Chapter 2 THE SHADOW OF THE PAST The talk did not die down in nine or even ninety-nine days. The second disappearance of Mr. Bilbo Baggins was discussed in Hobbiton, and indeed all over the Shire, for a year and a day, and was remembered much longer than that. It became a fireside-story for young hobbits; and eventually Mad Baggins, who used to vanish with a bang and a flash and reappear with bags of jewels and gold, became a favourite character of legend and lived on long after all the true events were forgotten. But in the meantime, the general opinion in the neighbourhood was that Bilbo, who had always been rather cracked, had at last gone quite mad, and had run off into the Blue. There he had undoubtedly fallen into a pool or a river and come to a tragic, but hardly an untimely, end. The blame was mostly laid on Gandalf. ‘If only that dratted wizard will leave young Frodo alone, perhaps he’ll settle down and grow some hobbit-sense,’ they said. And to all appearance the wizard did leave Frodo alone, and he did settle down, but the growth of hobbit-sense was not very noticeable. Indeed, he at once began to carry on Bilbo’s reputation for oddity. He refused to go into mourning; and the next year he gave a party in honour of Bilbo’s hundred-and-twelfth birthday, which he called a Hundredweight Feast. But that was short of the mark, for twenty guests were invited and there were several meals at which it snowed food and rained drink, as hobbits say. Some people were rather shocked; but Frodo kept up the custom of giving Bilbo’s Birthday Party year after year until they got used to it. He said that he did not think Bilbo was dead. When they asked: ‘Where is he then?’ he shrugged his shoulders. He lived alone, as Bilbo had done; but he had a good many friends, especially among the younger hobbits (mostly descendants of the Old Took) who had as children been fond of Bilbo and often in and out of Bag End. Folco Boffin and Fredegar Bolger were two of these; but his closest friends were Peregrin Took (usually called Pippin), and Merry Brandybuck (his real name was Meriadoc, but that was seldom remembered). Frodo went tramping over the Shire with them; but more often he wandered by himself, and to the amazement of sensible folk he was sometimes seen far from home walking in the hills and woods under the starlight. Merry
這場議論沒有在九天或甚至九十九天內平息。比爾博·巴金斯先生的第二次消失，在哈比屯乃至整個夏爾被討論了一年又一天，而且被記住的時間遠不止於此。這件事成了年輕哈比人圍爐夜談的故事；最終，「瘋狂的巴金斯」——那個過去常常在一聲巨響和一道閃光中消失，然後帶著幾袋珠寶和黃金重新出現的傢伙——成了一個傳說中受歡迎的角色，在所有真實事件都被遺忘後，他的故事仍長久流傳。但與此同時，鄰里間的普遍看法是，一直有點古怪的比爾博，終於徹底瘋了，跑進了那片未知之地。他在那裡無疑是掉進了池塘或河裡，落得一個悲慘的下場，但這結局卻算不上來得太早。大部分的責難都歸咎於甘道夫。他們說：「要是那個該死的巫師能別再打擾年輕的佛羅多，或許他就能安頓下來，長點哈比人的常識了。」而從表面上看，巫師確實不再打擾佛羅多，他也確實安頓下來了，但哈比人常識的增長卻不怎麼明顯。事實上，他立刻就繼承了比爾博古怪的名聲。他拒絕為比爾博服喪；第二年，他為比爾博的一百一十二歲生日舉辦了一場宴會，他稱之為「百重宴」。但這名字有點名不副實，因為只邀請了二十位客人，而且有好幾餐都像哈比人說的那樣，「食物如雪下，飲料如雨降」。有些人頗為震驚；但佛羅多堅持年復一年地為比爾博舉辦生日宴會，直到大家習以為常。他說他不認為比爾博已經死了。當他們問：「那他在哪裡？」他只是聳聳肩。他像比爾博一樣獨自生活；但他有很多朋友，尤其是在年輕的哈比人當中（大多是老圖克的後代），他們小時候就很喜歡比爾博，常常進出袋底洞。佛科·博芬和佛瑞德加·博爾傑就是其中之二；但他最親密的朋友是皮瑞格林·圖克（通常被稱為皮聘）和梅里·烈酒鹿（他的真名是梅里雅達克，但很少有人記得）。佛羅多和他們一起在夏爾徒步旅行；但他更常獨自漫遊，令那些明理的人驚訝的是，有時會看到他遠離家鄉，在星光下行走於山丘和樹林中。梅里
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 43 and Pippin suspected that he visited the Elves at times, as Bilbo had done. As time went on, people began to notice that Frodo also showed signs of good ‘preservation’: outwardly he retained the appearance of a robust and energetic hobbit just out of his tweens. ‘Some folk have all the luck,’ they said; but it was not until Frodo approached the usually more sober age of fifty that they began to think it queer. Frodo himself, after the first shock, found that being his own master and the Mr. Baggins of Bag End was rather pleasant. For some years he was quite happy and did not worry much about the future. But half unknown to himself the regret that he had not gone with Bilbo was steadily growing. He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams. He began to say to himself: ‘Perhaps I shall cross the River myself one day.’ To which the other half of his mind always replied: ‘Not yet.’ So it went on, until his forties were running out, and his fiftieth birthday was drawing near: fifty was a number that he felt was somehow significant (or ominous); it was at any rate at that age that adventure had suddenly befallen Bilbo. Frodo began to feel restless, and the old paths seemed too well-trodden. He looked at maps, and wondered what lay beyond their edges: maps made in the Shire showed mostly white spaces beyond its borders. He took to wandering further afield and more often by himself; and Merry and his other friends watched him anxiously. Often he was seen walking and talking with the strange wayfarers that began at this time to appear in the Shire. There were rumours of strange things happening in the world outside; and as Gandalf had not at that time appeared or sent any message for several years, Frodo gathered all the news he could. Elves, who seldom walked in the Shire, could now be seen passing westward through the woods in the evening, passing and not returning; but they were leaving Middle-earth and were no longer concerned with its troubles. There were, however, dwarves on the road in unusual numbers. The ancient East-West Road ran through the Shire to its end at the Grey Havens, and dwarves had always used it on their way to their mines in the Blue Mountains. They were the hobbits’ chief source of news from distant parts — if they wanted any: as a rule dwarves said little and hobbits asked no more. But now Frodo often met strange dwarves of far countries, seeking refuge in the West. They were troubled, and some spoke in whispers of the Enemy and of the Land of Mordor.
皮聘懷疑他有時會像比爾博一樣去拜訪精靈。隨著時間流逝，人們開始注意到佛羅多也顯現出「保存良好」的跡象：外表上，他維持著一個剛過二十歲、精力充沛的哈比人模樣。「有些人就是運氣好，」他們說；但直到佛羅多接近通常更為穩重的五十歲時，他們才開始覺得這事有點古怪。佛羅多本人在最初的震驚過後，發現當自己的主人、當袋底洞的巴金斯先生，其實相當愉快。有好幾年他都過得很快樂，不太擔憂未來。但在他自己也未曾察覺的內心深處，對於沒和比爾博一同離去的遺憾正穩定地滋長。他發現自己有時，尤其在秋天，會思索著那些荒野之地，而他從未見過的奇異山脈景象也闖入了他的夢中。他開始對自己說：「也許有一天我也會渡過那條河。」而他心裡的另一半總會回答：「還不是時候。」就這樣，直到他的四十幾歲即將過完，五十歲生日也日益臨近：五十這個數字，他覺得不知為何意義重大（或帶有不祥之兆）；無論如何，比爾博正是在這個年紀突然遇上了冒險。佛羅多開始感到焦躁不安，覺得舊時的小徑都已太過熟悉。他看著地圖，好奇地圖邊緣之外是什麼：夏爾製作的地圖在邊界之外大多是空白。他開始獨自一人到更遠的地方遊蕩，而且越來越頻繁；梅里和其他朋友都憂心地看著他。人們時常看見他與一些在這時期開始出現在夏爾的奇怪旅人邊走邊聊。有傳聞說外面的世界正發生一些怪事；而由於甘道夫當時已有好幾年沒出現也沒捎來任何訊息，佛羅多便盡其所能地收集所有消息。精靈們，以往鮮少在夏爾行走，如今卻能在傍晚時分被看見穿過樹林向西而去，一去不返；但他們正離開中土大陸，不再關心其上的紛擾。然而，路上卻出現了數量異常的矮人。古老的東西大道貫穿夏爾，直達其盡頭的灰色港口，矮人們向來都走這條路前往他們在藍色山脈的礦坑。他們是哈比人獲取遠方消息的主要來源——如果他們想聽的話：一般來說，矮人話少，哈比人也不多問。但現在，佛羅多時常遇到來自遠方的陌生矮人，到西方尋求庇護。他們神色憂慮，有些人低聲談論著大敵和魔多之地。
44 THE LORD OF THE RINGS That name the hobbits only knew in legends of the dark past, like a shadow in the background of their memories; but it was ominous and disquieting. It seemed that the evil power in Mirkwood had been driven out by the White Council only to reappear in greater strength in the old strongholds of Mordor. The Dark Tower had been rebuilt, it was said. From there the power was spreading far and wide, and away far east and south there were wars and growing fear. Orcs were multiplying again in the mountains. Trolls were abroad, no longer dull-witted, but cunning and armed with dreadful weapons. And there were murmured hints of creatures more terrible than all these, but they had no name. Little of all this, of course, reached the ears of ordinary hobbits. But even the deafest and most stay-at-home began to hear queer tales; and those whose business took them to the borders saw strange things. The conversation in The Green Dragon at Bywater, one evening in the spring of Frodo’s fiftieth year, showed that even in the comfortable heart of the Shire rumours had been heard, though most hobbits still laughed at them. Sam Gamgee was sitting in one corner near the fire, and opposite him was Ted Sandyman, the miller’s son; and there were various other rustic hobbits listening to their talk. ‘Queer things you do hear these days, to be sure,’ said Sam. ‘Ah,’ said Ted, ‘you do, if you listen. But I can hear fireside-tales and children’s stories at home, if I want to.’ ‘No doubt you can,’ retorted Sam, ‘and I daresay there’s more truth in some of them than you reckon. Who invented the stories anyway? Take dragons now.’ ‘No thank ’ee,’ said Ted, ‘I won’t. I heard tell of them when I was a youngster, but there’s no call to believe in them now. There’s only one Dragon in Bywater, and that’s Green,’ he said, getting a general laugh. ‘All right,’ said Sam, laughing with the rest. ‘But what about these Tree-men, these giants, as you might call them? They do say that one bigger than a tree was seen up away beyond the North Moors not long back.’ ‘Who’s they?’ ‘My cousin Hal for one. He works for Mr. Boffin at Overhill and goes up to the Northfarthing for the hunting. He saw one.’ ‘Says he did, perhaps. Your Hal’s always saying he’s seen things; and maybe he sees things that ain’t there.’ ‘But this one was as big as an elm tree, and walking — walking seven yards to a stride, if it was an inch.’ “Then I bet it wasn’t an inch. What he saw was an elm tree, as like as not.’
