Chapter 1 A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating 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 the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore on, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Baggins. At ninety he was much 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 some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently) perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth. ‘It will have to be paid for,’ they said. ‘It isn’t natural, and trouble will come of it!’ But so far trouble had not come; and as Mr. Baggins was generous with his money, most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his good fortune. He remained on visiting terms with his relatives (except, of course, the Sackville-Bagginses), and he had many devoted admirers among the hobbits of poor and unimportant families. But he had no close friends, until some of his younger cousins began to grow up. The eldest of these, and Bilbo’s favourite, was young Frodo Baggins. When Bilbo was ninety-nine he adopted Frodo as his heir, and brought him to live at Bag End; and the hopes of the SackvilleBagginses were finally dashed. Bilbo and Frodo happened to have the same birthday, September 22nd. ‘You had better come and live here, Frodo my lad,’ said Bilbo one day; ‘and then we can celebrate our birthday-parties comfortably together.’ At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three. Twelve more years passed. Each year the Bagginses had given very lively combined birthday-parties at Bag End; but now it was
第一章 一場期待已久的宴會 當袋底洞的比爾博·巴金斯先生宣布，他即將舉辦一場特別盛大的宴會來慶祝他的111歲生日時，整個哈比屯議論紛紛，興奮不已。比爾博非常富有，也非常古怪，自從他那次非凡的失蹤和意外的歸來之後，六十年來他一直是夏爾的奇談。他從旅途中帶回來的財富如今已成為當地的傳說，而且大家普遍相信，無論老一輩怎麼說，袋底洞所在的小丘底下滿是藏著寶藏的隧道。如果這還不足以讓他出名，他那長久不衰的活力也同樣令人驚嘆。時光流逝，但似乎對巴金斯先生沒什麼影響。他九十歲時和五十歲時差不多。到了九十九歲，人們開始稱他「保養得很好」；但「絲毫未變」或許更貼切。有些人搖著頭，認為這好事有點過頭了；任何人（表面上）擁有永恆的青春，又（據說）擁有用不盡的財富，似乎太不公平了。「這總是要付出代價的，」他們說。「這不自然，會惹來麻煩的！」但到目前為止，麻煩還沒有來；而且由於巴金斯先生用錢大方，大多數人都願意原諒他的古怪和好運。他與親戚們保持著往來（當然，薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人除外），在貧窮且不重要的哈比人家庭中，他有許多忠實的仰慕者。但他沒有摯友，直到他的一些年輕表親開始長大。其中最年長、也是比爾博最疼愛的，是年輕的佛羅多·巴金斯。比爾博九十九歲時，收養佛羅多為繼承人，並帶他來袋底洞同住；薩克維爾-巴金斯家族的希望也終於破滅了。比爾博和佛羅多的生日恰好在同一天，都是九月二十二日。「你最好來這裡住，佛羅多我的孩子，」比爾博有一天說；「這樣我們就能一起舒服地慶祝我們的生日宴會了。」那時佛羅多還處於哈比人所稱的「二十多歲」(tweens)——介於童年和三十三歲成年之間那段不負責任的歲月。又過了十二年。每一年，巴金斯家的人都會在袋底洞舉辦非常熱鬧的聯合生日宴會；但現在……
22 THE LORD OF THE RINGS understood that something quite 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 a hobbit (the Old Took himself had only reached 130); and Frodo was going to be thirty-three, 33, an important number: the date of his ‘coming of age’. Tongues began to wag in Hobbiton and Bywater; and rumour of the coming event travelled all over the Shire. The history and character of Mr. Bilbo Baggins became once again the chief topic of conversation; and the older folk suddenly found their reminiscences in welcome demand. No one had a more attentive audience than old Ham Gamgee, commonly known as 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 Bag End 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 was mainly carried on by his youngest son, Sam Gamgee. Both father and son were on very friendly terms with Bilbo and Frodo. They lived on the Hill itself, in Number 3 Bagshot Row just below Bag End. ‘A very nice well-spoken gentlehobbit is Mr. Bilbo, as I’ve always said,’ the Gaffer declared. With perfect truth: for Bilbo was very polite to him, calling him ‘Master Hamfast’, and consulting him constantly upon the growing of vegetables — in the matter of ‘roots’, especially potatoes, the Gaffer 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 away there 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, and right agin the Old Forest. That’s a dark bad place, if half the tales be true.’ ‘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 fool about with boats on that big river — and that isn’t natural. Small wonder that trouble came of it, I say. But be that as it may, Mr. Frodo is as nice a young hobbit as you could wish to meet. Very much like Mr. Bilbo, and in more than looks. 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 darker rumours before, of course; but hobbits have a passion for family history, and they were ready to hear it again.
大家都明白，那年秋天正計畫著一件相當特別的事。比爾博即將滿一百一十一歲，111歲，一個相當奇特的數字，對哈比人來說也是非常值得尊敬的年紀（連老圖克本人也只活到130歲）；而佛羅多則要滿三十三歲，33歲，一個重要的數字：他「成年」的日子。閒言閒語開始在哈比屯和臨水區流傳；關於即將到來的盛會的謠言傳遍了整個夏爾。比爾博·巴金斯先生的歷史與性格再次成為大家談論的主要話題；而老一輩們突然發現自己的回憶變得非常受歡迎。沒有人比老漢姆·甘姆齊，也就是大家熟知的「老爹」，擁有更專注的聽眾了。他在臨水區路上的小酒館「常春藤小館」裡高談闊論；而且他說起話來頗具權威，因為他已經在袋底洞打理花園四十年了，在那之前還幫老霍爾曼做過同樣的工作。如今他自己也年紀大了，關節變得僵硬，這份工作主要由他的小兒子山姆·甘姆齊接手。父子倆都和比爾博與佛羅多關係非常友好。他們就住在小丘上，在袋底洞正下方的袋尾弄3號。「比爾博先生是位非常和善、談吐得體的哈比紳士，我一直都這麼說。」老爹宣稱。這完全是實話：因為比爾博對他非常有禮貌，稱呼他為「漢姆法斯特大師」，並且經常向他請教種植蔬菜的問題——尤其在「根莖作物」，特別是馬鈴薯方面，老爹被附近所有人（包括他自己）公認為首屈一指的權威。「但那個跟他住在一起的佛羅多又是怎麼回事？」臨水區的老諾克斯問道。「他姓巴金斯，但他們說他有一大半的烈酒鹿血統。我真搞不懂，為什麼哈比屯的巴金斯家要跑去布克蘭那種地方找老婆，那裡的人都那麼古怪。」「他們古怪也不奇怪，」雙足老爹（老爹的隔壁鄰居）插嘴說，「要是他們住在白蘭地河的錯一邊，而且緊挨著老林。如果傳說有一半是真的，那地方可真是個黑暗又邪惡的地方。」「你說得對，老爹！」老爹說。「倒不是說布克蘭的烈酒鹿家族住在老林裡；但他們那一族，看起來就是很古怪。他們在那麼大的河上玩船——那可不正常。我說，會出事也是理所當然。不過，話說回來，佛羅多先生是你能遇到的最討人喜歡的年輕哈比人了。跟比爾博先生非常像，不只是外表。畢竟他父親也是個巴金斯。德羅哥·巴金斯先生是個正派體面的哈比人；在他被淹死之前，從來沒什麼好說的。」「淹死的？」好幾個聲音問道。他們當然聽過這個以及其他更黑暗的謠言；但哈比人對家族歷史有著一股熱情，他們準備好再聽一遍。
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 23 ‘Well, so they say,’ said the Gaffer. “You see: 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 of the Old Took’s daughters); and Mr. Drogo was his second cousin. So Mr. Frodo is 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 being partial to his vittles, and old Gorbadoc keeping a mighty generous table); and he went out boating on the Brandywine River; and he and his wife were drownded, and poor Mr. Frodo only a child and all.’ ‘I’ve heard they went on the water after dinner in the moonlight,’ said Old 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,’ said Sandyman, the Hobbiton miller. “You shouldn’t listen to all you hear, Sandyman,’ said the Gaffer, who did not much like the miller. “There isn’t no call to go talking of pushing and pulling. Boats are quite tricky enough for those that sit still without looking further for the cause of trouble. Anyway: there was this Mr. Frodo left 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. Old Master Gorbadoc never had fewer than a couple of hundred relations in the place. Mr. Bilbo never did a kinder deed than when he brought the lad back to live among decent folk. ‘But I reckon it was a nasty knock for those Sackville-Bagginses. They thought they were going to get Bag End, that time when he went off and was thought to be dead. And then he comes back and orders them off; and he goes on living and living, and never looking a day older, bless him! And suddenly he produces 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 hoped not.’ “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. ‘All the 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 know nothing about jools. Mr. Bilbo is free with his money, and there seems no lack of it; but I know of no tunnel-making. I saw Mr. Bilbo when he came back, a matter of sixty years ago, when I was a lad. I’d not long come prentice to old Holman (him being my dad’s cousin), but he had me up at Bag End helping him to keep folks from trampling and trapessing all over the garden while the sale was on. And in the middle of it all Mr. Bilbo comes up the Hill with
「嗯，大家是這麼說的，」老爹說。「你看：卓哥先生娶了可憐的櫻草·白蘭地鹿小姐。她算是我們比爾博先生母親那邊的表妹（她媽媽是老圖克家最小的女兒）；而卓哥先生是他（比爾博）的再從表兄弟。所以佛羅多先生，照理說，不管從哪邊算，都是他（比爾博）的隔代大表姪兼隔代再從表姪，如果你聽得懂的話。卓哥先生婚後常常住在他岳父，老葛巴達克主人的白蘭地廳（因為他那人嘴饞，而老葛巴達克的餐桌又豐盛得不得了）；有一次他在白蘭地河上划船，結果夫妻倆都淹死了，可憐的佛羅多先生那時還只是個孩子。』『我聽說他們是晚餐後在月光下下水的，』老諾克斯說；『是卓哥的體重把船壓沉的。』『我還聽說是她把他推進水裡，他又把她拉下去的，』哈比屯的磨坊主人沙地人說。『你聽到的話可不能全信，沙地人，』老爹說，他不太喜歡這個磨坊主人。『沒必要去說什麼推啊拉的。船這種東西，就算安安穩穩地坐著都夠麻煩了，用不著再去找別的麻煩原因。總之，佛羅多先生就這樣成了孤兒，可以說是受困在那些古怪的布克蘭人當中，在白蘭地廳隨便養大。聽說那地方簡直像個兔子窩。老葛巴達克主人家裡隨時都住著不下兩百個親戚。比爾博先生做過最仁慈的事，就是把那孩子帶回來，跟正經人住在一起。』『不過我猜，這對薩克維爾-巴金斯家是個沉重的打擊。他們本以為他（比爾博）那次出遠門被當成死了的時候，他們就能弄到袋底洞了。結果他回來了，還把他們趕走；然後他就一直活著、活著，而且一點也沒變老，願老天保佑他！接著他突然弄出個繼承人，還把所有文件都辦得妥妥當當。薩克維爾-巴金斯家現在是永遠別想進袋底洞了，希望如此。』『我聽說，那上面藏了不少錢呢，』一個陌生人說，他是從西區的米丘窟來辦事的訪客。『我聽說你們那座山丘頂上全是地道，塞滿了一箱箱的金銀財寶。』『那你聽到的可比我能說的還多，』老爹回答。『我對什麼財寶一無所知。比爾博先生用錢很大方，而且看起來也不缺錢；但我可不知道有什麼挖地道的事。六十年前比爾博先生回來的時候我見過他，那時我還是個小夥子。我剛到老霍爾曼（他是我爸的表親）那兒當學徒沒多久，但他叫我到袋底洞去幫忙，在拍賣會期間阻止人們在花園裡到處亂踩。就在一片混亂中，比爾博先生走上小丘來了……
24 THE LORD OF THE RINGS a pony and some mighty big bags and a couple of chests. I don’t doubt they were mostly full of treasure he had picked up in foreign parts, where there be mountains of gold, they say; but there wasn’t enough to fill tunnels. But my lad Sam will know more about that. He’s in and out of Bag End. Crazy about stories of the old days, he is, and he listens to all Mr. Bilbo’s tales. Mr. Bilbo has learned him his letters — meaning no harm, mark you, and I hope no harm will come of it. ‘Elves and Dragons! I says to him. Cabbages and potatoes are better for me and you. Don’t go getting mixed up in the business of your betters, or you'll land in trouble too big for you, I says to him. And I might say it to others,’ he added with a look at the stranger and the miller. But the Gaffer did not convince his audience. The legend of Bilbo’s wealth was now too firmly fixed in the minds of the younger generation of hobbits. ‘Ah, but he has likely enough been adding to what he brought at first,’ argued the miller, voicing common opinion. ‘He’s often away from home. And look at the outlandish folk that visit him: dwarves coming at night, and that old wandering conjuror, Gandalf, and all. You can say what you like, Gaffer, but Bag End’s a queer place, and its folk are queerer.’ ‘And you can say what you like, about what you know no more of than you do of boating, Mr. Sandyman,’ retorted the Gaffer, disliking the miller even more than usual. ‘If that’s being queer, then we could do with a bit more queerness in these parts. There’s some not far away that wouldn’t offer a pint of beer to a friend, if they lived in a hole with golden walls. But they do things proper at Bag End. Our Sam says that everyone’s going to be invited to the party, and there’s going to be presents, mark you, presents for all — this very month as is.’ That very month was September, and as fine as you could ask. A day or two later a rumour (probably started by the knowledgeable Sam) was spread about that there were going to be fireworks — fireworks, what is more, such as had not been seen in the Shire for nigh on a century, not indeed since the Old Took died. Days passed and The Day drew nearer. An odd-looking waggon laden with odd-looking packages rolled into Hobbiton one evening and toiled up the Hill to Bag End. The startled hobbits peered out of lamplit doors to gape at it. It was driven by outlandish folk, singing strange songs: dwarves with long beards and deep hoods. A few of them remained at Bag End. At the end of the second week in September a cart came in through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it all alone.
