shards　of　the　sword　of　Elendil；　and　he　brought　them　toValandil；　the　heir　of　Isildur；　who　being　but　a　child　had　remained　here　inRivendell。　But　Narsil　was　broken　and　its　light　extinguished；　and　it　has　notyet　been　forged　again。　
‘Fruitless　did　I　call　the　victory　of　the　Last　Alliance？　Not　wholly　so；　
yet　it　did　not　achieve　its　end。　Sauron　was　diminished；　but　not　destroyed。　HisRing　was　lost　but　not　unmade。　The　Dark　Tower　was　broken；　but　its　foundationswere　not　removed；　for　they　were　made　with　the　power　of　the　Ring；　and　while　itremains　they　will　endure。　Many　Elves　and　many　mighty　Men；　and　many　of　theirfriends。　had　perished　in　the　war。　Anárion　was　slain；　and　Isildur　was　slain；　
and　Gil…galad　and　Elendil　were　no　more。　Never　again　shall　there　be　any　suchleague　of　Elves　and　Men；　for　Men　multiply　and　the　Firstborn　decrease；　and　thetwo　kindreds　are　estranged。　And　ever　since　that　day　the　race　of　Númenor　hasdecayed；　and　the　span　of　their　years　has　lessened。　
'In　the　North　after　the　war　and　the　slaughter　of　the　Gladden　Fields　theMen　of　Westernesse　were　diminished；　and　their　city　of　Annúminas　beside　LakeEvendim　fell　into　ruin；　and　the　heirs　of　Valandil　removed　and　dwelt　at　Fornoston　the　high　North　Downs；　and　that　now　too　is　desolate。　Men　call　it　Deadmen'sDike；　and　they　fear　to　tread　there。　For　the　folk　of　Arnor　dwindled；　and　theirfoes　devoured　them；　and　their　lordship　passed；　leaving　only　green　mounds　inthe　grassy　hills。　
'In　the　South　the　realm　of　Gondor　long　endured；　and　for　a　while　itssplendour　grew；　recalling　somewhat　of　the　might　of　Númenor；　ere　it　fell。　Hightowers　that　people　built；　and　strong　places。　and　havens　of　many　ships；　and　thewinged　crown　of　the　Kings　of　Men　was　held　in　awe　by　folk　of　many　tongues。　
Their　chief　city　was　Osgiliath；　Citadel　of　the　Stars。　through　the　midst　ofwhich　the　River　flowed。　And　Minas　Ithil　they　built；　Tower　of　the　Rising　Moon；　
eastward　upon　a　shoulder　of　the　Mountains　of　Shadow；　and　westward　at　the　feetof　the　White　Mountains　Minas　Anor　they　made；　Tower　of　the　Setting　Sun。　Therein　the　courts　of　the　King　grew　a　white　tree；　from　the　seed　of　that　tree　whichIsildur　brought　over　the　deep　waters；　and　the　seed　of　that　tree　before　camefrom　Eress。a；　and　before　that　out　of　the　Uttermost　West　in　the　Day　before　dayswhen　the　world　was　young。　
‘But　in　the　wearing　of　the　swift　years　of　Middle…earth　the　line　ofMeneldil　son　of　Anárion　failed；　and　the　Tree　withered；　and　the　blood　of　theNúmenoreans　became　mingled　with　that　of　lesser　men。　Then　the　watch　upon　thewalls　of　Mordor　slept；　and　dark　things　crept　back　to　Gorgoroth。　And　on　a　timeevil　things　came　forth；　and　they　took　Minas　Ithil　and　abode　in　it；　and　theymade　it　into　a　place　of　dread；　and　it　is　called　Minas　Morgul；　the　Tower　ofSorcery。　Then　Minas　Anor　was　named　anew　Minas　Tirith；　the　Tower　of　Guard；　andthese　two　cities　were　ever　at　war；　but　Osgiliath　which　lay　between　wasdeserted　and　in　its　ruins　shadows　walked。　　
'So　it　has　been　for　many　lives　of　men。　But　the　Lords　of　Minas　Tirithstill　fight　on；　defying　our　enemies；　keeping　the　passage　of　the　River　fromArgonath　to　the　Sea。　And　now　that　part　of　the　tale　that　I　shall　tell　is　drawnto　its　close。　For　in　the　days　of　Isildur　the　Ruling　Ring　passed　out　of　allknowledge；　and　the　Three　were　released　from　its　dominion。　But　now　in　thislatter　day　they　are　in　peril　once　more；　for　to　our　sorrow　the　One　has　beenfound。　Others　shall　speak　of　its　finding；　for　in　that　I　played　small　part。'　
He　ceased；　but　at　once　Boromir　stood　up；　tall　and　proud；　before　them。　
Give　me　leave；　Master　Elrond；　said　he；　first　to　say　more　of　Gondor；　for　verilyfrom　the　land　of　Gondor　I　am　e。　And　it　would　be　well　for　all　to　know　what　　
passes　there。　For　few；　I　deem；　know　of　our　deeds；　and　therefore　guess　littleof　their　peril；　if　we　should　fail　at　last。　
‘Believe　not　that　in　the　land　of　Gondor　the　blood　of　Númenor　is　spent；　
nor　all　its　pride　and　dignity　forgotten。　By　our　valour　the　wild　folk　of　theEast　are　still　restrained；　and　the　terror　of　Morgul　kept　at　bay；　and　thusalone　are　peace　and　freedom　maintained　in　the　lands　behind　us；　bulwark　of　theWest。　But　if　the　passages　of　the　River　should　be　won；　what　then？　
