Chapter 6 THE OLD FOREST Frodo woke suddenly. It was still dark in the room. Merry was standing there with a candle in one hand, and banging on the door with the other. ‘All right! What is it?’ said Frodo, still shaken and bewildered. ‘What is it!’ cried Merry. ‘It is time to get up. It is half past four and very foggy. Come on! Sam is already getting breakfast ready. Even Pippin is up. I am just going to saddle the ponies, and fetch the one that is to be the baggage-carrier. Wake that sluggard Fatty! At least he must get up and see us off.’ Soon after six o’clock the five hobbits were ready to start. Fatty Bolger was still yawning. They stole quietly out of the house. Merry went in front leading a laden pony, and took his way along a path that went through a spinney behind the house, and then cut across several fields. The leaves of trees were glistening, and every twig was dripping; the grass was grey with cold dew. Everything was still, and far-away noises seemed near and clear: fowls chattering in a yard, someone closing a door of a distant house. In their shed they found the ponies: sturdy little beasts of the kind loved by hobbits, not speedy, but good for a long day’s work. They mounted, and soon they were riding off into the mist, which seemed to open reluctantly before them and close forbiddingly behind them. After riding for about an hour, slowly and without talking, they saw the Hedge looming suddenly ahead. It was tall and netted over with silver cobwebs. ‘How are you going to get through this?’ asked Fredegar. ‘Follow me!’ said Merry, ‘and you will see.’ He turned to the left along the Hedge, and soon they came to a point where it bent inwards, running along the lip of a hollow. A cutting had been made, at some distance from the Hedge, and went sloping gently down into the ground. It had walls of brick at the sides, which rose steadily, until suddenly they arched over and formed a tunnel that dived deep under the Hedge and came out in the hollow on the other side. Here Fatty Bolger halted. ‘Good-bye, Frodo!’ he said. ‘I wish you were not going into the Forest. I only hope you will not need rescuing before the day is out. But good luck to you — today and every day!’ ‘If there are no worse things ahead than the Old Forest, I shall be lucky,’ said Frodo. “Tell Gandalf to hurry along the East Road: we shall soon be back on it and going as fast as we can.” ‘Good-bye!’
第六章 老林 佛羅多突然醒來。房間裡還是一片漆黑。梅里一手拿著蠟燭，另一手敲著門。「好了！怎麼了？」佛羅多說，仍然驚魂未定、困惑不已。「怎麼了！」梅里喊道。「該起床了。現在四點半，霧非常大。快點！山姆已經在準備早餐了。連皮聘都起來了。我正要去給小馬備鞍，順便牽來那匹要馱行李的。快把那個懶鬼胖子叫醒！他至少得起床為我們送行。」六點過後不久，五位哈比人準備出發了。胖子波傑還在打哈欠。他們悄悄地溜出屋子。梅里走在最前面，牽著一匹負重的小馬，沿著屋後一條穿過小樹林的路径走去，然後橫越了幾片田野。樹葉閃閃發光，每根細枝都在滴水；草地因冰冷的露水而呈現灰色。萬物俱寂，遠方的噪音聽起來卻彷彿近在咫尺，清晰可聞：院子裡家禽的喋喋不休，遠處一間屋子有人關門的聲音。他們在棚子裡找到了小馬：這些是哈比人喜愛的那種結實的小野獸，速度不快，但很適合長途跋涉。他們騎上馬，很快便騎入了薄霧之中，霧氣似乎不情願地在他們面前散開，又在他們身後險惡地合攏。他們騎了大約一個小時，緩慢而沉默，然後突然看到籬笆在前方赫然聳現。籬笆很高，上面覆蓋著銀色的蜘蛛網。「你們要怎麼穿過這個？」佛雷德加問道。「跟我來！」梅里說，「你們就會看到了。」他沿著籬笆向左轉，很快就到了一個籬笆向內彎曲的地方，沿著一個窪地的邊緣延伸。在離籬笆一段距離的地方，有一條切開的通道，緩緩地斜入地下。它的兩側有磚牆，牆壁穩定地上升，直到突然拱起，形成一條深深潛入籬笆下方的隧道，並在另一邊的窪地中出現。胖子波傑在這裡停下了腳步。「再見了，佛羅多！」他說。「我真希望你不是要進老林。我只希望你今天結束前都不需要人來搭救。但祝你好運——今天以及未來的每一天！」「如果前方的險惡不超過老林，那我就算幸運了。」佛羅多說。「告訴甘道夫沿著東方大道趕快來：我們很快就會回到那條路上，並盡我們所能地快速前進。」「再見！」
IIO THE LORD OF THE RINGS they cried, and rode down the slope and disappeared from Fredegar’s sight into the tunnel. It was dark and damp. At the far end it was closed by a gate of thick-set iron bars. Merry got down and unlocked the gate, and when they had all passed through he pushed it to again. It shut with a clang, and the lock clicked. The sound was ominous. ‘There!’ said Merry. ‘You have left the Shire, and are now outside, and on the edge of the Old Forest.’ ‘Are the stories about it true?’ asked Pippin. ‘I don’t know what stories you mean,’ Merry answered. ‘If you mean the old bogey-stories Fatty’s nurses used to tell him, about goblins and wolves and things of that sort, I should say no. At any rate I don’t believe them. But the Forest zs queer. Everything in it is very much more alive, more aware of what is going on, so to speak, than things are in the Shire. And the trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts, and don’t do much. Occasionally the most unfriendly ones may drop a branch, or stick a root out, or grasp at you with a long trailer. But at night things can be most alarming, or so I am told. I have only once or twice been in here after dark, and then only near the hedge. I thought all the trees were whispering to each other, passing news and plots along in an unintelligible language; and the branches swayed and groped without any wind. They do say the trees do actually move, and can surround strangers and hem them in. In fact long ago they attacked the Hedge: they came and planted themselves right by it, and leaned over it. But the hobbits came and cut down hundreds of trees, and made a great bonfire in the Forest, and burned all the ground in a long strip east of the Hedge. After that the trees gave up the attack, but they became very unfriendly. There is still a wide bare space not far inside where the bonfire was made.’ ‘Is it only the trees that are dangerous?’ asked Pippin. “There are various queer things living deep in the Forest, and on the far side,’ said Merry, ‘or at least I have heard so; but I have never seen any of them. But something makes paths. Whenever one comes inside one finds open tracks; but they seem to shift and change from time to time in a queer fashion. Not far from this tunnel there is, or was for a long time, the beginning of quite a broad path leading to the Bonfire Glade, and then on more or less in our direction, east and a little north. That is the path I am going to try and find.’ The hobbits now left the tunnel-gate and rode across the wide hollow. On the far side was a faint path leading up on to the floor of the Forest, a hundred yards and more beyond the Hedge; but it vanished as soon as it brought them under the trees. Looking back they