那個名字，哈比人只在關於黑暗過往的傳說中聽過，如同他們記憶背景中的一道陰影；但它預示著不祥，令人不安。看來，幽暗密林裡的邪惡勢力被聖白議會驅逐之後，只是在魔多的古老要塞中以更強大的力量再度現身。據說，黑暗塔已經重建。那股力量從那裡向四面八方擴散，而在遙遠的東方和南方，戰事頻仍，恐懼日增。半獸人在山中再度大量繁殖。食人妖橫行於外，不再是從前那樣呆頭呆腦，而是變得狡猾，並配備了可怕的武器。還有一些低語暗示著比這些都更可怕的生物，但牠們沒有名字。 當然，這些事很少傳到普通哈比人的耳中。但即使是耳朵最背、最不愛出門的哈比人，也開始聽到一些古怪的傳聞；而那些因生意需要前往邊境的人，則看到了奇異的景象。在佛羅多五十歲那年春天的一個晚上，於臨水的綠龍客棧裡的一場對話顯示，即使在夏爾舒適的腹地，也聽到了謠言，雖然大多數哈比人對此仍一笑置之。 山姆·詹吉坐在靠近火爐的一個角落，對面是磨坊主人的兒子泰德·沙德曼；還有其他幾位鄉村哈比人聽著他們聊天。 「這些日子你確實會聽到些怪事，真的。」山姆說。 「啊，」泰德說，「如果你肯聽，是會聽到。但如果我想聽，在家就能聽到爐邊故事和童話了。」 「那當然，」山姆反駁道，「而且我敢說，其中有些故事比你想像的還真實。話說回來，這些故事是誰發明的？就拿龍來說吧。」 「不了，謝謝你，」泰德說，「我可不拿。我小時候聽說過牠們，但現在沒理由相信有龍。臨水只有一條龍，那就是綠龍。」他說，引來一陣大笑。 「好吧，」山姆跟著大家一起笑。「但那些樹人呢？那些你所謂的巨人呢？他們說不久前在北荒那邊，有人看到一個比樹還大的傢伙。」 「『他們』是誰？」 「我表哥哈爾就是一個。他在山頂的博芬先生家工作，會去北區打獵。他看到過一個。」 「或許他『說』他看到了。你家哈爾老是說他看到些什麼；也許他看到的是根本不存在的東西。」 「但這一個跟榆樹一樣高，而且會走路——一步就走七碼遠，分毫不差。」 「那我打賭絕對差多了。他看到的，八成就是一棵榆樹。」
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 45 ‘But this one was walking, I tell you; and there ain’t no elm tree on the North Moors.’ “Then Hal can’t have seen one,’ said Ted. There was some laughing and clapping: the audience seemed to think that Ted had scored a point. ‘All the same,’ said Sam, ‘you can’t deny that others besides our Halfast have seen queer folk crossing the Shire — crossing it, mind you: there are more that are turned back at the borders. The Bounders have never been so busy before. ‘And I’ve heard tell that Elves are moving west. They do say they are going to the harbours, out away beyond the White Towers.’ Sam waved his arm vaguely: neither he nor any of them knew how far it was to the Sea, past the old towers beyond the western borders of the Shire. But it was an old tradition that away over there stood the Grey Havens, from which at times elven-ships set sail, never to return. “They are sailing, sailing, sailing over the Sea, they are going into the West and leaving us,’ said Sam, half chanting the words, shaking his head sadly and solemnly. But Ted laughed. ‘Well, that isn’t anything new, if you believe the old tales. And I don’t see what it matters to me or you. Let them sail! But I warrant you haven’t seen them doing it; nor anyone else in the Shire.’ ‘Well, I don’t know,’ said Sam thoughtfully. He believed he had once seen an Elf in the woods, and still hoped to see more one day. Of all the legends that he had heard in his early years such fragments of tales and half-remembered stories about the Elves as the hobbits knew, had always moved him most deeply. “There are some, even in these parts, as know the Fair Folk and get news of them,’ he said. “There’s Mr. Baggins now, that I work for. He told me that they were sailing and he knows a bit about Elves. And old Mr. Bilbo knew more: many’s the talk I had with him when I was a little lad.’ ‘Oh, they’re both cracked,’ said Ted. ‘Leastways old Bilbo was cracked, and Frodo’s cracking. If that’s where you get your news from, you’ll never want for moonshine. Well, friends, I’m off home. Your good health!’ He drained his mug and went out noisily. Sam sat silent and said no more. He had a good deal to think about. For one thing, there was a lot to do up in the Bag End garden, and he would have a busy day tomorrow, if the weather cleared. The grass was growing fast. But Sam had more on his mind than gardening. After a while he sighed, and got up and went out. It was early April and the sky was now clearing after heavy rain. The sun was down, and a cool pale evening was quietly fading into night. He walked home under the early stars through Hobbiton and up the Hill, whistling softly and thoughtfully. DS BS
「可是我跟你說，這個是會走路的；而且北荒地上根本沒有榆樹。」「那哈爾就不可能看到了，」泰德說。現場響起一些笑聲和掌聲：聽眾似乎覺得泰德佔了上風。「話雖如此，」山姆說，「但你不能否認，除了我們的哈爾法斯特之外，還有其他人看見奇怪的人穿越夏爾——注意，是『穿越』：還有更多人在邊界就被擋回去了。邊界巡守隊從來沒這麼忙過。「而且我聽說精靈們正在向西遷徙。他們說他們要去港口，去那白色高塔之外的遠方。」山姆含糊地揮了揮手臂：他和其他人都不知道，越過夏爾西境那些古老的塔樓，到大海有多遠。但古老的傳說提到，在那遙遠的彼方矗立著灰港岸，精靈的船隻時而從那裡啟航，永不復返。「他們正在航行，航行，航行渡海，他們要到西方去，離開我們了。」山姆半吟唱地說著，悲傷而莊重地搖著頭。但泰德笑了。「嗯，如果你相信那些古老傳說，這也不是什麼新鮮事。我也不覺得這跟你有我什麼關係。讓他們航行去吧！但我敢說你沒親眼看見他們這麼做；夏爾裡也沒別人看見。」「嗯，我不知道，」山姆若有所思地說。他相信自己曾在樹林裡見過一個精靈，並且仍然希望有一天能再見到更多。在他早年聽過的所有傳說中，那些哈比人所知的、關於精靈的零星故事和半記不清的傳說，總是深深地打動他。「即使在這一帶，也有人認識『美麗子民』，還能得到他們的消息。」他說。「就說我現在為他工作的巴金斯先生吧。他告訴我他們正在航行，而且他對精靈略知一二。而老比爾博先生知道得更多：我小時候跟他聊過好多次呢。」「噢，他們倆都瘋了，」泰德說。「至少老比爾博是瘋了，而佛羅多也快瘋了。如果你是從那裡得到消息，那你永遠不缺胡說八道。好了，朋友們，我要回家了。祝你們健康！」他喝乾杯中酒，吵鬧地走了出去。山姆靜靜地坐著，沒再說話。他有很多事要思考。一方面，袋底洞花園裡有很多活要幹，如果天氣放晴，他明天會很忙。草長得很快。但山姆心裡想的不只是園藝。過了一會兒，他嘆了口氣，起身走了出去。時值四月初，大雨過後，天空正在放晴。太陽已經下山，一個涼爽蒼白的傍晚正悄然隱入夜色。他走在初現的星空下，穿過哈比屯，走上小丘，輕聲地、若有所思地吹著口哨回家。
46 THE LORD OF THE RINGS It was just at this time that Gandalf reappeared after his long absence. For three years after the Party he had been away. Then he paid Frodo a brief visit, and after taking a good look at him he went off again. During the next year or two he had turned up fairly often, coming unexpectedly after dusk, and going off without warning before sunrise. He would not discuss his own business and journeys, and seemed chiefly interested in small news about Frodo’s health and doings. Then suddenly his visits had ceased. It was over nine years since Frodo had seen or heard of him, and he had begun to think that the wizard would never return and had given up all interest in hobbits. But that evening, as Sam was walking home and twilight was fading, there came the once familiar tap on the study window. Frodo welcomed his old friend with surprise and great delight. They looked hard at one another. ‘All well eh?’ said Gandalf. ‘You look the same as ever, Frodo!’ ‘So do you,’ Frodo replied; but secretly he thought that Gandalf looked older and more careworn. He pressed him for news of himself and of the wide world, and soon they were deep in talk, and they stayed up far into the night. Next morning after a late breakfast, the wizard was sitting with Frodo by the open window of the study. A bright fire was on the hearth, but the sun was warm, and the wind was in the South. Everything looked fresh, and the new green of spring was shimmering in the fields and on the tips of the trees’ fingers. Gandalf was thinking of a spring, nearly eighty years before, when Bilbo had run out of Bag End without a handkerchief. His hair was perhaps whiter than it had been then, and his beard and eyebrows were perhaps longer, and his face more lined with care and wisdom; but his eyes were as bright as ever, and he smoked and blew smokerings with the same vigour and delight. He was smoking now in silence, for Frodo was sitting still, deep in thought. Even in the light of morning he felt the dark shadow of the tidings that Gandalf had brought. At last he broke the silence. ‘Last night you began to tell me strange things about my ring, Gandalf,’ he said. ‘And then you stopped, because you said that such matters were best left until daylight. Don’t you think you had better finish now? You say the ring is dangerous, far more dangerous than I guess. In what way?’ ‘In many ways,’ answered the wizard. ‘It is far more powerful than I ever dared to think at first, so powerful that in the end it would utterly overcome anyone of mortal race who possessed it. It would possess him.
