Chapter 8 THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE It was after nightfall when, wet and tired, the travellers came at last to the Brandywine, and they found the way barred. At either end of the Bridge there was a great spiked gate; and on the further side of the river they could see that some new houses had been built: two-storeyed with narrow straight-sided windows, bare and dimly lit, all very gloomy and un-Shirelike. They hammered on the outer gate and called, but there was at first no answer; and then to their surprise someone blew a horn, and the lights in the windows went out. A voice shouted in the dark: ‘Who’s that? Be off! You can’t come in. Can’t you read the notice: No admittance between sundown and sunrise?’ ‘Of course we can’t read the notice in the dark,’ Sam shouted back. ‘And if hobbits of the Shire are to be kept out in the wet on a night like this, ?’ll tear down your notice when I find it.’ At that a window slammed, and a crowd of hobbits with lanterns poured out of the house on the left. They opened the further gate, and some came over the bridge. When they saw the travellers they seemed frightened. ‘Come along!’ said Merry, recognizing one of the hobbits. ‘If you don’t know me, Hob Hayward, you ought to. Iam Merry Brandybuck, and I should like to know what all this is about, and what a Bucklander like you is doing here. You used to be on the Hay Gate.’ ‘Bless me! It’s Master Merry, to be sure, and all dressed up for fighting!’ said old Hob. ‘Why, they said you was dead! Lost in the Old Forest by all accounts. I’m pleased to see you alive after all!’ ‘Then stop gaping at me through the bars, and open the gate!’ said Merry. ‘I’m sorry, Master Merry, but we have orders.’ ‘Whose orders?’ “The Chief’s up at Bag End.’ ‘Chief? Chief? Do you mean Mr. Lotho?’ said Frodo. ‘I suppose so, Mr. Baggins; but we have to say just ‘“‘the Chief” nowadays.’ ‘Do you indeed!’ said Frodo. ‘Well, I am glad he has dropped the Baggins at any rate. But it is evidently high time that the family dealt with him and put him in his place.’ A hush fell on the hobbits beyond the gate. ‘It won’t do no good
第八章 夏爾的掃蕩 夜幕降臨後，濕漉漉又疲憊的旅人終於來到白蘭地河，卻發現去路被阻。橋的兩端都有一扇巨大的尖刺大門；在河的對岸，他們看到一些新房子已經建成：兩層樓高，有狹窄的直邊窗戶，光禿禿的，燈光昏暗，一切都顯得非常陰沉，一點也不像夏爾的風格。他們敲打著外面的大門並呼喊，但起初沒有回應；然後令他們驚訝的是，有人吹響了號角，窗戶裡的燈光熄滅了。一個聲音在黑暗中喊道：「是誰？走開！你們不能進來。難道你們沒看到告示嗎：日落到日出之間禁止通行？」 「我們當然在黑暗中看不到告示！」山姆回喊道。「如果夏爾的哈比人要在這種夜晚被擋在外面淋雨，我找到告示後就會把它撕下來！」 說時遲那時快，一扇窗戶砰地關上，一群手持燈籠的哈比人從左邊的房子裡湧出來。他們打開了更遠處的大門，一些人走了過來。當他們看到旅人時，顯得有些害怕。 「快過來！」梅里說道，他認出了其中一個哈比人。「如果你不認識我，霍布·海沃德，你應該認識。我是梅里·白蘭地鹿，我想知道這一切是怎麼回事，以及像你這樣的巴克蘭人為什麼會在這裡。你以前是在乾草門那裡。」 「天哪！真是梅里少爺，而且還打扮得像要去打仗一樣！」老霍布說。「他們說你死了呢！據說是在老林裡失蹤了。我很高興你還活著！」 「那就別隔著柵欄瞪著我看了，把門打開！」梅里說。 「對不起，梅里少爺，但我們有命令。」 「誰的命令？」「是首領在袋底洞下的命令。」 「首領？首領？你是說洛索先生嗎？」佛羅多說。 「我想是吧，巴金斯先生；但我們現在只能稱他為『首領』。」 「你真是這麼說的！」佛羅多說。「好吧，我很高興他至少放棄了巴金斯這個姓氏。但顯然，是時候讓家族來處理他，並讓他認清自己的位置了。」 門外的哈比人一片寂靜。「這不會有任何好處的。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE 999 talking that way,’ said one. ‘He’ll get to hear of it. And if you make so much noise, you’ll wake the Chief’s Big Man.’ ‘We shall wake him up in a way that will surprise him,’ said Merry. ‘If you mean that your precious Chief has been hiring ruffians out of the wild, then we’ve not come back too soon.’ He sprang from his pony, and seeing the notice in the light of the lanterns, he tore it down and threw it over the gate. The hobbits backed away and made no move to open it. ‘Come on, Pippin!’ said Merry. “Two is enough.’ Merry and Pippin climbed the gate, and the hobbits fled. Another horn sounded. Out of the bigger house on the right a large heavy figure appeared against a light in the doorway. ‘What’s all this,’ he snarled as he came forward. ‘Gate-breaking? You clear out, or I'll break your filthy little necks!’ Then he stopped, for he had caught the gleam of swords. ‘Bill Ferny,’ said Merry, ‘if you don’t open that gate in ten seconds, you'll regret it. I shall set steel to you, if you don’t obey. And when you have opened the gates you will go through them and never return. You are a ruffian and a highway-robber.’ Bill Ferny flinched and shuffled to the gate and unlocked it. ‘Give me the key!’ said Merry. But the ruffian flung it at his head and then darted out into the darkness. As he passed the ponies one of them let fly with his heels and just caught him as he ran. He went off with a yelp into the night and was never heard of again. ‘Neat work, Bill,’ said Sam, meaning the pony. ‘So much for your Big Man,’ said Merry. ‘We'll see the Chief later. In the meantime we want a lodging for the night, and as you seem to have pulled down the Bridge Inn and built this dismal place instead, you’ll have to put us up.’ ‘I am sorry, Mr. Merry,’ said Hob, ‘but it isn’t allowed.’ ‘What isn’t allowed?’ “Taking in folk off-hand like, and eating extra food, and all that,’ said Hob. ‘What’s the matter with the place?’ said Merry. ‘Has it been a bad year, or what? I thought it had been a fine summer and harvest.’ ‘Well no, the year’s been good enough,’ said Hob. ‘We grows a lot of food, but we don’t rightly know what becomes of it. It’s all these ‘“‘gatherers”’ and “‘sharers’’, I reckon, going round counting and measuring and taking off to storage. They do more gathering than sharing, and we never see most of the stuff again.’ ‘Oh come!’ said Pippin yawning. ‘This is all too tiresome for me tonight. We’ve got food in our bags. Just give us a room to lie down in. It'll be better than many places I have seen.’ BS
「夏爾的收復」 「那樣說話，」一個人說，「他會聽到的。如果你們這麼吵，會吵醒首領的大人物的。」 「我們會用一種讓他驚訝的方式把他吵醒的，」梅里說，「如果你們的首領從野外僱傭了惡棍，那我們回來得一點也不早。」 他從他的小馬背上跳下來，藉著燈籠的光看到那張告示，把它撕下來扔過大門。哈比人退後，沒有動手去開門。 「快點，皮聘！」梅里說，「兩個人就夠了。」 梅里和皮聘爬過大門，哈比人逃走了。 另一聲號角響起。從右邊較大的房子裡，一個高大笨重的身影在門口的燈光下出現。 「這是怎麼回事？」他咆哮著走上前，「破門而入？你們給我滾開，不然我就扭斷你們這些骯髒的小脖子！」 然後他停住了，因為他看到了劍的光芒。 「比爾·費尼，」梅里說，「如果你不在十秒內打開那扇門，你會後悔的。如果你不服從，我就要對你動刀。等你打開門後，你就要穿過它，永遠不要回來。你是一個惡棍和攔路搶劫犯。」 比爾·費尼畏縮了一下，拖著腳步走到門邊，把它打開了。 「把鑰匙給我！」梅里說。 但那個惡棍把它扔向他的頭，然後衝進黑暗中。當他經過小馬時，其中一匹用蹄子踢了一下，正好踢中了他，他尖叫著跑進夜色中，從此再也沒有人聽說過他。 「幹得漂亮，比爾，」山姆說，指的是那匹小馬。 「你們的大人物就這樣了，」梅里說，「我們稍後會去見首領。在此期間，我們需要一個過夜的地方，既然你們似乎拆掉了橋邊客棧，取而代之建了這個陰森森的地方，你們就得收留我們。」 「我很抱歉，梅里先生，」霍布說，「但是不允許。」 「不允許什麼？」 「隨便收留陌生人，吃額外的食物，諸如此類，」霍布說。 「這個地方怎麼了？」梅里說，「是收成不好的一年，還是怎麼了？我以為今年夏天和收成都很不錯。」 「嗯，不，這一年收成很好，」霍布說，「我們種了很多食物，但我們不知道它們去了哪裡。我想都是這些『收集者』和『分享者』，他們到處數數、量量，然後運到倉庫去。他們收集的比分享的多，我們再也沒見過大部分東西了。」 「噢，算了吧！」皮聘打著哈欠說，「今晚這一切對我來說太累人了。我們的袋子裡有食物。給我們一個房間睡覺就行了。這會比我見過很多地方都好。」
I000 THE LORD OF THE RINGS The hobbits at the gate still seemed ill at ease, evidently some rule or other was being broken; but there was no gainsaying four such masterful travellers, all armed, and two of them uncommonly large and strong-looking. Frodo ordered the gates to be locked again. There was some sense at any rate in keeping a guard, while ruffians were still about. Then the four companions went into the hobbit guard-house and made themselves as comfortable as they could. It was a bare and ugly place, with a mean little grate that would not allow a good fire. In the upper rooms were little rows of hard beds, and on every wall there was a notice and a list of Rules. Pippin tore them down. There was no beer and very little food, but with what the travellers brought and shared out they all made a fair meal; and Pippin broke Rule 4 by putting most of next day’s allowance of wood on the fire. ‘Well now, what about a smoke, while you tell us what has been happening in the Shire?’ he said. “There isn’t no pipe-weed now,’ said Hob; ‘at least only for the Chief’s men. All the stocks seem to have gone. We do hear that waggon-loads of it went away down the old road out of the Southfarthing, over Sarn Ford way. That would be the end o?’ last year, after you left. But it had been going away quietly before that, in a small way. That Lotho ; ‘Now you shut up, Hob Hayward!’ cried several of the others. ‘You know talk o’ that sort isn’t allowed. The Chief will hear of it, and we’ll all be in trouble.’ ‘He wouldn’t hear naught, if some of you here weren’t sneaks,’ rejoined Hob hotly. ‘All right, all right!’ said Sam. “That’s quite enough. I don’t want to hear no more. No welcome, no beer, no smoke, and a lot of rules and orc-talk instead. I hoped to have a rest, but I can see there’s work and trouble ahead. Let’s sleep and forget it till morning!’ The new ‘Chief’ evidently had means of getting news. It was a good forty miles from the Bridge to Bag End, but someone made the journey in a hurry. So Frodo and his friends soon discovered. They had not made any definite plans, but had vaguely thought of going down to Crickhollow together first, and resting there a bit. But now, seeing what things were like, they decided to go straight to Hobbiton. So the next day they set out along the Road and jogged along steadily. The wind had dropped but the sky was grey. The land looked rather sad and forlorn; but it was after all the first of November and the fag-end of autumn. Still there seemed an unusual amount of burning going on, and smoke rose from many points round about. A great cloud of it was going up far away in the direction of the Woody End.