一匹小馬、幾個超級大的袋子和兩口箱子。我不懷疑裡面多半裝滿了他在異鄉撿來的寶藏，人家說那些地方可是有金山銀山呢；但也沒有多到能把地道都填滿。不過我家那小子山姆會知道得更清楚。他成天往袋底洞跑。他啊，對那些古老年代的故事著迷得很，比爾博先生講的故事他全都聽。比爾博先生還教他識字——跟你說，他沒什麼惡意，我也希望不會惹出什麼禍事來。『精靈和惡龍！』我跟他說。『對你我來說，高麗菜和馬鈴薯更好。別去淌那些上等人的渾水，不然你會惹上你擔不起的大麻煩。』我跟他說。『這話我也可能對別人說，』他補充道，同時看了一眼那個陌生人和磨坊主人。但老爹並沒有說服他的聽眾。比爾博富可敵國的傳說，如今已在年輕一代哈比人的心中根深蒂固。『啊，但他很可能一直在為他最初帶回來的財富添磚加瓦，』磨坊主人說出了普遍的看法。『他常常不在家。再看看那些來拜訪他的古怪傢伙：晚上來的矮人，還有那個四處流浪的老魔法師甘道夫，什麼都有。老爹，隨你怎麼說，但袋底洞就是個古怪的地方，住在那裡的人更古怪。』『山迪曼先生，你也可以隨便說，反正你對這件事的了解，不比你對划船的了解多，』老爹反駁道，他對磨坊主人的厭惡比平時更甚。『如果那樣就叫古怪，那我們這地方倒真需要多一點這種古怪。附近有些人，就算住在金牆砌成的洞裡，也捨不得請朋友喝一品脫啤酒。但袋底洞的人做事可講究了。我們家山姆說，每個人都會被邀請參加派對，而且還會有禮物，你聽清楚，是人人有獎——就在這個月。』那個月份正是九月，天氣好得無可挑剔。一兩天後，一個謠言（很可能是由消息靈通的山姆傳開的）散播開來，說將會有煙火——而且，是那種夏爾將近一百年沒見過的煙火，確切地說，是自從老圖克過世後就沒見過了。日子一天天過去，「那一天」越來越近了。一個傍晚，一輛外形奇特的馬車，滿載著奇形怪狀的包裹，駛進了哈比屯，費力地爬上小丘，朝袋底洞而去。受驚的哈比人從點著燈的門後探出頭來，目瞪口呆地望著它。駕車的是些外地人，唱著奇怪的歌：他們是留著長鬍子、戴著深兜帽的矮人。他們中有幾個人留在了袋底洞。九月第二週的週末，一輛手推車在光天化日之下，從白蘭地橋的方向穿過傍水鎮而來。一位老人獨自駕著車。
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 25 He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat. Small hobbit-children ran after the cart all through Hobbiton and right up the hill. It had a cargo of fireworks, as they rightly guessed. At Bilbo’s front door the old man began to unload: there were great bundles of fireworks of all sorts and shapes, each labelled with a large red G & and the elf-rune, P” That was Gandalf’s mark, of course, and the old man was Gandalf the Wizard, whose fame in the Shire was due mainly to his skill with fires, smokes, and lights. His real business was far more difficult and dangerous, but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it. To them he was just one of the ‘attractions’ at the Party. Hence the excitement of the hobbit-children. ‘G for Grand!’ they shouted, and the old man smiled. They knew him by sight, though he only appeared in Hobbiton occasionally and never stopped long; but neither they nor any but the oldest of their elders had seen one of his firework displays — they now belonged to a legendary past. When the old man, helped by Bilbo and some dwarves, had finished unloading, Bilbo gave a few pennies away; but not a single squib or cracker was forthcoming, to the disappointment of the onlookers. ‘Run away now!’ said Gandalf. ‘You will get plenty when the time comes.’ Then he disappeared inside with Bilbo, and the door was shut. The young hobbits stared at the door in vain for a while, and then made off, feeling that the day of the party would never come. Inside Bag End, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the open window of a small room looking out west on to the garden. The late afternoon was bright and peaceful. The flowers glowed red and golden: snapdragons and sunflowers, and nasturtians trailing all over the turf walls and peeping in at the round windows. ‘How bright your garden looks!’ said Gandalf. ‘Yes,’ said Bilbo. ‘I am very fond indeed of it, and of all the dear old Shire; but I think I need a holiday.’ “You mean to go on with your plan then?’ ‘I do. I made up my mind months ago, and I haven’t changed it.’ ‘Very well. It is no good saying any more. Stick to your plan — your whole plan, mind — and I hope it will turn out for the best, for you, and for all of us.’ ‘I hope so. Anyway I mean to enjoy myself on Thursday, and have my little joke.’ ‘Who will laugh, I wonder?’ said Gandalf, shaking his head. ‘We shall see,’ said Bilbo. * * *
他戴著一頂高高的尖頂藍帽，身穿一件長長的灰斗篷，圍著一條銀色圍巾。他有著長長的白鬍子和濃密的眉毛，眉毛長得都超出了帽沿。小哈比人孩子們一路跟著馬車穿過整個哈比屯，一直跑到小丘上。他們猜得沒錯，車上載的是滿滿的煙火。在比爾博家門前，老人開始卸貨：一捆捆巨大、各式各樣的煙火，每一個上面都標著一個大大的紅色 G 字母和精靈符文 P。那當然是甘道夫的標記，而這位老人就是巫師甘道夫，他在夏爾的名聲主要來自於他對火焰、煙霧和光影的精湛技藝。他真正從事的事務遠比這困難和危險，但夏爾的居民對此一無所知。對他們來說，他只是宴會上的「景點」之一。哈比人孩子們因此興奮不已。「G 代表『好棒』(Grand)！」他們喊道，老人微笑著。他們認得他，雖然他只是偶爾出現在哈比屯，且從不久留；但無論是他們，還是除了最年長的長輩之外的任何人，都沒見過他的一場煙火秀——那些如今已屬於傳說中的過去。當老人，在比爾博和幾個矮人的幫助下卸完貨後，比爾博發了幾個銅板；但沒有一個沖天炮或鞭炮被發放出來，讓旁觀者大失所望。「現在快跑開！」甘道夫說。「時候到了你們自然會有很多。」然後他跟比爾博一起進了屋，門也關上了。年輕的哈比人們徒勞地盯著門看了一會兒，然後就走開了，心裡覺得宴會那一天永遠不會到來。在袋底洞裡，比爾博和甘道夫正坐在一間小房間的開著的窗邊，向西望著花園。傍晚時分，陽光明媚，寧靜祥和。花朵閃耀著紅色和金色的光芒：金魚草、向日葵和旱金蓮，蔓延在草皮牆上，從圓形的窗戶窺視進來。「你的花園看起來真明亮！」甘道夫說。「是啊，」比爾博說。「我確實非常喜歡它，也喜歡親愛的老夏爾；但我想我需要一個假期了。」「那麼，你打算繼續你的計畫了？」「是的。我幾個月前就下定決心了，而且沒有改變過。」「好吧。再多說也沒用了。堅持你的計畫——是『整個』計畫，記住了——我希望它對你，對我們所有人，都會有最好的結果。」「我希望如此。無論如何，我打算在星期四好好享受一下，並開個小玩笑。」「我倒想知道，誰會笑呢？」甘道夫搖著頭說。「我們等著看吧。」比爾博說。* * *
26 THE LORD OF THE RINGS The next day more carts rolled up the Hill, and still more carts. There might have been some grumbling about ‘dealing locally’, but that very week orders began to pour out of Bag End for every kind of provision, commodity, or luxury that could be obtained in Hobbiton or Bywater or anywhere in the neighbourhood. People became enthusiastic; and they began to tick off the days on the calendar; and they watched eagerly for the postman, hoping for invitations. Before long the invitations began pouring out, and the Hobbiton post-office was blocked, and the Bywater post-office was snowed under, and voluntary assistant postmen were called for. There was a constant stream of them going up the Hill, carrying hundreds of polite variations on Thank you, I shall certainly come. A notice appeared on the gate at Bag End: NO ADMITTANCE EXCEPT ON PARTY BUSINESS. Even those who had, or pretended to have Party Business were seldom allowed inside. Bilbo was busy: writing invitations, ticking off answers, packing up presents, and making some private preparations of his own. From the time of Gandalf’s arrival he remained hidden from view. One morning the hobbits woke to find the large field, south of Bilbo’s front door, covered with ropes and poles for tents and pavilions. A special entrance was cut into the bank leading to the road, and wide steps and a large white gate were built there. The three hobbit-families of Bagshot Row, adjoining the field, were intensely interested and generally envied. Old Gaffer Gamgee stopped even pretending to work in his garden. The tents began to go up. There was a specially large pavilion, so big that the tree that grew in the field was right inside it, and stood proudly near one end, at the head of the chief table. Lanterns were hung on all its branches. More promising still (to the hobbits’ mind): an enormous open-air kitchen was erected in the north corner of the field. A draught of cooks, from every inn and eating-house for miles around, arrived to supplement the dwarves and other odd folk that were quartered at Bag End. Excitement rose to its height. Then the weather clouded over. That was on Wednesday the eve of the Party. Anxiety was intense. Then Thursday, September the 22nd, actually dawned. The sun got up, the clouds vanished, flags were unfurled and the fun began. Bilbo Baggins called it a party, but it was really a variety of entertainments rolled into one. Practically everybody living near was invited. A very few were overlooked by accident, but as they turned up all the same, that did not matter. Many people from other parts of the Shire were also asked; and there were even a few from outside the borders. Bilbo met the guests (and additions) at the new white gate in person. He gave away presents to all and sundry — the latter
第二天，更多推車滾上山丘，接著是更多的推車。雖然可能有人抱怨「本地採購」的問題，但就在那個星期，各種訂單開始從袋底洞湧出，採購哈比屯、傍水鎮或附近任何地方能買到的各式各樣的糧食、商品或奢侈品。人們變得熱情起來；他們開始在日曆上劃掉日子；他們熱切地盼望著郵差，希望能收到邀請函。不久之後，邀請函開始大量寄出，哈比屯的郵局被堵得水洩不通，傍水鎮的郵局也被信件淹沒，還徵召了志願的助理郵差。他們絡繹不絕地走上山丘，帶著數百封措辭客氣、內容都是「謝謝你，我一定會來」的回信。袋底洞的大門上出現了一張告示：非派對事務，謝絕入內。即使是那些有，或假裝有派對事務的人，也很少被允許進入。比爾博很忙：寫邀請函、核對回覆、打包禮物，還在做一些他自己的私人準備。從甘道夫抵達後，他就一直躲起來不見人。一天早上，哈比人們醒來，發現比爾博家門前南邊的大片田野上，佈滿了搭帳篷和涼亭用的繩索和桿子。人們在通往馬路的坡地上開闢了一個特別的入口，並在那裡建造了寬闊的台階和一個白色的大門。與這片田野相鄰的袋邊街三戶哈比人家庭對此極感興趣，也普遍感到羨慕。甘姆齊老爹甚至連假裝在花園裡工作的樣子都懶得做了。帳篷開始搭起來了。其中有一個特別大的主帳篷，大到田裡那棵樹正好在裡面，驕傲地矗立在主桌一端。樹的所有枝幹上都掛滿了燈籠。更讓哈比人們充滿期待的是：田野的北角搭起了一個巨大的露天廚房。從方圓數英里內的每家旅店和餐館調來了一批廚師，以支援駐紮在袋底洞的矮人和其他奇特人士。興奮的氣氛達到了頂點。然後天氣轉陰了。那是星期三，派對的前夕。焦慮感變得非常強烈。接著，九月二十二日，星期四，終於來臨。太陽升起，雲層消散，旗幟飄揚，樂趣開始了。比爾博·巴金斯稱之為派對，但它實際上是各種娛樂活動的集合體。幾乎所有住在附近的人都受邀了。只有極少數人被意外遺漏了，但既然他們還是來了，那也無所謂了。夏爾其他地區的許多人也被邀請了；甚至還有一些來自邊界之外的人。比爾博親自在新的白色大門迎接客人（以及不請自來的賓客）。他把禮物送給了所有各式各樣的人——後者