《魔戒》46頁。就在這個時候，甘道夫在他長期缺席後再次出現了。宴會之後的三年裡，他一直不在。然後他短暫地拜訪了佛羅多，好好打量了他一番後又離開了。接下來的一兩年裡，他還算常來，總是在黃昏後不期而至，又在日出前不告而別。他從不討論自己的事務和旅程，似乎主要只關心佛羅多健康狀況和日常活動這類小消息。然後，他的來訪突然停止了。佛羅多已經有九年多沒見過他也沒聽過他的消息了，他開始覺得這位巫師永遠不會回來，並且對哈比人完全失去了興趣。但那天傍晚，當山姆走在回家的路上，暮色漸濃時，書房的窗戶上傳來了那曾經熟悉的輕敲聲。佛羅多又驚又喜地迎接他的老朋友。他們仔細地打量著彼此。「一切都好吧？」甘道夫說。「你看起來跟以前一樣，佛羅多！」「你也是。」佛羅多回答；但他心裡卻覺得甘道夫看起來更老、更憔悴了。他追問著甘道夫自身以及廣闊世界的消息，很快他們便深入交談，一直聊到深夜。第二天早上，吃過一頓晚早餐後，巫師和佛羅多一起坐在書房敞開的窗邊。壁爐裡燃著明亮的火，但陽光很溫暖，南風正吹拂著。萬物看起來清新，春天的新綠在田野和樹梢上閃閃發光。甘道夫想起近八十年前的一個春天，那時比爾博沒帶手帕就跑出了袋底洞。他現在的頭髮或許比那時更白了，鬍鬚和眉毛或許更長了，臉上因憂慮與智慧而刻下的皺紋也更深了；但他的眼睛還是一如既往地明亮，他抽著煙、吐著煙圈，那股勁頭和喜悅絲毫未減。他此刻正沉默地抽著煙，因為佛羅多靜靜地坐著，陷入沉思。即使在早晨的陽光下，他仍能感覺到甘道夫帶來的消息所投下的黑暗陰影。最後他打破了沉默。「昨晚你開始告訴我一些關於我戒指的奇怪事情，甘道夫，」他說。「然後你停住了，因為你說這樣的事情最好留到白天再說。你覺得現在是不是該說完了？你說這戒指很危險，遠比我猜想的要危險得多。怎麼個危險法？」「很多方面，」巫師回答。「它的力量遠比我最初敢想的要強大得多，強大到最終它會徹底征服任何擁有它的凡人。它會佔有他。
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 47 ‘In Eregion long ago many Elven-rings were made, magic rings as you call them, and they were, of course, of various kinds: some more potent and some less. The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles — yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. But the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous. ‘A mortal, Frodo, who keeps one of the Great Rings, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues, until at last every minute is a weariness. And if he often uses the Ring to make himself invisible, he fades: he becomes in the end invisible permanently, and walks in the twilight under the eye of the Dark Power that rules the Rings. Yes, sooner or later — later, if he is strong or well-meaning to begin with, but neither strength nor good purpose will last — sooner or later the Dark Power will devour him.’ ‘How terrifying!’ said Frodo. There was another long silence. The sound of Sam Gamgee cutting the lawn came in from the garden. ‘How long have you known this?’ asked Frodo at length. ‘And how much did Bilbo know?’ ‘Bilbo knew no more than he told you, I am sure,’ said Gandalf. ‘He would certainly never have passed on to you anything that he thought would be a danger, even though I promised to look after you. He thought the ring was very beautiful, and very useful at need; and if anything was wrong or queer, it was himself. He said that it was “‘growing on his mind’’, and he was always worrying about it; but he did not suspect that the ring itself was to blame. Though he had found out that the thing needed looking after; it did not seem always of the same size or weight; it shrank or expanded in an odd way, and might suddenly slip off a finger where it had been tight.’ ‘Yes, he warned me of that in his last letter,’ said Frodo, ‘so I have always kept it on its chain.’ ‘Very wise,’ said Gandalf. ‘But as for his long life, Bilbo never connected it with the ring at all. He took all the credit for that to himself, and he was very proud of it. Though he was getting restless and uneasy. Thin and stretched he said. A sign that the ring was getting control.’ ‘How long have you known all this?’ asked Frodo again. ‘Known?’ said Gandalf. ‘I have known much that only the Wise know, Frodo. But if you mean “known about this ring’’, well, I still do not know, one might say. There is a last test to make. But I no longer doubt my guess. ‘When did I first begin to guess?’ he mused, searching back in memory. ‘Let me see — it was in the year that the White Council drove the Dark Power from Mirkwood, just before the Battle of Five Armies, that Bilbo found his ring. A shadow fell on my heart then,
很久以前，在伊瑞詹打造了許多精靈戒指，也就是你所說的魔法戒指。它們當然分很多種：有些比較強大，有些則比較弱。那些次級的戒指，只是在工藝尚未成熟前的嘗試之作，對精靈工匠們來說不過是些小玩意兒——但在我看來，對凡人而言依然危險。但那些偉大之戒，力量之戒，就非常險惡了。『一個凡人，佛羅多，如果持有任何一枚偉大之戒，他不會死亡，但他也不會成長或獲得更多生命，他只是存在著，直到最後，每一分鐘都成了一種煎熬。如果他經常使用戒指讓自己隱形，他會「凋零」：他最終會永久隱形，行走在統治眾戒的黑暗魔君眼下的幽界之中。是的，遲早——如果他一開始很堅強或心存善念，那會晚一些，但無論是力量還是良善的意圖都無法持久——遲早，黑暗魔君會將他吞噬。』『太可怕了！』佛羅多說。又是一陣長長的沉默。花園裡傳來山姆·詹吉修剪草坪的聲音。『您知道這些事多久了？』佛羅多終於問道。『比爾博又知道多少？』『我敢肯定，比爾博知道的並不比他告訴你的多，』甘道夫說。『他絕對不會把任何他認為有危險的東西傳給你，即便我已承諾會照顧你。他認為那只戒指非常美麗，而且在需要時非常有用；如果說有什麼不對勁或古怪的地方，那也是他自己的問題。他說那東西「在他的心頭上生長」，他總是在為此擔憂；但他沒懷疑是戒指本身的問題。不過他確實發現那東西需要留意；它的大小和重量似乎不總是一樣；它會以一種奇怪的方式縮小或擴大，有時會突然從原本戴得很緊的手指上滑落。』『是的，他在最後一封信裡提醒過我這點，』佛羅多說，『所以我一直把它穿在鍊子上。』『非常明智，』甘道夫說。『但關於他的長壽，比爾博從未將其與戒指聯繫起來。他把所有功勞都歸於自己，並為此感到非常驕傲。儘管他變得越來越焦躁不安。他說自己感覺「被拉得很薄、繃得很緊」。這正是戒指逐漸取得控制權的跡象。』『您知道這一切多久了？』佛羅多又問了一遍。『知道？』甘道夫說。『我知道許多只有智者才知道的事，佛羅多。但如果你指的是「知道這枚戒指的事」，嗯，可以說，我至今仍未完全「知道」。還有最後一個測試要做。但我已不再懷疑我的猜測。』『我最初是何時開始猜測的？』他沉思著，回溯記憶。『讓我想想——就在聖白議會將黑暗魔君逐出幽暗密林那年，五軍之戰前夕，比爾博找到了他的戒指。那時，一道陰影便落在了我的心上。』
48 THE LORD OF THE RINGS though I did not know yet what I feared. I wondered often how Gollum came by a Great Ring, as plainly it was — that at least was clear from the first. Then I heard Bilbo’s strange story of how he had “won” it, and I could not believe it. When I at last got the truth out of him, I saw at once that he had been trying to put his claim to the ring beyond doubt. Much like Gollum with his “birthday-present’’. The lies were too much alike for my comfort. Clearly the ring had an unwholesome power that set to work on its keeper at once. That was the first real warning I had that all was not well. I told Bilbo often that such rings were better left unused; but he resented it, and soon got angry. There was little else that I could do. I could not take it from him without doing greater harm; and I had no right to do so anyway. I could only watch and wait. I might perhaps have consulted Saruman the White, but something always held me back.’ ‘Who is he?’ asked Frodo. ‘I have never heard of him before.’ ‘Maybe not,’ answered Gandalf. ‘Hobbits are, or were, no concern of his. Yet he is great among the Wise. He is the chief of my order and the head of the Council. His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling. The lore of the Elven-rings, great and small, is his province. He has long studied it, seeking the lost secrets of their making; but when the Rings were debated in the Council, all that he would reveal to us of his ring-lore told against my fears. So my doubt slept — but uneasily. Still I watched and I waited. ‘And all seemed well with Bilbo. And the years passed. Yes, they passed, and they seemed not to touch him. He showed no signs of age. The shadow fell on me again. But I said to myself: “‘After all he comes of a long-lived family on his mother’s side. There is time yet. Wait!” ‘And I waited. Until that night when he left this house. He said and did things then that filled me with a fear that no words of Saruman could allay. I knew at last that something dark and deadly was at work. And I have spent most of the years since then in finding out the truth of it.’ “There wasn’t any permanent harm done, was there?’ asked Frodo anxiously. ‘He would get all right in time, wouldn’t he? Be able to rest in peace, I mean?’ ‘He felt better at once,’ said Gandalf. ‘But there is only one Power in this world that knows all about the Rings and their effects; and as far as I know there is no Power in the world that knows all about hobbits. Among the Wise I am the only one that goes in for hobbitlore: an obscure branch of knowledge, but full of surprises. Soft as butter they can be, and yet sometimes as tough as old tree-roots. I think it likely that some would resist the Rings far longer than most
雖然我還不知道我害怕的是什麼。我常常好奇咕嚕是怎麼得到一枚巨戒的，因為它顯然是一枚巨戒——至少這點從一開始就很清楚。然後我聽了比爾博說他是如何「贏得」它的奇怪故事，我無法相信。當我最終從他那裡問出真相時，我立刻明白他一直試圖讓他對戒指的所有權不容置疑。很像咕嚕對他的「生日禮物」的說法。這些謊言太過相似，讓我感到不安。顯然，這枚戒指有一種不健康的邪惡力量，會立即對其持有者產生作用。這是我得到的第一個真正警告，情況不對勁。我常常告訴比爾博，像這樣的戒指最好不要使用；但他很反感，而且很快就生氣了。我幾乎無能為力。我不能從他手中奪走它，否則會造成更大的傷害；而且我無論如何都沒有權利這麼做。我只能觀察和等待。我也許本可以去諮詢白袍薩魯曼，但總有什麼東西阻止我。』『他是誰？』佛羅多問道。『我以前從未聽說過他。』『也許吧，』甘道夫回答。『哈比人不是，或者說以前不是，他所關心的事。然而，他在智者中地位崇高。他是我這個組織的首領，也是聖白議會的領袖。他的知識淵博，但他的驕傲也隨之增長，他不喜歡任何干涉。關於精靈戒指的知識，無論大小，都是他的專長領域。他長期研究這個，尋找它們失落的製作秘密；但當議會討論眾戒時，他所透露的關於戒指的知識都與我的恐懼相悖。所以我的疑慮沉睡了——但並不安穩。我仍然在觀察和等待。』『而且比爾博看起來一切都好。歲月流逝。是的，歲月流逝，但似乎沒有在他身上留下痕跡。他沒有顯現出任何衰老的跡象。陰影再次籠罩了我。但我對自己說：「畢竟，他母親那邊的家族很長壽。還有時間。等著瞧！」』『於是我等了。直到他離開這棟房子的那個晚上。他當時說的話和做的事讓我充滿了恐懼，那是任何薩魯曼的話都無法消除的。我終於知道，有某種黑暗而致命的東西在作祟。從那以後，我大部分的歲月都用來查明真相。』『沒有造成任何永久性的傷害，是嗎？』佛羅多焦急地問。『他會及時好起來的，對吧？我的意思是，能夠安息嗎？』『他立刻感覺好多了，』甘道夫說。『但這個世界上只有一股力量完全了解戒指及其影響；而據我所知，這個世界上沒有任何力量完全了解哈比人。在智者中，我是唯一一個鑽研哈比人學問的人：這是一門晦澀的知識分支，但充滿了驚喜。他們可以像奶油一樣柔軟，但有時又像老樹根一樣堅韌。我認為他們中的一些人抵抗戒指的能力，可能遠比大多數人更持久。』
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 49 of the Wise would believe. I don’t think you need worry about Bilbo. ‘Of course, he possessed the ring for many years, and used it, so it might take a long while for the influence to wear off — before it was safe for him to see it again, for instance. Otherwise, he might live on for years, quite happily: just stop as he was when he parted with it. For he gave it up in the end of his own accord: an important point. No, I was not troubled about dear Bilbo any more, once he had let the thing go. It is for you that I feel responsible. ‘Ever since Bilbo left I have been deeply concerned about you, and about all these charming, absurd, helpless hobbits. It would be a grievous blow to the world, if the Dark Power overcame the Shire; if all your kind, jolly, stupid Bolgers, Hornblowers, Boffins, Bracegirdles, and the rest, not to mention the ridiculous Bagginses, became enslaved.’ Frodo shuddered. ‘But why should we be?’ he asked. ‘And why should he want such slaves?’ “To tell you the truth,’ replied Gandalf, ‘I believe that hitherto — hitherto, mark you — he has entirely overlooked the existence of hobbits. You should be thankful. But your safety has passed. He does not need you — he has many more useful servants — but he won’t forget you again. And hobbits as miserable slaves would please him far more than hobbits happy and free. There is such a thing as malice and revenge.’ ‘Revenge?’ said Frodo. ‘Revenge for what? I still don’t understand what all this has to do with Bilbo and myself, and our ring.’ ‘It has everything to do with it,’ said Gandalf. “You do not know the real peril yet; but you shall. I was not sure of it myself when I was last here; but the time has come to speak. Give me the ring for a moment.’ Frodo took it from his breeches-pocket, where it was clasped to a chain that hung from his belt. He unfastened it and handed it slowly to the wizard. It felt suddenly very heavy, as if either it or Frodo himself was in some way reluctant for Gandalf to touch it. Gandalf held it up. It looked to be made of pure and solid gold. ‘Can you see any markings on it?’ he asked. ‘No,’ said Frodo. “There are none. It is quite plain, and it never shows a scratch or sign of wear.’ ‘Well then, look!’ To Frodo’s astonishment and distress the wizard threw it suddenly into the middle of a glowing corner of the fire. Frodo gave a cry and groped for the tongs; but Gandalf held him back. ‘Wait!’ he said in a commanding voice, giving Frodo a quick look from under his bristling brows.