《魔戒》第一章 守門的哈比人看起來仍然有些不安，顯然有某條規矩被打破了；但面對四位如此氣勢非凡的旅人，他們全都武裝齊備，其中兩人更是異常高大強壯，實在無從反駁。佛羅多命令再次鎖上大門。無論如何，在惡棍們仍在附近徘徊時，保持警衛還是有些道理的。 接著，四位同伴走進哈比人的警衛室，盡可能地讓自己舒服些。那是一個簡陋又醜陋的地方，只有一個小小的、不中用的爐柵，無法生起好火。樓上的房間裡排著一列列硬邦邦的床鋪，每面牆上都貼著一張告示和一份規章。皮聘把它們都撕了下來。這裡沒有啤酒，食物也少得可憐，但憑著旅人們帶來的和分享的，他們都飽餐了一頓；皮聘還把第二天份的木柴大部分都丟進火裡，打破了第四條規章。 「那麼，現在來抽根菸怎麼樣？順便告訴我們夏爾發生了什麼事？」他說。 「現在沒有菸草了，」霍布說，「至少只有『首領』的人才有。所有的存貨似乎都沒了。我們確實聽說，好幾車的菸草沿著南區的老路，經過薩恩渡口運走了。那應該是去年年底，你們離開之後的事。但在此之前，它就已經悄悄地、少量地被運走了。那個羅索……」 「你閉嘴，霍布·海沃德！」其他幾個人喊道，「你知道那種話是不允許說的。『首領』會聽說的，到時候我們都會有麻煩。」 「如果你們這裡有些人不是告密者，他什麼也聽不到！」霍布氣憤地反駁道。 「好了，好了！」山姆說，「夠了。我不想再聽了。沒有歡迎，沒有啤酒，沒有菸草，反而是一堆規章和那些像半獸人說的話。我本來希望能好好休息一下，但我看來前面還有很多麻煩事。我們睡一覺，明天早上再說吧！」 新的「首領」顯然有辦法獲取消息。從橋到袋底洞足足有四十英里，但有人匆匆趕路傳達了消息。佛羅多和他的朋友們很快就發現了這一點。他們沒有任何明確的計畫，只是模糊地想著先一起去溪谷地，在那裡休息一會兒。但現在，看到情況如此，他們決定直接前往哈比屯。於是第二天，他們沿著大路出發，穩步前行。風停了，但天空灰濛濛的。大地看起來相當悲傷和荒涼；但畢竟那已是十一月一日，秋天的尾聲了。然而，周圍似乎仍有異常多的燃燒活動，許多地方都冒著煙。一大片煙霧正從遠方，朝著林地盡頭的方向升起。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOOI As evening fell they were drawing near to Frogmorton, a village right on the Road, about twenty-two miles from the Bridge. There they meant to stay the night; The Floating Log at Frogmorton was a good inn. But as they came to the east end of the village they met a barrier with a large board saying NO ROAD; and behind it stood a large band of Shirriffs with staves in their hands and feathers in their caps, looking both important and rather scared. ‘What’s all this?’ said Frodo, feeling inclined to laugh. ‘This is what it is, Mr. Baggins,’ said the leader of the Shirriffs, a two-feather hobbit: ‘You’re arrested for Gate-breaking, and Tearing up of Rules, and Assaulting Gate-keepers, and Trespassing, and Sleeping in Shire-buildings without Leave, and Bribing Guards with Food.’ ‘And what else?’ said Frodo. ‘That'll do to go on with,’ said the Shirriff-leader. ‘I can add some more, if you’d like it,’ said Sam. ‘Calling your Chief Names, Wishing to punch his Pimply Face, and Thinking you Shirriffs look a lot of Tom-fools.’ ‘There now, Mister, that’ll do. It’s the Chief’s orders that you’re to come along quiet. We’re going to take you to Bywater and hand you over to the Chief’s Men; and when he deals with your case you can have your say. But if you don’t want to stay in the Lockholes any longer than you need, I should cut the say short, if I was you.’ To the discomfiture of the Shirriffs Frodo and his companions all roared with laughter. ‘Don’t be absurd!’ said Frodo. ‘I am going where I please, and in my own time. I happen to be going to Bag End on business, but if you insist on going too, well that is your affair.’ ‘Very well, Mr. Baggins,’ said the leader, pushing the barrier aside. ‘But don’t forget I’ve arrested you.’ ‘I won't,’ said Frodo. ‘Never. But I may forgive you. Now I am not going any further today, so if you’ll kindly escort me to The Floating Log, Vl be obliged.’ ‘I can’t do that, Mr. Baggins. The inn’s closed. There’s a Shirriffhouse at the far end of the village. I'll take you there.’ ‘All right,’ said Frodo. ‘Go on and we’ll follow.’ Sam had been looking the Shirriffs up and down and had spotted one that he knew. ‘Hey, come here Robin Smallburrow!’ he called. ‘I want a word with you.’ With a sheepish glance at his leader, who looked wrathful but did not dare to interfere, Shirriff Smallburrow fell back and walked beside Sam, who got down off his pony. ‘Look here, Cock-robin!’ said Sam. ‘You’re Hobbiton-bred and
夏爾的收復 一零零一 當夜幕降臨，他們正接近蛙澤村，一個就在大路上，距離橋樑約二十二英里的村莊。他們打算在那裡過夜；蛙澤村的「漂浮原木」是間不錯的旅館。但當他們來到村莊東邊時，卻遇到一道障礙物，上面掛著一塊大牌子寫著「此路不通」；障礙物後方站著一大群夏爾警官，他們手持木杖，帽上插著羽毛，看起來既重要又有些害怕。「這是怎麼回事？」佛羅多說，他感到有點想笑。「事情就是這樣，巴金斯先生，」夏爾警官的隊長，一個戴著兩根羽毛的哈比人說：「你因為破壞大門、撕毀規章、襲擊守門人、非法入侵、未經允許在夏爾建築物內過夜，以及用食物賄賂警衛而被捕。」「還有什麼？」佛羅多問。「這些就夠了，」夏爾警官隊長說。「如果你喜歡，我還可以再加一些，」山姆說：「辱罵你們的頭目、想揍他那張長滿青春痘的臉，以及認為你們這些夏爾警官看起來像一群大傻瓜。」「好了，先生，夠了。這是頭目的命令，你們必須安靜地跟我們走。我們要帶你們去水邊村，把你們交給頭目的人；等他處理你們的案子時，你們就可以發言。但如果你不想在牢房裡待太久，我勸你最好把話說短一點。」令夏爾警官們感到不安的是，佛羅多和他的同伴們都哄堂大笑起來。「別傻了！」佛羅多說。「我想去哪就去哪，想什麼時候去就什麼時候去。我碰巧要去袋底洞辦事，但如果你們堅持也要去，那隨你們便。」「好吧，巴金斯先生，」隊長說，他推開了障礙物。「但別忘了我已經逮捕了你。」「我不會忘的，」佛羅多說。「永遠不會。但我可能會原諒你。今天我不會再往前走了，所以如果你們能好心地護送我到『漂浮原木』，我會很感激的。」「我不能那麼做，巴金斯先生。旅館關門了。村子盡頭有間夏爾警官局。我會帶你們去那裡。」「好吧，」佛羅多說。「你們走前面，我們跟著。」山姆一直在打量那些夏爾警官，並認出其中一個他認識的。「嘿，羅賓·小地洞，過來！」他喊道。「我想跟你說句話。」小地洞警官朝他的隊長羞怯地看了一眼，隊長雖然看起來很生氣，卻不敢干涉，小地洞於是退了下來，走到山姆身邊，山姆此時已從他的小馬上下來。「聽著，小知更鳥！」山姆說。「你是哈比屯長大的，而且
1002 THE LORD OF THE RINGS ought to have more sense, coming a-waylaying Mr. Frodo and all. And what’s all this about the inn being closed?’ “They’re all closed,’ said Robin. “The Chief doesn’t hold with beer. Leastways that is how it started. But now I reckon it’s his Men that has it all. And he doesn’t hold with folk moving about; so if they will or they must, then they has to go to the Shirriff-house and explain their business.’ “You ought to be ashamed of yourself having anything to do with such nonsense,’ said Sam. ‘You used to like the inside of an inn better than the outside yourself. You were always popping in, on duty or off.’ ‘And so I would be still, Sam, if I could. But don’t be hard on me. What can I do? You know how I went for a Shirriff seven years ago, before any of this began. Gave me a chance of walking round the country and seeing folk, and hearing the news, and knowing where the good beer was. But now it’s different.’ ‘But you can give it up, stop Shirriffing, if it has stopped being a respectable job,’ said Sam. ‘We’re not allowed to,’ said Robin. ‘If I hear not allowed much oftener,’ said Sam, ‘I’m going to get angry.’ ‘Can’t say as I'd be sorry to see it,’ said Robin lowering his voice. ‘If we all got angry together something might be done. But it’s these Men, Sam, the Chief’s Men. He sends them round everywhere, and if any of us small folk stand up for our rights, they drag him off to the Lockholes. They took old Flourdumpling, old Will Whitfoot the Mayor, first, and they’ve taken a lot more. Lately it’s been getting worse. Often they beat ’em now.’ “Then why do you do their work for them?’ said Sam angrily. ‘Who sent you to Frogmorton?’ ‘No one did. We stay here in the big Shirriff-house. We’re the First Eastfarthing Troop now. There’s hundreds of Shirriffs all told, and they want more, with all these new rules. Most of them are in it against their will, but not all. Even in the Shire there are some as like minding other folk’s business and talking big. And there’s worse than that: there’s a few as do spy-work for the Chief and his Men.’ ‘Ah! So that’s how you had news of us, is it?’ “That’s right. We aren’t allowed to send by it now, but they use the old Quick Post service, and keep special runners at different points. One came in from Whitfurrows last night with a “‘secret message’’, and another took it on from here. And a message came back this afternoon saying you was to be arrested and taken to Bywater, not direct to the Lockholes. The Chief wants to see you at once, evidently.’