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 27 were those who went out again by a back way and came in again by the gate. Hobbits give presents to other people on their own birthdays. Not very expensive ones, as a rule, and not so lavishly as on this occasion; but it was not a bad system. Actually in Hobbiton and Bywater every day in the year was somebody’s birthday, so that every hobbit in those parts had a fair chance of at least one present at least once a week. But they never got tired of them. On this occasion the presents were unusually good. The hobbitchildren were so excited that for a while they almost forgot about eating. There were toys the like of which they had never seen before, all beautiful and some obviously magical. Many of them had indeed been ordered a year before, and had come all the way from the Mountain and from Dale, and were of real dwarf-make. When every guest had been welcomed and was finally inside the gate, there were songs, dances, music, games, and, of course, food and drink. There were three official meals: lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). But lunch and tea were marked chiefly by the fact that at those times all the guests were sitting down and eating together. At other times there were merely lots of people eating and drinking —continuously from elevenses until six-thirty, when the fireworks started. The fireworks were by Gandalf: they were not only brought by him, but designed and made by him; and the special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets were let off by him. But there was also a generous distribution of squibs, crackers, backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers and thunderclaps. They were all superb. The art of Gandalf improved with age. There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices. There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a whole spring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers down upon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touched their upturned faces. There were fountains of butterflies that flew glittering into the trees; there were pillars of coloured fires that rose and turned into eagles, or sailing ships, or a phalanx of flying swans; there was a red thunderstorm and a shower of yellow rain; there was a forest of silver spears that sprang suddenly into the air with a yell like an embattled army, and came down again into the Water with a hiss like a hundred hot snakes. And there was also one last surprise, in honour of Bilbo, and it startled the hobbits exceedingly, as Gandalf intended. The lights went out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance, and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew a red-golden dragon — not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws,
有些人從後門出去，又從大門進來。哈比人習慣在自己的生日送禮物給別人。通常禮物不會太貴重，也不會像這次這麼奢華；但這不是個壞制度。事實上，在哈比屯和傍水村，一年中的每一天都是某個人的生日，所以那些地方的每個哈比人每週至少都有相當大的機會能收到一份禮物。但他們從不厭倦。這次宴會上的禮物特別好。哈比人孩子們興奮到一度幾乎忘了吃東西。有他們從未見過的玩具，全都精美絕倫，有些顯然還帶有魔法。其中許多確實是一年前就訂購的，大老遠從孤山和河谷鎮運來，是真正的矮人手筆。 當每位客人都受到歡迎並最終進入大門後，便有歌唱、舞蹈、音樂、遊戲，當然還有美食和飲料。正式的餐會有三場：午餐、下午茶和晚餐（或晚飯）。但午餐和下午茶的主要特點是，在那些時候，所有客人都會坐下來一起用餐。其他時間則只是許多人不停地吃喝——從上午十一點的點心時間一直持續到六點半煙火開始。 煙火是甘道夫準備的：不僅是他帶來的，更是由他設計和製造的；那些特別效果、造型煙火和火箭煙火的升空都由他親自操刀。此外，還慷慨地分發了各式小煙火、鞭炮、連珠炮、仙女棒、火炬、矮人蠟燭、精靈噴泉、哥布林咆哮炮和雷爆。所有煙火都無與倫比。甘道夫的技藝隨著年歲增長而更見精進。 有些火箭像一群閃閃發光的鳥兒，用甜美的聲音歌唱。有些是綠色的樹，樹幹是深色的煙霧：它們的葉子像整個春天瞬間綻放般展開，閃亮的樹枝上落下發光的花朵，灑在驚訝的哈比人身上，在觸碰到他們仰起的臉之前，帶著一縷香甜的氣味消失。有蝴蝶構成的噴泉，閃閃發光地飛入樹林；有彩色的火柱升起，變成老鷹、帆船或一隊飛翔的天鵝方陣；有一場紅色的雷暴和一陣黃色的雨；有一片銀矛森林，伴隨著如臨大敵的軍隊般的吶喊突然衝向空中，然後像一百條燒紅的蛇一樣嘶嘶作響地落回水中。 最後還有一個驚喜，是為了向比爾博致敬，而這個驚喜，正如甘道夫所料，讓哈比人們大吃一驚。燈光熄滅了。一股巨大的濃煙升起。它塑造成遠方山脈的形狀，山頂開始發光。它噴出綠色和猩紅色的火焰。一條紅金色的龍飛了出來——不是真實大小，卻逼真得嚇人：牠的顎中噴出火焰，
28 THE LORD OF THE RINGS his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed three times over the heads of the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion. “That is the signal for supper!’ said Bilbo. The pain and alarm vanished at once, and the prostrate hobbits leaped to their feet. There was a splendid supper for everyone; for everyone, that is, except those invited to the special family dinner-party. This was held in the great pavilion with the tree. The invitations were limited to twelve dozen (a number also called by the hobbits one Gross, though the word was not considered proper to use of people); and the guests were selected from all the families to which Bilbo and Frodo were related, with the addition of a few special unrelated friends (such as Gandalf). Many young hobbits were included, and present by parental permission; for hobbits were easy-going with their children in the matter of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting them a free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender. There were many Bagginses and Boffins, and also many Tooks and Brandybucks; there were various Grubbs (relations of Bilbo Baggins’ grandmother), and various Chubbs (connexions of his Took grandfather); and a selection of Burrowses, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, Brockhouses, Goodbodies, Hornblowers and Proudfoots. Some of these were only very distantly connected with Bilbo, and some had hardly ever been in Hobbiton before, as they lived in remote corners of the Shire. The Sackville-Bagginses were not forgotten. Otho and his wife Lobelia were present. They disliked Bilbo and detested Frodo, but so magnificent was the invitation card, written in golden ink, that they had felt it was impossible to refuse. Besides, their cousin, Bilbo, had been specializing in food for many years and his table had a high reputation. All the one hundred and forty-four guests expected a pleasant feast; though they rather dreaded the after-dinner speech of their host (an inevitable item). He was liable to drag in bits of what he called poetry; and sometimes, after a glass or two, would allude to the absurd adventures of his mysterious journey. The guests were not disappointed: they had a very pleasant feast, in fact an engrossing entertainment: rich, abundant, varied, and prolonged. The purchase of provisions fell almost to nothing throughout the district in the ensuing weeks; but as Bilbo’s catering had depleted the stocks of most of the stores, cellars and warehouses for miles around, that did not matter much. After the feast (more or less) came the Speech. Most of the company were, however, now in a tolerant mood, at that delightful stage which they called ‘filling up the corners’. They were sipping their
《魔戒》28 他的眼睛向下怒視；一聲咆哮，他在人群頭頂上呼嘯而過三次。大家全都縮頭閃躲，許多人更是臉朝下趴倒在地。那條龍像一列特快列車般飛過，翻了個筋斗，然後在小溪鎮上空伴隨著震耳欲聾的爆炸聲爆裂開來。「那是開飯的信號！」比爾博說。痛苦和驚慌立刻煙消雲散，趴在地上的哈比人一躍而起。每個人都享用了一頓豐盛的晚餐；也就是說，除了那些受邀參加特別家族晚宴的人之外，人皆有份。晚宴在有大樹的那個大帳篷裡舉行。邀請函僅限於十二打（哈比人也稱這個數字為一「籮」，儘管他們認為用這個詞來形容人不太恰當）；賓客從所有與比爾博和佛羅多有親戚關係的家族中挑選，外加幾位特別的無親屬關係的朋友（例如甘道夫）。許多年輕的哈比人也經父母允許出席；因為哈比人對於孩子晚睡這件事向來很隨和，尤其是在有機會讓他們吃一頓免費餐點的時候。養大一個小哈比人需要很多糧食。現場有許多巴金斯家和博芬家的人，也有很多圖克家和白蘭地鹿家的人；還有各式各樣的葛路伯家的人（比爾博·巴金斯祖母的親戚），和各式各樣的胖伯家的人（他圖克家外祖父的親戚）；以及一些精選的洞穴、博爾傑、布蕾斯格德、布羅克豪斯、古博迪、號角響起和傲足家族的成員。其中有些人與比爾博的關係非常疏遠，有些人甚至幾乎從未到過哈比屯，因為他們住在夏爾偏遠的角落。薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人沒有被遺忘。奧索和他的妻子洛比莉亞也出席了。他們不喜歡比爾博，也厭惡佛羅多，但邀請卡實在太華麗了，是用金墨水寫的，讓他們覺得無法拒絕。此外，他們的堂親比爾博多年來專精於美食，他的餐桌享有很高的聲譽。所有一百四十四位賓客都期待著一場愉快的盛宴；儘管他們相當害怕主人在餐後的演講（一個無法避免的項目）。他很可能會硬塞進一些他所謂的詩歌；有時，一兩杯酒下肚後，還會提及他那神秘旅程中荒誕的冒_險故事。賓客們沒有失望：他們確實享用了一場非常愉快的盛宴，事實上是一場引人入勝的款待：豐富、充裕、多樣且漫長。在接下來的幾週裡，整個地區的糧食採購量幾乎降至零；但由於比爾博的餐飲服務耗盡了方圓數英里內大部分商店、地窖和倉庫的庫存，這也沒什麼大不了的。盛宴（差不多）結束後，就是演講時間。然而，此時大多數賓客都處於一種寬容的情緒中，處於他們稱之為「填滿角落」的那個愉快階段。他們正小口啜飲著