我想你不用擔心比爾博。「當然，他持有這枚戒指很多年，也使用過它，所以它的影響力可能需要很長一段時間才會消退——例如，在他能安全地再次見到它之前。否則，他可能會快樂地活上好幾年：就停在他與它分離時的那個樣子。因為他最終是出於自願放棄它的：這是很重要的一點。不，一旦他放手那東西，我就不再為親愛的比爾博擔心了。我感到有責任的是你。『自從比爾博離開後，我一直深深地擔心你，以及所有這些可愛、荒唐又無助的哈比人。如果黑暗魔君征服了夏爾，那將是對世界的一記沉重打擊；如果你們所有善良、快活、傻氣的博爾傑家、角響家、博芬家、布雷斯格德爾家，以及其他人，更不用說那可笑的巴金斯家，全都淪為奴隸。』佛羅多打了個寒顫。『但我們為什麼會被奴役？』他問。『他為什麼會想要這樣的奴隸？』『說實話，』甘道夫回答，『我相信到目前為止——注意，是到目前為止——他完全忽略了哈比人的存在。你應該感到慶幸。但你們的安全期已經過去了。他不需要你們——他有更多有用的僕人——但他不會再忘記你們了。而且，悲慘為奴的哈比人會比快樂自由的哈比人更讓他高興。世上就是有惡意和復仇這種事。』『復仇？』佛羅多說。『為了什麼復仇？我還是不明白這一切跟比爾博、我，還有我們的戒指有什麼關係。』『這跟它有著千絲萬縷的關係，』甘道夫說。『你還不知道真正的危險；但你很快就會知道了。我上次在這裡時自己也不確定；但現在是時候說清楚了。把戒指給我一下。』佛羅多從他的褲子口袋裡拿出戒指，它被扣在一條掛在腰帶上的鍊子上。他解開扣環，慢慢地遞給巫師。戒指突然感覺非常沉重，彷彿是它本身，或是佛羅多自己，不知怎地不情願讓甘道夫觸碰它。甘道夫將它舉起。它看起來像是純金打造的。『你看得到上面有任何印記嗎？』他問。『沒有，』佛羅多說。『什麼都沒有。它非常樸素，從未出現過刮痕或磨損的跡象。』『那麼，看好了！』讓佛羅多又驚又痛的是，巫師突然將它扔進了火堆中一個熾熱的角落。佛羅多驚叫一聲，摸索著想去找火鉗；但甘道夫拉住了他。『等等！』他用命令的語氣說，並從他那豎起的眉毛下迅速地瞥了佛羅多一眼。
50 THE LORD OF THE RINGS No apparent change came over the ring. After a while Gandalf got up, closed the shutters outside the window, and drew the curtains. The room became dark and silent, though the clack of Sam’s shears, now nearer to the windows, could still be heard faintly from the garden. For a moment the wizard stood looking at the fire; then he stooped and removed the ring to the hearth with the tongs, and at once picked it up. Frodo gasped. ‘It is quite cool,’ said Gandalf. “Take it!’ Frodo received it on his shrinking palm: it seemed to have become thicker and heavier than ever. ‘Hold it up!’ said Gandalf. ‘And look closely!’ As Frodo did so, he now saw fine lines, finer than the finest penstrokes, running along the ring, outside and inside: lines of fire that seemed to form the letters of a flowing script. They shone piercingly bright, and yet remote, as if out of a great depth. XV * Cf Po} 5 Come jh A thy Lach Lu J ‘I cannot read the fiery letters,’ said Frodo in a quavering voice. ‘No,’ said Gandalf, ‘but I can. The letters are Elvish, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here. But this in the Common Tongue is what is said, close enough: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. It is only two lines of a verse long known in Elven-lore: Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.’ He paused, and then said slowly in a deep voice: “This is the Master-ring, the One Ring to rule them all. This is the One Ring
戒指上沒有出現任何明顯的變化。過了一會兒，甘道夫站起身，關上窗外的百葉窗，並拉上窗簾。房間變得又暗又靜，不過山姆的園藝剪刀發出的喀嚓聲，現在離窗戶更近了，從花園裡還能隱約聽見。巫師站著凝視了火堆一會兒；然後他彎下腰，用火鉗把戒指移到壁爐邊，隨即立刻撿了起來。佛羅多倒抽了一口氣。「它完全是涼的，」甘道夫說。「拿著！」佛羅多把它接到他縮回去的手掌上：它似乎變得比以往任何時候都更厚、更重了。「把它舉起來！」甘道夫說。「然後仔細看！」佛羅多照做時，他現在看到了細微的線條，比最細的筆觸還要細，沿著戒指的內外環繞：這些火焰般的線條似乎構成了一種流暢字體的字母。它們發出刺眼的光芒，卻又顯得遙遠，彷彿來自極深之處。「我看不懂這些火焰字母，」佛羅多用顫抖的聲音說。「不，」甘道夫說，「但我可以。這些字母是古老的精靈文字，但語言卻是魔多語，我不會在這裡說出口。但用通用語來說，意思大致是這樣：至尊戒，馭眾戒；至尊戒，尋眾戒；魔戒至尊引眾戒，禁錮眾戒黑暗中。這只是精靈傳說中一首流傳已久的詩歌中的兩句：天下精靈鑄三戒，地底矮人得七戒，壽定凡人持九戒，魔多妖境暗影伏，闇王坐擁至尊戒。至尊戒，馭眾戒；至尊戒，尋眾戒；魔戒至尊引眾戒，禁錮眾戒黑暗中，魔多妖境暗影伏。」他頓了一下，然後用低沉的聲音緩緩說道：「這就是至尊魔戒，那枚統領眾戒的至尊戒。這就是那枚至尊戒
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 51 that he lost many ages ago, to the great weakening of his power. He greatly desires it — but he must not get it.’ Frodo sat silent and motionless. Fear seemed to stretch out a vast hand, like a dark cloud rising in the East and looming up to engulf him. ‘This ring!’ he stammered. ‘How, how on earth did it come to me?’ ‘Ah!’ said Gandalf. “That is a very long story. The beginnings lie back in the Black Years, which only the lore-masters now remember. If I were to tell you all that tale, we should still be sitting here when Spring had passed into Winter. ‘But last night I told you of Sauron the Great, the Dark Lord. The rumours that you have heard are true: he has indeed arisen again and left his hold in Mirkwood and returned to his ancient fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor. That name even you hobbits have heard of, like a shadow on the borders of old stories. Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again.’ ‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. And already, Frodo, our time is beginning to look black. The Enemy is fast becoming very strong. His plans are far from ripe, I think, but they are ripening. We shall be hard put to it. We should be very hard put to it, even if it were not for this dreadful chance. “The Enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defences, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring. “The Three, fairest of all, the Elf-lords hid from him, and his hand never touched them or sullied them. Seven the Dwarf-kings possessed, but three he has recovered, and the others the dragons have consumed. Nine he gave to Mortal Men, proud and great, and so ensnared them. Long ago they fell under the dominion of the One, and they became Ringwraiths, shadows under his great Shadow, his most terrible servants. Long ago. It is many a year since the Nine walked abroad. Yet who knows? As the Shadow grows once more, they too may walk again. But come! We will not speak of such things even in the morning of the Shire. ‘So it is now: the Nine he has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed. The Three are hidden still. But that no longer troubles him. He only needs the One; for he made that Ring himself, it is his, and he let a great part of his own former power pass into it, so that he could rule all the others. If he recovers it, then he
「……那是他在許多紀元前遺失的，導致他的力量大大削弱。他極度渴望得到它——但他絕不能得手。」 佛羅多靜坐不動。恐懼彷彿伸出一隻巨手，像一朵自東方升起的烏雲，赫然聳現，要將他吞噬。「這枚戒指！」他結結巴巴地說。「它……它究竟是怎麼到我手上的？」 「啊！」甘道夫說。「那可就說來話長了。故事的開端要回溯到黑暗年代，如今只有傳說大師們還記得。要是我把整個故事告訴你，我們大概得從春天一直坐到冬天。」 「不過，昨晚我跟你提過偉大的索倫，也就是黑暗魔君。你聽到的那些謠言是真的：他確實已經再度崛起，離開了他在幽暗密林的據點，回到了他在魔多的黑暗高塔中的古老要塞。就連你們哈比人也聽過這個名字，就像古老故事邊緣的一抹陰影。每一次被擊敗並經過一段喘息之後，那『陰影』總會以另一種形態再次滋長。」 「我真希望這事沒發生在我的時代。」佛羅多說。 「我也是，」甘道夫說，「所有活在這種時代的人都這麼想。但這不是他們能決定的。我們所要決定的，是如何運用被賦予的時間。而且，佛羅多，我們的時光已經開始看起來一片黯淡了。敵人正迅速變得非常強大。我認為他的計畫還遠未成熟，但正在成熟中。我們將會處境艱難。即使沒有這個可怕的機緣，我們也將會非常艱難。」 「敵人還缺少一樣東西，才能賦予他力量與知識，以擊潰所有抵抗、攻破最後的防線，並讓所有土地籠罩在第二次黑暗之中。他缺少的，是至尊魔戒。」 「最美的精靈三戒，被精靈王們藏了起來，他的手從未觸碰或玷污過它們。矮人諸王擁有七枚，但他已收回三枚，其餘的則被惡龍吞噬。他將九枚戒指給了驕傲而偉大的人類，藉此誘捕他們。很久以前，他們就落入了至尊魔戒的統治之下，變成了戒靈，在他巨大陰影之下的僕從，他最可怕的奴僕。很久以前了。那九名戒靈已經有很多年沒有在世間行走了。但誰知道呢？隨著陰影再次增長，他們或許也會再次行走。不過算了！即使在夏爾的清晨，我們也不要談論這種事。」 「所以現在的情況是：他已將那九枚召集到自己身邊；七枚也一樣，要不就是被摧毀了。三枚仍然隱藏著。但這已不再困擾他。他只需要那一枚；因為那枚戒指是他親手打造的，是屬於他的，他將自己過往很大一部分的力量注入其中，以便他能統治所有其他的戒指。如果他找回它，那麼他……」
52 THE LORD OF THE RINGS will command them all again, wherever they be, even the Three, and all that has been wrought with them will be laid bare, and he will be stronger than ever. ‘And this is the dreadful chance, Frodo. He believed that the One had perished; that the Elves had destroyed it, as should have been done. But he knows now that it has ot perished, that it has been found. So he is seeking it, seeking it, and all his thought is bent on it. It is his great hope and our great fear.’ ‘Why, why wasn’t it destroyed?’ cried Frodo. ‘And how did the Enemy ever come to lose it, if he was so strong, and it was so precious to him?’ He clutched the Ring in his hand, as if he saw already dark fingers stretching out to seize it. ‘It was taken from him,’ said Gandalf. “The strength of the Elves to resist him was greater long ago; and not all Men were estranged from them. The Men of Westernesse came to their aid. That is a chapter of ancient history which it might be good to recall; for there was sorrow then too, and gathering dark, but great valour, and great deeds that were not wholly vain. One day, perhaps, I will tell you all the tale, or you shall hear it told in full by one who knows it best. ‘But for the moment, since most of all you need to know how this thing came to you, and that will be tale enough, this is all that I will say. It was Gil-galad, Elven-king and Elendil of Westernesse who overthrew Sauron, though they themselves perished in the deed; and Isildur Elendil’s son cut the Ring from Sauron’s hand and took it for his own. Then Sauron was vanquished and his spirit fled and was hidden for long years, until his shadow took shape again in Mirkwood. ‘But the Ring was lost. It fell into the Great River, Anduin, and vanished. For Isildur was marching north along the east banks of the River, and near the Gladden Fields he was waylaid by the Orcs of the Mountains, and almost all his folk were slain. He leaped into the waters, but the Ring slipped from his finger as he swam, and then the Orcs saw him and killed him with arrows.’ Gandalf paused. ‘And there in the dark pools amid the Gladden Fields,’ he said, ‘the Ring passed out of knowledge and legend; and even so much of its history is known now only to a few, and the Council of the Wise could discover no more. But at last I can carry on the story, I think. ‘Long after, but still very long ago, there lived by the banks of the Great River on the edge of Wilderland a clever-handed and quietfooted little people. I guess they were of hobbit-kind; akin to the fathers of the fathers of the Stoors, for they loved the River, and often swam in it, or made little boats of reeds. There was among them a