1002 《魔戒》應該更懂事一點，竟然來攔截佛羅多先生什麼的。還有，這客棧關門是怎麼回事？」「全都關了。」羅賓說。「『老大』不喜歡啤酒。至少一開始是這樣。但現在我猜是他的手下把持了一切。而且他也不喜歡人們四處走動；所以如果他們想走或必須走，就得去『治安官屋』解釋他們的來意。」「你竟然跟這種胡鬧的事情扯上關係，真該感到羞恥。」山姆說。「你以前不是比外面更喜歡待在客棧裡嗎？你總是往裡鑽，無論是值班還是休息。」「如果可以，我現在也還是會這樣，山姆。但別對我太苛刻。我能怎麼辦？你知道我七年前是怎麼當上治安官的，那是在這一切發生之前。那讓我有了在鄉間走動、見見鄉親、聽聽新聞、知道哪裡有好啤酒的機會。但現在不同了。」「但你可以辭職啊，別再當治安官了，如果這不再是個體面的工作。」山姆說。「我們不被允許。」羅賓說。「如果我再聽到『不被允許』這句話，」山姆說，「我就要生氣了。」「我倒不介意看到那樣。」羅賓壓低聲音說。「如果我們大家一起生氣，也許就能做點什麼。但問題是這些人，山姆，『老大』的手下。他派他們到處巡邏，如果我們這些小老百姓為自己的權利挺身而出，他們就把我們拖到『牢房』去。他們先抓走了老麵疙瘩，也就是老鎮長威爾·懷特富特，後來又抓了更多人。最近情況越來越糟。他們現在還經常打人。」「那你為什麼還要替他們工作呢？」山姆生氣地說。「誰派你去蛙沼鎮的？」「沒人派。我們就待在『治安官大屋』裡。我們現在是『東區第一部隊』。總共有幾百個治安官，他們還想要更多，因為有了這些新規定。他們大多數人都是身不由己，但也不是全部。即使在夏爾，也有一些人喜歡管別人的閒事、說大話。還有更糟的：有少數人為『老大』和他的手下做密探工作。」「啊！所以你們就是這樣得到我們消息的，是嗎？」「沒錯。我們現在不被允許用那個了，但他們使用舊的『快遞服務』，並在不同地點安排了專門的跑腿人。昨晚有一個人從懷特毛村來，帶著一份『『秘密訊息』』，另一個人從這裡接力送走。今天下午又傳回訊息說，你們將被逮捕並帶到水邊村，而不是直接去『牢房』。『老大』顯然想立刻見你們。」
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE 1003 ‘He won’t be so eager when Mr. Frodo has finished with him,’ said Sam. The Shirriff-house at Frogmorton was as bad as the Bridge-house. It had only one storey, but it had the same narrow windows, and it was built of ugly pale bricks, badly laid. Inside it was damp and cheerless, and supper was served on a long bare table that had not been scrubbed for weeks. The food deserved no better setting. The travellers were glad to leave the place. It was about eighteen miles to Bywater, and they set off at ten o’clock in the morning. They would have started earlier, only the delay so plainly annoyed the Shirriff-leader. The west wind had shifted northward and it was turning colder, but the rain was gone. It was rather a comic cavalcade that left the village, though the few folk that came out to stare at the ‘get-up’ of the travellers did not seem quite sure whether laughing was allowed. A dozen Shirriffs had been told off as escort to the ‘prisoners’; but Merry made them march in front, while Frodo and his friends rode behind. Merry, Pippin, and Sam sat at their ease laughing and talking and singing, while the Shirriffs stumped along trying to look stern and important. Frodo, however, was silent and looked rather sad and thoughtful. The last person they passed was a sturdy old gaffer clipping a hedge. ‘Hullo, hullo!’ he jeered. ‘Now who’s arrested who?’ Two of the Shirriffs immediately left the party and went towards him. ‘Leader!’ said Merry. ‘Order your fellows back to their places at once, if you don’t want me to deal with them!’ The two hobbits at a sharp word from the leader came back sulkily. “Now get on!’ said Merry, and after that the travellers saw to it that their ponies’ pace was quick enough to push the Shirriffs along as fast as they could go. The sun came out, and in spite of the chilly wind they were soon puffing and sweating. At the Three-Farthing Stone they gave it up. They had done nearly fourteen miles with only one rest at noon. It was now three o’clock. They were hungry and very footsore and they could not stand the pace. ‘Well, come along in your own time!’ said Merry. ‘We are going on.’ ‘Good-bye, Cock-robin!’ said Sam. ‘Ill wait for you outside The Green Dragon, if you haven’t forgotten where that is. Don’t dawdle on the way!’ “You’re breaking arrest, that’s what you’re doing,’ said the leader ruefully, ‘and I can’t be answerable.’ ‘We shall break a good many things yet, and not ask you to answer,’ said Pippin. ‘Good luck to you!’ ok BS
夏爾的收復 1003 「佛羅多先生收拾完他之後，他就不會那麼熱切了。」山姆說。蛙澤的夏爾警官屋和橋屋一樣糟糕。它只有一層樓，但窗戶同樣狹窄，而且是用醜陋的淺色磚塊建造的，砌得七零八落。屋內潮濕陰冷，晚餐擺在一張長長的、光禿禿的桌子上，那桌子已經好幾個星期沒擦洗了。食物也配不上更好的擺設。旅人們很高興離開那個地方。到水邊村大約有十八英里，他們在上午十點出發。他們本來會更早出發，只是因為耽擱明顯惹惱了夏爾警官隊長。西風已經轉向北方，天氣越來越冷，但雨已經停了。離開村莊的是一支頗為滑稽的隊伍，儘管少數出來圍觀旅人「打扮」的村民似乎不太確定是否可以發笑。十二名夏爾警官被指派為「囚犯」的護送隊；但梅里讓他們走在前面，而佛羅多和他的朋友們則騎在後面。梅里、皮聘和山姆輕鬆地坐著，有說有笑，還唱著歌，而夏爾警官們則邁著沉重的步伐，努力裝出嚴肅而重要的樣子。然而，佛羅多卻沉默不語，看起來有些悲傷和沉思。他們經過的最後一個人是一位健壯的老頭，正在修剪樹籬。「喂，喂！」他嘲笑道，「現在是誰逮捕了誰？」兩名夏爾警官立刻離開隊伍，朝他走去。「隊長！」梅里說，「立刻命令你的手下回到他們的位置，如果你不想讓我來處理他們的話！」兩名哈比人聽到隊長嚴厲的命令後，悶悶不樂地回來了。「現在快走！」梅里說，從那以後，旅人們確保他們的矮種馬步伐夠快，足以讓夏爾警官們盡可能地跟上。太陽出來了，儘管有寒風，他們很快就氣喘吁吁，汗流浹背。在三法辛石碑那裡，他們放棄了。他們走了將近十四英里，中午只休息了一次。現在是三點鐘。他們又餓又腳痛，再也跟不上這個速度了。「好吧，你們自己慢慢來吧！」梅里說，「我們要繼續走了。」「再見了，小知更鳥！」山姆說，「如果你沒忘記綠龍客棧在哪裡，我就在那外面等你。別在路上磨蹭！」 「你這是越獄，你就是這麼做的。」隊長懊惱地說，「我可不負責。」「我們還要打破很多東西，而且不會要你負責。」皮聘說，「祝你好運！」
1004 THE LORD OF THE RINGS The travellers trotted on, and as the sun began to sink towards the White Downs far away on the western horizon they came to Bywater by its wide pool; and there they had their first really painful shock. This was Frodo and Sam’s own country, and they found out now that they cared about it more than any other place in the world. Many of the houses that they had known were missing. Some seemed to have been burned down. The pleasant row of old hobbit-holes in the bank on the north side of the Pool were deserted, and their little gardens that used to run down bright to the water’s edge were rank with weeds. Worse, there was a whole line of the ugly new houses all along Pool Side, where the Hobbiton Road ran close to the bank. An avenue of trees had stood there. They were all gone. And looking with dismay up the road towards Bag End they saw a tall chimney of brick in the distance. It was pouring out black smoke into the evening air. Sam was beside himself. ‘I’m going right on, Mr. Frodo!’ he cried. ‘I’m going to see what’s up. I want to find my gaffer.’ ‘We ought to find out first what we’re in for, Sam,’ said Merry. ‘I guess that the “‘Chief”’ will have a gang of ruffians handy. We had better find someone who will tell us how things are round here.’ But in the village of Bywater all the houses and holes were shut, and no one greeted them. They wondered at this, but they soon discovered the reason of it. When they reached The Green Dragon, the last house on the Hobbiton side, now lifeless and with broken windows, they were disturbed to see half a dozen large ill-favoured Men lounging against the inn-wall; they were squint-eyed and sallowfaced. ‘Like that friend of Bill Ferny’s at Bree,’ said Sam. ‘Like many that I saw at Isengard,’ muttered Merry. The ruffians had clubs in their hands and horns by their belts, but they had no other weapons, as far as could be seen. As the travellers rode up they left the wall and walked into the road, blocking the way. ‘Where d’you think you’re going?’ said one, the largest and most evil-looking of the crew. “There’s no road for you any further. And where are those precious Shirriffs?’ ‘Coming along nicely,’ said Merry. ‘A little footsore, perhaps. We promised to wait for them here.’ ‘Garn, what did I say?’ said the ruffian to his mates. ‘I told Sharkey it was no good trusting those little fools. Some of our chaps ought to have been sent.’ ‘And what difference would that have made, pray?’ said Merry. ‘We are not used to footpads in this country, but we know how to deal with them.’