他們大喊著，騎下山坡，消失在佛瑞德加的視線中，進了隧道。隧道裡又黑又濕。盡頭處有一扇粗鐵條做成的大門擋著。梅里下馬開了鎖，等他們都通過後，又把門推上。門「哐啷」一聲關上，鎖「喀」地鎖住。這聲音聽起來很不祥。「好了！」梅里說。「你們已經離開夏爾，現在在外面了，就在老林的邊緣。」「關於它的那些故事是真的嗎？」皮聘問。「我不知道你指的是哪些故事，」梅里回答。「如果你是指胖子（Fatty）的奶媽以前講給他聽的那些關於哥布林、狼之類的嚇人老故事，我會說不是真的。無論如何，我不相信那些。但這座森林很古怪。可以說，這裡的一切都比夏爾的東西更有生命力，更能意識到周遭發生了什麼事。而且樹木不喜歡陌生人。它們會看著你。只要天還亮著，它們通常只滿足於看著你，不怎麼會做什麼。偶爾，最不友善的那些可能會扔下一根樹枝，或伸出一條樹根，或用長長的藤蔓抓住你。但到了晚上，情況可能會非常嚇人，至少我是這麼聽說的。我只在天黑後進來過一兩次，而且只在籬笆附近。我覺得所有的樹都在彼此竊竊私語，用一種聽不懂的語言傳遞消息和陰謀；樹枝在沒有風的情況下搖曳、摸索。他們確實說樹木真的會移動，會包圍陌生人，把他們困住。事實上，很久以前它們攻擊過籬笆：它們跑過來，就種在籬笆旁邊，然後朝籬笆上傾斜。但哈比人來了，砍倒了數百棵樹，在森林裡生起一堆大篝火，燒毀了籬笆以東一長條的土地。那之後，樹木放棄了攻擊，但它們變得非常不友善。在不遠處，當年升火的地方，現在還有一大片光禿禿的空地。」「只有樹是危險的嗎？」皮聘問。「森林深處和另一邊住著各種古怪的東西，」梅里說，「至少我是這麼聽說的；但我從沒見過任何一個。但有某種東西在開路。每次有人進來，都會發現開闊的小徑；但它們似乎會不時地以一種古怪的方式移動和改變。離這條隧道不遠處，有（或曾經有很長一段時間）一條相當寬的路的起點，通往篝火林間空地，然後大致朝我們的方向，向東偏北延伸。這就是我要試著找的路。」哈比人現在離開了隧道門，騎馬穿過寬闊的窪地。在窪地的另一邊，有一條模糊的小徑向上通往森林的地面，在籬笆外一百碼甚至更遠的地方；但當他們一進入樹下，小徑就消失了。他們回頭看——
THE OLD FOREST III could see the dark line of the Hedge through the stems of trees that were already thick about them. Looking ahead they could see only tree-trunks of innumerable sizes and shapes: straight or bent, twisted, leaning, squat or slender, smooth or gnarled and branched; and all the stems were green or grey with moss and slimy, shaggy growths. Merry alone seemed fairly cheerful. “You had better lead on and find that path,’ Frodo said to him. ‘Don’t let us lose one another, or forget which way the Hedge lies!’ They picked a way among the trees, and their ponies plodded along, carefully avoiding the many writhing and interlacing roots. There was no undergrowth. The ground was rising steadily, and as they went forward it seemed that the trees became taller, darker, and thicker. There was no sound, except an occasional drip of moisture falling through the still leaves. For the moment there was no whispering or movement among the branches; but they all got an uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched with disapproval, deepening to dislike and even enmity. The feeling steadily grew, until they found themselves looking up quickly, or glancing back over their shoulders, as if they expected a sudden blow. There was not as yet any sign of a path, and the trees seemed constantly to bar their way. Pippin suddenly felt that he could not bear it any longer, and without warning let out a shout. ‘Oi! Oi!’ he cried. ‘I am not going to do anything. Just let me pass through, will you!’ The others halted startled; but the cry fell as if muffled by a heavy curtain. There was no echo or answer though the wood seemed to become more crowded and more watchful than before. ‘I should not shout, if I were you,’ said Merry. ‘It does more harm than good.’ Frodo began to wonder if it were possible to find a way through, and if he had been right to make the others come into this abominable wood. Merry was looking from side to side, and seemed already uncertain which way to go. Pippin noticed it. ‘It has not taken you long to lose us,’ he said. But at that moment Merry gave a whistle of relief and pointed ahead. ‘Well, well!’ he said. “These trees do shift. There is the Bonfire Glade in front of us (or I hope so), but the path to it seems to have moved away!’ The light grew clearer as they went forward. Suddenly they came out of the trees and found themselves in a wide circular space. There was sky above them, blue and clear to their surprise, for down under the Forest-roof they had not been able to see the rising morning and the lifting of the mist. The sun was not, however, high enough yet
老林三號能透過已然圍繞著他們的濃密樹幹，看見那道樹籬的黑線。抬頭望去，他們只看得到無數大小、形狀各異的樹幹：有的直，有的彎；有的扭曲，有的傾斜；有的矮胖，有的纖細；有的平滑，有的粗糙多瘤且分岔；所有的樹幹上都覆蓋著綠色或灰色的苔蘚和黏滑、蓬亂的增生物。只有梅里看起來還算愉快。「你最好帶頭去找那條路，」佛羅多對他說。「我們別走散了，也別忘了樹籬在哪個方向！」他們在樹林中小心翼翼地擇路前行，小馬也步履沉重地跟著，仔細避開許多扭動交纏的樹根。林下沒有灌木叢。地面穩定地向上傾斜，隨著他們前進，樹木似乎變得更高、更黑、更密。四周一片寂靜，只有偶爾一滴濕氣從靜止的葉間滴落。此刻，樹枝間沒有任何低語或動靜；但他們都產生一種不舒服的感覺，覺得自己正被帶著不贊同的眼光注視著，而那不贊同正加深為不悅，甚至是敵意。這種感覺越來越強烈，直到他們發現自己會猛然抬頭，或瞥向身後，彷彿預期會受到突然一擊。目前還沒有任何路徑的跡象，而樹木似乎總是在阻擋他們的去路。皮聘突然覺得再也無法忍受，毫無預警地大喊一聲。「喂！喂！」他叫道。「我不會做什麼的。就讓我過去，好嗎！」其他人嚇了一跳停下腳步；但那喊聲卻像是被厚重的簾幕悶住一般，沉寂了下去。沒有任何回音或應答，儘管樹林似乎變得比之前更擁擠、更警惕了。「如果我是你，我不會大叫，」梅里說。「那樣做弊大於利。」佛羅多開始懷疑是否有可能找到出路，以及他帶大家進入這片可憎的森林到底是不是對的。梅里左顧右盼，似乎已經不確定該走哪條路了。皮聘注意到了這一點。「你這麼快就把我們弄丟了，」他說。但就在那時，梅里如釋重負地吹了聲口哨，指向前方。「好了，好了！」他說。「這些樹真的會移動。我們前面就是營火空地（我希望是），但通往那裡的路好像移走了！」他們繼續前行，光線越來越明亮。突然間，他們走出了樹林，發現自己身處一個寬闊的圓形空間。他們頭頂上是天空，藍而清澈，令他們驚訝，因為在森林穹頂之下，他們一直沒能看見清晨的日出和霧氣的散去。然而，太陽還沒有升得足夠高。
II2 THE LORD OF THE RINGS to shine down into the clearing, though its light was on the tree-tops. The leaves were all thicker and greener about the edges of the glade, enclosing it with an almost solid wall. No tree grew there, only rough grass and many tall plants: stalky and faded hemlocks and woodparsley, fire-weed seeding into fluffy ashes, and rampant nettles and thistles. A dreary place: but it seemed a charming and cheerful garden after the close Forest. The hobbits felt encouraged, and looked up hopefully at the broadening daylight in the sky. At the far side of the glade there was a break in the wall of trees, and a clear path beyond it. They could see it running on into the wood, wide in places and open above, though every now and again the trees drew in and overshadowed it with their dark boughs. Up this path they rode. They were still climbing gently, but they now went much quicker, and with better heart; for it seemed to them that the Forest had relented, and was going to let them pass unhindered after all. But after a while the air began to get hot and stuffy. The trees drew close again on either side, and they could no longer see far ahead. Now stronger than ever they felt again the ill will of the wood pressing on them. So silent was it that the fall of their ponies’ hoofs, rustling on dead leaves and occasionally stumbling on hidden roots, seemed to thud in their ears. Frodo tried to sing a song to encourage them, but his voice sank to a murmur. O! Wanderers in the shadowed land despair not! For though dark they stand, all woods there be must end at last, and see the open sun go past: the setting sun, the rising sun, the day’s end, or the day begun. For east or west all woods must fail... Fail — even as he said the word his voice faded into silence. The air seemed heavy and the making of words wearisome. Just behind them a large branch fell from an old overhanging tree with a crash into the path. The trees seemed to close in before them. “They do not like all that about ending and failing,’ said Merry. ‘I should not sing any more at present. Wait till we do get to the edge, and then we’ll turn and give them a rousing chorus!’ He spoke cheerfully, and if he felt any great anxiety, he did not show it. The others did not answer. They were depressed. A heavy weight was settling steadily on Frodo’s heart, and he regretted now with every step forward that he had ever thought of challenging the menace of the trees. He was, indeed, just about to stop and propose