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 53 family of high repute, for it was large and wealthier than most, and it was ruled by a grandmother of the folk, stern and wise in old lore, such as they had. The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that family was called Sméagol. He was interested in roots and beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds; and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes were downward. ‘He had a friend called Déagol, of similar sort, sharper-eyed but not so quick and strong. On a time they took a boat and went down to the Gladden Fields, where there were great beds of iris and flowering reeds. There Sméagol got out and went nosing about the banks but Déagol sat in the boat and fished. Suddenly a great fish took his hook, and before he knew where he was, he was dragged out and down into the water, to the bottom. Then he let go of his line, for he thought he saw something shining in the river-bed; and holding his breath he grabbed at it. “Then up he came spluttering, with weeds in his hair and a handful of mud; and he swam to the bank. And behold! when he washed the mud away, there in his hand lay a beautiful golden ring; and it shone and glittered in the sun, so that his heart was glad. But Sméagol had been watching him from behind a tree, and as Déagol gloated over the ring, Sméagol came softly up behind. ‘**Give us that, Déagol, my love,”’ said Sméagol, over his friend’s shoulder. “Why?” said Déagol. “Because it’s my birthday, my love, and I wants it,”’ said Sméagol. ‘“T don’t care,”’ said Déagol. “I have given you a present already, more than I could afford. I found this, and I’m going to keep it.” ‘Oh, are you indeed, my love,” said Sméagol; and he caught Déagol by the throat and strangled him, because the gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on his finger. ‘No one ever found out what had become of Déagol; he was murdered far from home, and his body was cunningly hidden. But Sméagol returned alone; and he found that none of his family could see him, when he was wearing the ring. He was very pleased with his discovery and he concealed it; and he used it to find out secrets, and he put his knowledge to crooked and malicious uses. He became sharp-eyed and keen-eared for all that was hurtful. The ring had given him power according to his stature. It is not to be wondered at that he became very unpopular and was shunned (when visible) by all his relations. They kicked him, and he bit their feet. He took to thieving, and going about muttering to himself, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum, and cursed him, and told him
那是一個聲望很高的家族，因為它比大多數家族都龐大且富有，由一位深諳古老傳說、嚴厲而睿智的族中老祖母統治。家族中最好奇、心思最活絡的成員名叫史麥戈。他對根源和初始充滿興趣；他潛入深潭；他在樹下和植物叢中挖掘；他鑽進綠色土丘；他不再仰望山頂、樹葉或空中綻放的花朵：他的頭和眼睛總是朝下。「他有個朋友叫迪亞戈，性情相似，眼睛更銳利，但不如他敏捷強壯。有一次，他們駕著一葉小舟順流而下，來到金鳶尾沼地，那裡有大片的鳶尾花和盛開的蘆葦。史麥戈下了船，在河岸邊東聞西嗅，迪亞戈則坐在船上釣魚。突然，一條大魚咬住了他的魚鉤，還沒等他反應過來，他整個人就被拖下水，一直沉到水底。然後他放開了釣線，因為他似乎看到河床裡有什麼東西在發光；他屏住呼吸，伸手抓住了它。「接著他嗆著水浮了上來，頭髮裡纏著水草，滿手是泥；他游到岸邊。你瞧！當他洗去泥巴後，手中躺著一枚美麗的金戒指；它在陽光下閃閃發光，讓他心中充滿喜悅。但史麥戈一直躲在樹後看著他，就在迪亞戈得意地欣賞著戒指時，史麥戈悄悄地走到他身後。「『把那個給我們，迪亞戈，我的寶貝，』史麥戈在他朋友的肩膀後說。『為什麼？』迪亞戈說。『因為今天是我的生日，我的寶貝，我要它，』史麥戈說。『我不管，』迪亞戈說。『我已經送過你禮物了，比我能負擔的還多。這是我找到的，我要自己留著。』『哦，是嗎，我的寶貝，』史麥戈說；他掐住迪亞戈的喉嚨，勒死了他，因為那黃金看起來如此明亮美麗。然後他把戒指戴在自己的手指上。「沒有人知道迪亞戈後來怎麼了；他死在離家很遠的地方，屍體被巧妙地藏了起來。但史麥戈獨自回來了；他發現戴上戒指時，家裡沒有人能看見他。他對這個發現非常得意，並將其隱藏起來；他用它來探查秘密，並將他的知識用於邪門歪道和惡意用途。他變得眼尖耳利，專門留意所有傷人的事情。戒指給了他與其身形相稱的力量。難怪他變得非常不受歡迎，（在他現身時）被所有親戚躲避。他們踢他，他就咬他們的腳。他開始偷竊，四處走動時自言自語，喉嚨裡還發出咯咯的聲音。所以他們叫他咕嚕，詛咒他，並告訴他……
54 THE LORD OF THE RINGS to go far away; and his grandmother, desiring peace, expelled him from the family and turned him out of her hole. ‘He wandered in loneliness, weeping a little for the hardness of the world, and he journeyed up the River, till he came to a stream that flowed down from the mountains, and he went that way. He caught fish in deep pools with invisible fingers and ate them raw. One day it was very hot, and as he was bending over a pool, he felt a burning on the back of his head, and a dazzling light from the water pained his wet eyes. He wondered at it, for he had almost forgotten about the Sun. Then for the last time he looked up and shook his fist at her. ‘But as he lowered his eyes, he saw far ahead the tops of the Misty Mountains, out of which the stream came. And he thought suddenly: “It would be cool and shady under those mountains. The Sun could not watch me there. The roots of those mountains must be roots indeed; there must be great secrets buried there which have not been discovered since the beginning.”’ ‘So he journeyed by night up into the highlands, and he found a little cave out of which the dark stream ran; and he wormed his way like a maggot into the heart of the hills, and vanished out of all knowledge. The Ring went into the shadows with him, and even the maker, when his power had begun to grow again, could learn nothing of it.’ ‘Gollum!’ cried Frodo. ‘Gollum? Do you mean that this is the very Gollum-creature that Bilbo met? How loathsome!’ ‘I think it is a sad story,’ said the wizard, ‘and it might have happened to others, even to some hobbits that I have known.’ ‘I can’t believe that Gollum was connected with hobbits, however distantly,’ said Frodo with some heat. ‘What an abominable notion!’ ‘It is true all the same,’ replied Gandalf. ‘About their origins, at any rate, I know more than hobbits do themselves. And even Bilbo’s story suggests the kinship. There was a great deal in the background of their minds and memories that was very similar. They understood one another remarkably well, very much better than a hobbit would understand, say, a Dwarf, or an Orc, or even an Elf. Think of the riddles they both knew, for one thing.’ ‘Yes,’ said Frodo. “Though other folks besides hobbits ask riddles, and of much the same sort. And hobbits don’t cheat. Gollum meant to cheat all the time. He was just trying to put poor Bilbo off his guard. And I daresay it amused his wickedness to start a game which might end in providing him with an easy victim, but if he lost would not hurt him.’ ‘Only too true, I fear,’ said Gandalf. ‘But there was something
「是的，」佛羅多說。「不過除了哈比人，其他民族也會猜謎語，而且類型也差不多。而且哈比人不會作弊。咕嚕從頭到尾就想作弊。他只是想讓可憐的比爾博卸下心防。而且我敢說，開始一場可能會給他帶來一個手到擒來的獵物的遊戲，這取悅了他邪惡的內心，但如果他輸了，對他也沒什麼損失。」「恐怕說得一點也沒錯，」甘道夫說。「但還有件事……」
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 55 else in it, I think, which you don’t see yet. Even Gollum was not wholly ruined. He had proved tougher than even one of the Wise would have guessed — as a hobbit might. There was a little corner of his mind that was still his own, and light came through it, as through a chink in the dark: light out of the past. It was actually pleasant, I think, to hear a kindly voice again, bringing up memories of wind, and trees, and sun on the grass, and such forgotten things. ‘But that, of course, would only make the evil part of him angrier in the end — unless it could be conquered. Unless it could be cured.’ Gandalf sighed. ‘Alas! there is little hope of that for him. Yet not no hope. No, not though he possessed the Ring so long, almost as far back as he can remember. For it was long since he had worn it much: in the black darkness it was seldom needed. Certainly he had never “‘faded’’. He is thin and tough still. But the thing was eating up his mind, of course, and the torment had become almost unbearable. ‘All the “‘great secrets” under the mountains had turned out to be just empty night: there was nothing more to find out, nothing worth doing, only nasty furtive eating and resentful remembering. He was altogether wretched. He hated the dark, and he hated light more: he hated everything, and the Ring most of all.’ ‘What do you mean?’ said Frodo. ‘Surely the Ring was his Precious and the only thing he cared for? But if he hated it, why didn’t he get rid of it, or go away and leave it?’ ‘You ought to begin to understand, Frodo, after all you have heard,’ said Gandalf. ‘He hated it and loved it, as he hated and loved himself. He could not get rid of it. He had no will left in the matter. ‘A Ring of Power looks after itself, Frodo. Jt may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it. At most he plays with the idea of handing it on to someone else’s care — and that only at an early stage, when it first begins to grip. But as far as I know Bilbo alone in history has ever gone beyond playing, and really done it. He needed all my help, too. And even so he would never have just forsaken it, or cast it aside. It was not Gollum, Frodo, but the Ring itself that decided things. The Ring left him.’ ‘What, just in time to meet Bilbo?’ said Frodo. ‘Wouldn’t an Orc have suited it better?’ ‘It is no laughing matter,’ said Gandalf. ‘Not for you. It was the strangest event in the whole history of the Ring so far: Bilbo’s arrival just at that time, and putting his hand on it, blindly, in the dark. “There was more than one power at work, Frodo. The Ring was trying to get back to its master. It had slipped from Isildur’s hand and betrayed him; then when a chance came it caught poor Déagol, and he was murdered; and after that Gollum, and it had devoured him. It could make no further use of him: he was too small and