1004 魔戒 旅人們繼續前行，當太陽開始朝著西方地平線遠方的白丘下沉時，他們來到了寬闊水池旁的臨水鎮；在那裡，他們遭受了第一次真正痛苦的打擊。這是佛羅多和山姆的故鄉，他們現在才發現自己比世界上任何其他地方都更關心這裡。他們認識的許多房屋都不見了。有些似乎被燒毀了。水池北岸一排排舒適的老哈比人洞穴都荒廢了，他們那些曾經一直延伸到水邊、明亮的小花園也長滿了雜草。更糟的是，沿著水池邊，也就是哈比屯路緊鄰河岸的地方，有一整排醜陋的新房子。那裡曾經有一條林蔭大道。現在都消失了。他們帶著沮喪的心情沿著路望向袋底洞，看見遠處有一座高高的磚煙囪。它正向傍晚的空氣中噴吐著黑煙。山姆氣得發狂。「我要直接過去，佛羅多先生！」他喊道。「我要去看看發生了什麼事。我要去找我的老爹。」「我們應該先弄清楚我們將面臨什麼，山姆，」梅里說。「我猜那個『頭目』手邊會有一幫惡棍。我們最好找個人告訴我們這裡的情況。」但在臨水鎮的村莊裡，所有的房屋和洞穴都關閉著，沒有人迎接他們。他們對此感到疑惑，但很快就發現了原因。當他們到達綠龍客棧，哈比屯方向的最後一棟房子，現在死氣沉沉、窗戶破爛，他們不安地看到六個高大、面目不善的男人靠在客棧牆邊閒蕩；他們斜著眼睛，面色蠟黃。「就像比爾·費爾尼在布理的那個朋友一樣，」山姆說。「就像我在艾辛格看到的許多人一樣，」梅里咕噥道。那些惡棍手裡拿著棍棒，腰間繫著號角，但就目前所見，他們沒有其他武器。當旅人們騎馬靠近時，他們離開了牆邊，走到路上，擋住了去路。「你們以為要去哪裡？」其中一個，也是這幫人中最高大、看起來最邪惡的說。「你們不能再往前走了。那些寶貴的夏爾警官在哪裡？」「他們來得正好，」梅里說。「可能有點腳痛。我們答應在這裡等他們。」「呸，我說了什麼？」惡棍對他的同夥說。「我告訴夏奇，信任那些小傻瓜是沒用的。我們應該派自己的人去。」「那又能有什麼不同呢，請問？」梅里說。「我們這個國家不習慣有強盜，但我們知道如何對付他們。」
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE 1005 ‘Footpads, eh?’ said the man. ‘So that’s your tone, is it? Change it, or we’ll change it for you. You little folk are getting too uppish. Don’t you trust too much in the Boss’s kind heart. Sharkey’s come now, and he’ll do what Sharkey says.’ ‘And what may that be?’ said Frodo quietly. ‘This country wants waking up and setting to rights,’ said the ruffian, ‘and Sharkey’s going to do it; and make it hard, if you drive him to it. You need a bigger Boss. And you’ll get one before the year is out, if there’s any more trouble. Then you’ll learn a thing or two, you little rat-folk.’ ‘Indeed. I am glad to hear of your plans,’ said Frodo. ‘I am on my way to call on Mr. Lotho, and he may be interested to hear of them too.’ The ruffian laughed. ‘Lotho! He knows all right. Don’t you worry. He’ll do what Sharkey says. Because if a Boss gives trouble, we can change him. See? And if little folks try to push in where they’re not wanted, we can put them out of mischief. See?’ “Yes, I see,’ said Frodo. ‘For one thing, I see that you’re behind the times and the news here. Much has happened since you left the South. Your day is over, and all other ruffians’. The Dark Tower has fallen, and there is a King in Gondor. And Isengard has been destroyed, and your precious master is a beggar in the wilderness. I passed him on the road. The King’s messengers will ride up the Greenway now, not bullies from Isengard.’ The man stared at him and smiled. ‘A beggar in the wilderness!’ he mocked. ‘Oh, is he indeed? Swagger it, swagger it, my little cock-awhoop. But that won’t stop us living in this fat little country where you have lazed long enough. And’ — he snapped his fingers in Frodo’s face — ‘King’s messengers! That for them! When I see one, I’ll take notice, perhaps.’ This was too much for Pippin. His thoughts went back to the Field of Cormallen, and here was a squint-eyed rascal calling the Ring-bearer ‘little cock-a-whoop’. He cast back his cloak, flashed out his sword, and the silver and sable of Gondor gleamed on him as he rode forward. ‘I am a messenger of the King,’ he said. ‘You are speaking to the King’s friend, and one of the most renowned in all the lands of the West. You are a ruffian and a fool. Down on your knees in the road and ask pardon, or I will set this troll’s bane in you!’ The sword glinted in the westering sun. Merry and Sam drew their swords also and rode up to support Pippin; but Frodo did not move. The ruffians gave back. Scaring Bree-land peasants, and bullying bewildered hobbits, had been their work. Fearless hobbits with bright swords and grim faces were a great surprise. And there was a
夏爾的收復 1005 「是些劫匪，嗯？」那人說。「所以這就是你們的態度，是嗎？改掉它，不然我們會替你們改。你們這些小傢伙越來越囂張了。別太相信老闆的好心腸。鯊奇現在來了，他會說了算。」「那會是什麼呢？」佛羅多輕聲說。「這個國家需要被喚醒並撥亂反正。」那惡棍說，「鯊奇會來做這件事；如果你們逼他，他會讓事情變得更難。你們需要一個更大的老闆。如果再有任何麻煩，在年底前你們就會得到一個。到時候你們這些小老鼠就會學到一些教訓。」「的確。我很高興聽到你們的計劃。」佛羅多說，「我正要去拜訪洛索先生，他可能也會對這些計劃感興趣。」那惡棍笑了。「洛索！他什麼都懂。你們不用擔心。他會聽鯊奇的話。因為如果一個老闆製造麻煩，我們可以換掉他。懂嗎？如果小人物們想插手他們不該管的事，我們可以讓他們不再搗亂。懂嗎？」「是的，我懂。」佛羅多說，「首先，我看出你們對這裡的時局和消息一無所知。自從你們離開南方以來，發生了很多事。你們的時代已經結束了，所有其他惡棍的時代也一樣。黑塔已經倒塌，剛鐸有了一位國王。艾辛格也已被摧毀，你們那位寶貴的主人現在是荒野中的乞丐。我在路上遇到過他。現在，國王的使者將會沿著綠道騎行，而不是艾辛格來的惡霸。」那人盯著他，笑了。「荒野中的乞丐！」他嘲笑道，「哦，他真是這樣嗎？儘管吹噓吧，儘管吹噓吧，我的小公雞。但這不會阻止我們住在這個你們懶散夠了的肥沃小國家。」——他對著佛羅多的臉彈了一下手指——「國王的使者！去他的！等我看到一個，也許我會注意一下。」這對皮聘來說實在太過分了。他的思緒回到了科馬倫平原，而這裡竟有個斜眼惡棍稱呼魔戒持有者為「小公雞」。他甩開斗篷，拔出劍，剛鐸的銀色與黑色在他騎上前時閃耀著。「我是國王的使者。」他說，「你正在和國王的朋友說話，他是西方所有土地上最負盛名的人之一。你是一個惡棍和傻瓜。跪在路上請求寬恕，否則我會把這把食人妖剋星刺進你體內！」劍在西沉的陽光下閃爍。梅里和山姆也拔出劍，騎上前去支援皮聘；但佛羅多沒有動。惡棍們退縮了。恐嚇布理蘭的農民，欺凌困惑的哈比人，一直是他們的工作。無畏的哈比人，手持閃亮的劍和嚴峻的臉龐，讓他們大吃一驚。還有一個
1006 THE LORD OF THE RINGS note in the voices of these newcomers that they had not heard before. It chilled them with fear. ‘Gol’ said Merry. ‘If you trouble this village again, you will regret it.” The three hobbits came on, and then the ruffians turned and fled, running away up the Hobbiton Road; but they blew their horns as they ran. ‘Well, we’ve come back none too soon,’ said Merry. ‘Not a day too soon. Perhaps too late, at any rate to save Lotho,’ said Frodo. ‘Miserable fool, but I am sorry for him.’ ‘Save Lotho? Whatever do you mean?’ said Pippin. ‘Destroy him, I should say.’ ‘I don’t think you quite understand things, Pippin,’ said Frodo. ‘Lotho never meant things to come to this pass. He has been a wicked fool, but he’s caught now. The ruffians are on top, gathering, robbing and bullying, and running or ruining things as they like, in his name. And not in his name even for much longer. He’s a prisoner in Bag End now, I expect, and very frightened. We ought to try and rescue him.’ ‘Well I am staggered!’ said Pippin. ‘Of all the ends to our journey that is the very last I should have thought of: to have to fight half-orcs and ruffians in the Shire itself — to rescue Lotho Pimple!’ ‘Fight?’ said Frodo. ‘Well, I suppose it may come to that. But remember: there is to be no slaying of hobbits, not even if they have gone over to the other side. Really gone over, I mean; not just obeying ruffians’ orders because they are frightened. No hobbit has ever killed another on purpose in the Shire, and it is not to begin now. And nobody is to be killed at all, if it can be helped. Keep your tempers and hold your hands to the last possible moment!’ ‘But if there are many of these ruffians,’ said Merry, ‘it will certainly mean fighting. You won’t rescue Lotho, or the Shire, just by being shocked and sad, my dear Frodo.’ ‘No,’ said Pippin. ‘It won’t be so easy scaring them a second time. They were taken by surprise. You heard that horn-blowing? Evidently there are other ruffians near at hand. They’ll be much bolder when there’s more of them together. We ought to think of taking cover somewhere for the night. After all we’re only four, even if we are armed.’ ‘I’ve an idea,’ said Sam. ‘Let’s go to old Tom Cotton’s down South Lane! He always was a stout fellow. And he has a lot of lads that were all friends of mine.’ ‘No!’ said Merry. ‘It’s no good “‘getting under cover’’. That is just what people have been doing, and just what these ruffians like. They will simply come down on us in force, corner us, and then drive us out, or burn us in. No, we have got to do something at once.’
1006 《魔戒》 他們注意到這些陌生人的聲音是他們從未聽過的。這讓他們不寒而慄。「咕嚕！」梅里說。「如果你們再騷擾這個村莊，你們會後悔的。」三個哈比人走了過來，然後那些惡棍轉身逃跑，沿著哈比屯路跑走了；但他們邊跑邊吹響了號角。「嗯，我們回來得一點也不嫌早。」梅里說。「一天也不嫌早。或許已經太遲了，無論如何都救不了洛索了。」佛羅多說。「這個可憐的傻瓜，但我為他感到難過。」「救洛索？你這是什麼意思？」皮聘說。「我是說，毀了他。」「皮聘，我想你不太明白事情。」佛羅多說。「洛索從沒想過事情會走到這一步。他一直都是個邪惡的傻瓜，但他現在被困住了。惡棍們佔了上風，以他的名義聚集、搶劫、欺凌，隨心所欲地搞破壞。而且，甚至連以他的名義行事也維持不了多久了。我猜他現在是袋底洞的囚犯，而且非常害怕。我們應該試著去救他。」「我真是大吃一驚！」皮聘說。「在我們旅途的所有結局中，這是我最沒想到的：竟然要在夏爾與半獸人和惡棍戰鬥——去救洛索·皮姆普爾！」「戰鬥？」佛羅多說。「嗯，我想事情可能會發展到那一步。但請記住：不能殺害哈比人，即使他們已經投靠了敵方。我是說，是真的投靠了，而不僅僅是因為害怕而服從惡棍的命令。夏爾從沒有哈比人故意殺害另一個哈比人，現在也不能開這個先例。如果可以避免，任何人都不應該被殺。保持冷靜，按兵不動，直到最後一刻！」 「但是如果這些惡棍很多的話，」梅里說，「那肯定意味著要戰鬥。親愛的佛羅多，光是震驚和悲傷是救不了洛索或夏爾的。」「不對。」皮聘說。「第二次嚇跑他們就不會那麼容易了。他們上次是被突襲了。你聽到號角聲了嗎？顯然附近還有其他惡棍。當他們人多勢眾時，會更加大膽。我們應該考慮找個地方過夜。畢竟我們只有四個人，即使我們有武器。」「我想到一個主意。」山姆說。「我們去南巷老湯姆·卡頓家吧！他一直都是個強壯的傢伙。而且他有很多小伙子，都是我的朋友。」「不！」梅里說。「『躲藏起來』是沒用的。那正是人們一直在做的事情，也是這些惡棍喜歡的。他們會大舉進攻我們，把我們逼到絕境，然後把我們趕走，或者把我們燒死在裡面。不，我們必須立刻做點什麼。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE 1007 ‘Do what?’ said Pippin. ‘Raise the Shire!’ said Merry. ‘Now! Wake all our people! They hate all this, you can see: all of them except perhaps one or two rascals, and a few fools that want to be important, but don’t at all understand what is really going on. But Shire-folk have been so comfortable so long they don’t know what to do. They just want a match, though, and they’ll go up in fire. The Chief’s Men must know that. They’ll try to stamp on us and put us out quick. We’ve only got a very short time. ‘Sam, you can make a dash for Cotton’s farm, if you like. He’s the chief person round here, and the sturdiest. Come on! I am going to blow the horn of Rohan, and give them all some music they have never heard before.’ They rode back to the middle of the village. There Sam turned aside and galloped off down the lane that led south to Cotton’s. He had not gone far when he heard a sudden clear horn-call go up ringing into the sky. Far over hill and field it echoed; and so compelling was that call that Sam himself almost turned and dashed back. His pony reared and neighed. ‘On, lad! On!’ he cried. ‘We’ll be going back soon.’ Then he heard Merry change the note, and up went the Horn-cry of Buckland, shaking the air. Awake! Awake! Fear, Fire, Foes! Awake! Fire, Foes! Awake! Behind him Sam heard a hubbub of voices and a great din and slamming of doors. In front of him lights sprang out in the gloaming; dogs barked; feet came running. Before he got to the lane’s end there was Farmer Cotton with three of his lads, Young Tom, Jolly, and Nick, hurrying towards him. They had axes in their hands, and barred the way. ‘Nay! It’s not one of them ruffians,’ Sam heard the farmer say. ‘It’s a hobbit by the size of it, but all dressed up queer. Hey!’ he cried. ‘Who are you, and what’s all this to-do?’ ‘It’s Sam, Sam Gamgee. I’ve come back.’ Farmer Cotton came up close and stared at him in the twilight. ‘Well!’ he exclaimed. “The voice is right, and your face is no worse than it was, Sam. But I should a’ passed you in the street in that gear. You’ve been in foreign parts, seemingly. We feared you were dead.’ “That I ain’t!’ said Sam. ‘Nor Mr. Frodo. He’s here and his friends.