《魔戒》第二冊，陽光灑落到林中空地上，雖然光線只照在樹梢。空地邊緣的葉子更濃密、更翠綠，幾乎像一道實牆將其圍住。那裡沒有樹木生長，只有粗糙的草和許多高大的植物：莖長的、褪色的毒芹和林地歐芹，柳蘭的種子散落成蓬鬆的灰燼，還有猖獗的蕁麻和薊。這地方有些沉悶，但在那幽閉的森林之後，這裡卻像個迷人又愉快的花園。哈比人們感到鼓舞，滿懷希望地仰望天空中漸寬的日光。在空地的遠側，樹牆上有個缺口，後面是一條清晰的小徑。他們能看見小徑延伸入林中，有些地方寬闊，上方開闊，但樹木時不時又會靠攏，用它們黑色的枝枒遮蔽路面。他們沿著這條小徑騎行。他們仍在緩緩上坡，但現在走得快多了，心情也好了起來；因為在他們看來，森林似乎已經心軟，終究是打算讓他們不受阻礙地通過了。但過了一會兒，空氣開始變得又熱又悶。兩旁的樹木再次靠攏，他們再也看不遠了。他們再次感覺到森林的惡意壓在身上，比以往任何時候都更強烈。四周如此寂靜，以至於他們小馬的蹄聲，在枯葉上沙沙作響，偶爾絆到隱藏的樹根，聽起來都像在他們耳邊重重地敲擊。佛羅多試圖唱首歌來鼓勵大家，但他的聲音漸弱成喃喃自語。「噢！暗影之地的流浪者啊，莫絕望！因林木雖幽暗，終有其盡頭，得見驕陽過：落日與朝陽，白晝之終結，或一日之始。因無論東西，林木終將敗……」敗——他剛說出這個字，聲音就消失在寂靜中。空氣似乎很沉重，連說話都令人疲憊。就在他們身後，一根巨大的樹枝從一棵懸垂的老樹上轟然墜落到小徑上。前方的樹木似乎也合攏了起來。「它們不喜歡所有關於『結束』和『失敗』的話，」梅里說。「我現在不該再唱了。等我們真的到了邊緣，我們再轉過身來，給它們來個振奮人心的合唱！」他說得很愉快，即使心中有任何巨大的焦慮，他也沒有表現出來。其他人沒有回答。他們很沮喪。一塊沉重的巨石正穩穩地壓在佛羅多心上，他現在每前進一步，都後悔自己當初竟想過要挑戰這些樹木的威脅。事實上，他正準備停下來提議……
THE OLD FOREST II3 going back (if that was still possible), when things took a new turn. The path stopped climbing, and became for a while nearly level. The dark trees drew aside, and ahead they could see the path going almost straight forward. Before them, but some distance off, there stood a green hill-top, treeless, rising like a bald head out of the encircling wood. The path seemed to be making directly for it. They now hurried forward again, delighted with the thought of climbing out for a while above the roof of the Forest. The path dipped, and then again began to climb upwards, leading them at last to the foot of the steep hillside. There it left the trees and faded into the turf. The wood stood all round the hill like thick hair that ended sharply in a circle round a shaven crown. The hobbits led their ponies up, winding round and round until they reached the top. There they stood and gazed about them. The air was gleaming and sunlit, but hazy; and they could not see to any great distance. Near at hand the mist was now almost gone; though here and there it lay in hollows of the wood, and to the south of them, out of a deep fold cutting right across the Forest, the fog still rose like steam or wisps of white smoke. ‘That,’ said Merry, pointing with his hand, ‘that is the line of the Withywindle. It comes down out of the Downs and flows south-west through the midst of the Forest to join the Brandywine below Haysend. We don’t want to go that way! The Withywindle valley is said to be the queerest part of the whole wood — the centre from which all the queerness comes, as it were.’ The others looked in the direction that Merry pointed out, but they could see little but mists over the damp and deep-cut valley; and beyond it the southern half of the Forest faded from view. The sun on the hill-top was now getting hot. It must have been about eleven o’clock; but the autumn haze still prevented them from seeing much in other directions. In the west they could not make out either the line of the Hedge or the valley of the Brandywine beyond it. Northward, where they looked most hopefully, they could see nothing that might be the line of the great East Road, for which they were making. They were on an island in a sea of trees, and the horizon was veiled. On the south-eastern side the ground fell very steeply, as if the slopes of the hill were continued far down under the trees, like islandshores that really are the sides of a mountain rising out of deep waters. They sat on the green edge and looked out over the woods below them, while they ate their mid-day meal. As the sun rose and passed noon they glimpsed far off in the east the grey-green lines of the Downs that lay beyond the Old Forest on that side. That cheered
正當他們考慮是否要回頭（如果還可能的話），事情有了新的轉機。小徑不再向上攀爬，而是變得平坦了一陣子。黑暗的樹木向兩旁退去，他們可以看到前方的小徑幾乎筆直向前。在他們面前，但還有一段距離，矗立著一座綠色的山頂，沒有樹木，像一顆光頭從環繞的樹林中冒出來。小徑似乎正朝著那裡延伸。他們現在又加快了腳步，想到能暫時爬到森林的頂蓋之上，心裡感到十分高興。小徑向下傾斜，然後又開始向上攀爬，最後把他們帶到了陡峭山坡的腳下。在那裡，小徑離開了樹林，消失在草皮中。樹林環繞著小山，就像濃密的頭髮，在一個剃光的頭頂周圍形成一個清晰的圓圈。哈比人牽著他們的小馬，一圈圈地繞著山坡向上走，直到到達山頂。他們站在那裡，環顧四周。空氣閃爍著陽光，但有些朦朧；他們看不遠。近處的薄霧現在幾乎都散去了；儘管這裡那裡，它還躺在樹林的凹陷處，而在他們南方，從一道深深切過森林的褶皺中，濃霧仍然像蒸汽或一縷縷白煙般升起。「那個，」梅里用手一指說，「那是柳條河的河道。它從丘陵地帶發源，向西南流經森林中央，在海賽德下方匯入白蘭地河。我們可不想走那條路！據說柳條河谷是整個森林最古怪的地方——可以說，所有古怪事物的中心都源自於此。」其他人朝梅里指的方向看去，但除了潮濕深邃山谷上的薄霧外，幾乎什麼也看不見；而在那之後，森林的南半部也消失在視線之外。山頂上的太陽現在變得越來越熱。時間大概是十一點左右；但秋天的薄霧仍然使他們無法看清其他方向的景物。在西方，他們既看不見樹籬的輪廓，也看不見其後的白蘭地河谷。在他們最抱希望的北方，他們也看不到任何可能是他們正要前往的東方大道的蹤跡。他們身處一片樹海中的孤島上，地平線被遮蔽了。在東南側，地面非常陡峭，彷彿山坡一直延伸到樹林深處，就像島嶼的海岸其實是從深水中升起的山脈側面。他們坐在綠色的邊緣上，俯瞰著下方的樹林，吃著他們的午餐。當太陽升起並過了正午，他們瞥見遠方東邊，老林另一側的丘陵地帶呈現出灰綠色的線條。這讓他們振奮起來。
II4 THE LORD OF THE RINGS them greatly; for it was good to see a sight of anything beyond the wood’s borders, though they did not mean to go that way, if they could help it: the Barrow-downs had as sinister a reputation in hobbitlegend as the Forest itself. At length they made up their minds to go on again. The path that had brought them to the hill reappeared on the northward side; but they had not followed it far before they became aware that it was bending steadily to the right. Soon it began to descend rapidly and they guessed that it must actually be heading towards the Withywindle valley: not at all the direction they wished to take. After some discussion they decided to leave this misleading path and strike northward; for although they had not been able to see it from the hill-top, the Road must lie that way, and it could not be many miles off. Also northward, and to the left of the path, the land seemed to be drier and more open, climbing up to slopes where the trees were thinner, and pines and firs replaced the oaks and ashes and other strange and nameless trees of the denser wood. At first their choice seemed to be