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 29 favourite drinks, and nibbling at their favourite dainties, and their fears were forgotten. They were prepared to listen to anything, and to cheer at every full stop. My dear People, began Bilbo, rising in his place. ‘Hear! Hear! Hear!’ they shouted, and kept on repeating it in chorus, seeming reluctant to follow their own advice. Bilbo left his place and went and stood on a chair under the illuminated tree. The light of the lanterns fell on his beaming face; the golden buttons shone on his embroidered silk waistcoat. They could all see him standing, waving one hand in the air, the other was in his trouser-pocket. My dear Bagginses and Boffins, he began again; and my dear Tooks and Brandybucks, and Grubbs, and Chubbs, and Burrowses, and Hornblowers, and Bolgers, Bracegirdles, Goodbodies, Brockhouses and Proudfoots. ‘ProudFEET!’ shouted an elderly hobbit from the back of the pavilion. His name, of course, was Proudfoot, and well merited; his feet were large, exceptionally furry, and both were on the table. Proudfoots, repeated Bilbo. Also my good Sackville-Bagginses that I welcome back at last to Bag End. Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I am eleventy-one today! ‘Hurray! Hurray! Many Happy Returns!’ they shouted, and they hammered joyously on the tables. Bilbo was doing splendidly. This was the sort of stuff they liked: short and obvious. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves as much as I am. Deafening cheers. Cries of Yes (and No). Noises of trumpets and horns, pipes and flutes, and other musical instruments. There were, as has been said, many young hobbits present. Hundreds of musical crackers had been pulled. Most of them bore the mark DALE on them; which did not convey much to most of the hobbits, but they all agreed they were marvellous crackers. They contained instruments, small, but of perfect make and enchanting tones. Indeed, in one corner some of the young Tooks and Brandybucks, supposing Uncle Bilbo to have finished (since he had plainly said all that was necessary), now got up an impromptu orchestra, and began a merry dance-tune. Master Everard Took and Miss Melilot Brandybuck got on a table and with bells in their hands began to dance the Springle-ring: a pretty dance, but rather vigorous. But Bilbo had not finished. Seizing a horn from a youngster nearby, he blew three loud hoots. The noise subsided. I shall not keep you long, he cried. Cheers from all the assembly. I have called you all together for a Purpose. Something in the way that he said this made an impression. There was almost silence, and one or two of the Tooks pricked up their ears. Indeed, for Three Purposes! First of all, to tell you that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live
喝著他們最愛的飲料，啃著他們最愛的點心，恐懼早已拋諸腦後。他們準備好聆聽任何內容，並在每個句點都歡呼喝采。 「我親愛的人們，」比爾博從他的位子上站起來說。「聽啊！聽啊！聽啊！」他們大喊，並齊聲重複著，似乎不太情願聽從自己的建議。比爾博離開座位，走到那棵被照亮的樹下，站到一張椅子上。燈籠的光芒灑在他容光煥發的臉上；他那繡花絲綢背心上的金色鈕扣閃閃發光。大家都能看見他站著，一隻手在空中揮舞，另一隻手插在褲子口袋裡。 「我親愛的巴金斯家和博芬家，」他又開口說道；「還有我親愛的圖克家和烈酒鹿家，以及葛拉伯家、胖伯家、鑽洞家、吹號家、博傑家、布雷斯格德家、古巴底家、布羅克豪斯家和傲足家。」 「是傲『腳』家！」一位年長的哈比人從宴會棚後方大喊。他的姓氏當然是傲足（Proudfoot），而且名副其實；他的雙腳碩大無比，毛髮異常濃密，兩隻腳都擱在桌上。 「傲足家，」比爾博重複道。「還有我親愛的薩克維爾-巴金斯家人，我終於歡迎你們回到袋底洞。今天是我一百一十一歲的生日：我今天一百一十一歲了！」「萬歲！萬歲！祝您福壽無疆！」他們大喊，並興高采烈地敲打著桌子。比爾博的表現好極了。這正是他們喜歡的那一套：簡短而明瞭。「我希望你們都和我一樣盡興。」震耳欲聾的歡呼聲。夾雜著「是」（和「不是」）的喊叫聲。喇叭、號角、哨管、長笛和其他樂器的聲音。如前所述，現場有許多年輕的哈比人。數百個音樂拉炮被拉開。其中大部分都標有「河谷鎮」的標記；這對大多數哈比人來說沒什麼特殊意義，但他們都一致認為這些拉炮真是棒極了。裡面裝有樂器，雖小，但製作精良，音色迷人。事實上，在一個角落裡，一些年輕的圖克家和烈酒鹿家的人，以為比爾博叔叔已經講完了（因為他顯然已經說完了所有必要的話），便組起了一個即興管弦樂隊，開始演奏一首歡快的舞曲。埃弗拉德·圖克少爺和梅利洛特·烈酒鹿小姐跳上一張桌子，手裡拿著鈴鐺，開始跳起春迴舞：一種優美但相當劇烈的舞蹈。但比爾博還沒說完。他從附近一個年輕人手中抓過一個號角，用力吹了三聲。喧鬧聲平息了下來。「我不會耽誤你們太久的，」他喊道。全場響起歡呼聲。「我把大家召集在一起，是為了一個『目的』。」他說這話的方式給人留下了深刻的印象。現場幾乎一片寂靜，一兩個圖克家的人豎起了耳朵。「事實上，是為了『三個目的』！首先，是為了告訴你們，我非常非常喜歡你們大家，而一百一十一年實在是太短了，不夠活……」
30 THE LORD OF THE RINGS among such excellent and admirable hobbits. Tremendous outburst of approval. I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I ltke less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came to a compliment. Secondly, to celebrate my birthday. Cheers again. I should say: OUR birthday. For it is, of course, also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo. He comes of age and into his inheritance today. Some perfunctory clapping by the elders; and some loud shouts of ‘Frodo! Frodo! Jolly old Frodo,’ from the juniors. The Sackville-Bagginses scowled, and wondered what was meant by ‘coming into his inheritance’. Together we score one hundred and forty-four. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total: One Gross, if I may use the expression. No cheers. This was ridiculous. Many of the guests, and especially the Sackville-Bagginses, were insulted, feeling sure they had only been asked to fill up the required number, like goods in a package. ‘One Gross, indeed! Vulgar expression.’ It is also, if I may be allowed to refer to ancient history, the anniversary of my arrival by barrel at Esgaroth on the Long Lake; though the fact that it was my birthday slipped my memory on that occasion. I was only fifty-one then, and birthdays did not seem so important. The banquet was very splendid, however, though I had a bad cold at the time, I remember, and could only say ‘thag you very buch’. I now repeat it more correctly: Thank you very much for coming to my little party. Obstinate silence. They all feared that a song or some poetry was now imminent; and they were getting bored. Why couldn’t he stop talking and let them drink his health? But Bilbo did not sing or recite. He paused for a moment. Thirdly and finally, he said, I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT. He spoke this last word so loudly and suddenly that everyone sat up who still could. I regret to announce that — though, as I said, eleventy-one years 1s far too short a time to spend among you — this 1s the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE! He stepped down and vanished. There was a blinding flash of light, and the guests all blinked. When they opened their eyes Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. One hundred and forty-four flabbergasted hobbits sat back speechless. Old Odo Proudfoot removed his feet from the table and stamped. Then there was a dead silence, until suddenly, after several deep breaths, every Baggins, Boffin, Took, Brandybuck, Grubb, Chubb, Burrows, Bolger, Bracegirdle, Brockhouse, Goodbody, Hornblower, and Proudfoot began to talk at once. It was generally agreed that the joke was in very bad taste, and more
《魔戒》30頁，在這麼多優秀又令人欽佩的哈比人之中。現場爆發出熱烈的贊同聲。我對你們中一半人的了解，不及我所期望的一半；而我對你們中少於一半人的喜愛，不及你們所應得的一半。這番話出乎意料，而且相當難懂。現場響起零星的掌聲，但大多數人都在試圖弄明白這話的意思，看看這到底算不算一句讚美。第二，為了慶祝我的生日。再次歡呼。我應該說：我們的生日。因為今天，當然，也是我的繼承人與外甥，佛羅多的生日。他今天成年，並繼承他的遺產。長輩們給予一些敷衍的掌聲；而年輕一輩則大聲喊著「佛羅多！佛羅多！老好人佛羅多！」薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人皺起了眉頭，想著「繼承他的遺產」是什麼意思。我們倆加起來總共一百四十四歲。你們的人數是為了湊這個非凡的總數而挑選的：剛好「一籮」，如果我可以這麼說的話。沒有歡呼聲。這太荒謬了。許多賓客，尤其是薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人，都覺得受到了侮辱，覺得自己被邀請只是為了湊數，就像包裹裡的貨物一樣。「『一籮』，真是的！粗俗的說法。」如果我可以提及古老的歷史，今天也是我當年乘著木桶抵達長湖伊斯加的週年紀念日；雖然那時我忘了那天是我的生日。我那時才五十一歲，生日似乎沒那麼重要。不過，那場宴會非常盛大，儘管我記得當時我得了重感冒，只能說「非常感液你」。我現在更正地再說一遍：非常感謝各位來參加我的小派對。頑固的沉默。他們都擔心接下來馬上就是一首歌或某首詩；他們已經開始覺得無聊了。他為什麼不能停止說話，讓他們為他舉杯祝福呢？但比爾博沒有唱歌，也沒有朗誦。他停頓了一下。第三，也是最後，他說，我希望做一個「宣佈」。他把最後這個詞說得又大聲又突然，以至於所有還能坐直的人都坐直了。我很遺憾地宣佈——雖然，如我所說，一百一十一年和你們在一起的時間實在太短了——但這就是「結束」。我要走了。我現在就要離開。再見！他走下台階，消失了。一道炫目的閃光，所有賓客都眨了眨眼。當他們睜開眼睛時，比爾博已無影無踪。一百四十四個目瞪口呆的哈比人啞口無言地坐著。老奧多·傲足把他的腳從桌子上拿下來，跺了跺腳。接著是一片死寂，直到突然間，在幾次深呼吸之後，所有的巴金斯、博芬、圖克、白蘭地鹿、葛魯、查伯、波羅、博格、布理司格、布洛克豪斯、古巴迪、宏布羅和傲足家族的人都同時開始說話。大家普遍認為這個玩笑品味極差，而且
