The Lord of the Rings-指环王(英文版)-第6章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　live　here。　He　said　you　had　pestered　him　till　he　told　you；　so　I　had　better　know　too。　〃No　secrets　between　us；　Frodo；〃　he　said；　〃but　they　are　not　to　go　any　further。　It's　mine　anyway。〃'

'That's　interesting；'　said　Gandalf。　'Well；　what　did　you　think　of　it　all？'

'If　you　mean；　inventing　all　that　about　a　〃present〃；　well；　I　thought　the　true　story　much　more　likely；　and　I　couldn't　see　the　point　of　altering　it　at　all。　It　was　very　unlike　Bilbo　to　do　so；　anyway；　and　I　thought　it　rather　odd。'

'So　did　I。　But　odd　things　may　happen　to　people　that　have　such　treasures　。　if　they　use　them。　Let　it　be　a　warning　to　you　to　be　very　careful　with　it。　It　may　have　other　powers　than　just　making　you　vanish　when　you　wish　to。'

'I　don't　understand；'　said　Frodo。

'Neither　do　I；'　answered　the　wizard。　'I　have　merely　begun　to　wonder　about　the　ring；　especially　since　last　night。　No　need　to　worry。　But　if　you　take　my　advice　you　will　use　it　very　seldom；　or　not　at　all。　At　least　I　beg　you　not　to　use　it　in　any　way　that　will　cause　talk　or　rouse　suspicion。　I　say　again：　keep　it　safe；　and　keep　it　secret！'

'You　are　very　mysterious！　What　are　you　afraid　of？'

'I　am　not　certain；　so　I　will　say　no　more。　I　may　be　able　to　tell　you　something　when　I　e　back。　I　am　going　off　at　once：　so　this　is　goodbye　for　the　present。'　He　got　up。

'At　once！'　cried　Frodo。　'Why；　I　thought　you　were　staying　on　for　at　least　a　week。　I　was　looking　forward　to　your　help。'

'I　did　mean　to　。　but　I　have　had　to　change　my　mind。　I　may　be　away　for　a　good　while；　but　I'll　e　and　see　you　again；　as　soon　as　I　can。　Expect　me　when　you　see　me！　I　shall　slip　in　quietly。　I　shan't　often　be　visiting　the　Shire　openly　again。　I　find　that　I　have　bee　rather　unpopular。　They　say　I　am　a　nuisance　and　a　disturber　of　the　peace。　Some　people　are　actually　accusing　me　of　spiriting　Bilbo　away；　or　worse。　If　you　want　to　know；　there　is　supposed　to　be　a　plot　between　you　and　me　to　get　hold　of　his　wealth。'

'Some　people！'　exclaimed　Frodo。　'You　mean　Otho　and　Lobelia。　How　abominable！　I　would　give　them　Bag　End　and　everything　else；　if　I　could　get　Bilbo　back　and　go　off　tramping　in　the　country　with　him。　I　love　the　Shire。　But　I　begin　to　wish；　somehow；　that　I　had　gone　too。　I　wonder　if　I　shall　ever　see　him　again。'

'So　do　I；'　said　Gandalf。　'And　I　wonder　many　other　things。　Goodbye　now！　Take　care　of　yourself！　Look　out　for　me；　especially　at　unlikely　times！　Good　bye！'

Frodo　saw　him　to　the　door。　He　gave　a　final　wave　of　his　hand；　and　walked　off　at　a　surprising　pace；　but　Frodo　thought　the　old　wizard　looked　unusually　bent；　almost　as　if　he　was　carrying　a　great　weight。　The　evening　was　closing　in；　and　his　cloaked　figure　quickly　vanished　into　the　twilight。　Frodo　did　not　see　him　again　for　a　long　time。

Chapter　02
The　Shadow　of　the　Past
　

The　talk　did　not　die　down　in　nine　or　even　niynine　days。　The　second　disappearance　of　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins　was　discussed　in　Hobbiton；　and　indeed　all　over　the　Shire；　for　a　year　and　a　day；　and　was　remembered　much　longer　than　that。　It　became　a　firesidestory　for　young　hobbits；　and　eventually　Mad　Baggins；　who　used　to　vanish　with　a　bang　and　a　flash　and　reappear　with　bags　of　jewels　and　gold；　became　a　favourite　character　of　legend　and　lived　on　long　after　all　the　true　events　were　fotten。