good: they got along at a fair speed, though whenever they got a glimpse of the sun in an open glade they seemed unaccountably to have veered eastwards. But after a time the trees began to close in again, just where they had appeared from a distance to be thinner and less tangled. Then deep folds in the ground were discovered unexpectedly, like the ruts of great giant-wheels or wide moats and sunken roads long disused and choked with brambles. These lay usually right across their line of march, and could only be crossed by scrambling down and out again, which was troublesome and difficult with their ponies. Each time they climbed down they found the hollow filled with thick bushes and matted undergrowth, which somehow would not yield to the left, but only gave way when they turned to the right; and they had to go some distance along the bottom before they could find a way up the further bank. Each time they clambered out, the trees seemed deeper and darker; and always to the left and upwards it was most difficult to find a way, and they were forced to the right and downwards. After an hour or two they had lost all clear sense of direction, though they knew well enough that they had long ceased to go northward at all. They were being headed off, and were simply following a course chosen for them — eastwards and southwards, into the heart of the Forest and not out of it. The afternoon was wearing away when they scrambled and stumbled into a fold that was wider and deeper than any they had
這讓他們大為振奮；能看到森林邊界以外的任何景象都是好的，儘管他們無意朝那個方向走，如果可以避免的話：在哈比人的傳說中，古塚崗的名聲和老林本身一樣邪惡。他們終於下定決心繼續前進。那條帶他們上山的小徑在北面再次出現；但他們沒走多遠就發現，路徑穩定地向右彎曲。很快，路開始急速下坡，他們猜想這條路實際上是通往柳條河谷的：這完全不是他們想走的方向。經過一番討論，他們決定離開這條誤導人的小徑，轉而向北挺進；因為儘管從山頂上看不到，但大道肯定在那個方向，而且距離不可能太遠。此外，在小徑的北邊和左邊，地勢似乎更乾燥、更開闊，向上延伸到一些山坡，那裡的樹木比較稀疏，松樹和杉樹取代了橡樹、白蠟樹以及密林中其他奇特無名的樹木。起初，他們的選擇似乎不錯：他們以相當快的速度前進，雖然每當在林中空地瞥見太陽時，他們似乎都莫名其妙地偏向了東方。但過了一段時間，樹木又開始變得密集起來，恰恰是那些從遠處看來似乎更稀疏、不那麼糾結的地方。接著，他們出乎意料地發現了地面上深深的褶皺，像是巨大輪子留下的車轍，或是寬闊的壕溝和久已廢棄、長滿荊棘的下沉道路。這些溝壑通常橫亙在他們的行進路徑上，只能費力地爬下去再爬上來，帶著小馬更是麻煩又困難。每次他們爬下去，都發現窪地裡長滿了濃密的灌木和糾結的下層植被，這些植被不知為何不肯向左邊讓路，只有在他們向右轉時才會讓開；他們不得不在谷底走上一段距離，才能找到通往對岸的路。每次他們爬出來，樹木似乎都更深更暗；而且總是左邊和上方的路最難走，他們被迫轉向右邊和下方。一兩個小時後，他們已經完全失去了明確的方向感，儘管他們很清楚自己早已不再向北走。他們正被引開方向，只是在遵循一條為他們選定的路線——向東、向南，進入森林的中心，而不是走出去。當他們手腳並用、跌跌撞撞地走進一個比之前任何一個都更寬更深的褶皺時，午後的時光正逐漸消逝。
THE OLD FOREST II5 yet met. It was so steep and overhung that it proved impossible to climb out of it again, either forwards or backwards, without leaving their ponies and their baggage behind. All they could do was to follow the fold — downwards. The ground grew soft, and in places boggy; springs appeared in the banks, and soon they found themselves following a brook that trickled and babbled through a weedy bed. Then the ground began to fall rapidly, and the brook growing strong and noisy, flowed and leaped swiftly downhill. They were in a deep dim-lit gully over-arched by trees high above them. After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them. Coming to the opening they found that they had made their way down through a cleft in a high steep bank, almost a cliff. At its feet was a wide space of grass and reeds; and in the distance could be glimpsed another bank almost as steep. A golden afternoon of late sunshine lay warm and drowsy upon the hidden land between. In the midst of it there wound lazily a dark river of brown water, bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves. The air was thick with them, fluttering yellow from the branches; for there was a warm and gentle breeze blowing softly in the valley, and the reeds were rustling, and the willow-boughs were creaking. ‘Well, now I have at least some notion of where we are!’ said Merry. ‘We have come almost in the opposite direction to which we intended. This is the River Withywindle! I will go on and explore.’ He passed out into the sunshine and disappeared into the long grasses. After a while he reappeared, and reported that there was fairly solid ground between the cliff-foot and the river; in some places firm turf went down to the water’s edge. ‘What’s more,’ he said, ‘there seems to be something like a footpath winding along on this side of the river. If we turn left and follow it, we shall be bound to come out on the east side of the Forest eventually.’ ‘I dare say!’ said Pippin. ‘That is, if the track goes on so far, and does not simply lead us into a bog and leave us there. Who made the track, do you suppose, and why? I am sure it was not for our benefit. I am getting very suspicious of this Forest and everything in it, and I begin to believe all the stories about it. And have you any idea how far eastward we should have to go?’ ‘No,’ said Merry, ‘I haven’t. I don’t know in the least how far down the Withywindle we are, or who could possibly come here often enough to make a path along it. But there is no other way out that I can see or think of.’ There being nothing else for it, they filed out, and Merry led them
那道溝壑極為陡峭，上方懸垂著樹木，他們發現無論是前進還是後退，都無法在不拋下小馬和行李的情況下爬出去。他們唯一能做的，就是沿著這道地面的褶皺——往下走。地面變得濕軟，有些地方成了沼澤；岸邊冒出了泉水，不久他們便發現自己正沿著一條在雜草叢生的河床上潺潺作響的小溪前行。接著地勢開始急遽下降，溪水也變得更強勁、更喧鬧，迅速地奔流跳躍下山。他們身處一條幽暗的深溝中，頭頂高處的樹木交織成拱。沿著溪流踉蹌前行了一段路後，他們豁然開朗，走出了陰暗。彷彿穿過一扇大門，他們看見前方的陽光。來到開口處，他們發現自己是從一道高聳陡峭的河岸（幾乎可稱懸崖）的裂縫中走下來的。崖腳下是一片寬闊的草地和蘆葦；遠處可瞥見另一道幾乎同樣陡峭的河岸。午後末段的金色陽光，溫暖而慵懶地灑在兩岸之間這片隱蔽的土地上。在這片土地中央，一條深褐色的黑河懶洋洋地蜿蜒流過，河岸長滿古老的柳樹，柳枝交織成拱，倒下的柳樹阻塞了河道，水面上還飄浮著成千上萬片枯黃的柳葉。空氣中瀰漫著柳葉的氣息，它們從枝頭黃澄澄地飄落；因為山谷裡吹著溫暖輕柔的微風，蘆葦沙沙作響，柳枝也嘎吱作聲。 「好了，現在我至少大概知道我們在哪了！」梅里說。「我們走的方向幾乎跟預計的完全相反。這是柳條河！我先去前面探探路。」他走進陽光裡，消失在長草叢中。過了一會兒，他又出現了，報告說懸崖腳下和河之間有相當堅實的地面；有些地方，堅實的草皮一直延伸到水邊。「而且，」他說，「河的這一側似乎有條蜿蜒的小徑。如果我們左轉沿著它走，最終肯定能走出老林的東邊。」 「我看是吧！」皮聘說。「前提是那條路有那麼長，而且不會只把我們引進沼澤裡就棄之不顧。你覺得是誰開了這條路，又是為什麼？我敢說絕不是為了方便我們。我對這座森林和裡面的一切都起了疑心，開始相信那些關於它的傳說了。而且你知道我們得往東走多遠嗎？」 「不知道，」梅里說，「我一點也不知道。我完全不知道我們現在在柳條河的下游多遠處，也不知道有誰會頻繁來這裡，以至於走出了一條小路。但我看不出也想不出有別的出路了。」 別無選擇之下，他們便魚貫而出，由梅里帶路。