夏爾的收復 1007 「做什麼？」皮聘問。 「喚醒夏爾！」梅里說。「就是現在！喚醒我們所有的人！你看，他們都痛恨這一切：除了或許一兩個惡棍，以及一些想出人頭地卻完全不明白真正發生了什麼事的傻瓜之外。但夏爾人安逸太久了，他們不知道該怎麼辦。不過，他們只需要一根火柴，就會燃燒起來。頭目的手下一定知道這一點。他們會試圖鎮壓我們，迅速撲滅我們。我們只剩下很短的時間了。」 「山姆，如果你願意，可以趕去棉花農場。他是這裡最重要的人，也是最堅韌的。快點！我要吹響洛汗號角，給他們從未聽過的樂章。」 他們騎回村莊中央。山姆在那裡轉向，沿著通往南方棉花農場的小徑疾馳而去。他沒走多遠，就聽到一聲突然響亮、直衝天際的號角聲。它遠遠地迴盪在山丘和田野之間；那號角聲如此扣人心弦，以至於山姆自己幾乎轉身衝了回去。他的小馬揚起前蹄，嘶鳴起來。 「走吧，小夥子！走吧！」他喊道。「我們很快就會回去的。」 接著他聽到梅里改變了音調，鹿地號角聲響起，震動了空氣。醒來！醒來！恐懼，火焰，敵人！醒來！火焰，敵人！醒來！ 山姆身後傳來一片人聲鼎沸，巨大的喧囂和關門聲。他前方，燈光在暮色中亮起；狗吠聲此起彼落；腳步聲奔跑而來。在他到達小徑盡頭之前，棉花農夫帶著他的三個兒子，小湯姆、喬利和尼克，正朝他趕來。他們手裡拿著斧頭，擋住了去路。 「不！這不是那些惡棍之一，」山姆聽到農夫說。「看體型是個哈比人，但穿得怪模怪樣的。嘿！」他喊道。「你是誰？這是怎麼回事？」 「我是山姆，山姆·詹吉。我回來了。」 棉花農夫走上前，在暮色中盯著他。「嗯！」他驚呼。「聲音沒錯，你的臉色也沒比以前差，山姆。但我穿成那樣，在街上恐怕會認不出你。你似乎去了異鄉。我們還以為你死了呢。」 「我才沒死！」山姆說。「佛羅多先生也沒死。他和他的朋友們都在這裡。」
1008 THE LORD OF THE RINGS And that’s the to-do. They’re raising the Shire. We’re going to clear out these ruffians, and their Chief too. We’re starting now.’ ‘Good, good!’ cried Farmer Cotton. ‘So it’s begun at last! I’ve been itching for trouble all this year, but folks wouldn’t help. And T’ve had the wife and Rosie to think of. These ruffians don’t stick at nothing. But come on now, lads! Bywater is up! We must be in it!’ ‘What about Mrs. Cotton and Rosie?’ said Sam. ‘It isn’t safe yet for them to be left all alone.’ ‘My Nibs is with them. But you can go and help him, if you have a mind,’ said Farmer Cotton with a grin. Then he and his sons ran off towards the village. Sam hurried to the house. By the large round door at the top of the steps from the wide yard stood Mrs. Cotton and Rosie, and Nibs in front of them grasping a hay-fork. ‘It’s me!’ shouted Sam as he trotted up. ‘Sam Gamgee! So don’t try prodding me, Nibs. Anyway, I’ve a mail-shirt on me.’ He jumped down from his pony and went up the steps. They stared at him in silence. ‘Good evening, Mrs. Cotton!’ he said. ‘Hullo, Rosie!’ ‘Hullo, Sam!’ said Rosie. ‘Where’ve you been? They said you were dead; but I’ve been expecting you since the spring. You haven’t hurried, have you?’ ‘Perhaps not,’ said Sam abashed. ‘But I’m hurrying now. We’re setting about the ruffians, and I’ve got to get back to Mr. Frodo. But I thought Id have a look and see how Mrs. Cotton was keeping, and you, Rosie.’ ‘We’re keeping nicely, thank you,’ said Mrs. Cotton. ‘Or should be, if it weren’t for these thieving ruffians.’ ‘Well, be off with you!’ said Rosie. ‘If you’ve been looking after Mr. Frodo all this while, what d’you want to leave him for, as soon as things look dangerous?’ This was too much for Sam. It needed a week’s answer, or none. He turned away and mounted his pony. But as he started off, Rosie ran down the steps. ‘I think you look fine, Sam,’ she said. ‘Go on now! But take care of yourself, and come straight back as soon as you have settled the ruffians!’ When Sam got back he found the whole village roused. Already, apart from many younger lads, more than a hundred sturdy hobbits were assembled with axes, and heavy hammers, and long knives, and stout staves; and a few had hunting-bows. More were still coming in from outlying farms. Some of the village-folk had lit a large fire, just to enliven things,
1008 魔戒。事情就是這樣。他們正在動員夏爾。我們要清除這些惡棍，還有他們的頭目。我們現在就開始了。」「好，好！」棉花農夫喊道。「終於開始了！我今年一整年都巴不得找點麻煩，但大家都不肯幫忙。而且我還得顧慮我老婆和蘿西。這些惡棍什麼事都做得出來。不過，小夥子們，現在快來！水鄉村已經動員起來了！我們一定要參與其中！」「那棉花太太和蘿西怎麼辦？」山姆說。「現在讓她們獨自待著還不安全。」「我的尼布斯跟她們在一起。不過如果你願意，你可以去幫他。」棉花農夫咧嘴一笑說。然後他和他兒子們跑向村莊。山姆趕忙跑回家。在寬闊院子階梯頂端的大圓門旁，棉花太太和蘿西站著，尼布斯則手持乾草叉站在她們前面。「是我！」山姆小跑著喊道。「山姆·詹吉！所以別想用叉子戳我，尼布斯。反正我身上穿著鎖子甲。」他從他的小馬駒上跳下來，走上階梯。他們默默地盯著他。「晚安，棉花太太！」他說。「哈囉，蘿西！」「哈囉，山姆！」蘿西說。「你跑哪去了？他們說你死了；但我從春天就一直在等你。你可真不急啊，是不是？」「或許吧。」山姆羞愧地說。「但我現在正趕著呢。我們正在對付那些惡棍，而且我必須趕回佛羅多先生身邊。不過我想先來看看棉花太太和妳，蘿西，過得怎麼樣。」「我們過得很好，謝謝你。」棉花太太說。「如果不是這些偷竊的惡棍，本來應該會更好的。」「好啦，你快走吧！」蘿西說。「如果你這段時間一直都在照顧佛羅多先生，那事情一變危險，你為什麼就想離開他呢？」這對山姆來說太難以承受了。這需要一週的時間來回答，或者根本無法回答。他轉過身，騎上他的小馬駒。但當他剛要出發時，蘿西跑下階梯。「我覺得你很好看，山姆。」她說。「現在就去吧！但要照顧好自己，一搞定那些惡棍就立刻回來！」當山姆回來時，他發現整個村莊都動員起來了。除了許多年輕小夥子之外，已經有一百多名強壯的哈比人聚集起來，帶著斧頭、重錘、長刀和粗壯的木棍；還有一些人帶著獵弓。更多的人還在從偏遠的農場趕來。一些村民點燃了一大堆火，只是為了讓氣氛更熱鬧些。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOO09 and also because it was one of the things forbidden by the Chief. It burned bright as night came on. Others at Merry’s orders were setting up barriers across the road at each end of the village. When the Shirriffs came up to the lower one they were dumbfounded; but as soon as they saw how things were, most of them took off their feathers and joined in the revolt. The others slunk away. Sam found Frodo and his friends by the fire talking to old Tom Cotton, while an admiring crowd of Bywater folk stood round and stared. ‘Well, what’s the next move?’ said Farmer Cotton. ‘I can’t say,’ said Frodo, ‘until I know more. How many of these ruffians are there?’ “That’s hard to tell,’ said Cotton. “They moves about and comes and goes. There’s sometimes fifty of them in their sheds up Hobbiton way; but they go out from there roving round, thieving or “‘gathering’’ as they call it. Still there’s seldom less than a score round the Boss, as they names him. He’s at Bag End, or was; but he don’t go outside the grounds now. No one’s seen him at all, in fact, for a week or two; but the Men don’t let no one go near.’ ‘Hobbiton’s not their only place, is it?’ said Pippin. ‘No, more’s the pity,’ said Cotton. “There’s a good few down south in Longbottom and by Sarn Ford, I hear; and some more lurking in the Woody End; and they’ve sheds at Waymeet. And then there’s the Lockholes, as they call ’em: the old storage-tunnels at Michel Delving that they’ve made into prisons for those as stand up to them. Still I reckon there’s not above three hundred of them in the Shire all told, and maybe less. We can master them, if we stick together.’ ‘Have they got any weapons?’ asked Merry. ‘Whips, knives, and clubs, enough for their dirty work: that’s all they’ve showed so far,’ said Cotton. ‘But I dare say they’ve got other gear, if it comes to fighting. Some have bows, anyway. They’ve shot one or two of our folk.’ “There you are, Frodo!’ said Merry. ‘I knew we should have to fight. Well, they started the killing.’ ‘Not exactly,’ said Cotton. ‘Leastways not the shooting. Tooks started that. You see, your dad, Mr. Peregrin, he’s never had no truck with this Lotho, not from the beginning: said that if anyone was going to play the chief at this time of day, it would be the right Thain of the Shire and no upstart. And when Lotho sent his Men they got no change out of him. Tooks are lucky, they’ve got those deep holes in the Green Hills, the Great Smials and all, and the ruffians can’t come at ’em; and they won’t let the ruffians come on their land. If they do, Tooks hunt ’em. Tooks shot three for prowling