56 THE LORD OF THE RINGS mean; and as long as it stayed with him he would never leave his deep pool again. So now, when its master was awake once more and sending out his dark thought from Mirkwood, it abandoned Gollum. Only to be picked up by the most unlikely person imaginable: Bilbo from the Shire! ‘Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought.’ ‘It is not,’ said Frodo. “Though I am not sure that I understand you. But how have you learned all this about the Ring, and about Gollum? Do you really know it all, or are you just guessing still?’ Gandalf looked at Frodo, and his eyes glinted. ‘I knew much and I have learned much,’ he answered. ‘But I am not going to give an account of all my doings to you. The history of Elendil and Isildur and the One Ring is known to all the Wise. Your ring is shown to be that One Ring by the fire-writing alone, apart from any other evidence.’ ‘And when did you discover that?’ asked Frodo, interrupting. ‘Just now in this room, of course,’ answered the wizard sharply. ‘But I expected to find it. I have come back from dark journeys and long search to make that final test. It is the last proof, and all is now only too clear. Making out Gollum’s part, and fitting it into the gap in the history, required some thought. I may have started with guesses about Gollum, but I am not guessing now. I know. I have seen him.’ “You have seen Gollum?’ exclaimed Frodo in amazement. “Yes. The obvious thing to do, of course, if one could. I tried long ago; but I have managed it at last.’ “Then what happened after Bilbo escaped from him? Do you know that?’ ‘Not so clearly. What I have told you is what Gollum was willing to tell — though not, of course, in the way I have reported it. Gollum is a liar, and you have to sift his words. For instance, he called the Ring his ‘‘birthday-present’’, and he stuck to that. He said it came from his grandmother, who had lots of beautiful things of that kind. A ridiculous story. I have no doubt that Sméagol’s grandmother was a matriarch, a great person in her way, but to talk of her possessing many Elven-rings was absurd, and as for giving them away, it was a lie. But a lie with a grain of truth. “The murder of Déagol haunted Gollum, and he had made up a defence, repeating it to his “‘Precious’’ over and over again, as he gnawed bones in the dark, until he almost believed it. It was his birthday. Déagol ought to have given the ring to him. It had obviously
殺害德戈的罪惡感糾纏著咕嚕，他為此編造了一套說詞，在黑暗中啃著骨頭時，一遍又一遍地對他的『寶貝』複述，直到他自己都快要信以為真。那天是他的生日。德戈本來就該把戒指給他。這顯然……
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 57 turned up just so as to be a present. It was his birthday-present, and so on, and on. ‘I endured him as long as I could, but the truth was desperately important, and in the end I had to be harsh. I put the fear of fire on him, and wrung the true story out of him, bit by bit, together with much snivelling and snarling. He thought he was misunderstood and ill-used. But when he had at last told me his history, as far as the end of the Riddle-game and Bilbo’s escape, he would not say any more, except in dark hints. Some other fear was on him greater than mine. He muttered that he was going to get his own back. People would see if he would stand being kicked, and driven into a hole and then robbed. Gollum had good friends now, good friends and very strong. They would help him. Baggins would pay for it. That was his chief thought. He hated Bilbo and cursed his name. What is more, he knew where he came from.’ ‘But how did he find that out?’ asked Frodo. ‘Well, as for the name, Bilbo very foolishly told Gollum himself} and after that it would not be difficult to discover his country, once Gollum came out. Oh yes, he came out. His longing for the Ring proved stronger than his fear of the Orcs, or even of the light. After a year or two he left the mountains. You see, though still bound by desire of it, the Ring was no longer devouring him; he began to revive a little. He felt old, terribly old, yet less timid, and he was mortally hungry. ‘Light, light of Sun and Moon, he still feared and hated, and he always will, I think; but he was cunning. He found he could hide from daylight and moonshine, and make his way swiftly and softly by dead of night with his pale cold eyes, and catch small frightened or unwary things. He grew stronger and bolder with new food and new air. He found his way into Mirkwood, as one would expect.’ ‘Is that where you found him?’ asked Frodo. ‘I saw him there,’ answered Gandalf, ‘but before that he had wandered far, following Bilbo’s trail. It was difficult to learn anything from him for certain, for his talk was constantly interrupted by curses and threats. ““What had it got in its pocketses?”’ he said. “It wouldn’t say, no precious. Little cheat. Not a fair question. It cheated first, it did. It broke the rules. We ought to have squeezed it, yes precious. And we will, precious!” “That is a sample of his talk. I don’t suppose you want any more. I had weary days of it. But from hints dropped among the snarls I gathered that his padding feet had taken him at last to Esgaroth, and even to the streets of Dale, listening secretly and peering. Well, the news of the great events went far and wide in Wilderland, and many had heard Bilbo’s name and knew where he came from. We
《往昔的陰影》57頁，就這樣恰好變成了一份禮物。那是他的生日禮物，諸如此類，沒完沒了。『我盡我所能地容忍他，但真相實在太重要了，最後我不得不採取嚴厲手段。我用火的恐懼來威嚇他，一點一滴地從他那裡逼問出真實的故事，過程中還伴隨著許多抽噎和咆哮。他覺得自己被誤解、被虐待了。但當他終於告訴我他的故事，直到猜謎遊戲結束和比爾博逃脫為止，他就不肯再多說了，只剩下一些隱晦的暗示。有另一種恐懼籠罩著他，比我帶給他的更甚。他喃喃自語說他要去報復。他要讓大家看看，他是不是能忍受被人踢、被趕進洞裡，然後還被搶劫。咕嚕現在有了好朋友，很好、很強大的朋友。他們會幫助他。巴金斯會為此付出代價。這就是他最主要的心思。他恨比爾博，詛咒他的名字。更有甚者，他知道比爾博來自哪裡。』『但他怎麼會知道的？』佛羅多問。『嗯，至於名字，是比爾博自己很傻地告訴了咕嚕；在那之後，一旦咕嚕出來，要找到他的國家就不難了。哦，是的，他出來了。他對魔戒的渴望證明比他對半獸人、甚至對光線的恐懼都更強烈。一兩年後，他離開了山脈。你看，雖然仍被對魔戒的慾望束縛，但魔戒已不再吞噬他；他開始恢復了一點生氣。他感到蒼老，非常非常老，但膽子卻大了些，而且餓得要命。』『陽光和月光，他仍然害怕和憎恨，我想他永遠都會如此；但他很狡猾。他發現他可以躲避日光和月光，並在深夜裡用他那蒼白冰冷的眼睛，迅速而輕巧地行動，捕捉一些受驚或不設防的小東西。新的食物和新的空氣讓他變得更強壯、更大膽。他找到了進入幽暗密林的路，這不出所料。』『你是在那裡找到他的嗎？』佛羅多問。『我在那裡見過他，』甘道夫回答，『但在那之前，他已經流浪了很遠，追蹤著比爾博的足跡。要從他那裡確切地了解任何事都很困難，因為他的話語不斷被詛咒和威脅打斷。「『牠的口袋裡有什麼東西？』」他說。「『牠不肯說，不，我的寶貝。小騙子。不公平的問題。是牠先作弊的，是牠。牠破壞了規則。我們應該要好好折磨牠的，是的，寶貝。我們一定會的，寶貝！』」「那只是他談話的一個例子。我想你不會想聽更多了。我花了好多天疲憊的時間才應付完。但從那些咆哮中洩漏的蛛絲馬跡，我推斷出他那雙有肉墊的腳最終帶他到了伊斯加，甚至到了河谷鎮的街上，暗中竊聽和窺視。嗯，那些重大事件的消息在荒原上傳得很遠，很多人都聽說過比爾博的名字，也知道他來自哪裡。我們……』
58 THE LORD OF THE RINGS had made no secret of our return journey to his home in the West. Gollum’s sharp ears would soon learn what he wanted.’ “Then why didn’t he track Bilbo further?’ asked Frodo. ‘Why didn’t he come to the Shire?’ ‘Ah,’ said Gandalf, ‘now we come to it. I think Gollum tried to. He set out and came back westward, as far as the Great River. But then he turned aside. He was not daunted by the distance, I am sure. No, something else drew him away. So my friends think, those that hunted him for me. “The Wood-elves tracked him first, an easy task for them, for his trail was still fresh then. Through Mirkwood and back again it led them, though they never caught him. The wood was full of the rumour of him, dreadful tales even among beasts and birds. The Woodmen said that there was some new terror abroad, a ghost that drank blood. It climbed trees to find nests; it crept into holes to find the young; it slipped through windows to find cradles. ‘But at the western edge of Mirkwood the trail turned away. It wandered off southwards and passed out of the Wood-elves’ ken, and was lost. And then I made a great mistake. Yes, Frodo, and not the first; though I fear it may prove the worst. I let the matter be. I let him go; for I had much else to think of at that time, and I still trusted the lore of Saruman. ‘Well, that was years ago. I have paid for it since with many dark and dangerous days. The trail was long cold when I took it up again, after Bilbo left here. And my search would have been in vain, but for the help that I had from a friend: Aragorn, the greatest traveller and huntsman of this age of the world. Together we sought for Gollum down the whole length of Wilderland, without hope, and without success. But at last, when I had given up the chase and turned to other paths, Gollum was found. My friend returned out of great perils bringing the miserable creature with him. ‘What he had been doing he would not say. He only wept and called us cruel, with many a gollum in his throat; and when we pressed him he whined and cringed, and rubbed his long hands, licking his fingers as if they pained him, as if he remembered some old torture. But I am afraid there is no possible doubt: he had made his slow, sneaking way, step by step, mile by mile, south, down at last to the Land of Mordor.’ A heavy silence fell in the room. Frodo could hear his heart beating. Even outside everything seemed still. No sound of Sam’s shears could now be heard. “Yes, to Mordor,’ said Gandalf. ‘Alas! Mordor draws all wicked things, and the Dark Power was bending all its will to gather them
我們回程的事...並沒有保密。咕嚕的順風耳很快就會聽到他想知道的消息。』『那他為什麼沒有繼續追蹤比爾博呢？』佛羅多問。『他為什麼沒來夏爾？』『啊，』甘道夫說，『現在我們談到重點了。我想咕嚕試過了。他出發後一路向西折返，遠至大河。但後來他轉向了。我相信，他並未被距離嚇倒。不，是別的東西引誘他離開了。我那些為我追捕他的朋友們是這麼想的。『木精靈最先追蹤他，對他們來說是件易事，因為當時他的蹤跡還很新。蹤跡引領他們穿過幽暗密林又繞回來，但他們始終沒抓到他。森林裡充滿了關於他的謠言，連鳥獸之間都流傳著可怕的故事。樵夫們說，有個新的恐怖在外面遊蕩，一個會吸血的鬼魂。它爬上樹找鳥巢；它潛行入洞穴找幼獸；它溜進窗戶找搖籃。『但在幽暗密林的西緣，蹤跡轉向了。它一路往南遊蕩，超出了木精靈的探知範圍，然後就消失了。然後我犯了一個大錯。是的，佛羅多，而且不是第一次；雖然我擔心這可能會是最糟的一次。我任此事發展。我放任他離去；因為當時我還有許多其他事要考慮，而且我仍然相信薩魯曼的學識。『嗯，那是多年前的事了。自那以後，我為此付出了許多黑暗而危險的日子的代價。等到比爾博離開此地，我重拾追尋時，線索早已消失無蹤。而我的搜尋本會徒勞無功，若不是得到一位朋友的幫助：亞拉岡，這世上最偉大的旅人和獵人。我們一起在整片野地裡尋找咕嚕，沒有希望，也未成功。但最後，當我放棄追捕，轉向其他事務時，咕嚕被找到了。我的朋友歷經巨大危險歸來，還帶著那個可憐的生物。『他不肯說他一直在做什麼。他只是哭泣，稱我們殘忍，喉嚨裡還發出許多『咕嚕』的聲音；當我們逼問他時，他就哀鳴畏縮，搓著他那長長的手，舔著手指，彷彿手指疼痛，又彷彿想起了什麼舊日的酷刑。但我恐怕毫無疑問：他已一步步、一里里地，緩慢而鬼祟地向南前進，最終到達了魔多之地。』房間裡陷入一片沉重的寂靜。佛羅多能聽見自己的心跳。即使外面似乎也萬籟俱寂。再也聽不到山姆的剪刀聲了。『是的，去了魔多，』甘道夫說。『唉！魔多吸引著一切邪惡之物，而黑暗魔君正傾其全力將它們聚集起來。