116 THE LORD OF THE RINGS to the path that he had discovered. Everywhere the reeds and grasses were lush and tall, in places far above their heads; but once found, the path was easy to follow, as it turned and twisted, picking out the sounder ground among the bogs and pools. Here and there it passed over other rills, running down gullies into the Withywindle out of the higher forest-lands, and at these points there were tree-trunks or bundles of brushwood laid carefully across. The hobbits began to feel very hot. There were armies of flies of all kinds buzzing round their ears, and the afternoon sun was burning on their backs. At last they came suddenly into a thin shade; great grey branches reached across the path. Each step forward became more reluctant than the last. Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground and up their legs, and falling softly out of the air upon their heads and eyes. Frodo felt his chin go down and his head nod. Just in front of him Pippin fell forward on to his knees. Frodo halted. ‘It’s no good,’ he heard Merry saying. ‘Can’t go another step without rest. Must have nap. It’s cool under the willows. Less flies!’ Frodo did not like the sound of this. ‘Come on!’ he cried. ‘We can’t have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first.’ But the others were too far gone to care. Beside them Sam stood yawning and blinking stupidly. Suddenly Frodo himself felt sleep overwhelming him. His head swam. There now seemed hardly a sound in the air. The flies had stopped buzzing. Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as of a song half whispered, seemed to stir in the boughs above. He lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and hoary. Enormous it looked, its sprawling branches going up like reaching arms with many long-fingered hands, its knotted and twisted trunk gaping in wide fissures that creaked faintly as the boughs moved. The leaves fluttering against the bright sky dazzled him, and he toppled over, lying where he fell upon the grass. Merry and Pippin dragged themselves forward and lay down with their backs to the willow-trunk. Behind them the great cracks gaped wide to receive them as the tree swayed and creaked. They looked up at the grey and yellow leaves, moving softly against the light, and singing. They shut their eyes, and then it seemed that they could almost hear words, cool words, saying something about water and sleep. They gave themselves up to the spell and fell fast asleep at the foot of the great grey willow. Frodo lay for a while fighting with the sleep that was overpowering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feet again. He felt a
116《魔戒》他發現的那條小徑。到處的蘆葦和青草都長得茂盛高大，有些地方甚至遠高過他們的頭；但一旦找到了路，就很容易跟著走，因為它蜿蜒曲折，在沼澤和水池間挑選出較為堅實的地面。小徑不時會跨過其他從高處林地流下、匯入柳條河的小溪，這些地方都細心地鋪著樹幹或一捆捆的灌木。哈比人們開始覺得非常熱。成群的各式各樣的蒼蠅在他們耳邊嗡嗡作響，午後的太陽曬得他們背上發燙。終於，他們突然走進一片稀疏的樹蔭下；巨大的灰色樹枝橫跨在小徑上方。每往前一步都比上一步更加勉強。睡意似乎正從地底悄悄爬上他們的雙腿，又從空中輕輕落在他們的頭上和眼裡。佛羅多感覺到自己的下巴垂下，頭也點了起來。就在他前方，皮聘向前一仆，跪倒在地。佛羅多停了下來。「不行了，」他聽見梅里說。「不休息一下，一步也走不動了。得睡個午覺。柳樹下很涼快。蒼蠅也少！」佛羅多不喜歡這話的語氣。「走吧！」他喊道。「我們還不能睡午覺。我們得先離開這座森林。」但其他人已經累得管不了那麼多了。他們身旁的佛羅多站在那裡，打著呵欠，傻傻地眨著眼睛。突然間，佛羅多自己也感到睡意排山倒海而來。他頭昏腦脹。現在空氣中似乎幾乎沒有任何聲音了。蒼蠅停止了嗡嗡聲。只有一種在聽覺邊緣的輕柔聲響，一種如半低語歌聲般的輕柔飄動，似乎在頭頂的樹枝間騷動。他抬起沉重的眼皮，看見一棵巨大、蒼老的柳樹正俯身對著他。它看起來碩大無比，伸展的樹枝像伸出的手臂一樣向上攀升，帶著許多長指的手，它那盤根錯節的樹幹裂開寬大的縫隙，隨著樹枝的移動發出微弱的嘎吱聲。在明亮天空的映襯下，飄動的葉子讓他眼花撩亂，他便倒了下去，躺在倒下的草地上。梅里和皮聘拖著身子向前，背靠著柳樹幹躺下。在他們身後，隨著樹的搖曳和嘎吱作響，巨大的裂縫張得更開，彷彿要將他們吞沒。他們抬頭看著那灰黃相間的葉子，在光線下輕柔地移動、歌唱著。他們閉上眼睛，接著彷彿幾乎能聽到話語，清涼的話語，說著一些關於水和睡眠的事。他們屈服於那股魔力，在這棵巨大的灰柳樹腳下沉沉睡去。佛羅多躺了一會兒，與那壓倒性的睡意搏鬥著；然後他奮力掙扎，再次站了起來。他感覺到
THE OLD FOREST Il? compelling desire for cool water. ‘Wait for me, Sam,’ he stammered. ‘Must bathe feet a minute.’ Half in a dream he wandered forward to the riverward side of the tree, where great winding roots grew out into the stream, like gnarled dragonets straining down to drink. He straddled one of these, and paddled his hot feet in the cool brown water; and there he too suddenly fell asleep with his back against the tree. Sam sat down and scratched his head, and yawned like a cavern. He was worried. The afternoon was getting late, and he thought this sudden sleepiness uncanny. “There’s more behind this than sun and warm air,’ he muttered to himself. ‘I don’t like this great big tree. I don’t trust it. Hark at it singing about sleep now! This won’t do at all!’ He pulled himself to his feet, and staggered off to see what had become of the ponies. He found that two had wandered on a good way along the path; and he had just caught them and brought them back towards the others, when he heard two noises; one loud, and the other soft but very clear. One was the splash of something heavy falling into the water; the other was a noise like the snick of a lock when a door quietly closes fast. He rushed back to the bank. Frodo was in the water close to the edge, and a great tree-root seemed to be over him and holding him down, but he was not struggling. Sam gripped him by the jacket, and dragged him from under the root; and then with difficulty hauled him on to the bank. Almost at once he woke, and coughed and spluttered. ‘Do you know, Sam,” he said at length, ‘the beastly tree threw me in! I felt it. The big root just twisted round and tipped me in!’ “You were dreaming I expect, Mr. Frodo,’ said Sam. ‘You shouldn’t sit in such a place, if you feel sleepy.’ ‘What about the others?’ Frodo asked. ‘I wonder what sort of dreams they are having.’ They went round to the other side of the tree, and then Sam understood the click that he had heard. Pippin had vanished. The crack by which he had laid himself had closed together, so that not a chink could be seen. Merry was trapped: another crack had closed about his waist; his legs lay outside, but the rest of him was inside a dark opening, the edges of which gripped like a pair of pincers. Frodo and Sam beat first upon the tree-trunk where Pippin had lain. They then struggled frantically to pull open the jaws of the crack that held poor Merry. It was quite useless. ‘What a foul thing to happen!’ cried Frodo wildly. ‘Why did we ever come into this dreadful Forest? I wish we were all back at