夏爾的收復，也是因為這是首領明令禁止的事情之一。夜幕降臨時，它燃燒得熊熊發亮。梅里下令，其他人則在村莊兩頭的路上設置路障。當夏爾警員來到下方的路障時，他們都嚇呆了；但他們一看到情況，大部分人就脫下制服，加入了反抗。其他人則溜走了。山姆在火堆旁找到了佛羅多和他的朋友們，他們正在和老湯姆·柯頓說話，而一群來自水邊村的崇拜者則圍觀著。「那麼，下一步怎麼辦？」農夫柯頓問。「我說不準，」佛羅多說，「除非我知道更多。這些惡棍有多少人？」「這很難說，」柯頓說，「他們四處移動，來來去去。有時候哈比屯那邊的棚屋裡有五十個；但他們會從那裡出去四處遊蕩，偷竊或者他們所謂的『收集』。不過，在他們稱作『老大』的那個人身邊，很少會少於二十個。他現在在袋底洞，或者說曾經在那裡；但他現在不離開院子了。事實上，一兩個星期都沒人見過他；但那些人也不讓任何人靠近。」「哈比屯不是他們唯一的地方，對吧？」皮聘問。「不，可惜的是，」柯頓說，「我聽說在南方的長谷和薩恩渡口那邊有不少；還有一些潛伏在林地邊緣；他們在路口村也有棚屋。然後還有他們稱作『鎖洞』的地方：那是米歇爾戴爾文的老儲藏隧道，他們把它們改造成了監獄，用來關押那些反抗他們的人。不過我估計，整個夏爾總共不會超過三百人，也許還更少。如果我們團結起來，就能制服他們。」「他們有武器嗎？」梅里問。「鞭子、刀子和棍棒，足夠他們幹那些骯髒活了：到目前為止，他們就只展示了這些，」柯頓說，「但我敢說，如果真要打起來，他們還有其他裝備。反正有些人有弓箭。他們射傷了一兩個我們的人。」「你瞧，佛羅多！」梅里說，「我就知道我們得打一仗。嗯，是他們先動手的。」「不完全是，」柯頓說，「至少不是槍擊。是圖克家族先動手的。你看，你爸爸，皮聘先生，他從一開始就從不和這個洛索打交道：他說如果有人要在這個時候扮演首領，那也應該是夏爾的合法領主，而不是什麼暴發戶。當洛索派他的人去時，他們也沒能從他那裡討到便宜。圖克家族很幸運，他們在綠丘那裡有那些深洞，大斯密爾等等，那些惡棍無法靠近他們；他們也不會讓惡棍進入他們的土地。如果惡棍進來，圖克家族就會追捕他們。圖克家族射殺了三個正在四處遊蕩的惡棍。
IOIO THE LORD OF THE RINGS and robbing. After that the ruffians turned nastier. And they keep a pretty close watch on Tookland. No one gets in nor out of it now.’ ‘Good for the Tooks!’ cried Pippin. ‘But someone is going to get in again, now. I am off to the Smials. Anyone coming with me to Tuckborough?’ Pippin rode off with half a dozen lads on ponies. ‘See you soon!’ he cried. ‘It’s only fourteen miles or so over the fields. P’ll bring you back an army of Tooks in the morning.’ Merry blew a horn-call after them as they rode off into the gathering night. The people cheered. ‘All the same,’ said Frodo to all those who stood near, ‘I wish for no killing; not even of the ruffians, unless it must be done, to prevent them from hurting hobbits.’ ‘All right!’ said Merry. ‘But we shall be having a visit from the Hobbiton gang any time now, I think. They won’t come just to talk things over. We’ll try to deal with them neatly, but we must be prepared for the worst. Now I’ve got a plan.’ ‘Very good,’ said Frodo. ‘You make the arrangements.’ Just then some hobbits, who had been sent out towards Hobbiton, came running in. “They’re coming!’ they said. ‘A score or more. But two have gone off west across country.’ “To Waymeet, that'll be,’ said Cotton, ‘to fetch more of the gang. Well, it’s fifteen mile each way. We needn’t trouble about them just yet.’ Merry hurried off to give orders. Farmer Cotton cleared the street, sending everyone indoors, except the older hobbits who had weapons of some sort. They had not long to wait. Soon they could hear loud voices, and then the tramping of heavy feet. Presently a whole squad of the ruffians came down the road. They saw the barrier and laughed. They did not imagine that there was anything in this little land that would stand up to twenty of their kind together. The hobbits opened the barrier and stood aside. “Thank you!’ the Men jeered. ‘Now run home to bed before you’re whipped.’ Then they marched along the street shouting: ‘Put those lights out! Get indoors and stay there! Or we'll take fifty of you to the Lockholes for a year. Get in! The Boss is losing his temper.’ No one paid any heed to their orders; but as the ruffians passed, they closed in quietly behind and followed them. When the Men reached the fire there was Farmer Cotton standing all alone warming his hands. ‘Who are you, and what d’you think you’re doing?’ said the ruffian-leader. Farmer Cotton looked at him slowly. ‘I was just going to ask you that,’ he said. “This isn’t your country, and you’re not wanted.’ ‘Well, you’re wanted anyhow,’ said the leader. ‘We want you. Take
《魔戒》和搶劫。之後，那些惡棍變得更加惡劣。他們對圖克蘭盯得很緊。現在沒有人能進出那裡了。」「圖克家族好樣的！」皮聘喊道。「但現在有人要再進去了。我要去斯米爾斯。有人要跟我去塔克堡嗎？」皮聘騎著小馬，帶著六個小夥子走了。「很快再見！」他喊道。「穿過田野，大概只有十四英里左右。我明天早上會帶一支圖克家族的軍隊回來。」梅里在他們騎馬駛入夜色漸濃的暮色中時，吹響了號角。人們歡呼起來。「儘管如此，」佛羅多對所有站在附近的人說，「我不希望有殺戮；即使是對那些惡棍，除非萬不得已，為了阻止他們傷害哈比人。」「好吧！」梅里說。「但我認為，哈比屯的幫派隨時都會來拜訪我們了。他們不會只是來談判的。我們會盡量妥善處理，但我們必須做好最壞的打算。我現在有個計畫了。」「很好，」佛羅多說。「你來安排吧。」就在那時，一些被派往哈比屯方向的哈比人跑了進來。「他們來了！」他們說。「二十個或更多。但有兩個人往西邊穿過鄉村走了。」「那應該是去威米特了，」卡頓說，「去帶更多幫派的人來。嗯，單程十五英里。我們暫時不必擔心他們。」梅里匆匆去下達命令。農夫卡頓清空了街道，把所有人都送進屋裡，除了那些持有某種武器的年長哈比人。他們沒等多久。很快他們就聽到響亮的聲音，接著是沉重的腳步聲。不久，一整隊惡棍沿著路走了下來。他們看到路障，笑了起來。他們不認為這片小小的土地上有什麼能抵擋他們二十個人一起。哈比人打開路障，站到一旁。「謝謝！」那些人嘲笑道。「現在快跑回家睡覺，免得挨鞭子。」然後他們沿著街道行進，大喊：「把燈熄掉！進屋待著！不然我們就把你們五十個人關進牢房一年。進去！老闆要發脾氣了。」沒有人理會他們的命令；但當惡棍們經過時，他們悄悄地從後面圍攏上去，跟著他們。當那些人走到火堆旁時，農夫卡頓正獨自一人站在那裡烤火取暖。「你是誰，你覺得你在做什麼？」惡棍頭目說。農夫卡頓慢慢地看著他。「我正要問你這個問題，」他說。「這裡不是你們的地盤，你們不受歡迎。」「嗯，反正你被盯上了，」頭目說。「我們要你。帶
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOII him lads! Lockholes for him, and give him something to keep him quiet!’ The Men took one step forward and stopped short. There rose a roar of voices all round them, and suddenly they were aware that Farmer Cotton was not all alone. They were surrounded. In the dark on the edge of the firelight stood a ring of hobbits that had crept up out of the shadows. There was nearly two hundred of them, all holding some weapon. Merry stepped forward. ‘We have met before,’ he said to the leader, ‘and I warned you not to come back here. I warn you again: you are standing in the light and you are covered by archers. If you lay a finger on this farmer, or on anyone else, you will be shot at once. Lay down any weapons that you have!’ The leader looked round. He was trapped. But he was not scared, not now with a score of his fellows to back him. He knew too little of hobbits to understand his peril. Foolishly he decided to fight. It would be easy to break out. ‘At ’em, lads!’ he cried. ‘Let ’em have it!’ With a long knife in his left hand and a club in the other he made a rush at the ring, trying to burst out back towards Hobbiton. He aimed a savage blow at Merry who stood in his way. He fell dead with four arrows in him. That was enough for the others. They gave in. Their weapons were taken from them, and they were roped together, and marched off to an empty hut that they had built themselves, and there they were tied hand and foot, and locked up under guard. The dead leader was dragged off and buried. ‘Seems almost too easy after all, don’t it?’ said Cotton. ‘I said we could master them. But we needed a call. You came back in the nick o’ time, Mr. Merry.’ “There’s more to be done still,’ said Merry. ‘If you’re right in your reckoning, we haven’t dealt with a tithe of them yet. But it’s dark now. I think the next stroke must wait until morning. Then we must call on the Chief.’ ‘Why not now?’ said Sam. ‘It’s not much more than six o’clock. And I want to see my gaffer. D’you know what’s come of him, Mr. Cotton?’ ‘He’s not too well, and not too bad, Sam,’ said the farmer. “They dug up Bagshot Row, and that was a sad blow to him. He’s in one of them new houses that the Chief’s Men used to build while they still did any work other than burning and thieving: not above a mile from the end of Bywater. But he comes around to me, when he gets a chance, and I see he’s better fed than some of the poor bodies. All against The Rules, of course. I’d have had him with me, but that wasn’t allowed.’