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 59 there. The Ring of the Enemy would leave its mark, too, leave him open to the summons. And all folk were whispering then of the new Shadow in the South, and its hatred of the West. There were his fine new friends, who would help him in his revenge! ‘Wretched fool! In that land he would learn much, too much for his comfort. And sooner or later as he lurked and pried on the borders he would be caught, and taken — for examination. That was the way of it, I fear. When he was found he had already been there long, and was on his way back. On some errand of mischief. But that does not matter much now. His worst mischief was done. “Yes, alas! through him the Enemy has learned that the One has been found again. He knows where Isildur fell. He knows where Gollum found his ring. He knows that it is a Great Ring, for it gave long life. He knows that it is not one of the Three, for they have never been lost, and they endure no evil. He knows that it is not one of the Seven, or the Nine, for they are accounted for. He knows that it is the One. And he has at last heard, I think, of hobbits and the Shire. “The Shire — he may be seeking for it now, if he has not already found out where it lies. Indeed, Frodo, I fear that he may even think that the long-unnoticed name of Baggins has become important.’ ‘But this is terrible!’ cried Frodo. ‘Far worse than the worst that I imagined from your hints and warnings. O Gandalf, best of friends, what am I to do? For now I am really afraid. What am I to do? What a pity that Bilbo did not stab that vile creature, when he had a chance!’ ‘Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity.’ ‘I am sorry,’ said Frodo. ‘But I am frightened; and I do not feel any pity for Gollum.’ ‘You have not seen him,’ Gandalf broke in. ‘No, and I don’t want to,’ said Frodo. ‘I can’t understand you. Do you mean to say that you, and the Elves, have let him live on after all those horrible deeds? Now at any rate he is as bad as an Orc, and just an enemy. He deserves death.’ ‘Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. I have not much hope that Gollum can be cured before he dies, but there is a chance of it. And he is bound up with the fate of the Ring. My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before the end; and when that comes, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many — yours not least. In any case we did
在那裡。敵人的魔戒也會留下它的印記，讓他對召喚敞開。當時所有的人都在竊竊私語，談論南方新出現的陰影，以及它對西方的仇恨。他還有那些會幫助他復仇的好新朋友呢！『可憐的傻瓜！在那片土地上，他會學到很多，多到讓他不得安寧。他遲早會在邊界潛伏窺探時被抓住，然後被帶走——接受審問。恐怕事情就是這樣。當他被發現時，他已經在那裡待了很久，正在返回的路上。大概是為了執行某個惡意的差事。但那現在不太重要了。他最壞的惡行已經造成了。「是的，唉！敵人透過他得知了至尊魔戒已再度被找到。他知道伊蘭迪爾殞命之處。他知道咕嚕在哪裡找到他的戒指。他知道那是一枚偉大的戒指，因為它賦予了長壽。他知道那不是三枚精靈戒指之一，因為它們從未遺失，且不容邪惡。他知道那不是七枚矮人戒指或九枚人類戒指之一，因為它們的下落都有交代。他知道那就是至尊魔戒。而且，我想，他終於聽說了哈比人和夏爾。「夏爾——他現在可能正在尋找它，如果他還沒發現它在哪裡的話。說真的，佛羅多，我擔心他甚至可能認為，巴金斯這個長久以來未被注意的名字，已經變得重要了。」「但這太可怕了！」佛羅多叫道。「比我從你的暗示和警告中想像的最壞情況還要糟得多。喔，甘道夫，我最好的朋友，我該怎麼辦？因為我現在真的害怕了。我該怎麼辦？比爾博當初有機會時，沒有一刀刺死那個卑鄙的生物，真是太可惜了！」「可惜？是『憐憫』阻止了他下手。憐憫，還有慈悲：在沒有必要時不出手。而他也因此得到了很好的回報，佛羅多。請相信，他之所以受到邪惡的傷害如此之小，並最終得以逃脫，正是因為他就是這樣開始擁有這枚魔戒的。帶著憐憫。」「我很抱歉，」佛羅多說。「但我很害怕；我對咕嚕沒有任何憐憫之心。」「你沒見過他，」甘道夫插話道。「沒錯，我也不想見到，」佛羅多說。「我無法理解你。你的意思是，你和精靈們，在他犯下那些可怕的罪行之後，還讓他活著？現在無論如何他都跟半獸人一樣壞，就是個敵人。他罪該萬死。」「罪該萬死！我敢說他罪有應得。許多活著的人都罪該萬死。也有些死去的人值得活下去。你能把生命給他們嗎？那麼，就不要急於根據審判來施予死亡。因為即使是最有智慧的人也無法看見所有的結局。我對於咕嚕在死前能被治癒不抱太大希望，但總有一線機會。而且他與魔戒的命運緊密相連。我的心告訴我，在一切結束之前，他還有一個角色要扮演，無論是好是壞；而當那一刻來臨時，比爾博的憐憫之心可能會主宰許多人的命運——你的命運尤其如此。無論如何我們當時
60 THE LORD OF THE RINGS not kill him: he is very old and very wretched. The Wood-elves have him in prison, but they treat him with such kindness as they can find in their wise hearts.’ ‘All the same,’ said Frodo, ‘even if Bilbo could not kill Gollum, I wish he had not kept the Ring. I wish he had never found it, and that I had not got it! Why did you let me keep it? Why didn’t you make me throw it away, or, or destroy it?’ ‘Let you? Make you?’ said the wizard. ‘Haven’t you been listening to all that I have said? You are not thinking of what you are saying. But as for throwing it away, that was obviously wrong. These Rings have a way of being found. In evil hands it might have done great evil. Worst of all, it might have fallen into the hands of the Enemy. Indeed it certainly would; for this is the One, and he is exerting all his power to find it or draw it to himself. ‘Of course, my dear Frodo, it was dangerous for you; and that has troubled me deeply. But there was so much at stake that I had to take some risk — though even when I was far away there has never been a day when the Shire has not been guarded by watchful eyes. As long as you never used it, I did not think that the Ring would have any lasting effect on you, not for evil, not at any rate for a very long time. And you must remember that nine years ago, when I last saw you, I still knew little for certain.’ ‘But why not destroy it, as you say should have been done long ago?’ cried Frodo again. ‘If you had warned me, or even sent me a message, I would have done away with it.’ ‘Would you? How would you do that? Have you ever tried?’ ‘No. But I suppose one could hammer it or melt it.’ ‘Try! said Gandalf. “Try now!’ Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. It now appeared plain and smooth, without mark or device that he could see. The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo thought how rich and beautiful was its colour, how perfect was its roundness. It was an admirable thing and altogether precious. When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating, and forcing himself to remember all that Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away — but he found that he had put it back in his pocket. Gandalf laughed grimly. “You see? Already you too, Frodo, cannot easily let it go, nor will to damage it. And I could not “‘make’”’ you — except by force, which would break your mind. But as for breaking the Ring, force is useless. Even if you took it and struck it with a
不殺他：他已經非常年老，而且非常悲慘。木精靈把他囚禁了起來，但他們發自內心地盡其所能善待他。」 「即便如此，」佛羅多說，「就算比爾博不能殺了咕嚕，我還是希望他沒有留下那枚戒指。我希望他從未找到它，也希望我沒有得到它！你為什麼讓我留著它？你為什麼不叫我把它扔掉，或者，或者毀掉它？」 「讓你？叫你？」巫師說。「你沒在聽我說的話嗎？你根本不知道自己在說什麼。至於把它扔掉，那顯然是錯的。這些戒指總有辦法被找到。若落入惡人手中，它可能會造成巨大的邪惡。最糟的是，它可能會落入『敵人』的手中。事實上，它肯定會的；因為這就是『至尊魔戒』，而他正竭盡全力尋找它，或將它吸引到自己身邊。 「當然，我親愛的佛羅多，這對你來說很危險；這也讓我深感困擾。但此事攸關重大，我不得不冒些風險——儘管即使我遠在他方，也從沒有一天夏爾不被警醒的眼睛守護著。只要你從不使用它，我不認為戒指會對你產生任何持久的影響，不會是邪惡的影響，至少在很長一段時間內不會。而且你必須記得，九年前我最後一次見到你時，我對事情的真相還知之甚少。」 「但為什麼不毀掉它，就像你說的，很久以前就該這麼做了？」佛羅多又喊道。「如果你警告過我，甚至給我捎個信，我就會把它處理掉了。」 「你會嗎？你怎麼做？你試過嗎？」 「沒有。但我想可以用錘子敲或把它熔化。」 「試試看！」甘道夫說。「現在就試！」 佛羅多再次從口袋裡掏出戒指看著它。它現在看起來樸實無華，光滑無痕，看不出任何標記或圖案。黃金看起來非常漂亮和純淨，佛羅多心想它的顏色是多麼的豐富美麗，它的圓弧是多麼的完美。它是一件令人讚嘆的東西，而且完全的珍貴。 他拿出它的時候，本打算把它扔進火中最熾熱的地方。但他現在發現自己做不到，若沒有一番巨大的掙扎是辦不到的。他把戒指放在手裡掂量著，猶豫不決，強迫自己記起甘道夫告訴他的一切；然後他憑藉意志力，做出一個動作，彷彿要把它扔掉——但他發現自己已將它放回了口袋裡。 甘道夫冷峻地笑了。「你看到了嗎？就連你，佛羅多，也已經無法輕易放手，也不願損壞它。而我無法『強迫』你——除非使用武力，但那會摧毀你的心智。至於摧毀戒指，武力是沒有用的。即使你拿著它用……
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 61 heavy sledge-hammer, it would make no dint in it. It cannot be unmade by your hands, or by mine. “Your small fire, of course, would not melt even ordinary gold. This Ring has already passed through it unscathed, and even unheated. But there is no smith’s forge in this Shire that could change it at all. Not even the anvils and furnaces of the Dwarves could do that. It has been said that dragon-fire could melt and consume the Rings of Power, but there is not now any dragon left on earth in which the old fire is hot enough; nor was there ever any dragon, not even Ancalagon the Black, who could have harmed the One Ring, the Ruling Ring, for that was made by Sauron himself. “There is only one way: to find the Cracks of Doom in the depths of Orodruin, the Fire-mountain, and cast the Ring in there, if you really wish to destroy it, to put it beyond the grasp of the Enemy for ever.’ ‘I do really wish to destroy it!’ cried Frodo. ‘Or, well, to have it destroyed. I am not made for perilous quests. I wish I had never seen the Ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?’ ‘Such questions cannot be answered,’ said Gandalf. “You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess: not for power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.’ ‘But I have so little of any of these things! You are wise and powerful. Will you not take the Ring?’ ‘No!’ cried Gandalf, springing to his feet. “With that power I should have power too great and terrible. And over me the Ring would gain a power still greater and more deadly.’ His eyes flashed and his face was lit as by a fire within. ‘Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me.’ He went to the window and drew aside the curtains and the shutters. Sunlight streamed back again into the room. Sam passed along the path outside whistling. ‘And now,’ said the wizard, turning back to Frodo, ‘the decision lies with you. But I will always help you.’ He laid his hand on Frodo’s shoulder. ‘I will help you bear this burden, as long as it is yours to bear. But we must do something, soon. The Enemy is moving.’ There was a long silence. Gandalf sat down again and puffed at his pipe, as if lost in thought. His eyes seemed closed, but under the lids he was watching Frodo intently. Frodo gazed fixedly at the red
