the fellowship of the ring-第6部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


　there　was　added　to　it　an　abbreviatedversion　of　those　parts　of　_The　Tale　of　Aragorn　and　Arwen_　which　lie　outsidethe　account　of　the　War。　The　full　tale　is　stated　to　have　been　written　byBarahir；　grandson　of　the　Steward　Faramir；　some　time　after　the　passing　of　theKing。　But　the　chief　importance　of　Findegil's　copy　is　that　it　alone　containsthe　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　and1418；　he　had　used　all　the　sources　available　to　him　in　Rivendell；　both　livingand　written。　But　since　they　were　little　used　by　Frodo；　being　almost　entirelyconcerned　with　the　Elder　Days；　no　more　is　said　of　them　here。　
Since　Meriadoc　and　Peregrin　became　the　heads　of　their　great　families；　andat　the　same　time　kept　up　their　connexions　with　Rohan　and　Gondor；　the　librariesat　Bucklebury　and　Tuckborough　contained　much　that　did　not　appear　in　the　RedBook。　In　Brandy　Hall　there　were　many　works　dealing　with　Eriador　and　thehistory　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　thecalendars　of　the　Shire　and　Bree　to　those　of　Rivendell；　Gondor；　and　Rohan。　Healso　wrote　a　short　treatise　on　_Old　Words　and　Names　in　the　Shire；_　havingspecial　interest　in　discovering　the　kinship　with　the　language　of　the　Rohirrimof　such　'shire…words'　as　_mathom_　and　old　elements　in　place　names。　
At　Great　Smials　the　books　were　of　less　interest　to　Shire…folk；　thoughmore　important　for　larger　history。　None　of　them　was　written　by　Peregrin；　buthe　and　his　successors　collected　many　manuscripts　written　by　scribes　of　Gondor：　
mainly　copies　or　summaries　of　histories　or　legends　relating　to　Elendil　and　hisheirs。　Only　here　in　the　Shire　were　to　be　found　extensive　materials　for　thehistory　of　Númenor　and　the　arising　of　Sauron。　It　was　probably　at　Great　Smialsthat　_The　Tale　of　Years_　was　put　together；　with　the　assistance　of　materialcollected　by　Meriadoc。　Though　the　dates　given　are　often　conjectural；　
especially　for　the　Second　Age；　they　deserve　attention。　It　is　probable　thatMeriadoc　obtained　assistance　and　information　from　Rivendell；　which　he　visitedmore　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　todwell　there　after　the　departure　of　Galadriel；　but　there　is　no　record　of　theday　when　at　last　he　sought　the　Grey　Havens；　and　with　him　went　the　last　livingmemory　of　the　Elder　Days　in　Middle…earth。　　
　
THE　FELLOWSHIP　OF　THE　RING　　
_being　the　first　part　of　
The　Lord　of　the　Rings_　　
BOOK　I　　
_Chapter　1_　
A　Long…expected　Party　　
When　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　of　Bag　End　announced　that　he　would　shortly　becelebrating　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　theShire　for　sixty　years；　ever　since　his　remarkable　disappearance　and　unexpectedreturn。　The　riches　he　had　brought　back　from　his　travels　had　now　bee　a　locallegend；　and　it　was　popularly　believed；　whatever　the　old　folk　might　say；　thatthe　Hill　at　Bag　End　was　full　of　tunnels　stuffed　with　treasure。　And　if　that　wasnot　enough　for　fame；　there　was　also　his　prolonged　vigour　to　marvel　at。　Timewore　on；　but　it　seemed　to　have　little　effect　on　Mr。　Baggins。　At　ninety　he　wasmuch　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　somethat　shook　their　heads　and　thought　this　was　too　much　of　a　good　thing；　itseemed　unfair　that　anyone　should　possess　（apparently）　perpetual　youth　as　wellas　（reputedly）　inexhaustible　wealth。　
'It　will　have　to　be　paid　for；'　they　said。　'It　isn't　natural；　and　troublewill　e　of　it！'　　
But　so　far　trouble　had　not　e；　and　as　Mr。　Baggins　was　generous　with　hismoney；　most　people　were　willing　to　forgive　him　his　oddities　and　his　goodfortune。　He　remained　on　visiting　terms　with　his　relatives　（except；　of　course；　
the　Sackville…Bagginses）；　and　he　had　many　devoted　admirers　among　the　hobbitsof　poor　and　unimportant　families。　But　he　had　no　close　friends；　until　some　ofhis　younger　cousins　began　to　grow　up。　
The　eldest　of　these；　and　Bilbo's　favourite；　was　young　Frodo　Baggins。　WhenBilbo　was　ninety…nine；　he　adopted　Frodo　as　his　heir；　and　brought　him　to　liveat　Bag　End；　and　the　hopes　of　the　Sackville…Bagginses　were　finally　dashed。　
Bilbo　and　Frodo　happened　to　have　the　same　birthday；　September　22nd。　'You　hadbetter　e　and　live　here；　Frodo　my　lad；'　said　Bilbo　one　day；　'and　then　we　cancelebrate　our　birthday…parties　fortably　together。'　At　that　time　Frodo　wasstill　in　his　_tweens；_　as　the　hobbits　called　the　irresponsible　twentiesbetween　childhood　and　ing　of　age　at　thirty…three。　　