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 31 food and drink were needed to cure the guests of shock and annoyance. ‘He’s mad. I always said so,’ was probably the most popular comment. Even the Tooks (with a few exceptions) thought Bilbo’s behaviour was absurd. For the moment most of them took it for granted that his disappearance was nothing more than a ridiculous prank. But old Rory Brandybuck was not so sure. Neither age nor an enormous dinner had clouded his wits, and he said to his daughter-inlaw, Esmeralda: “There’s something fishy in this, my dear! I believe that mad Baggins is off again. Silly old fool. But why worry? He hasn’t taken the vittles with him.’ He called loudly to Frodo to send the wine round again. Frodo was the only one present who had said nothing. For some time he had sat silent beside Bilbo’s empty chair, and ignored all remarks and questions. He had enjoyed the joke, of course, even though he had been in the know. He had difficulty in keeping from laughter at the indignant surprise of the guests. But at the same time he felt deeply troubled: he realized suddenly that he loved the old hobbit dearly. Most of the guests went on eating and drinking and discussing Bilbo Baggins’ oddities, past and present; but the Sackville-Bagginses had already departed in wrath. Frodo did not want to have any more to do with the party. He gave orders for more wine to be served; then he got up and drained his own glass silently to the health of Bilbo, and slipped out of the pavilion. As for Bilbo Baggins, even while he was making his speech, he had been fingering the golden ring in his pocket: his magic ring that he had kept secret for so many years. As he stepped down he slipped it on his finger, and he was never seen by any hobbit in Hobbiton again. He walked briskly back to his hole, and stood for a moment listening with a smile to the din in the pavilion, and to the sounds of merrymaking in other parts of the field. Then he went in. He took off his party clothes, folded up and wrapped in tissue-paper his embroidered silk waistcoat, and put it away. Then he put on quickly some old untidy garments, and fastened round his waist a worn leather belt. On it he hung a short sword in a battered black-leather scabbard. From a locked drawer, smelling of moth-balls, he took out an old cloak and hood. They had been locked up as if they were very precious, but they were so patched and weatherstained that their original colour could hardly be guessed: it might have been dark green. They were rather too large for him. He then went into his study, and from a large strong-box took out a bundle wrapped in old cloths, and a leather-bound manuscript; and also a large bulky envelope. The book and bundle he stuffed into the top of a heavy
需要食物和飲料來平息賓客們的震驚和惱怒。「他瘋了。我早就這麼說了，」這大概是最普遍的評論。就連圖克家的人（除了少數例外）也覺得比爾博的行為很荒謬。當下，他們大多數人都理所當然地認為，他的消失不過是個可笑的惡作劇。但老羅里·烈酒鹿卻不那麼肯定。年齡和豐盛的晚餐都沒能使他的頭腦變得遲鈍，他對他的媳婦艾斯梅拉達說：「親愛的，這事有蹊蹺！我相信那個瘋狂的巴金斯又出門遠行了。愚蠢的老傻瓜。不過擔心什麼呢？他又沒把食物帶走。」他大聲叫佛羅多再把酒送過來。佛羅多是現場唯一一個什麼話都沒說的人。他靜靜地坐在比爾博的空椅子旁有好一會兒了，對所有的評論和問題都置之不理。他當然很享受這個玩笑，即使他早就知情。看到賓客們又驚又怒的樣子，他很難才忍住不笑出來。但與此同時，他內心深感不安：他突然意識到自己深愛著這位老哈比人。大多數賓客繼續吃喝，討論著比爾博·巴金斯過去和現在的種種怪癖；但薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人早已怒氣沖沖地離開了。佛羅多不想再跟這場宴會有任何瓜葛。他吩咐再上些酒；然後站起來，默默地為比爾博的健康乾杯，接著溜出了大帳篷。至於比爾博·巴金斯，即使在發表演說時，他也一直在口袋裡撫摸著那枚金戒指：那枚他保密了多年的魔法戒指。他走下台時，將戒指套上指頭，從此哈比屯再也沒有任何哈比人見過他。他輕快地走回自己的洞府，面帶微笑地駐足片刻，聆聽著大帳篷裡的喧鬧聲，以及場地其他地方傳來的歡慶聲。然後他走了進去。他脫下宴會服裝，將繡花絲綢背心摺好，用薄紙包起來，然後收好。接著他迅速換上一些舊而不整潔的衣服，在腰間繫上一條磨損的皮帶。他在皮帶上掛了一把短劍，劍鞘是破舊的黑色皮革製的。他從一個散發著樟腦丸氣味的上鎖抽屜裡，取出了一件舊斗篷和兜帽。它們被鎖著，彷彿非常珍貴，但上面滿是補丁，又飽經風霜，以至於幾乎猜不出它們本來的顏色：或許是深綠色。它們對他來說有點太大了。然後他走進書房，從一個大保險箱裡取出一個用舊布包裹的包裹、一本皮面裝訂的手稿，還有一個又大又厚的信封。他把書和包裹塞進一個沉重的...
32 THE LORD OF THE RINGS bag that was standing there, already nearly full. Into the envelope he slipped his golden ring, and its fine chain, and then sealed it, and addressed it to Frodo. At first he put it on the mantelpiece, but suddenly he removed it and stuck it in his pocket. At that moment the door opened and Gandalf came quickly in. ‘Hullo!’ said Bilbo. ‘I wondered if you would turn up.’ ‘I am glad to find you visible,’ replied the wizard, sitting down in a chair, ‘I wanted to catch you and have a few final words. I suppose you feel that everything has gone off splendidly and according to plan?’ “Yes, I do,’ said Bilbo. “Though that flash was surprising: it quite startled me, let alone the others. A little addition of your own, I suppose?’ ‘It was. You have wisely kept that ring secret all these years, and it seemed to me necessary to give your guests something else that would seem to explain your sudden vanishment.’ ‘And would spoil my joke. You are an interfering old busybody,’ laughed Bilbo, ‘but I expect you know best, as usual.’ ‘I do — when I know anything. But I don’t feel too sure about this whole affair. It has now come to the final point. You have had your joke, and alarmed or offended most of your relations, and given the whole Shire something to talk about for nine days, or ninety-nine more likely. Are you going any further?’ “Yes, I am. I feel I need a holiday, a very long holiday, as I have told you before. Probably a permanent holiday: I don’t expect I shall return. In fact, I don’t mean to, and I have made all arrangements. ‘I am old, Gandalf. I don’t look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed!’ he snorted. ‘Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.’ Gandalf looked curiously and closely at him. ‘No, it does not seem right,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘No, after all I believe your plan is probably the best.’ ‘Well, ’'ve made up my mind, anyway. I want to see mountains again, Gandalf — mountains; and then find somewhere where I can rest. In peace and quiet, without a lot of relatives prying around, and a string of confounded visitors hanging on the bell. I might find somewhere where I can finish my book. I have thought of a nice ending for it: and he lived happily ever after to the end of his days.’ Gandalf laughed. ‘I hope he will. But nobody will read the book, however it ends.’ ‘Oh, they may, in years to come. Frodo has read some already, as far as it has gone. You'll keep an eye on Frodo, won’t you?’ “Yes, I will — two eyes, as often as I can spare them.’
《魔戒》32頁，他把金戒指和那條精緻的鏈子滑進信封，封好口，寫上要給佛羅多。起初他把信封放在壁爐架上，但突然又拿下來，塞進了口袋。就在這時，門開了，甘道夫快步走進來。「哈囉！」比爾博說。「我還在想你到底會不會出現呢。」「很高興發現你看得見，」巫師回答，在一張椅子上坐下，「我想在你走之前逮到你，跟你說最後幾句話。我想你覺得一切都進行得非常順利，完全照計畫走吧？」「是的，我是這麼覺得，」比爾博說。「不過那道閃光真是出人意料：它完全嚇到我了，更不用說其他人。是你自己另外加上去的吧，我想？」「是啊。這些年來你很明智地保守了那只戒指的秘密，所以我覺得有必要給你的賓客們一些別的東西，好解釋你為何突然消失。」「也順便毀了我的玩笑。你真是個愛管閒事的老傢伙，」比爾博笑道，「不過我猜你跟平常一樣，總是知道什麼是最好的。」「我是知道——在我知道任何事情的時候。但對於這整件事，我不是太有把握。現在已經到了最後關頭。你已經開了你的玩笑，驚嚇或冒犯了你大部分的親戚，也給了整個夏爾一件可以聊上九天，或者更有可能是九十九天的話題。你還要繼續下去嗎？」「是的，我要。我覺得我需要一個假期，一個很長的假期，就像我以前跟你說過的。很可能是一個永久的假期：我不期望我會回來。事實上，我也不打算回來，而且我已經安排好一切了。『我老了，甘道夫。我看起來不像，但我開始在我的內心深處感覺到了。還真是保養得宜呢！』他哼了一聲。『唉，我覺得自己好單薄，有點被拉長了，如果你懂我的意思：就像被刮在太多麵包上的奶油。這不對勁。我需要一個改變，或什麼的。』甘道夫好奇地仔細看著他。『不，這似乎是不太對勁，』他若有所思地說。『不，說到底，我相信你的計畫可能才是最好的。』『嗯，反正我已經下定決心了。我想再看看山，甘道夫——群山；然後找個地方我可以休息。在和平與寧靜中，沒有一大堆親戚窺探，也沒有一長串討厭的訪客掛在門鈴上。我也許能找到一個地方完成我的書。我已經為它想好一個很棒的結局：從此他過著幸福快樂的日子，直到生命終結。』甘道夫笑了。『我希望他會。但不管結局如何，沒有人會讀那本書的。』『喔，許多年後他們可能會讀。佛羅多已經讀了一些，就目前寫到的進度。你會照看著佛羅多，對吧？』『是的，我會——用兩隻眼睛，只要我抽得開身。』
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 33 ‘He would come with me, of course, if I asked him. In fact he offered to once, just before the party. But he does not really want to, yet. I want to see the wild country again before I die, and the Mountains; but he is still in love with the Shire, with woods and fields and little rivers. He ought to be comfortable here. I am leaving everything to him, of course, except a few oddments. I hope he will be happy, when he gets used to being on his own. It’s time he was his own master now.’ ‘Everything?’ said Gandalf. “The ring as well? You agreed to that, you remember.’ ‘Well, er, yes, I suppose so,’ stammered Bilbo. ‘Where is it?’ ‘In an envelope, if you must know,’ said Bilbo impatiently. “There on the mantelpiece. Well, no! Here it is in my pocket!’ He hesitated. ‘Isn’t that odd now?’ he said softly to himself. ‘Yet after all, why not? Why shouldn’t it stay there?’ Gandalf looked again very hard at Bilbo, and there was a gleam in his eyes.‘I think, Bilbo,’ he said quietly, ‘I should leave it behind. Don’t you want to?’ ‘Well yes — and no. Now it comes to it, I don’t like parting with it at all, I may say. And I don’t really see why I should. Why do you want me to?’ he asked, and a curious change came over his voice. It was sharp with suspicion and annoyance. ‘You are always badgering me about my ring; but you have never bothered me about the other things that I got on my journey.’ ‘No, but I had to badger you,’ said Gandalf. ‘I wanted the truth. It was important. Magic rings are — well, magical; and they are rare and curious. I was professionally interested in your ring, you may say; and I still am. I should like to know where it is, if you go wandering again. Also I think you have had it quite long enough. You won’t need it any more, Bilbo, unless I am quite mistaken.’ Bilbo flushed, and there was an angry light in his eyes. His kindly face grew hard. ‘Why not?’ he cried. ‘And what business is it of yours, anyway, to know what I do with my own things? It is my own. I found it. It came to me.’ “Yes, yes,’ said Gandalf. ‘But there is no need to get angry.’ ‘If I am it is your fault,’ said Bilbo. ‘It is mine, I tell you. My own. My Precious. Yes, my Precious.’ The wizard’s face remained grave and attentive, and only a flicker in his deep eyes showed that he was startled and indeed alarmed. ‘It has been called that before,’ he said, ‘but not by you.’ ‘But I say it now. And why not? Even if Gollum said the same once. It’s not his now, but mine. And I shall keep it, I say.’ Gandalf stood up. He spoke sternly. ‘You will be a fool if you do,