就算用重型大鎚敲打，也無法在上頭留下任何凹痕。它不是你我的手藝所能銷毀的。「當然，你那小小的火也無法熔化普通的黃金。這枚戒指已經毫髮無傷地通過了火焰，甚至沒有變熱。但夏爾沒有任何鐵匠的熔爐能對它造成絲毫改變。即使是矮人的鐵砧和熔爐也辦不到。據說龍火可以熔化並吞噬那些力量之戒，但現今世上已沒有任何龍體內的古老火焰還足夠熾熱；而且從來沒有任何龍，即便是『黑龍』安卡拉剛，能夠傷害至尊魔戒，也就是那枚統御之戒，因為那是索倫親手打造的。「只有一個辦法：到『火之山』奧羅德路因的深處找到末日裂隙，然後把戒指扔進去，如果你真的想摧毀它，讓它永遠脫離敵人的掌握。」「我真的想摧毀它！」佛羅多喊道。「或者，嗯，讓它被摧毀。我不是為危險的任務而生的。我真希望我從未見過這枚戒指！它為什麼會到我這裡來？我為什麼被選中？」「這些問題無法回答，」甘道夫說。「你可以肯定，這不是因為你有任何別人所沒有的優點：無論如何，不是因為力量或智慧。但你已經被選中了，因此你必須運用你所擁有的所有力量、勇氣和智慧。」「但我這些東西都少得可憐！你既聰明又強大。你何不收下這枚戒指？」「不！」甘道夫猛地跳起來喊道。「有了那股力量，我的力量會變得過於強大和可怕。而魔戒對我產生的力量將會更大、更致命。」他的雙眼閃爍，臉龐彷彿被內心的火焰照亮。「別誘惑我！因為我不想變得像黑暗魔君本人一樣。然而，魔戒通往我內心的途徑，是透過憐憫，對軟弱的憐憫，以及渴望力量以行善的慾望。別誘惑我！我不敢拿它，即使只是為了保管它、不去使用。想要揮舞它的慾望對我的力量來說太過強大。我將會非常需要它。我面前有巨大的危險。」他走到窗邊，拉開了窗簾和百葉窗。陽光再次灑進房間。山姆吹著口哨從外面的小徑走過。「現在，」巫師轉身對佛羅多說，「決定權在你。但我會一直幫助你。」他把手放在佛羅多的肩膀上。「我會幫助你承受這個重擔，只要它仍是你的責任。但我們必須盡快採取行動。敵人已經開始行動了。」一片長長的沉默。甘道夫又坐了下來，抽著他的煙斗，彷彿陷入了沉思。他的眼睛似乎閉著，但在眼皮底下，他正專注地觀察著佛羅多。佛羅多凝視著那紅色的
62 THE LORD OF THE RINGS embers on the hearth, until they filled all his vision, and he seemed to be looking down into profound wells of fire. He was thinking of the fabled Cracks of Doom and the terror of the Fiery Mountain. ‘Well!’ said Gandalf at last. ‘What are you thinking about? Have you decided what to do?’ ‘No!’ answered Frodo, coming back to himself out of darkness, and finding to his surprise that it was not dark, and that out of the window he could see the sunlit garden. ‘Or perhaps, yes. As far as I understand what you have said, I suppose I must keep the Ring and guard it, at least for the present, whatever it may do to me.’ ‘Whatever it may do, it will be slow, slow to evil, if you keep it with that purpose,’ said Gandalf. ‘I hope so,’ said Frodo. ‘But I hope that you may find some other better keeper soon. But in the meanwhile it seems that I am a danger, a danger to all that live near me. I cannot keep the Ring and stay here. I ought to leave Bag End, leave the Shire, leave everything and go away.’ He sighed. ‘I should like to save the Shire, if I could — though there have been times when I thought the inhabitants too stupid and dull for words, and have felt that an earthquake or an invasion of dragons might be good for them. But I don’t feel like that now. I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again. ‘Of course, I have sometimes thought of going away, but I imagined that as a kind of holiday, a series of adventures like Bilbo’s or better, ending in peace. But this would mean exile, a flight from danger into danger, drawing it after me. And I suppose I must go alone, if I am to do that and save the Shire. But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well — desperate. The Enemy is so strong and terrible.’ He did not tell Gandalf, but as he was speaking a great desire to follow Bilbo flamed up in his heart — to follow Bilbo, and even perhaps to find him again. It was so strong that it overcame his fear: he could almost have run out there and then down the road without his hat, as Bilbo had done on a similar morning long ago. ‘My dear Frodo!’ exclaimed Gandalf. ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch. I hardly expected to get such an answer, not even from you. But Bilbo made no mistake in choosing his heir, though he little thought how important it would prove. I am afraid you are right. The Ring will not be able to stay hidden in the Shire much longer; and for your own sake, as well as for others,
《魔戒》62頁，壁爐上的餘燼，直到它們充滿了他整個視野，他彷彿正俯視著深邃的火井。他想到了傳說中的末日裂縫和火山的恐怖。「嗯！」甘道夫終於開口了。「你在想什麼？你決定好怎麼做了嗎？」「沒有！」佛羅多從黑暗中回過神來，驚訝地發現天色並未變暗，窗外還能看見陽光普照的花園。「或者，也許想好了。就我對你所說的理解，我想我必須保管這枚戒指並守護它，至少目前是這樣，無論它會對我造成什麼影響。」「無論它會造成什麼影響，如果你是抱持著這個目的保管它，它腐化你的速度會很慢，很慢，」甘道夫說。「希望如此，」佛羅多說。「但我希望你很快能找到其他更好的保管者。但與此同時，我似乎成了一個危險，對我身邊所有的人都是個危險。我不能留著戒指又待在這裡。我應該離開袋底洞，離開夏爾，拋下一切然後遠走高飛。」他嘆了口氣。「如果可以的話，我希望能拯救夏爾——儘管有時候我覺得這裡的居民愚蠢遲鈍到難以形容，覺得一場地震或巨龍入侵或許對他們有益。但我現在不這麼想了。我覺得只要夏爾還在身後，安全又舒適，我就更能忍受流浪：我會知道，某處還有一個穩固的立足點，即使我的雙腳再也無法踏上那片土地。「當然，我有時也想過要離開，但我把那想像成一種假期，一連串像比爾博那樣或更棒的冒險，並以和平告終。但這將意味著流放，一場從危險逃向另一場危險的逃亡，還會把危險引到我身後。而且我想，如果我要這麼做並拯救夏爾，我必須獨自上路。但我感覺自己好渺小，好無根，而且——很絕望。敵人是如此強大和可怕。」他沒有告訴甘道夫，但在他說話的時候，一股追隨比爾博的強烈渴望在他心中燃起——追隨比爾博，甚至或許能再次找到他。這股渴望如此強烈，以至於戰勝了他的恐懼：他幾乎就要當下就衝出門去，沿著路跑下去，連帽子都不戴，就像很久以前一個相似的早晨，比爾博所做的那樣。「我親愛的佛羅多！」甘道夫驚呼道。「哈比人真是了不起的生物，就像我之前說過的。你可以在一個月內學會所有關於他們習性的知識，但一百年後，他們在緊要關頭仍然能讓你大吃一驚。我幾乎沒預料到會得到這樣的回答，即使是你也一樣。但比爾博在選擇他的繼承人時沒有犯錯，儘管他當時沒想到這件事會變得如此重要。恐怕你是對的。這枚戒指在夏爾藏不了多久了；為了你自己，也為了其他人，
THE SHADOW OF THE PAST 63 you will have to go, and leave the name of Baggins behind you. That name will not be safe to have, outside the Shire or in the Wild. I will give you a travelling name now. When you go, go as Mr. Underhill. ‘But I don’t think you need go alone. Not if you know of anyone you can trust, and who would be willing to go by your side — and that you would be willing to take into unknown perils. But if you look for a companion, be careful in choosing! And be careful of what you say, even to your closest friends! The enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing.’ Suddenly he stopped as if listening. Frodo became aware that all was very quiet, inside and outside. Gandalf crept to one side of the window. Then with a dart he sprang to the sill, and thrust a long arm out and downwards. There was a squawk, and up came Sam Gamgee’s curly head hauled by one ear. ‘Well, well, bless my beard!’ said Gandalf. ‘Sam Gamgee is it? Now what may you be doing?’ ‘Lor bless you, Mr. Gandalf, sir!’ said Sam. ‘Nothing! Leastways I was just trimming the grass-border under the window, if you follow me.’ He picked up his shears and exhibited them as evidence. ‘I don’t,’ said Gandalf grimly. ‘It is some time since I last heard the sound of your shears. How long have you been eavesdropping?’ ‘Eavesdropping, sir? I don’t follow you, begging your pardon. There ain’t no eaves at Bag End, and that’s a fact.’ ‘Don’t be a fool! What have you heard, and why did you listen?’ Gandalf’s eyes flashed and his brows stuck out like bristles. ‘Mr. Frodo, sir!’ cried Sam quaking. ‘Don’t let him hurt me, sir! Don’t let him turn me into anything unnatural! My old dad would take on so. I meant no harm, on my honour, sir!’ ‘He won’t hurt you,’ said Frodo, hardly able to keep from laughing, although he was himself startled and rather puzzled. ‘He knows, as well as I do, that you mean no harm. But just you up and answer his questions straight away!’ ‘Well, sir,’ said Sam dithering a little. ‘I heard a deal that I didn’t rightly understand, about an enemy, and rings, and Mr. Bilbo, sir, and dragons, and a fiery mountain, and — and Elves, sir. I listened because I couldn’t help myself, if you know what I mean. Lor bless me, sir, but I do love tales of that sort. And I believe them too, whatever Ted may say. Elves, sir! I would dearly love to see them. Couldn’t you take me to see Elves, sir, when you go?’ Suddenly Gandalf laughed. ‘Come inside!’ he shouted, and putting out both his arms he lifted the astonished Sam, shears, grass-clippings and all, right through the window and stood him on the floor. “Take you to see Elves, eh?’ he said, eyeing Sam closely, but with a smile flickering on his face. ‘So you heard that Mr. Frodo is going away?’
「你將必須離開，並且拋下巴金斯這個姓氏。在夏爾之外或是在野外，擁有這個姓氏將不再安全。我現在給你一個旅行用的名字。你離開時，就自稱山下先生。『不過，我想你不需要獨自上路。如果你認識任何你信得過、又願意陪在你身邊的人——而且你也願意帶他一同陷入未知的險境。但如果你要尋找旅伴，選擇時要小心！而且說話也要小心，即使是對你最親密的朋友！敵人有很多間諜，也有很多探聽消息的管道。』他突然停下來，像是在傾聽什麼。佛羅多意識到，屋內屋外都變得非常安靜。甘道夫悄悄移到窗戶的一側。接著他猛地一撲，躍上窗台，伸出一條長臂往外向下抓去。只聽一聲尖叫，山姆·詹吉那顆捲髮的腦袋被揪著一隻耳朵提了上來。『哦，哦，我的鬍子啊！』甘道夫說。『是山姆·詹吉嗎？那麼，你可能在做什麼呢？』『天啊，甘道夫先生，先生！』山姆說。『沒什麼！至少我只是在修剪窗下的草地邊緣，如果您明白我的意思。』他撿起他的大剪刀，展示出來作為證據。『我不明白。』甘道夫嚴厲地說。『我聽到你剪刀的聲音已經是好一陣子前的事了。你偷聽多久了？』『偷聽，先生？我不明白您的意思，請您原諒。袋底洞可沒有屋簷，這是事實。』『別傻了！你聽到了什麼？為什麼要聽？』甘道夫的眼睛閃著光，眉毛像剛毛一樣豎了起來。『佛羅多先生，先生！』山姆顫抖地叫道。『別讓他傷害我，先生！別讓他把我變成什麼不自然的怪物！我老爸會非常難過的。我發誓我沒有惡意，先生！』『他不會傷害你的，』佛羅多說，他自己雖然也嚇了一跳，還有點困惑，但幾乎忍不住要笑出來。『他跟我一樣清楚，你沒有惡意。但是你最好馬上站起來，直接回答他的問題！』『嗯，先生，』山姆有點結巴地說。『我聽到了很多我不太懂的事，關於一個敵人、戒指、比爾博先生、龍，還有一座火山，還有——還有精靈，先生。我聽是因為我情不自禁，如果您明白我的意思。天啊，先生，我真的很喜歡那類故事。而且我也相信那些故事，不管泰德怎麼說。精靈，先生！我真想見見他們。您走的時候，能不能帶我去見精靈呢，先生？』甘道夫突然笑了起來。『進來吧！』他大喊道，伸出雙臂，把驚訝的山姆連同剪刀、碎草屑等等，一股腦兒從窗戶舉了進來，讓他站在地板上。『帶你去看精靈，嗯？』他說，仔細地打量著山姆，但臉上閃現著一絲微笑。『所以你聽到佛羅多先生要離開了？』
64 THE LORD OF THE RINGS ‘I did, sir. And that’s why I choked: which you heard seemingly. I tried not to, sir, but it burst out of me: I was so upset.’ ‘It can’t be helped, Sam,’ said Frodo sadly. He had suddenly realized that flying from the Shire would mean more painful partings than merely saying farewell to the familiar comforts of Bag End. ‘I shall have to go. But’ — and here he looked hard at Sam — ‘if you really care about me, you will keep that dead secret. See? If you don’t, if you even breathe a word of what you’ve heard here, then I hope Gandalf will turn you into a spotted toad and fill the garden full of grass-snakes.’ Sam fell on his knees, trembling. ‘Get up, Sam!’ said Gandalf. ‘T have thought of something better than that. Something to shut your mouth, and punish you properly for listening. You shall go away with Mr. Frodo!’ ‘Me, sir!’ cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. ‘Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!’ he shouted, and then burst into tears.
「是的，先生。所以我才哽咽了，您好像也聽到了。我試著忍住，先生，但話就自己衝口而出了：我太難過了。」「這也沒辦法了，山姆。」佛羅多悲傷地說。他突然意識到，逃離夏爾將意味著比告別袋底洞熟悉的舒適更痛苦的離別。「我非走不可了。但是」——說到這裡，他嚴厲地看著山姆——「如果你真的關心我，就得把這件事當作天大的秘密守住。懂嗎？如果你不這麼做，哪怕是透露半點你在這裡聽到的事，那我希望甘道夫會把你變成一隻帶斑點的蟾蜍，再讓滿花園都是草蛇。」山姆雙膝跪地，渾身發抖。「起來，山姆！」甘道夫說。「我想到了一個比那更好的辦法。一個能讓你閉嘴，又能好好懲罰你偷聽的方法。你將和佛羅多先生一起離開！」「我嗎，先生！」山姆大喊，像隻被邀去散步的狗一樣跳了起來。「我……去看精靈還有所有的一切！萬歲！」他高呼著，隨即又哭了出來。