But　in　the　meantime；　the　general　opinion　in　the　neighbourhood　was　that　Bilbo；　who　had　always　been　rather　cracked；　had　at　last　gone　quite　mad；　and　had　run　off　into　the　Blue。　There　he　had　undoubtedly　fallen　into　a　pool　or　a　river　and　e　to　a　tragic；　but　hardly　an　untimely；　end。　The　blame　was　mostly　laid　on　Gandalf。

'If　only　that　dratted　wizard　will　leave　young　Frodo　alone；　perhaps　he'll　settle　down　and　grow　some　hobbitsense；'　they　said。　And　to　all　appearance　the　wizard　did　leave　Frodo　alone；　and　he　did　settle　down；　but　the　growth　of　hobbitsense　was　not　very　noticeable。　Indeed；　he　at　once　began　to　carry　on　Bilbo's　reputation　for　oddity。　He　refused　to　go　into　mourning；　and　the　next　year　he　gave　a　party　in　honour　of　Bilbo's　hundredandtwelfth　birthday；　which　he　called　Hundredweight　Feast。　But　that　was　short　of　the　mark；　for　twenty　guests　were　invited　and　there　were　several　meals　at　which　it　snowed　food　and　rained　drink；　as　hobbits　say。

Some　people　were　rather　shocked；　but　Frodo　kept　up　the　custom　of　giving　Bilbo's　Birthday　Party　year　after　year　until　they　got　used　to　it。　He　said　that　he　did　not　think　Bilbo　was　dead。　When　they　asked：　'Where　is　he　then？'　he　shrugged　his　shoulders。

He　lived　alone；　as　Bilbo　had　done；　but　he　had　a　good　many　friends；　especially　among　the　younger　hobbits　（mostly　descendants　of　the　Old　Took）　who　had　as　children　been　fond　of　Bilbo　and　often　in　and　out　of　Bag　End。　Folco　Boffin　and　Fredegar　Bolger　were　two　of　these；　but　his　closest　friends　were　Peregrin　Took　（usually　called　Pippin）；　and　Merry　Brandybuck　（his　real　name　was　Meriadoc；　but　that　was　seldom　remembered）。　Frodo　went　tramping　all　over　the　Shire　with　them；　but　more　often　he　wandered　by　himself；　and　to　the　amazement　of　sensible　folk　he　was　sometimes　seen　far　from　home　walking　in　the　hills　and　woods　under　the　starlight。　Merry　and　Pippin　suspected　that　he　visited　the　Elves　at　times；　as　Bilbo　had　done。

As　time　went　on；　people　began　to　notice　that　Frodo　also　showed　signs　of　good　'preservation'：　outwardly　he　retained　the　appearance　of　a　robust　and　energetic　hobbit　just　out　of　his　tweens。　'Some　folk　have　all　the　luck；'　they　said；　but　it　was　not　until　Frodo　approached　the　usually　more　sober　age　of　fifty　that　they　began　to　think　it　queer。

Frodo　himself；　after　the　first　shock；　found　that　being　his　own　master　and　the　Mr。　Baggins　of　Bag　End　was　rather　pleasant。　For　some　years　he　was　quite　happy　and　did　not　worry　much　about　the　future。　But　half　unknown　to　himself　the　regret　that　he　had　not　gone　with　Bilbo　was　steadily　growing。　He　found　himself　wondering　at　times；　especially　in　the　autumn；　about　the　wild　lands；　and　strange　visions　of　mountains　that　he　had　never　seen　came　into　his　dreams。　He　began　to　say　to　himself：　'Perhaps　I　shall　cross　the　River　myself　one　day。'　To　which　the　other　half　of　his　mind　always　replied：　'Not　yet。'

So　it　went　on；　until　his　forties　were　running　out；　and　his　fiftieth　birthday　was　drawing　near：　fifty　was　a　number　that　he　felt　was　somehow　significant　（or　ominous）；　it　was　at　any　rate　at　that　age　that　adventure　had　suddenly　befallen　Bilbo。　Frodo　began　to　feel　restless；　and　the　old　paths　seemed　too　welltrodden。　He　looked　at　maps；　and　wondered　what　lay　beyond　their　edges：　maps　made　in　the　Shire　showed　mostly　white　spaces　beyond　its　borders。　He　took　to　wandering　further　afield　and　more　often　by　himself；　and　Merry　and　his　other　friends　watched　him　anxiously。　Often　he　was　seen　walking　and　talking　with　the　strange　wayfarers　that　began　at　this　time　to　appear　in　the　Shire。