「如果我開口，他當然會跟我來。事實上，派對前不久他還主動提過。但他還不是真的想走。我死前想再看看荒野和山脈；但他仍然深愛著夏爾，愛著那些樹林、田野和小河。他在這裡應該會過得很愜意。我把所有東西都留給他，當然，除了一些零碎雜物。我希望他習慣獨自生活後，會過得快樂。是時候讓他自立了。」「所有東西？」甘道夫說。「戒指也一樣？你答應過的，你記得吧。」「嗯，呃，對，我想是吧，」比爾博結結巴巴地說。「它在哪裡？」「如果你非知道不可，它在一個信封裡，」比爾博不耐煩地說。「就在那壁爐架上。嗯，不對！它在我口袋裡！」他猶豫了一下。「這不是很奇怪嗎？」他輕聲自言自語。「不過說到底，為什麼不呢？為什麼它不能待在那裡？」甘道夫再次非常嚴厲地看著比爾博，眼中閃過一道光芒。「我想，比爾博，」他平靜地說，「我應該把它留下。你不想嗎？」「嗯，想——也不想。事到臨頭，我得說，我一點也不喜歡和它分開。我也不明白為什麼我非得這麼做。你為什麼要我這樣？」他問道，聲音起了奇特的變化，尖銳的語氣中充滿了懷疑和惱怒。「你老是為我的戒指這件事來煩我；但我旅途中得到的其他東西，你從來沒管過。」「是沒有，但我不得不煩你，」甘道夫說。「我想知道真相。這很重要。魔法戒指——嗯，是有魔力的；而且它們稀有又奇特。你可以說，我對你的戒指有專業上的興趣；現在依然如此。如果你又要去流浪，我希望能知道它在哪裡。而且我認為你擁有它已經夠久了。你不再需要它了，比爾博，除非我完全搞錯了。」比爾博漲紅了臉，眼中閃爍著怒火。他那和善的臉變得僵硬。「為什麼不？」他喊道。「而且，我怎麼處理我自己的東西，到底關你什麼事？這是我自己的。我找到的。它來到我這裡。」「是的，是的，」甘道夫說。「但沒必要生氣。」「如果我生氣了，那也是你的錯，」比爾博說。「這東西是我的，我告訴你。我自己的。我的寶貝。是的，我的寶貝。」巫師的臉依然嚴肅而專注，只有深邃眼眸中的一絲顫動，顯示出他既驚訝又確實感到警惕。「以前有人這麼稱呼過它，」他說，「但不是你。」「但我現在就這麼說。為什麼不呢？就算咕嚕曾經也這麼說過。它現在不是他的，是我的。我說了，我要留下它。」甘道夫站了起來。他嚴厲地說。「如果你這麼做，你就是個傻瓜，
34 THE LORD OF THE RINGS Bilbo,’ he said. ‘You make that clearer with every word you say. It has got far too much hold on you. Let it go! And then you can go yourself, and be free.’ ‘T’ll do as I choose and go as I please,’ said Bilbo obstinately. ‘Now, now, my dear hobbit!’ said Gandalf. ‘All your long life we have been friends, and you owe me something. Come! Do as you promised: give it up!’ ‘Well, if you want my ring yourself, say so!’ cried Bilbo. ‘But you won’t get it. I won’t give my Precious away, I tell you.’ His hand strayed to the hilt of his small sword. Gandalf’s eyes flashed. ‘It will be my turn to get angry soon,’ he said. ‘If you say that again, I shall. Then you will see Gandalf the Grey uncloaked.’ He took a step towards the hobbit, and he seemed to grow tall and menacing; his shadow filled the little room. Bilbo backed away to the wall, breathing hard, his hand clutching at his pocket. They stood for a while facing one another, and the air of the room tingled. Gandalf’s eyes remained bent on the hobbit. Slowly his hands relaxed, and he began to tremble. ‘I don’t know what has come over you, Gandalf,’ he said. ‘You have never been like this before. What is it all about? It is mine isn’t it? I found it, and Gollum would have killed me, if I hadn’t kept it. I’m not a thief, whatever he said.’ ‘I have never called you one,’ Gandalf answered. ‘And I am not one either. I am not trying to rob you, but to help you. I wish you would trust me, as you used.’ He turned away, and the shadow passed. He seemed to dwindle again to an old grey man, bent and troubled. Bilbo drew his hand over his eyes. ‘I am sorry,’ he said. ‘But I felt so queer. And yet it would be a relief in a way not to be bothered with it any more. It has been so growing on my mind lately. Sometimes I have felt it was like an eye looking at me. And I am always wanting to put it on and disappear, don’t you know; or wondering if it is safe, and pulling it out to make sure. I tried locking it up, but I found I couldn’t rest without it in my pocket. I don’t know why. And I don’t seem able to make up my mind.’ “Then trust mine,’ said Gandalf. ‘It is quite made up. Go away and leave it behind. Stop possessing it. Give it to Frodo, and I will look after him.’ Bilbo stood for a moment tense and undecided. Presently he sighed. ‘All right,’ he said with an effort. ‘I will.’ Then he shrugged his shoulders, and smiled rather ruefully. ‘After all that’s what this party business was all about, really: to give away lots of birthdaypresents, and somehow make it easier to give it away at the same time. It hasn’t made it any easier in the end, but it would be a pity to waste all my preparations. It would quite spoil the joke.’
「比爾博，」他說。「你每說一個字，就讓這點變得更清楚。它對你的影響實在太深了。放手吧！然後你就可以自己離開，獲得自由。」「我要怎麼做就怎麼做，想去哪就去哪。」比爾博固執地說。「好了，好了，我親愛的哈比人！」甘道夫說。「你我相交一輩子，你總該欠我點什麼。來吧！照你承諾的去做：放棄它！」「哼，如果你自己想要我的戒指，就直說！」比爾博大喊。「但你拿不到。我告訴你，我不會把我的『寶貝』送人的。」他的手不自覺地移向了腰間小劍的劍柄。甘道夫眼中閃過一道厲光。「很快就輪到我生氣了，」他說。「如果你再說一次，我就會發怒。到時候你就會見到灰袍甘道夫展現真面目了。」他朝哈比人走近一步，身形似乎變得高大而充滿威脅；他的影子填滿了整個小房間。比爾博退到牆邊，呼吸急促，手緊緊抓著口袋。他們對峙了一會兒，房間裡的空氣彷彿都跟著緊繃起來。甘道夫的眼睛始終盯著哈比人。比爾博的雙手慢慢放鬆下來，開始顫抖。「我不知道你這是怎麼了，甘道夫，」他說。「你從來沒像這樣過。這到底是怎麼回事？這是我的，不是嗎？我找到它的，如果我沒拿著它，咕嚕早就殺了我。不管他說了什麼，我不是小偷。」「我從沒說過你是，」甘道夫回答。「我也不是。我不是想搶你的東西，而是想幫助你。我希望你能像以前一樣信任我。」他轉過身，那片陰影隨之消散。他又似乎縮回了那個彎著腰、滿面愁容的灰袍老人。比爾博用手揉了揉眼睛。「我很抱歉，」他說。「但我覺得好奇怪。然而，如果能不再為它煩心，從某方面來說也是一種解脫。它最近越來越佔據我的心思。有時候我覺得它像一隻眼睛在看著我。而且我總想戴上它消失，你懂嗎？或者擔心它是否安全，把它掏出來確認一下。我試過把它鎖起來，卻發現要是它不在我口袋裡，我就無法安心。我不知道為什麼。而且我好像下不了決心。」「那就相信我的決心，」甘道夫說。「我的決心已定。你離開，把它留下。別再佔有它了。把它給佛羅多，我會照顧他。」比爾博站了一會兒，神情緊張，猶豫不決。過了一會兒，他嘆了口氣。「好吧，」他費力地說。「我會的。」然後他聳了聳肩，帶著幾分懊悔地苦笑了一下。「畢竟，這場宴會的真正目的就是這個，真的：送出一大堆生日禮物，同時也讓自己更容易把『它』送出去。結果到頭來並沒有變得更容易，但如果浪費我所有的準備，那就太可惜了。那樣會完全毀了這個玩笑。」
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 35 ‘Indeed it would take away the only point I ever saw in the affair,’ said Gandalf. ‘Very well,’ said Bilbo, ‘it goes to Frodo with all the rest.’ He drew a deep breath. ‘And now I really must be starting, or somebody else will catch me. I have said good-bye, and I couldn’t bear to do it all over again.’ He picked up his bag and moved to the door. “You have still got the ring in your pocket,’ said the wizard. ‘Well, so I have!’ cried Bilbo. ‘And my will and all the other documents too. You had better take it and deliver it for me. That will be safest.’ ‘No, don’t give the ring to me,’ said Gandalf. ‘Put it on the mantelpiece. It will be safe enough there, till Frodo comes. I shall wait for him.’ Bilbo took out the envelope, but just as he was about to set it by the clock, his hand jerked back, and the packet fell on the floor. Before he could pick it up, the wizard stooped and seized it and set it in its place. A spasm of anger passed swiftly over the hobbit’s face again. Suddenly it gave way to a look of relief and a laugh. ‘Well, that’s that,’ he said. ‘Now I’m off!’ They went out into the hall. Bilbo chose his favourite stick from the stand; then he whistled. Three dwarves came out of different rooms where they had been busy. ‘Is everything ready?’ asked Bilbo. ‘Everything packed and labelled?’ ‘Everything,’ they answered. ‘Well, let’s start then!’ He stepped out of the front-door. It was a fine night, and the black sky was dotted with stars. He looked up, sniffing the air. ‘What fun! What fun to be off again, off on the Road with dwarves! This is what I have really been longing for, for years! Good-bye!’ he said, looking at his old home and bowing to the door. ‘Good-bye, Gandalf!’ ‘Good-bye, for the present, Bilbo. Take care of yourself! You are old enough, and perhaps wise enough.’ “Take care! I don’t care. Don’t you worry about me! I am as happy now as I have ever been, and that is saying a great deal. But the time has come. I am being swept off my feet at last,’ he added, and then in a low voice, as if to himself, he sang softly in the dark: The Road goes ever on and on Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say.