老林II？他對冰涼的河水產生一股無法抗拒的渴望。「山姆，等我一下，」他結結巴巴地說。「我得泡一下腳。」他半夢半醒地走向樹木靠河的那一側，那裡有巨大纏繞的樹根伸入溪流中，像一條條盤結的小龍正費力地俯身飲水。他跨坐在一條樹根上，把發熱的雙腳泡在冰涼的褐色河水裡；然後，他也背靠著樹突然睡著了。山姆坐下來，搔了搔頭，打了一個像洞穴般大的哈欠。他很擔心。午後時光已晚，他覺得這種突如其來的睡意很詭異。「這不僅僅是太陽和暖風的關係，」他自言自語。「我不喜歡這棵大樹。我不信任它。你聽它現在還在唱著關於睡眠的歌！這可不行！」他站起身，搖搖晃晃地走開，想看看小馬們怎麼樣了。他發現有兩匹已經沿著小路走遠了；他剛把牠們抓住帶回其他馬匹身邊時，就聽到了兩種聲音；一種響亮，另一種輕微但非常清晰。一種是重物落水的濺潑聲；另一種則像門被悄悄關緊時鎖頭發出的喀嚓聲。他衝回岸邊。佛羅多在靠近岸邊的水裡，一條巨大的樹根似乎壓在他身上，把他按在水下，但他沒有掙扎。山姆抓住他的夾克，把他從樹根下拉出來；然後費力地將他拖上岸。他幾乎立刻就醒了，咳嗽著，口中噴水。「山姆，你知道嗎，」他終於說，「那棵可惡的樹把我丟進水裡了！我感覺到了。那條大樹根就這麼扭過來，把我掀了進去！」「我想您是在做夢，佛羅多先生，」山姆說。「如果您覺得睏，就不該坐在那種地方。」「其他人呢？」佛羅多問。「不知道他們在做什麼樣的夢。」他們繞到樹的另一邊，這時山姆才明白他聽到的那聲喀嚓聲是怎麼回事。皮聘消失了。他先前躺臥的裂縫已經閉合，連一絲縫隙都看不見。梅里被困住了：另一道裂縫在他的腰部合攏；他的雙腿露在外面，但身體其餘部分都在一個黑暗的開口裡，開口的邊緣像一把鉗子般緊緊夾住他。佛羅多和山姆先是敲打皮聘躺過的樹幹。然後他們瘋狂地試圖拉開夾住可憐梅里的裂縫之口。這完全是徒勞。「怎麼會發生這麼糟糕的事！」佛羅多狂亂地喊道。「我們為什麼要進來這座可怕的森林？真希望我們都回到……」
118 THE LORD OF THE RINGS Crickhollow!’ He kicked the tree with all his strength, heedless of his own feet. A hardly perceptible shiver ran through the stem and up into the branches; the leaves rustled and whispered, but with a sound now of faint and far-off laughter. ‘I suppose we haven’t got an axe among our luggage, Mr. Frodo?’ asked Sam. ‘I brought a little hatchet for chopping firewood,’ said Frodo. “That wouldn’t be much use.’ ‘Wait a minute!’ cried Sam, struck by an idea suggested by firewood. ‘We might do something with fire!’ ‘We might,’ said Frodo doubtfully. ‘We might succeed in roasting Pippin alive inside.’ ‘We might try to hurt or frighten this tree to begin with,’ said Sam fiercely. ‘If it don’t let them go, Ill have it down, if I have to gnaw it.’ He ran to the ponies and before long came back with two tinderboxes and a hatchet. Quickly they gathered dry grass and leaves, and bits of bark; and made a pile of broken twigs and chopped sticks. These they heaped against the trunk on the far side of the tree from the prisoners. As soon as Sam had struck a spark into the tinder, it kindled the dry grass and a flurry of flame and smoke went up. The twigs crackled. Little fingers of fire licked against the dry scored rind of the ancient tree and scorched it. A tremor ran through the whole willow. The leaves seemed to hiss above their heads with a sound of pain and anger. A loud scream came from Merry, and from far inside the tree they heard Pippin give a muffled yell. ‘Put it out! Put it out!’ cried Merry. ‘He’ll squeeze me in two, if you don’t. He says so!’ ‘Who? What?’ shouted Frodo, rushing round to the other side of the tree. ‘Put it out! Put it out!’ begged Merry. The branches of the willow began to sway violently. There was a sound as of a wind rising and spreading outwards to the branches of all the other trees round about, as though they had dropped a stone into the quiet slumber of the river-valley and set up ripples of anger that ran out over the whole Forest. Sam kicked at the little fire and stamped out the sparks. But Frodo, without any clear idea of why he did so, or what he hoped for, ran along the path crying help! help! help! It seemed to him that he could hardly hear the sound of his own shrill voice: it was blown away from him by the willow-wind and drowned in a clamour of leaves, as soon as the words left his mouth. He felt desperate: lost and witless. Suddenly he stopped. There was an answer, or so he thought; but it seemed to come from behind him, away down the path further
「克里克窪！」他用盡全力踢了那棵樹，完全不顧自己的腳。一道幾乎無法察覺的顫抖穿過樹幹，向上傳到樹枝；樹葉沙沙作響，竊竊私語，但現在的聲音聽起來像是微弱而遙遠的笑聲。「佛羅多先生，我想我們的行李裡沒有斧頭吧？」山姆問道。「我帶了一把劈柴用的小手斧。」佛羅多說。「那沒什麼大用。」「等等！」山姆喊道，因「劈柴」而靈光一閃。「我們或許可以用火做點什麼！」「或許吧，」佛羅多懷疑地說。「我們可能會把皮聘活活烤熟在裡面。」「我們可以先試著傷害或嚇唬這棵樹，」山姆兇狠地說。「如果它不放人，我就把它砍倒，就算得用牙啃也一樣。」他跑到小馬那裡，不久後拿著兩個火絨盒和一把手斧回來。他們迅速收集了乾草、枯葉和一些樹皮；又堆起一堆斷枝和劈好的木條。他們把這些東西堆在樹幹遠離被困者的一側。山姆一將火花打入火絨，乾草便被點燃，一股火焰和濃煙升起。樹枝劈啪作響。火的細小指頭舔舐著古樹乾燥、滿是刻痕的樹皮，將其燒焦。一陣顫抖貫穿了整棵柳樹。他們頭頂的樹葉似乎發出嘶嘶聲，帶著痛苦和憤怒。梅里發出一聲尖叫，從樹的深處，他們聽到皮聘發出一聲悶悶的喊叫。「快滅火！快滅火！」梅里喊道。「你不滅火，他會把我擠成兩半的。他是這麼說的！」「誰？什麼？」佛羅多喊著，衝到樹的另一邊。「快滅火！快滅火！」梅里懇求道。柳樹的樹枝開始猛烈搖擺。一陣風聲彷彿從中升起，並擴散到周圍所有樹木的枝頭，好像他們往河谷靜謐的沉睡中投下了一顆石頭，激起了一圈圈憤怒的漣漪，蔓延至整個老林。山姆踢向那小小的火堆，踩熄了火花。但佛羅多，自己也不清楚為何如此，或希望能得到什麼，沿著小路跑去，大喊著「救命！救命！救命！」。他似乎幾乎聽不見自己尖銳的聲音：話一出口，聲音就被柳樹颳起的風吹走，淹沒在喧囂的葉聲中。他感到絕望：迷惘而失措。突然，他停了下來。有回應，至少他這麼覺得；但聲音似乎是從他身後，沿著小路更遠的地方傳來的。
THE OLD FOREST II9 back in the Forest. He turned round and listened, and soon there could be no doubt: someone was singing a song; a deep glad voice was singing carelessly and happily, but it was singing nonsense: Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo! Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow! Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo! Half hopeful and half afraid of some new danger, Frodo and Sam now both stood still. Suddenly out of a long string of nonsense-words (or so they seemed) the voice rose up loud and clear and burst into this song: Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! My darling! Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling. Down along under Hill, shining in the sunlight, Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight, There my pretty lady is, River-woman’s daughter, Slender as the willow-wand, clearer than the water. Old Tom Bombadil water-lilies bringing Comes hopping home again. Can you hear him singing? Hey! Come merry dol! derry dol! and merry-o, Goldberry, Goldberry, merry yellow berry-o! Poor old Willow-man, you tuck your roots away! Tom’s in a hurry now. Evening will follow day. Tom’s going home again water-lilies bringing. Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing? Frodo and Sam stood as if enchanted. The wind puffed out. The leaves hung silently again on stiff branches. There was another burst of song, and then suddenly, hopping and dancing along the path, there appeared above the reeds an old battered hat with a tall crown and a long blue feather stuck in the band. With another hop and a bound there came into view a man, or so it seemed. At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit, if not quite tall enough for one of the Big People, though he made noise enough for one, stumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs, and charging through grass and rushes like a cow going down to drink. He had a blue coat and a long brown beard; his eyes were blue and bright, and his face was red as a ripe apple, but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter. In his hands he carried on a large leaf as on a tray a small pile of white water-lilies. ‘Help!’ cried Frodo and Sam running towards him with their hands stretched out.