There　were　rumours　of　strange　things　happening　in　the　world　outside；　and　as　Gandalf　had　not　at　that　time　appeared　or　sent　any　message　for　several　years；　Frodo　gathered　all　the　news　he　could。　Elves；　who　seldom　walked　in　the　Shire；　could　now　be　seen　passing　westward　through　the　woods　in　the　evening；　passing　and　not　returning；　but　they　were　leaving　Middleearth　and　were　no　longer　concerned　with　its　troubles。　There　were；　however；　dwarves　on　the　road　in　unusual　numbers。　The　ancient　EastWest　Road　ran　through　the　Shire　to　its　end　at　the　Grey　Havens；　and　dwarves　had　always　used　it　on　their　way　to　their　mines　in　the　Blue　Mountains。　They　were　the　hobbits'　chief　source　of　news　from　distant　parts　。　if　they　wanted　any：　as　a　rule　dwarves　said　little　and　hobbits　asked　no　more。　But　now　Frodo　often　met　strange　dwarves　of　far　countries；　seeking　refuge　in　the　West。　They　were　troubled；　and　some　spoke　in　whispers　of　the　Enemy　and　of　the　Land　of　Mordor。

That　name　the　hobbits　only　knew　in　legends　of　the　dark　past；　like　a　shadow　in　the　background　of　their　memories；　but　it　ed　that　the　evil　power　in　Mirkwood　had　been　driven　out　by　the　White　Council　only　to　reappear　in　greater　strength　in　the　old　strongholds　of　Mordor。　The　Dark　Tower　had　been　rebuilt；　it　was　said。　From　there　the　power　was　spreading　far　and　wide；　and　away　far　east　and　south　there　were　wars　and　growing　fear。　Orcs　were　multiplying　again　in　the　mountains。　Trolls　were　abroad；　no　longer　dullwitted；　but　cunning　and　armed　with　dreadful　weapons。　And　there　were　murmured　hints　of　creatures　more　terrible　than　all　these；　but　they　had　no　name。

Little　of　all　this；　of　course；　reached　the　ears　of　ordinary　hobbits。　But　even　the　deafest　and　most　stayathome　began　to　hear　queer　tales；　and　those　whose　business　took　them　to　the　borders　saw　strange　things。　The　conversation　in　The　Green　Dragon　at　Bywater；　one　evening　in　the　spring　of　Frodo's　fiftieth　year；　showed　that　even　in　the　fortable　heart　of　the　Shire　rumours　had　been　heard；　though　most　hobbits　still　laughed　at　them。

Sam　Gamgee　was　sitting　in　one　corner　near　the　fire；　and　opposite　him　was　Ted　Sandyman；　the　miller's　son；　and　there　were　various　other　rustic　hobbits　listening　to　their　talk。

'Queer　things　you　do　hear　these　days；　to　be　sure；'　said　Sam。

'Ah；'　said　Ted；　'you　do；　if　you　listen。　But　I　can　hear　firesidetales　and　children's　stories　at　home；　if　I　want　to。'

'No　doubt　you　can；'　retorted　Sam；　'and　I　daresay　there's　more　truth　in　some　of　them　than　you　reckon。　Who　invented　the　stories　anyway？　Take　dragons　now。'

'No　thank　'ee；'　said　Ted；　'I　won't。　I　heard　tell　of　them　when　I　was　a　youngster；　but　there's　no　call　to　believe　in　them　now。　There's　only　one　Dragon　in　Bywater；　and　that's　Green；'　he　said；　getting　a　general　laugh。

'All　right；'　said　Sam；　laughing　with　the　rest。　'But　what　about　these　Treemen；　these　giants；　as　you　might　call　them？　They　do　say　that　one　bigger　than　a　tree　was　seen　up　away　beyond　the　North　Moors　not　long　back。'

'Who's　they？'

'My　cousin　Hal　for　one。　He　works　for　Mr。　Boffin　at　Overhill　and　goes　up　to　the　Northfarthing　for　the　hunting。　He　saw　one。'

'Says　he　did；　perhaps。　Your　Hal's　always　saying　he's　seen　things；　and　maybe　he　sees　things　that　ain't　there。'

'But　this　one　was　as　big　as　an　elm　tree；　and　walking　。　walking　seven　yards　to　a　stride；　if　it　was　an　inch。'

'Then　I　bet　it　wasn't　an　inch。　What　he　saw　was　an　elm　tree；　as　like　as　not。'

'But　this　one　was　walking；　I　tell　you；　and　there　ain't　no　elm　tree　on　the　North　Moors。'

'Then　Hal　can't　have　seen　one；'　said