‘Yet　that　hour；　maybe；　is　not　now　far　away。　The　Nameless　Enemy　has　arisen　　
　
again。　Smoke　rises　once　more　from　Orodruin　that　we　call　Mount　Doom。　The　powerof　the　Black　Land　grows　and　we　are　hard　beset。　When　the　Enemy　returned　ourfolk　were　driven　from　Ithilien；　our　fair　domain　east　of　the　River；　though　wekept　a　foothold　there　and　strength　of　arms。　But　this　very　year；　in　the　days　ofJune；　sudden　war　came　upon　us　out　of　Mordor；　and　we　were　swept　away。　We　wereoutnumbered；　for　Mordor　has　allied　itself　with　the　Easterlings　and　the　cruelHaradrim；　but　it　was　not　by　numbers　that　we　were　defeated。　A　power　was　therethat　we　have　not　felt　before。　　
‘Some　said　that　it　could　be　seen；　like　a　great　black　horseman；　a　darkshadow　under　the　moon。　Wherever　he　came　a　madness　filled　our　foes；　but　fearfell　on　our　boldest；　so　that　horse　and　man　gave　way　and　fled。　Only　a　remnantof　our　eastern　force　came　back；　destroying　the　last　bridge　that　still　stoodamid　the　ruins　of　Osgiliath。　
'I　was　in　the　pany　that　held　the　bridge；　until　it　was　cast　down　behindus。　Four　only　were　saved　by　swimming：　my　brother　and　myself　and　two　others。　
But　still　we　fight　on；　holding　all　the　west　shores　of　Anduin；　and　those　whoshelter　behind　us　give　us　praise；　if　ever　they　hear　our　name：　much　praise　butlittle　help。　Only　from　Rohan　now　will　any　men　ride　to　us　when　we　call。　
‘In　this　evil　hour　I　have　e　on　an　errand　over　many　dangerous　leaguesto　Elrond：　a　hundred　and　ten　days　I　have　journeyed　all　alone。　But　I　do　notseek　allies　in　war。　The　might　of　Elrond　is　in　wisdom　not　in　weapons；　it　issaid。　I　e　to　ask　for　counsel　and　the　unravelling　of　hard　words。　For　on　theeve　of　the　sudden　assault　a　dream　came　to　my　brother　in　a　troubled　sleep；　andafterwards　a　like　dream　came　oft　to　him　again；　and　once　to　me。　
'In　that　dream　I　thought　the　eastern　sky　grew　dark　and　there　was　agrowing　thunder；　but　in　the　West　a　pale　light　lingered；　and　out　of　it　I　hearda　voice；　remote　but　clear；　crying：　　
Seek　for　the　Sword　that　was　broken：　　
In　Imladris　it　dwells；　
There　shall　be　counsels　taken　　
Stronger　than　Morgul…spells。　
There　shall　be　shown　a　token　　
That　Doom　is　near　at　hand；　
For　Isildur's　Bane　shall　waken；　
And　the　Halfling　forth　shall　stand。　　
Of　these　words　we　could　understand　little；　and　we　spoke　to　our　father；　
Denethor；　Lord　of　Minas　Tirith；　wise　in　the　lore　of　Gondor。　This　only　would　hesay；　that　Imladris　was　of　old　the　name　among　the　Elves　of　a　far　northern　dale；　
where　Elrond　the　Halfelven　dwelt；　greatest　of　lore…masters。　Therefore　mybrother；　seeing　how　desperate　was　our　need；　was　eager　to　heed　the　dream　andseek　for　Imladris；　but　since　the　way　was　full　of　doubt　and　danger；　I　took　thejourney　upon　myself。　Loth　was　my　father　to　give　me　leave；　and　long　have　Iwandered　by　roads　forgotten；　seeking　the　house　of　Elrond；　of　which　many　hadheard；　but　few　knew　where　it　lay。'　
'And　here　in　the　house　of　Elrond　more　shall　be　made　clear　to　you'　saidAragorn；　standing　up。　He　cast　his　sword　upon　the　table　that　stood　beforeElrond；　and　the　blade　was　in　two　pieces。　‘Here　is　the　Sword　that　was　Broken！'　
he　said。　　
‘And　who　are　you；　and　what　have　you　to　do　with　Minas　Tirith？'　askedBoromir；　looking　in　wonder　at　the　lean　face　of　the　Ranger　and　his　weather…　
stained　cloak。　　
‘He　is　Aragorn　son　of　Arathorn；'　said　Elrond；　‘and　he　is　descendedthrough　many　fathers　from　Isildur　Elendil's　son　of　Minas　Ithil。　He　is　theChief　of　the　Dúnedain　in　the　North；　and　few　are　now　left　of　that　folk。'　
‘Then　it　belongs　to　you；　and　not　to　me　at　all！'　cried　Frodo　in　amazement；　
springing　to　his　feet；　as　if　he　expected　the　Ring　to　be　demanded　at　once。　
'It　does　not　belong　to　either　of　us；'　said　Aragorn；　‘but　it　has　beenordained　that　you　should　hold　it　for　a　while。'　　
　
'Bring　out　the　Ring；　Frodo！'　said　Gandalf　solemnly。　‘The　time　has　e。　
Hold　it　up；　and　then　Boromir　will　understand　the　remainder　of　his　riddle。'　
There　was　a　hush；　and　all　turned　their　eyes　on　Frodo。　He　was　shaken　by　asudden　shame　and　fear；　and　he　felt　a　great　reluctance　to　reveal　the　Ring；　anda　loathing　of　its　touch。　He　wished　he　was　far　away。　The　Ring　gleamed　andflickered　as　he　held　it　up　before　them　in　his　trembling　hand。　
'Behold　I