夏爾的收復 「衝啊，小子們！把他關進牢裡，給他點東西讓他安靜下來！」那些人向前走了一步，然後猛地停住了。他們周圍響起一片吼聲，他們突然意識到棉農夫並非孤身一人。他們被包圍了。在火光邊緣的黑暗中，站著一圈從陰影中悄悄靠近的哈比人。他們將近兩百人，個個手持武器。梅里向前走了一步。「我們以前見過面，」他對那首領說，「我警告過你不要再回到這裡。我再警告你一次：你正站在光亮處，弓箭手已將你鎖定。如果你敢動這位農夫一根汗毛，或是動任何其他人，你將會立刻被射殺。放下你們所有的武器！」那首領環顧四周。他被困住了。但他並不害怕，尤其現在有二十個同夥在背後支持他。他對哈比人知之甚少，無法理解自己的危險。他愚蠢地決定反擊。他覺得要突圍會很容易。「衝啊，小子們！」他大喊。「給他們點顏色瞧瞧！」他左手持長刀，右手握木棍，衝向包圍圈，試圖突圍回到哈比屯。他朝擋路的梅里猛擊過去。他身中四箭，倒地而亡。這對其他人來說已經足夠了。他們投降了。他們的武器被收繳，他們被繩索捆綁在一起，然後被押送到他們自己搭建的一間空茅屋裡，在那裡他們被五花大綁，並在看守下被鎖起來。那死去的首領被拖走埋葬了。「看來終究是太容易了，不是嗎？」棉農夫說。「我說過我們能制服他們。但我們需要一個號召。梅里先生，你回來得正是時候。」「還有更多事情要做呢，」梅里說。「如果你估計得沒錯，我們還沒處理掉他們十分之一的人。但現在天黑了。我想下一步行動必須等到早上。然後我們必須去拜訪首領。」「為什麼不現在呢？」山姆說。「現在才剛過六點。我想去看看我的老爹。棉農夫，你知道他怎麼樣了嗎？」「他不算太好，也不算太壞，山姆，」農夫說。「他們把袋底洞路給挖了，這對他來說是個沉重的打擊。他現在住在首領的人以前蓋的新房子裡，那時候他們還會做些燒殺搶掠以外的工作：離水邊村盡頭不到一英里。但他一有機會就會來找我，我看他比那些可憐人吃得好多了。當然，這一切都違反了規定。我本想讓他跟我住在一起，但那是不允許的。」
IoI2 THE LORD OF THE RINGS “Thank’ee indeed, Mr. Cotton, and I’ll never forget it,’ said Sam. ‘But I want to see him. That Boss and that Sharkey, as they spoke of, they might do a mischief up there before the morning.’ ‘All right, Sam,’ said Cotton. ‘Choose a lad or two, and go and fetch him to my house. You’ll not have need to go near the old Hobbiton village over Water. My Jolly here will show you.’ Sam went off. Merry arranged for look-outs round the village and guards at the barriers during the night. Then he and Frodo went off with Farmer Cotton. They sat with the family in the warm kitchen, and the Cottons asked a few polite questions about their travels, but hardly listened to the answers: they were far more concerned with events in the Shire. ‘It all began with Pimple, as we call him,’ said Farmer Cotton; ‘and it began as soon as you’d gone off, Mr. Frodo. He’d funny ideas, had Pimple. Seems he wanted to own everything himself, and then order other folk about. It soon came out that he already did own a sight more than was good for him; and he was always grabbing more, though where he got the money was a mystery: mills and malt-houses and inns, and farms, and leaf-plantations. He’d already bought Sandyman’s mill before he came to Bag End, seemingly. ‘Of course he started with a lot of property in the Southfarthing which he had from his dad; and it seems he’d been selling a lot o’ the best leaf, and sending it away quietly for a year or two. But at the end o’ last year he began sending away loads of stuff, not only leaf. Things began to get short, and winter coming on, too. Folk got angry, but he had his answer. A lot of Men, ruffians mostly, came with great waggons, some to carry off the goods south-away, and others to stay. And more came. And before we knew where we were they were planted here and there all over the Shire, and were felling trees and digging and building themselves sheds and houses just as they liked. At first goods and damage was paid for by Pimple; but soon they began lording it around and taking what they wanted. “Then there was a bit of trouble, but not enough. Old Will the Mayor set off for Bag End to protest, but he never got there. Ruffians laid hands on him and took and locked him up in a hole in Michel Delving, and there he is now. And after that, it would be soon after New Year, there wasn’t no more Mayor, and Pimple called himself Chief Shirriff, or just Chief, and did as he liked; and if anyone got “‘uppish”’ as they called it, they followed Will. So things went from bad to worse. There wasn’t no smoke left, save for the Men; and the Chief didn’t hold with beer, save for his Men, and closed all the inns; and everything except Rules got shorter and shorter, unless one could hide a bit of one’s own when the ruffians went round gathering stuff
魔戒二部曲 「真的非常感謝您，棉花先生，我永遠不會忘記的。」山姆說。「但我得去見他。他們說的那個『老闆』和『鯊魚』，可能會在天亮前在那裡惹麻煩。」「好吧，山姆。」棉花先生說。「挑一兩個小夥子，去把我兒子帶到我家來。你不需要靠近水邊的老哈比屯村。我的喬利會帶你去。」山姆走了。梅里安排了村莊周圍的瞭望哨和夜間路障的守衛。然後他和佛羅多與棉花農夫一起離開了。他們和家人坐在溫暖的廚房裡，棉花一家問了一些關於他們旅行的客氣問題，但幾乎沒聽他們的回答：他們更關心夏爾發生的事情。「這一切都始於『痘痘』，我們都這麼叫他。」棉花農夫說；「這事兒從您一離開就開始了，佛羅多先生。痘痘這傢伙有些奇怪的想法。他似乎想把所有東西都據為己有，然後對其他人發號施令。很快就發現，他擁有的東西已經遠遠超過對他有益的了；而且他總是不斷地攫取更多，儘管他從哪裡弄來錢是個謎：磨坊、麥芽屋、旅館、農場，還有菸草種植園。他似乎在來到袋底洞之前就已經買下了桑迪曼的磨坊了。」「當然，他一開始在南區就有很多財產，那是他從他父親那裡繼承來的；而且他似乎已經悄悄地賣掉了很多最好的菸草，持續了一兩年。但去年年底，他開始運走大量的東西，不只是菸草。物資開始短缺，冬天也快來了。人們很生氣，但他自有他的說辭。許多人，大多是惡棍，帶著大馬車來了，有些把貨物運往南方，有些則留下來。然後來了更多的人。在我們還沒弄清楚怎麼回事之前，他們就已經遍布夏爾各地，隨心所欲地砍樹、挖掘、建造棚屋和房屋。起初，貨物和損害都由痘痘支付；但很快他們就開始作威作福，隨意拿取他們想要的東西。」「然後發生了一些小麻煩，但還不夠。老鎮長威爾動身前往袋底洞抗議，但他從未到達那裡。惡棍們對他動了手，把他抓起來關在米歇爾掘洞的一個洞穴裡，他現在還在那裡。在那之後，大概是新年過後不久，就沒有鎮長了，痘痘自稱是首席巡官，或者就叫『首席』，為所欲為；如果有人像他們說的『擺架子』，他們就會步威爾的後塵。所以情況越來越糟。除了那些人，什麼菸草都沒剩下；而首席不喜歡啤酒，除了他的手下，他關閉了所有的旅館；除了規矩，所有東西都越來越少，除非有人能在惡棍們四處搜刮東西的時候藏一點自己的。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOI3 up “‘for fair distribution’’: which meant they got it and we didn’t, except for the leavings which you could have at the Shirriff-houses, if you could stomach them. All very bad. But since Sharkey came it’s been plain ruination.’ ‘Who is this Sharkey?’ said Merry. ‘I heard one of the ruffians speak of him.’ “The biggest ruffian 0’ the lot, seemingly,’ answered Cotton. ‘It was about last harvest, end o’ September maybe, that we first heard of him. We’ve never seen him, but he’s up at Bag End; and he’s the real Chief now, I guess. All the ruffians do what he says; and what he says is mostly: hack, burn, and ruin; and now it’s come to killing. There’s no longer even any bad sense in it. They cut down trees and let em lie, they burn houses and build no more. “Take Sandyman’s mill now. Pimple knocked it down almost as soon as he came to Bag End. Then he brought in a lot o’ dirty-looking Men to build a bigger one and fill it full 0’ wheels and outlandish contraptions. Only that fool Ted was pleased by that, and he works there cleaning wheels for the Men, where his dad was the Miller and his own master. Pimple’s idea was to grind more and faster, or so he said. He’s got other mills like it. But you’ve got to have grist before you can grind; and there was no more for the new mill to do than for the old. But since Sharkey came they don’t grind no more corn at all. They’re always a-hammering and a-letting out a smoke and a stench, and there isn’t no peace even at night in Hobbiton. And they pour out filth a purpose; they’ve fouled all the lower Water, and it’s getting down into Brandywine. If they want to make the Shire into a desert, they’re going the right way about it. I don’t believe that fool of a Pimple’s behind all this. It’s Sharkey, I say.’ ‘That’s right!’ put in Young Tom. ‘Why, they even took Pimple’s old ma, that Lobelia, and he was fond of her, if no one else was. Some of the Hobbiton folk, they saw it. She comes down the lane with her old umberella. Some of the ruffians were going up with a big cart. “““Where be you a-going?”’ says she. ‘*°To Bag End,” says they. ‘*‘What for?”’ says she. “**To put up some sheds for Sharkey,” says they. **“W7ho said you could?”’ says she. ‘**Sharkey,”’ says they. “So get out o’ the road, old hagling!’’ **T?] give you Sharkey, you dirty thieving ruffians!”’ says she, and ups with her umberella and goes for the leader, near twice her size. So they took her. Dragged her off to the Lockholes, at her age too. They’ve took others we miss more, but there’s no denying she showed more spirit than most.’
夏爾的掃蕩 他們說這是「為了公平分配」：這意味著他們得到了，而我們沒有，除了那些你可以在夏爾警長屋得到的殘羹剩飯，如果你能忍受的話。一切都糟透了。但自從鯊奇來了之後，就只剩下徹底的毀滅了。 「這個鯊奇是誰？」梅里說。「我聽到那些惡棍提到他。」 「看來是這群人裡最大的惡棍，」棉花說。「大約是去年收穫時節，也許是九月底，我們第一次聽說他。我們從未見過他，但他住在袋底洞；我想他現在是真正的頭目了。所有惡棍都聽他的話；而他主要說的就是：砍伐、焚燒、破壞；現在甚至發展到殺人了。這一切甚至不再有任何壞的意義。他們砍倒樹木，任其腐爛，他們燒毀房屋，卻不再重建。 「就拿桑迪曼的磨坊來說吧。皮姆普幾乎一到袋底洞就把磨坊拆了。然後他帶來了一群看起來髒兮兮的人，建造了一個更大的磨坊，裡面裝滿了輪子和奇形怪狀的裝置。只有那個傻瓜泰德對此感到高興，他在那裡為那些人清洗輪子，而他的父親曾是磨坊主，是他自己的主人。皮姆普的想法是磨得更多更快，他是這麼說的。他還有其他類似的磨坊。但你必須有穀物才能磨；而新磨坊能做的事情並不比舊磨坊多。但自從鯊奇來了之後，他們根本就不再磨玉米了。他們總是叮叮噹噹地敲打，冒出濃煙和惡臭，即使在夜間的哈比屯也沒有片刻安寧。他們還故意傾倒污物；他們污染了所有下游的水域，而且正流向白蘭地河。如果他們想把夏爾變成一片沙漠，他們正朝著這個方向努力。我不相信那個傻瓜皮姆普是這一切的幕後主使。我說，是鯊奇。」 「沒錯！」小湯姆插嘴說。「他們甚至帶走了皮姆普的老媽，那個洛貝莉亞，皮姆普還挺喜歡她的，儘管沒人喜歡她。一些哈比屯的居民看到了。她沿著小路走下來，帶著她的舊雨傘。一些惡棍正推著一輛大車上來。 「『你們要去哪裡？』她說。 「『去袋底洞，』他們說。 「『做什麼？』她說。 「『為鯊奇搭棚子，』他們說。 「『誰說你們可以？』她說。 「『鯊奇，』他們說。 「『所以滾開，老巫婆！』 「『我會讓你們見識鯊奇的厲害，你們這些骯髒的竊賊惡棍！』她說，然後舉起雨傘，衝向那個比她高近一倍的頭目。於是他們把她抓走了。把她拖到牢房裡，她都那麼大歲數了。他們還抓走了我們更想念的其他人，但不可否認的是，她比大多數人更有骨氣。