「那確實會讓這件事失去我所見過的唯一意義，」甘道夫說。「好吧，」比爾博說，「它跟其他所有東西一起都給佛羅多。」他深深吸了一口氣。「現在我真的必須動身了，不然會被別人逮到。我已經道過別了，我可受不了再全部重來一次。」他拿起他的袋子，走向門口。「你的戒指還在口袋裡，」巫師說。「哎呀，還真是！」比爾博叫道。「還有我的遺囑跟所有其他文件也是。你最好拿去，幫我交給他。那樣最保險。」「不，別把戒指給我，」甘道夫說。「把它放在壁爐架上。在那裡會夠安全的，直到佛羅多來。我會等他。」比爾博拿出信封，但正當他要把它放在時鐘旁時，他的手猛地抽回，小包掉到了地板上。在他來得及撿起之前，巫師彎下腰，一把抓住它，並將它放回原位。一陣怒意再次迅速掠過哈比人的臉。突然，那怒意被一種如釋重負的表情和一陣笑聲所取代。「好了，就這樣了，」他說。「我走啦！」他們走到大廳。比爾博從架子上選了他最喜歡的手杖；然後他吹了聲口哨。三個矮人從他們先前忙碌的不同房間裡走出來。「都準備好了嗎？」比爾博問。「所有東西都打包好、貼上標籤了嗎？」「一切就緒，」他們回答。「好，那我們就出發吧！」他踏出前門。那是一個晴朗的夜晚，黑色的天空中點綴著星星。他抬起頭，嗅著空氣。「多好玩啊！再次上路，和矮人們一起踏上『路』，多好玩啊！這才是我多年來真正渴望的！再見了！」他說著，看著他的老家，向門鞠躬。「再見，甘道夫！」「暫時再見，比爾博。照顧好自己！你年紀夠大了，或許也夠聰明了。」「照顧好自己！我不在乎。別為我擔心！我現在是我這輩子最快樂的時候，這句話份量很重。但時候到了。我終於要被席捲而去了，」他補充道，然後用低沉的、彷彿自言自語的聲音，在黑暗中輕輕唱起：路漫漫其修遠兮，始於足下此門前。如今路已遠在天邊，吾當隨之，盡吾所能，以熱切之足追尋，直至其匯入康莊大道，眾路與諸事在此交會。然則將往何方？吾亦無從知曉。
36 THE LORD OF THE RINGS He paused, silent for a moment. Then without another word he turned away from the lights and voices in the field and tents, and followed by his three companions went round into his garden, and trotted down the long sloping path. He jumped over a low place in the hedge at the bottom, and took to the meadows, passing into the night like a rustle of wind in the grass. Gandalf remained for a while staring after him into the darkness. ‘Good-bye, my dear Bilbo — until our next meeting!’ he said softly and went back indoors. Frodo came in soon afterwards, and found him sitting in the dark, deep in thought. ‘Has he gone?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ answered Gandalf, ‘he has gone at last.’ ‘I wish — I mean, I hoped until this evening that it was only a joke,’ said Frodo. ‘But I knew in my heart that he really meant to go. He always used to joke about serious things. I wish I had come back sooner, just to see him off.’ ‘I think really he preferred slipping off quietly in the end,’ said Gandalf. ‘Don’t be too troubled. He’ll be all right — now. He left a packet for you. There it is!’ Frodo took the envelope from the mantelpiece, and glanced at it, but did not open it. ‘You’ll find his will and all the other documents in there, I think,’ said the wizard. ‘You are the master of Bag End now. And also, I fancy, youll find a golden ring.’ “The ring!’ exclaimed Frodo. ‘Has he left me that? I wonder why. Still, it may be useful.’ ‘It may, and it may not,’ said Gandalf. ‘I should not make use of it, if I were you. But keep it secret, and keep it safe! Now I am going to bed.’ As master of Bag End Frodo felt it his painful duty to say good-bye to the guests. Rumours of strange events had by now spread all over the field, but Frodo would only say no doubt everything will be cleared up in the morning. About midnight carriages came for the important folk. One by one they rolled away, filled with full but very unsatisfied hobbits. Gardeners came by arrangement, and removed in wheelbarrows those that had inadvertently remained behind. Night slowly passed. The sun rose. The hobbits rose rather later. Morning went on. People came and began (by orders) to clear away the pavilions and the tables and the chairs, and the spoons and knives and bottles and plates, and the lanterns, and the flowering shrubs in boxes, and the crumbs and cracker-paper, the forgotten bags and gloves and handkerchiefs, and the uneaten food (a very small item).
他停下腳步，沉默了片刻。然後，他一言不發地轉身，離開了田野和帳篷裡的燈光與人聲，在他的三個同伴跟隨下，繞進了他的花園，小步跑下那條長長的斜坡小徑。他在底部的樹籬矮處一躍而過，奔入了草地，像一陣拂過草地的微風般消失在夜色中。甘道夫留在原地，對著黑暗凝望著他的背影好一會兒。「再會了，我親愛的比爾博——直到我們下次相見！」他輕聲說道，然後回到了室內。佛羅多不久後進來，發現他正坐在黑暗中，陷入沉思。「他走了嗎？」他問。「是的，」甘道夫回答，「他終究是走了。」「我希望——我的意思是，直到今晚之前，我一直希望這只是個玩笑，」佛羅多說。「但我心裡明白，他是真的打算要走。他總是喜歡拿嚴肅的事情開玩笑。我真希望我能早點回來，好為他送行。」「我想，他終究還是偏愛這樣悄悄地溜走，」甘道夫說。「別太難過。他會沒事的——現在。他留了一個包裹給你。在那裡！」佛羅多從壁爐架上拿起信封，瞥了一眼，但沒有打開。「我想，你會在裡面找到他的遺囑和所有其他文件，」巫師說。「你現在是袋底洞的主人了。而且，我猜，你還會找到一枚金戒指。」「戒指！」佛羅多驚呼道。「他把那個留給了我？真不知道為什麼。不過，它或許會有用。」「或許有用，也或許沒用，」甘道夫說。「如果我是你，我不會去使用它。但要保守秘密，妥善保管！現在我要去睡了。」作為袋底洞的主人，佛羅多覺得向賓客們道別是他痛苦的責任。關於奇異事件的謠言此時已傳遍了整個田野，但佛羅多只說毫無疑問，一切到早上就會真相大白。午夜時分，馬車來接那些重要人物。他們一輛接一輛地轆轆駛離，車上坐滿了酒足飯飽卻非常不滿的哈比人。園丁們按照安排前來，用獨輪手推車移走那些不經意間被留下來的人。夜色緩緩流逝。太陽升起。哈比人們則起得晚一些。上午過去了。人們前來，開始（奉命）清理亭子、桌椅、湯匙、刀叉、瓶罐、盤子、燈籠、一箱箱的開花灌木、麵包屑和餅乾包裝紙、被遺忘的袋子、手套和手帕，以及沒吃完的食物（一個非常小的項目）。
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 37 Then a number of other people came (without orders): Bagginses, and Boffins, and Bolgers, and Tooks, and other guests that lived or were staying near. By mid-day, when even the best-fed were out and about again, there was a large crowd at Bag End, uninvited but not unexpected. Frodo was waiting on the step, smiling, but looking rather tired and worried. He welcomed all the callers, but he had not much more to say than before. His reply to all inquiries was simply this: ‘Mr. Bilbo Baggins has gone away; as far as I know, for good.’ Some of the visitors he invited to come inside, as Bilbo had left ‘messages’ for them. Inside in the hall there was piled a large assortment of packages and parcels and small articles of furniture. On every item there was a label tied. There were several labels of this sort: For ADELARD TOOK, for his VERY OWN, from Bilbo; on an umbrella. Adelard had carried off many unlabelled ones. For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large waste-paper basket. Dora was Drogo’s sister and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century. For MILO BURROWS, hoping it will be useful, from B.B.; on a gold pen and ink-bottle. Milo never answered letters. For ANGELICA’S use, from Uncle Bilbo; on a round convex mirror. She was a young Baggins, and too obviously considered her face shapely. For the collection ofp HUGO BRACEGIRDLE, from a contributor; on an (empty) book-case. Hugo was a great borrower of books, and worse than usual at returning them. For LOBELIA SACKVILLE-BAGGINS, as a PRESENT; on a case of silver spoons. Bilbo believed that she had acquired a good many of his spoons, while he was away on his former journey. Lobelia knew that quite well. When she arrived later in the day, she took the point at once, but she also took the spoons. This is only a small selection of the assembled presents. Bilbo’s residence had got rather cluttered up with things in the course of his long life. It was a tendency of hobbit-holes to get cluttered up: for which the custom of giving so many birthday-presents was largely responsible. Not, of course, that the birthday-presents were always new; there were one or two old mathoms of forgotten uses that had circulated all around the district; but Bilbo had usually given new presents, and kept those that he received. The old hole was now being cleared a little.
接著，其他許多人（未經邀請）也來了：巴金斯家的人、博芬家的人、博爾傑家的人、圖克家的人，以及其他住在附近或暫住此地的賓客。到了中午，就連吃得最飽的人也再次出門走動時，袋底洞已經聚集了一大群人，他們不請自來，卻也在意料之中。佛羅多在台階上等著，面帶微笑，但看起來相當疲憊和擔憂。他歡迎所有來訪者，但能說的話和之前差不多。他對所有詢問的回答只有一句：「比爾博·巴金斯先生已經離開了；據我所知，是永遠地離開了。」他邀請一些訪客進屋，因為比爾博為他們留下了「訊息」。大廳裡堆放著各式各樣的包裹和小型家具。每件物品上都綁著一個標籤。有幾張標籤是這樣寫的：給阿德拉·圖克，專屬於他，比爾博贈；附在一把雨傘上。阿德拉先前已拿走了許多沒有標籤的雨傘。給多拉·巴金斯，紀念一段長久的通信，比爾博愛贈；附在一個大廢紙簍上。多拉是德羅哥的妹妹，也是比爾博和佛羅多在世最年長的女性親戚；她九十九歲，在過去半個多世紀裡寫了連篇累牘的好建議。給米洛·伯羅斯，望其有用，B.B.贈；附在一支金筆和一個墨水瓶上。米洛從不回信。給安潔莉卡使用，比爾博叔叔贈；附在一面圓形凸面鏡上。她是個年輕的巴金斯，而且顯然過於自認貌美。為雨果·布雷斯格德的收藏，一位貢獻者贈；附在一個（空的）書櫃上。雨果是個借書大王，而且還書的習慣比一般人更差。給洛貝莉亞·薩克維爾-巴金斯，作為一份禮物；附在一盒銀湯匙上。比爾博相信，在他上次旅行離家時，她拿走了他不少湯匙。洛貝莉亞對此心知肚明。當天稍晚她抵達時，她立刻會意，但她也拿走了湯匙。這只是所聚集禮物中的一小部分。在比爾博漫長的一生中，他的住所變得相當雜亂。哈比洞本來就有堆滿雜物的傾向：這很大程度上要歸咎於贈送如此多生日禮物的習俗。當然，生日禮物不見得總是新的；有一兩件用途不明的舊貨在整個地區流傳；但比爾博通常送出新禮物，並把自己收到的禮物留下來。現在，這個老洞穴總算被清理了一下。
38 THE LORD OF THE RINGS Every one of the various parting gifts had labels, written out personally by Bilbo, and several had some point, or some joke. But, of course, most of the things were given where they would be wanted and welcome. The poorer hobbits, and especially those of Bagshot Row, did very well. Old Gaffer Gamgee got two sacks of potatoes, a new spade, a woollen waistcoat, and a bottle of ointment for creaking joints. Old Rory Brandybuck, in return for much hospitality, got a dozen bottles of Old Winyards: a strong red wine from the Southfarthing, and now quite mature, as it had been laid down by Bilbo’s father. Rory quite forgave Bilbo, and voted him a capital fellow after the first bottle. There was plenty of everything left for Frodo. And, of course, all the chief treasures, as well as the books, pictures, and more than enough furniture, were left in his possession. There was, however, no sign nor mention of money or jewellery: not a penny-piece or a glass bead was given away. Frodo had a very trying time that afternoon. A false rumour that the whole household was being distributed free spread like wildfire; and before long the place was packed with people who had no business there, but could not be kept out. Labels got torn off and mixed, and quarrels broke out. Some people tried to do swaps and deals in the hall; and others tried to make off with minor items not addressed to them, or with anything that seemed unwanted or unwatched. The road to the gate was blocked with barrows and handcarts. In the middle of the commotion the Sackville-Bagginses arrived. Frodo had retired for a while and left his friend Merry Brandybuck to keep an eye on things. When Otho loudly demanded to see Frodo, Merry bowed politely. ‘He is indisposed,’ he said. ‘He is resting.’ ‘Hiding, you mean,’ said Lobelia. ‘Anyway we want to see him and we mean to see him. Just go and tell him so!’ Merry left them a long while in the hall, and they had time to discover their parting gift of spoons. It did not improve their tempers. Eventually they were shown into the study. Frodo was sitting at a table with a lot of papers in front of him. He looked indisposed — to see Sackville-Bagginses at any rate; and he stood up, fidgeting with something in his pocket. But he spoke quite politely. The Sackville-Bagginses were rather offensive. They began by offering him bad bargain-prices (as between friends) for various valuable and unlabelled things. When Frodo replied that only the things specially directed by Bilbo were being given away, they said the whole affair was very fishy.