他轉過身聆聽，很快地便毫無疑問：有人在唱歌；一個低沉愉快的聲音正無憂無慮地快樂歌唱，但唱的卻是些胡言亂語：嘿咚！快樂咚！鈴啊咚滴囉！鈴啊咚！跳著走！發啦啦柳樹！湯姆・蹦，快活的湯姆，湯姆・龐巴迪囉！佛羅多和山姆半是期待，半是害怕又有什麼新的危險，此刻都靜靜站著。突然，從一長串他們聽來像是胡言亂語的詞句中，那歌聲變得響亮清晰，迸發出這首歌：嘿！來吧快樂咚！得哩咚！我的心肝！風兒輕拂，星椋鳥羽翼豐滿。山丘下，陽光裡，門階上靜待，等候那冰冷星光，我的美嬌娘在那兒，河之女的女兒，身姿如柳條纖細，比流水更清澈。老湯姆・龐巴迪帶著睡蓮，蹦蹦跳跳回家來。你可聽見他歌唱？嘿！來吧快樂咚！得哩咚！還有快樂喔，金莓，金莓，快樂黃莓果喔！可憐的老柳樹人，你把根收好！湯姆現在可急了。白日將盡，黑夜將至。湯姆要回家了，帶著睡蓮。嘿！來吧得哩咚！你可聽見我歌唱？佛羅多和山姆像被施了魔法般站著。風停了。葉子又靜靜地掛在僵硬的枝條上。又是一陣歌聲爆發，接著，突然間，一個身影沿著小徑又跳又舞，一頂破舊的高頂帽從蘆葦上方冒了出來，帽帶上還插著一根長長的藍色羽毛。再一跳一躍，一個男人——或看似如此——出現在眼前。無論如何，他對哈比人來說太高大也太重了，但對「大人類」來說又似乎不夠高，雖然他發出的噪音倒像是一個大人類，穿著巨大的黃靴子，邁著粗壯的腿重重地走著，像頭要去喝水的牛一樣衝過草地和燈心草叢。他穿著一件藍色外套，留著長長的棕色鬍鬚；他的眼睛湛藍明亮，臉紅得像熟透的蘋果，卻因笑容而佈滿了上百道皺紋。他手裡用一片大葉子當托盤，托著一小堆白色睡蓮。「救命啊！」佛羅多和山姆伸出手朝他跑去，大聲喊道。
I20 THE LORD OF THE RINGS ‘Whoa! Whoa! steady there!’ cried the old man, holding up one hand, and they stopped short, as if they had been struck stiff. ‘Now, my little fellows, where be you a-going to, puffing like a bellows? What’s the matter here then? Do you know who I am? ’m Tom Bombadil. Tell me what’s your trouble! Tom’s in a hurry now. Don’t you crush my lilies!’ ‘My friends are caught in the willow-tree,’ cried Frodo breathlessly. ‘Master Merry’s being squeezed in a crack!’ cried Sam. ‘What?’ shouted Tom Bombadil, leaping up in the air. ‘Old Man Willow? Naught worse than that, eh? That can soon be mended. I know the tune for him. Old grey Willow-man! Ill freeze his marrow cold, if he don’t behave himself. I'll sing his roots off. Pll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away. Old Man Willow!’ Setting down his lilies carefully on the grass, he ran to the tree. There he saw Merry’s feet still sticking out — the rest had already been drawn further inside. Tom put his mouth to the crack and began singing into it in a low voice. They could not catch the words, but evidently Merry was aroused. His legs began to kick. Tom sprang away, and breaking off a hanging branch smote the side of the willow with it. “You let them out again, Old Man Willow!’ he said. ‘What be you a-thinking of? You should not be waking. Eat earth! Dig deep! Drink water! Go to sleep! Bombadil is talking!’ He then seized Merry’s feet and drew him out of the suddenly widening crack. There was a tearing creak and the other crack split open, and out of it Pippin sprang, as if he had been kicked. Then with a loud snap both cracks closed fast again. A shudder ran through the tree from root to tip, and complete silence fell. “Thank you!’ said the hobbits, one after the other. Tom Bombadil burst out laughing. ‘Well, my little fellows!’ said he, stooping so that he peered into their faces. “You shall come home with me! The table is all laden with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white bread and butter. Goldberry is waiting. Time enough for questions around the supper table. You follow after me as quick as you are able!’ With that he picked up his lilies, and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along the path eastward, still singing loudly and nonsensically. Too surprised and too relieved to talk, the hobbits followed after him as fast as they could. But that was not fast enough. Tom soon disappeared in front of them, and the noise of his singing got fainter and further away. Suddenly his voice came floating back to them in a loud halloo!