Twelve　more　years　passed。　Each　year　the　Bagginses　had　given　very　livelybined　birthday…parties　at　Bag　End；　but　now　it　was　understood　that　somethingquite　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　ahobbit　（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　ingevent　travelled　all　over　the　Shire。　The　history　and　character　of　Mr。　BilboBaggins　became　once　again　the　chief　topic　of　conversation；　and　the　older　folksuddenly　found　their　reminiscences　in　wele　demand。　
No　one　had　a　more　attentive　audience　than　old　Ham　Gamgee；　monly　knownas　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　BagEnd　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　wasmainly　carried　on　by　his　youngest　son；　Sam　Gamgee。　Both　father　and　son　were　onvery　friendly　terms　with　Bilbo　and　Frodo。　They　lived　on　the　Hill　itself；　inNumber　3　Bagshot　Row　just　below　Bag　End。　
'A　very　nice　well…spoken　gentlehobbit　is　Mr。　Bilbo；　as　I've　alwayssaid；'　the　Gaffer　declared。　With　perfect　truth：　for　Bilbo　was　very　polite　tohim；　calling　him　'Master　Hamfast'；　and　consulting　him　constantly　upon　thegrowing　of　vegetables　–　in　the　matter　of　'roots'；　especially　potatoes；　theGaffer　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　awaythere　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；　andright　agin　the　Old　Forest。　That's　a　dark　bad　place；　if　half　the　tales　betrue。'　　
'You're　right；　Dad！'　said　the　Gaffer。　'Not　that　the　Brandybucks　of　Buckland　　
live　_in_　the　Old　Forest；　but　they're　a　queer　breed；　seemingly。　They　foolabout　with　boats　on　that　big　river　–　and　that　isn't　natural。　Small　wonder　thattrouble　came　of　it；　I　say。　But　be　that　as　it　may；　Mr。　Frodo　is　as　nice　a　younghobbit　as　you　could　wish　to　meet。　Very　much　like　Mr。　Bilbo；　and　in　more　thanlooks。　After　all　his　father　was　a　Baggins。　A　decent　respectable　hobbit　was　Mr。　
Drogo　Baggins；　there　was　never　much　to　tell　of　him；　till　he　was　drownded。'　
'Drownded？'　said　several　voices。　They　had　heard　this　and　other　darkerrumours　before；　of　course；　but　hobbits　have　a　passion　for　family　history；　andthey　were　ready　to　hear　it　again。　'Well；　so　they　say；'　said　the　Gaffer。　'Yousee：　Mr。　Drogo；　he　married　poor　Miss　Primula　Brandybuck。　She　was　our　Mr。　
Bilbo's　first　cousin　on　the　mother's　side　（her　mother　being　the　youngest　ofthe　Old　Took's　daughters）；　and　Mr。　Drogo　was　his　second　cousin。　So　Mr。　Frodois　his　first　_and_　second　cousin；　once　removed　either　way；　as　the　saying　is；　
if　you　follow　me。　And　Mr。　Drogo　was　staying　at　Brandy　Hall　with　his　father…in…　
law；　old　Master　Gorbadoc；　as　he　often　did　after　his　marriage　（him　beingpartial　to　his　vittles；　and　old　Gorbadoc　keeping　a　mighty　generous　table）；　andhe　went　out　_boating_on　the　Brandywine　River；　and　he　and　his　wife　weredrownded；　and　poor　Mr。　Frodo　only　a　child　and　all。　'　
'I've　heard　they　went　on　the　water　after　dinner　in　the　moonlight；'　saidOld　Noakes；　'and　it　was　Drogo's　weight　as　sunk　the　boat。'　
'And　_I_　heard　she　pushed　him　in；　and　he　pulled　her　in　after　him；'　saidSandyman；　the　Hobbiton　miller。　
'You　shouldn't　listen　to　all　you　hear；　Sandyman；'　said　the　Gaffer；　whodid　not　much　like　the　miller。　'There　isn't　no　call　to　go　talking　of　pushingand　pulling。　Boats　are　quite　tricky　enough　for　those　that　sit　still　withoutlooking　further　for　the　cause　of　trouble。　Anyway：　there　was　this　Mr。　Frodoleft　an　orphan　and　stranded；　as　you　might　say；　among　those　queer　Bucklanders；　
being　brought　up　anyhow　in　Brandy　Hall。　A　regular　warren；　by　all　accounts。　OldMaster　Gorbadoc　never　had　fewer　than　a　couple　of　hundred　relations　in　theplace。　Mr。　Bilbo　never　did　a　kinder　deed　than　when　he　brought　the　lad　back　tolive　among　decent　folk。　
'But　I　reckon　it　was　a　nasty　shock　for　those　Sackville…Bagginses。　Theythought　they　were　going　to　get　Bag　End；　that　time　when　he　went　off　and　wasthought　to　be　dead。　And　then　he　es　back　and　orders　them　off；　and　he　goes　onliving　and　living；　and　never　looking　a　day　older；　bless　him！　And　suddenly　heproduces　an　heir；　and　has　all　the　papers　made　out　proper。　The　Sackville…　
Bagginses　won't　never　see　the　inside　of　Bag　End　now；　or　it　is　to　be　hopednot。'　　
'There's　a　tidy　bit　of　money　tucked　away　up　there；　I　hear　tell；'　said　a　　
　
stranger；　a　visitor　on　business　from　Michel　Delving　in　the　Westfarthing。　'Allthe　top　of　your　hill　is　full　of　tunnels　packed　with　chests　of　gold　and　silver；　
_and_jools；　by　what　I've　heard。　'　
'Then　you've　heard　more　than　I　can　speak　to；'　answered　the　Gaffer。　I　knownothing　about　_jools。_　Mr。　Bilbo　is　free　with　his　money；　and　there　seems　nolack　of　it；　but　I　know　of　no　tunnel…making。　I　saw　Mr。　Bilbo　when　he　came　back；　
a　matter　of　six