每一份五花八門的告別禮物上都有比爾博親手寫的標籤，其中有幾份還帶點深意或玩笑。但當然，大部分的東西都送給了需要且樂於接受的人。較窮困的哈比人，特別是那些住在袋邊巷的，都收穫頗豐。老爹詹吉拿到了兩袋馬鈴薯、一把新鏟子、一件羊毛背心，還有一瓶治關節嘎吱作響的藥膏。老羅瑞・烈酒鹿則為了回報他多次的熱情款待，得到了一打老葡園酒莊的酒：一種來自南區的烈紅酒，如今已相當醇熟，是比爾博的父親當年窖藏的。羅瑞在喝完第一瓶後，就完全原諒了比爾博，還稱他是個頂呱呱的好傢伙。還有很多各式各樣的東西留給了佛羅多。當然，所有主要的寶物，以及書籍、圖畫和綽綽有餘的家具，也都留給他所有。然而，卻沒有任何金錢或珠寶的跡象或提及：連一枚銅板或一顆玻璃珠都沒送出去。那個下午，佛羅多過得相當難熬。一個謠言說整個家當都免費發送，這謠言如野火般迅速傳開；沒多久，袋底洞就擠滿了不相干的人，而且還趕不走。標籤被撕掉、弄混，爭吵隨之爆發。有些人試圖在大廳裡交換或交易；其他人則試圖順手牽羊，拿走那些不是給他們的次要物品，或任何看似沒人要或沒人看管的東西。通往大門的路被獨輪和雙輪手推車堵住了。在一片混亂中，薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人抵達了。佛羅多暫時退下，讓他的朋友梅里・烈酒鹿照看著情況。當奧索大聲要求見佛羅多時，梅里禮貌地鞠躬。「他身體不適，」他說。「正在休息。」「你是說躲起來了吧，」洛比莉亞說。「總之我們要見他，而且我們非見到他不可。去告訴他！」梅里讓他們在大廳裡等了很久，他們也因此有時間發現自己的告別禮物是幾把湯匙。這並沒有讓他們的心情好轉。最終，他們被領進了書房。佛羅多正坐在一張桌前，面前擺著許多文件。他看起來確實「不適」——無論如何，是不適於見到薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人；他站起身，心神不寧地撥弄著口袋裡的某樣東西。但他說話相當客氣。薩克維爾-巴金斯家的人則相當無禮。他們一開始就對各種貴重且未貼標籤的物品，開出（號稱是朋友之間的）低廉價格想收購。當佛羅多回答說只有比爾博特別指定的東西才會送出時，他們便說整件事非常可疑。
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 39 ‘Only one thing is clear to me,’ said Otho, ‘and that is that you are doing exceedingly well out of it. I insist on seeing the will.’ Otho would have been Bilbo’s heir, but for the adoption of Frodo. He read the will carefully and snorted. It was, unfortunately, very clear and correct (according to the legal customs of hobbits, which demand among other things seven signatures of witnesses in red ink). ‘Foiled again!’ he said to his wife. ‘And after waiting szxty years. Spoons? Fiddlesticks!’ He snapped his fingers under Frodo’s nose and stumped off. But Lobelia was not so easily got rid of. A little later Frodo came out of the study to see how things were going on, and found her still about the place, investigating nooks and corners, and tapping the floors. He escorted her firmly off the premises, after he had relieved her of several small (but rather valuable) articles that had somehow fallen inside her umbrella. Her face looked as if she was in the throes of thinking out a really crushing parting remark; but all she found to say, turning round on the step, was: “You’ll live to regret it, young fellow! Why didn’t you go too? You don’t belong here; you’re no Baggins — you — you’re a Brandybuck!’ ‘Did you hear that, Merry? That was an insult, if you like,’ said Frodo as he shut the door on her. ‘It was a compliment,’ said Merry Brandybuck, ‘and so, of course, not true.’ Then they went round the hole, and evicted three young hobbits (two Boffins and a Bolger) who were knocking holes in the walls of one of the cellars. Frodo also had a tussle with young Sancho Proudfoot (old Odo Proudfoot’s grandson), who had begun an excavation in the larger pantry, where he thought there was an echo. The legend of Bilbo’s gold excited both curiosity and hope; for legendary gold (mysteriously obtained, if not positively ill-gotten), is, as everyone knows, anyone’s for the finding — unless the search is interrupted. When he had overcome Sancho and pushed him out, Frodo collapsed on a chair in the hall. ‘It’s time to close the shop, Merry,’ he said. ‘Lock the door, and don’t open it to anyone today, not even if they bring a battering ram.’ Then he went to revive himself with a belated cup of tea. He had hardly sat down, when there came a soft knock at the front-door. ‘Lobelia again most likely,’ he thought. ‘She must have thought of something really nasty, and have come back again to say it. It can wait.’ He went on with his tea. The knock was repeated, much louder, but he took no notice. Suddenly the wizard’s head appeared at the window.
「我只清楚一件事，」奧索說，「那就是你從中撈到了極大的好處。我堅持要看遺囑。」要不是比爾博收養了佛羅多，奧索本該是他的繼承人。他仔細讀了遺囑，哼了一聲。不幸的是，遺囑寫得非常清楚且正確（根據哈比人的法律習俗，遺囑除其他事項外，還需要七位見證人用紅墨水簽名）。「又失敗了！」他對妻子說。「而且還等了六十年。湯匙？鬼扯！」他在佛羅多鼻子底下彈了個響指，便氣沖沖地走了。但蘿貝拉沒那麼容易打發。稍後，佛羅多從書房出來看看情況，發現她還在屋裡，四處探查角落，還敲敲打打地板。在從她的雨傘裡「解救」出幾件不知怎地掉進去的小（但頗有價值）物品後，他堅決地將她請出了門。她的表情看起來像是在痛苦地思索一句真正能擊垮人的臨別贈言；但她轉身站在台階上，最終只說出：「你會活著後悔的，年輕人！你怎麼不也一起走？你不屬於這裡；你根本不是巴金斯家的人——你——你是個烈酒鹿！」「梅里，你聽到了嗎？那可算得上是句侮辱了，」佛羅多關上門對她說。「那是一句讚美，」梅里・烈酒鹿說，「所以，當然不是真的。」然後他們在洞內巡視，趕走了三個年輕的哈比人（兩個博芬家和一個博爾傑家的人），他們正在其中一個地窖的牆上敲洞。佛羅多還跟年輕的桑喬・傲足（老奧多・傲足的孫子）扭打了一番，他已經在較大的食品儲藏室裡開始挖掘，因為他覺得那裡有回音。比爾博黃金的傳說激起了好奇心和希望；因為傳說中的黃金（神秘獲得，如果不能說是來路不正的話），眾所周知，是誰找到就算誰的——除非搜索被打斷。當他制伏桑喬並將他推出門外後，佛羅多癱倒在大廳的一張椅子上。「是時候打烊了，梅里，」他說。「鎖上門，今天誰來也別開，就算他們帶來攻城槌也一樣。」然後他去喝了杯遲來的茶來恢復精神。他剛坐下，前門就傳來一陣輕輕的敲門聲。「八成又是蘿貝拉，」他想。「她一定是想到了什麼真正惡毒的話，又回來要說。這事可以等等。」他繼續喝他的茶。敲門聲又響了一次，大聲得多，但他沒有理會。突然，巫師的頭出現在窗前。
40 THE LORD OF THE RINGS ‘If you don’t let me in, Frodo, I shall blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill,’ he said. ‘My dear Gandalf! Half a minute!’ cried Frodo, running out of the room to the door. ‘Come in! Come in! I thought it was Lobelia.’ “Then I forgive you. But I saw her some time ago, driving a ponytrap towards Bywater with a face that would have curdled new milk.’ ‘She had already nearly curdled me. Honestly, I nearly tried on Bilbo’s ring. I longed to disappear.’ ‘Don’t do that!’ said Gandalf, sitting down. ‘Do be careful of that ring, Frodo! In fact, it is partly about that that I have come to say a last word.’ ‘Well, what about it?’ ‘What do you know already?’ ‘Only what Bilbo told me. I have heard his story: how he found it, and how he used it: on his journey, I mean.’ ‘Which story, I wonder,’ said Gandalf. ‘Oh, not what he told the dwarves and put in his book,’ said Frodo. ‘He told me the true story soon after I came to 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 come back. I am going off at once: so this is good-bye 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
「如果你不讓我進來，佛羅多，我就會把你的門吹倒，穿過你的洞穴，從山丘的另一頭飛出去。」他說。「我親愛的甘道夫！請等半分鐘！」佛羅多喊道，從房間裡跑到門口。「進來！快進來！我還以為是蘿貝拉呢。」「那我原諒你。不過我剛才看到她駕著一輛小馬車往傍水村去，那張臉臭得能讓新擠的牛奶都變酸。」「她差點也把我給弄酸了。說真的，我差點就試戴了比爾博的戒指。我好想消失不見。」「千萬別那麼做！」甘道夫坐下來說。「務必小心那枚戒指，佛羅多！事實上，我這次來，部分原因就是為了對它做最後的叮囑。」「哦，它怎麼了？」「你已經知道些什麼？」「只有比爾博告訴我的那些。我聽過他的故事：他是怎麼找到它的，以及他是如何使用它的——我是說，在他旅途中的事。」「我倒想知道是哪個故事，」甘道夫說。「噢，不是他告訴矮人們並寫進書裡的那個版本，」佛羅多說。「我搬來這裡住不久後，他就告訴我真實的故事了。他說你一直煩著他，直到他全盤托出，所以我也最好知道。『我們之間沒有秘密，佛羅多，』他說；『但這些事不能再外傳了。反正它是我的。』」「那真有意思，」甘道夫說。「那麼，你對這整件事有什麼看法？」「如果你是指編造那個關於『禮物』的謊言，嗯，我認為真實的故事可能性大得多，而且我完全看不出有任何修改的必要。那樣做非常不像比爾博的風格；而且我覺得那相當古怪。」「我也這麼覺得。但擁有這類寶物的人，如果使用了它們，就可能發生古怪的事。讓這件事給你一個警告，要非常小心地對待它。它可能除了讓你隨心所欲地消失之外，還有其他的力量。」「我不明白，」佛羅多說。「我也不明白，」巫師回答。「我只是開始對這枚戒指感到好奇，特別是從昨晚開始。不用擔心。但如果你聽我的建議，你會很少使用它，或者根本不用。至少我懇求你，不要以任何會引人非議或招致懷疑的方式使用它。我再說一次：保管好它，並且保守秘密！」「你真神秘！你在害怕什麼？」「我也不確定，所以我不多說了。等我回來時，或許能告訴你一些事。我得馬上出發了：所以，就此暫別。」他站了起來。「馬上！」佛羅多叫道。「怎麼會，我還以為你會至少待上一個星期。我正盼著你幫忙呢。」「我本來是這麼打算的——但我不得不改變主意了。我也許會
A LONG-EXPECTED PARTY 41 away for a good while; but P’ll come 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 become 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.
「我會離開好一陣子；但我會盡快回來看你。看到我的時候，就是我來的時候了！我會悄悄地溜進來。我不會再經常公開拜訪夏爾了。我發現我變得相當不受歡迎。他們說我是個討厭鬼，是和平的擾亂者。有些人甚至指控我把比爾博偷偷拐走了，或更糟。如果你想知道，據說我們倆有個陰謀，想要奪取他的財富。」 「『有些人』！」佛羅多驚呼。「你是指歐索和蘿貝莉亞。真可惡！如果我能讓比爾博回來，和他一起在鄉間漫遊，我願意把袋底洞和所有一切都給他們。我愛夏爾。但不知怎的，我開始希望我也跟著走了。不知道我是否還能再見到他。」 「我也是這麼想的，」甘道夫說。「而且我還在想很多其他事情。再見了！照顧好自己！要留意我的到來，尤其是在意想不到的時刻！再見！」 佛羅多送他到門口。他最後揮了揮手，以驚人的速度走開了；但佛羅多覺得老巫師看起來異常地佝僂，幾乎就像背負著沉重的擔子。夜幕漸漸降臨，他那披著斗篷的身影很快就消失在暮色中。佛羅多在很長一段時間裡都沒有再見到他。