「喔！喔！穩住啊！」老人喊道，舉起一隻手，他們便猛然停下，彷彿被嚇得僵住了。「好了，我的小傢伙們，你們要去哪裡，喘得像個風箱似的？這裡出了什麼事？你們知道我是誰嗎？我是湯姆・龐巴迪。告訴我你們的麻煩吧！湯姆現在很忙。別踩壞我的百合花！」「我的朋友們被困在柳樹裡了！」佛羅多上氣不接下氣地喊道。「梅里主人被卡在裂縫裡擠壓著！」山姆叫道。「什麼？」湯姆・龐巴迪大喊一聲，跳到空中。「柳樹老頭？沒有比那更糟的了，嗯？這事很快就能解決。我知道對付他的調子。老灰柳樹人！如果他不乖乖的，我就把他的骨髓凍僵。我會用歌聲唱斷他的根。我會用歌聲喚起一陣風，吹走他的葉子和樹枝。柳樹老頭！」他小心翼翼地把百合花放在草地上，然後跑到樹邊。他看到梅里的腳還露在外面——身體其他部分已經被進一步拉進去了。湯姆把嘴湊到裂縫上，開始低聲對著裡面唱歌。他們聽不清歌詞，但顯然梅里被喚醒了。他的腿開始踢動。湯姆跳開，折下一根垂下的樹枝，用它抽打柳樹的側面。「把他放出來，柳樹老頭！」他說。「你在想什麼？你不該醒來。吃土！深掘！喝水！去睡覺！龐巴迪在說話！」然後他抓住梅里的腳，把他從突然變寬的裂縫中拉了出來。一陣撕裂的嘎吱聲後，另一道裂縫也裂開了，皮聘從裡面跳了出來，像是被踢出來的一樣。接著，隨著一聲響亮的啪嚓聲，兩道裂縫又迅速合上了。一陣顫抖從樹根傳到樹梢，然後陷入一片死寂。「謝謝你！」哈比人們一個接一個地說。湯姆・龐巴迪爆發出一陣大笑。「好了，我的小傢伙們！」他說，彎下腰來凝視他們的臉。「你們要跟我回家！桌上擺滿了黃色奶油、蜂巢、白麵包和奶油。金莓在等著呢。晚飯桌上有的是時間問問題。你們盡快跟上我！」說完，他撿起百合花，然後揮手示意，沿著小徑向東又蹦又跳地走去，嘴裡還大聲唱著不成調的歌。哈比人們又驚又喜，一時說不出話來，只能盡力跟在他身後。但他們的速度不夠快。湯姆很快就在他們面前消失了，他的歌聲也越來越微弱、越來越遠。突然，他的聲音又隨著一聲響亮的「哈囉！」飄了回來。
THE OLD FOREST I2I Hop along, my little friends, up the Withywindle! Tom’s going on ahead candles for to kindle. Down west sinks the Sun: soon you will be groping. When the nght-shadows fall, then the door will open, Out of the window-panes light will twinkle yellow. Fear no alder black! Heed no hoary willow! Fear neither root nor bough! Tom goes on before you. Hey now! merry dol! We'll be waiting for you! After that the hobbits heard no more. Almost at once the sun seemed to sink into the trees behind them. They thought of the slanting light of evening glittering on the Brandywine River, and the windows of Bucklebury beginning to gleam with hundreds of lights. Great shadows fell across them; trunks and branches of trees hung dark and threatening over the path. White mists began to rise and curl on the surface of the river and stray about the roots of the trees upon its borders. Out of the very ground at their feet a shadowy steam arose and mingled with the swiftly falling dusk. It became difficult to follow the path, and they were very tired. Their legs seemed leaden. Strange furtive noises ran among the bushes and reeds on either side of them; and if they looked up to the pale sky, they caught sight of queer gnarled and knobbly faces that gloomed dark against the twilight, and leered down at them from the high bank and the edges of the wood. They began to feel that all this country was unreal, and that they were stumbling through an ominous dream that led to no awakening. Just as they felt their feet slowing down to a standstill, they noticed that the ground was gently rising. The water began to murmur. In the darkness they caught the white glimmer of foam, where the river flowed over a short fall. Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind. They stepped out from the Forest, and found a wide sweep of grass welling up before them. The river, now small and swift, was leaping merrily down to meet them, glinting here and there in the light of the stars, which were already shining in the sky. The grass under their feet was smooth and short, as if it had been mown or shaven. The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped, and trim as a hedge. The path was now plain before them, well-tended and bordered with stone. It wound up on to the top of a grassy knoll, now grey under the pale starry night; and there, still high above them on a further slope, they saw the twinkling lights of a house. Down again the path went, and then up again, up a long smooth hillside of turf, towards the light. Suddenly a wide yellow beam flowed out brightly from a door that was opened. There was Tom Bombadil’s
「跳吧，我的小朋友們，沿著柳轉彎河前進！湯姆先走一步，好把蠟燭點起。太陽西沉，你們很快就要摸黑前行。當夜影降臨，門兒就會開啟，窗戶透出黃色的閃爍燈光。別怕黑赤楊！別理灰白柳！根也好，枝也好，全都別怕！湯姆在你們前頭走。嘿呀！快樂多！我們等著你們！」此後，哈比人便再也沒聽到任何聲音。幾乎就在同時，太陽似乎沉入了他們身後的樹林中。他們想起了白蘭地河上閃爍的斜陽餘暉，以及布克蘭的窗戶開始閃耀起數百盞燈火。巨大的陰影籠罩著他們；樹幹和樹枝在小徑上方陰森地懸掛著，充滿威脅。白色的薄霧開始升起，在河面上繚繞，並在其岸邊的樹根間遊蕩。就在他們腳下，一股朦朧的蒸汽從地底冒出，與迅速降臨的暮色融為一體。要跟上小徑變得困難，他們也已疲憊不堪。他們的雙腿彷彿灌了鉛。兩旁的灌木和蘆葦叢中傳來奇怪的、鬼鬼祟祟的聲響；如果他們抬頭望向蒼白的天空，會瞥見一些奇異、扭曲、多瘤節的面孔，在暮色中陰沉地顯現，並從高高的河岸和林邊惡意地俯視著他們。他們開始覺得這整個地方都不真實，彷彿正跌跌撞撞地走過一個沒有盡頭的不祥夢境。正當他們感覺腳步慢得快要停下時，他們注意到地面正緩緩升高。水開始發出潺潺聲。在黑暗中，他們瞥見了白色的泡沫微光，那是河水流過一處短瀑布的地方。然後，樹木突然到了盡頭，薄霧被拋在身後。他們走出了森林，發現眼前展現出一片寬闊、向上延伸的草地。河流此時變得又小又急，歡快地跳躍著奔向他們，在已經閃耀於天空的星光下不時閃爍。他們腳下的草地平滑而短促，彷彿被修剪或剃過一般。身後森林的邊緣被修剪過，像籬笆一樣整齊。小徑現在在他們面前清晰可見，維護良好，兩旁砌著石頭。它蜿蜒而上，通往一個草丘的頂端，此刻在蒼白的星夜下呈現灰色；在那裡，在更遠的斜坡上，仍高於他們的地方，他們看到了一棟房子的閃爍燈光。小徑又往下走，然後再往上，沿著一片長長的平滑草坡，朝著那光亮處走去。突然，一道寬闊的黃色光束從一扇敞開的門中明亮地射出。那是湯姆·邦巴迪爾的家。
I22 THE LORD OF THE RINGS house before them, up, down, under hill. Behind it a steep shoulder of the land lay grey and bare, and beyond that the dark shapes of the Barrow-downs stalked away into the eastern night. They all hurried forward, hobbits and ponies. Already half their weariness and all their fears had fallen from them. Hey! Come merry dol! rolled out the song to greet them. Hey! Come derry dol! Hop along, my hearties! Hobbits! Ponies all! We are fond of parties. Now let the fun begin! Let us sing together! Then another clear voice, as young and as ancient as Spring, like the song of a glad water flowing down into the night from a bright morning in the hills, came falling like silver to meet them: Now let the song begin! Let us sing together Of sun, stars, moon and mist, rain and cloudy weather, Light on the budding leaf, dew on the feather, Wind on the open hill, bells on the heather, Reeds by the shady pool, lilies on the water: Old Tom Bombadil and the River-daughter! And with that song the hobbits stood upon the threshold, and a golden light was all about them.
他們眼前的房子，依著山勢，或上或下，或藏於山丘之下。房子後面，一道陡峭的山肩灰濛濛地裸露著，再遠處，古墓崗的黑暗形影悄然退入東方的夜色中。他們全都加快腳步，哈比人與小馬皆然。他們一半的疲憊和所有的恐懼都已煙消雲散。嘿！來呀，快樂多！(merry dol) 一首歌聲響起，迎接他們。嘿！來呀，快活多！(derry dol) 快跳起來，我的好夥伴們！哈比人！小馬們！我們都愛派對。現在讓樂趣開始吧！讓我們一起歌唱！接著，另一個清澈的聲音，既年輕又古老，宛如春天，像是歡快的水流，從山中晴朗的早晨淌入黑夜，如銀光般灑落，迎向他們：「此刻讓歌聲揚起！讓我們齊聲歌唱，歌唱太陽、星辰、月亮與薄霧，雨水與多雲天氣，嫩葉上的光，羽毛上的露，開闊山丘上的風，石楠叢中的鈴，幽靜池邊的蘆葦，水面上的百合：老湯姆・龐巴迪與河之女！」伴隨著這首歌，哈比人們站上了門檻，一道金色的光芒將他們全然籠罩。