IOI4 THE LORD OF THE RINGS Into the middle of this talk came Sam, bursting in with his gaffer. Old Gamgee did not look much older, but he was a little deafer. ‘Good evening, Mr. Baggins!’ he said. ‘Glad indeed I am to see you safe back. But I’ve a bone to pick with you, in a manner 0’ speaking, if I may make so bold. You didn’t never ought to have a’ sold Bag End, as I always said. That’s what started all the mischief. And while you’ve been trapessing in foreign parts, chasing Black Men up mountains from what my Sam says, though what for he don’t make clear, they’ve been and dug up Bagshot Row and ruined my taters!’ ‘I am very sorry, Mr. Gamgee,’ said Frodo. ‘But now I’ve come back, Pll do my best to make amends.’ ‘Well, you can’t say fairer than that,’ said the Gaffer. ‘Mr. Frodo Baggins is a real gentlehobbit, I always have said, whatever you may think of some others of the name, begging your pardon. And I hope my Sam’s behaved hisself and given satisfaction?’ ‘Perfect satisfaction, Mr. Gamgee,’ said Frodo. ‘Indeed, if you will believe it, he’s now one of the most famous people in all the lands, and they are making songs about his deeds from here to the Sea and beyond the Great River.’ Sam blushed, but he looked gratefully at Frodo, for Rosie’s eyes were shining and she was smiling at him. ‘It takes a lot o’ believing,’ said the Gaffer, ‘though I can see he’s been mixing in strange company. What’s come of his weskit? I don’t hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no.’ Farmer Cotton’s household and all his guests were up early next morning. Nothing had been heard in the night, but more trouble would certainly come before the day was old. ‘Seems as if none 0’ the ruffians were left up at Bag End,’ said Cotton; ‘but the gang from Waymeet will be along any time now.’ After breakfast a messenger from the Tookland rode in. He was in high spirits. “The Thain has raised all our country,’ he said, ‘and the news is going like fire all ways. The ruffians that were watching our land have fled off south, those that escaped alive. The Thain has gone after them, to hold off the big gang down that way; but he’s sent Mr. Peregrin back with all the other folk he can spare.’ The next news was less good. Merry, who had been out all night, came riding in about ten o’clock. “There’s a big band about four miles away,’ he said. “They’re coming along the road from Waymeet, but a good many stray ruffians have joined up with them. There must be close on a hundred of them; and they’re fire-raising as they come. Curse them!’ ‘Ah! This lot won’t stay to talk, they’ll kill, if they can,’ said Farmer Cotton. ‘If Tooks don’t come sooner, we’d best get behind cover
《魔戒》第四章 就在他們談話的半途，山姆和他的老爹衝了進來。老甘姆齊看起來沒老多少，但耳朵卻有點背了。 「晚安，巴金斯先生！」他說。「我真高興看到您平安歸來。不過，恕我冒昧，我得跟您說幾句不中聽的話。」 「您從來就不該賣掉袋底洞，我一直都這麼說。這就是所有麻煩的開端。」 「當您在外面四處遊蕩，追著黑人上山下海——我兒子山姆是這麼說的，雖然他沒說清楚是為了什麼——他們卻把袋畔街給挖了個稀巴爛，還毀了我的馬鈴薯！」 「我非常抱歉，甘姆齊先生，」佛羅多說。「但我現在回來了，我會盡力彌補。」 「嗯，您說得再公道不過了，」老爹說。「佛羅多·巴金斯先生是個真正的紳士哈比人，我一直都這麼說，不管您對其他同名的人有什麼看法，恕我直言。」 「我希望我的山姆表現得很好，讓您滿意？」 「非常滿意，甘姆齊先生，」佛羅多說。「事實上，如果您相信的話，他現在是所有土地上最有名的人之一，人們正從這裡到大海，甚至大河之外，傳唱著他的事蹟。」 山姆臉紅了，但他感激地看著佛羅多，因為蘿西的眼睛閃閃發光，正對他微笑。 「這很難讓人相信，」老爹說，「雖然我看得出來他跟一些奇怪的人混在一起。他的背心怎麼了？我可不贊成穿什麼鐵器，不管它耐不耐穿。」 第二天早上，棉農夫一家和所有客人都起得很早。夜裡什麼都沒聽到，但在天黑之前，肯定會有更多麻煩降臨。 「看來袋底洞那邊沒有流氓留下了，」棉農夫說，「但來自路口村的那幫人隨時都會到。」 早餐後，一名來自圖克領的信使騎馬而來。他精神抖擻。 「瑟恩已經動員了我們整個鄉村，」他說，「消息正像野火一樣四處傳播。那些監視我們土地的流氓已經向南逃竄，那些活下來的都跑了。瑟恩已經去追他們了，要在那邊擋住那一大幫人；但他已經把皮瑞格林先生和所有他能抽調的人手送回來了。」 下一個消息就不那麼好了。梅里整夜未歸，大約十點鐘騎馬回來。 「有一大幫人，大約在四英里外，」他說，「他們正沿著路口村來的路前進，但許多零散的流氓也加入了他們。他們肯定將近一百人；他們一路上都在縱火。該死的！」 「啊！這幫人不會留下來談判，他們能殺就殺，」棉農夫說，「如果圖克家族的人不早點來，我們最好找地方躲起來。」
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOI5 and shoot without arguing. There’s got to be some fighting before this is settled, Mr. Frodo.’ The Tooks did come sooner. Before long they marched in, a hundred strong, from Tuckborough and the Green Hills with Pippin at their head. Merry now had enough sturdy hobbitry to deal with the ruffians. Scouts reported that they were keeping close together. They knew that the countryside had risen against them, and plainly meant to deal with the rebellion ruthlessly, at its centre in Bywater. But however grim they might be, they seemed to have no leader among them who understood warfare. They came on without any precautions. Merry laid his plans quickly. The ruffians came tramping along the East Road, and without halting turned up the Bywater Road, which ran for some way sloping up between high banks with low hedges on top. Round a bend, about a furlong from the main road, they met a stout barrier of old farmcarts upturned. That halted them. At the same moment they became aware that the hedges on both sides, just above their heads, were all lined with hobbits. Behind them other hobbits now pushed out some more waggons that had been hidden in a field, and so blocked the way back. A voice spoke to them from above. ‘Well, you have walked into a trap,’ said Merry. ‘Your fellows from Hobbiton did the same, and one is dead and the rest are prisoners. Lay down your weapons! Then go back twenty paces and sit down. Any who try to break out will be shot.’ But the ruffians could not now be cowed so easily. A few of them obeyed, but were immediately set on by their fellows. A score or more broke back and charged the waggons. Six were shot, but the remainder burst out, killing two hobbits, and then scattering across country in the direction of the Woody End. Two more fell as they ran. Merry blew a loud horn-call, and there were answering calls from a distance. “They won’t get far,’ said Pippin. ‘All that country is alive with our hunters now.’ Behind, the trapped Men in the lane, still about four score, tried to climb the barrier and the banks, and the hobbits were obliged to shoot many of them or hew them with axes. But many of the strongest and most desperate got out on the west side, and attacked their enemies fiercely, being now more bent on killing than escaping. Several hobbits fell, and the rest were wavering, when Merry and Pippin, who were on the east side, came across and charged the ruffians. Merry himself slew the leader, a great squint-eyed brute like a huge orc. Then he drew his forces off, encircling the last remnant of the Men in a wide ring of archers.
霍比特人村的掃蕩 IOI5，而且不用爭辯就開槍。佛羅多先生，這件事在解決之前，一定會有一場戰鬥的。圖克家族果然來得比較早。沒多久，他們就從塔克堡和綠丘行軍而來，一百人浩浩蕩蕩，由皮聘領頭。梅里現在有足夠強壯的霍比特人來對付這些惡棍了。偵察兵回報說他們緊密地聚在一起。他們知道鄉村已經起來反抗他們了，而且顯然打算在拜水鎮的中心地帶，殘酷地鎮壓這場叛亂。但無論他們多麼嚴峻，他們之中似乎沒有人懂得戰爭。他們毫無防備地前進。梅里迅速地佈置了他的計畫。惡棍們沿著東路大步走來，沒有停歇就轉上了拜水路，這條路在兩旁高高的土堤之間向上傾斜延伸了一段路，土堤頂上還有低矮的樹籬。繞過一個彎道，距離主路約一弗隆的地方，他們遇到了一道由舊農車翻倒而成的堅固路障。這讓他們停了下來。就在同一時刻，他們意識到兩旁的樹籬，就在他們頭頂上方，都排滿了霍比特人。在他們身後，其他霍比特人現在又推出了幾輛藏在田裡的馬車，從而堵住了回頭的路。一個聲音從上方對他們說：「嗯，你們已經走進了陷阱，」梅里說。「你們霍比特屯的同夥也一樣，一個死了，其餘的都成了俘虜。放下你們的武器！然後後退二十步坐下。任何試圖突圍的人都會被射殺。」但惡棍們現在沒那麼容易被嚇倒了。他們中有幾個人服從了，但立刻被他們的同夥攻擊。二十多人衝了回去，衝向馬車。六人被射殺，但其餘的人衝了出去，殺死了兩名霍比特人，然後朝著林地邊緣的方向四散逃竄。他們奔跑時又有兩人倒下。梅里吹響了一聲響亮的號角，遠處傳來了回應的號角聲。「他們跑不遠的，」皮聘說。「現在整個鄉村都佈滿了我們的獵人。」後方，困在小徑裡的那些人，仍然大約八十人，試圖攀爬路障和土堤，霍比特人不得不射殺他們中的許多人，或者用斧頭砍殺他們。但許多最強壯、最絕望的人從西側逃了出去，並猛烈地攻擊他們的敵人，他們現在更傾向於殺戮而非逃跑。幾名霍比特人倒下了，其餘的人正在動搖，此時在東側的梅里和皮聘趕了過來，衝向了惡棍們。梅里親手殺死了那個頭目，一個像巨大半獸人一樣的斜眼大塊頭。然後他撤回了他的部隊，用一圈寬闊的弓箭手包圍了剩下的人。
IOI16 THE LORD OF THE RINGS At last all was over. Nearly seventy of the ruffians lay dead on the field, and a dozen were prisoners. Nineteen hobbits were killed, and some thirty were wounded. The dead ruffians were laden on waggons and hauled off to an old sand-pit nearby and there buried: in the Battle Pit, as it was afterwards called. The fallen hobbits were laid together in a grave on the hill-side, where later a great stone was set up with a garden about it. So ended the Battle of Bywater, 1419, the last battle fought in the Shire, and the only battle since the Greenfields, 1147, away up in the Northfarthing. In consequence, though it happily cost very few lives, it has a chapter to itself in the Red Book, and the names of all those who took part were made into a Roll, and learned by heart by Shire-historians. The very considerable rise in the fame and fortune of the Cottons dates from this time; but at the top of the Roll in all accounts stand the names of Captains Meriadoc and Peregrin. Frodo had been in the battle, but he had not drawn sword, and his chief part had been to prevent the hobbits in their wrath at their losses, from slaying those of their enemies who threw down their weapons. When the fighting was over, and the later labours were ordered, Merry, Pippin, and Sam joined him, and they rode back with the Cottons. They ate a late midday meal, and then Frodo said with a sigh: ‘Well, I suppose it is time now that we dealt with the “*Chief”’.’ “Yes indeed; the sooner the better,’ said Merry. ‘And don’t be too gentle! He’s responsible for bringing in these ruffians, and for all the evil they have done.’ Farmer Cotton collected an escort of some two dozen sturdy hobbits. ‘For it’s only a guess that there is no ruffians left at Bag End,’ he said. ‘We don’t know.’ Then they set out on foot. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin led the way. It was one of the saddest hours in their lives. The great chimney rose up before them; and as they drew near the old village across the Water, through rows of new mean houses along each side of the road, they saw the new mill in all its frowning and dirty ugliness: a great brick building straddling the stream, which it fouled with a steaming and stinking outflow. All along the Bywater Road every tree had been felled. As they crossed the bridge and looked up the Hill they gasped. Even Sam’s vision in the Mirror had not prepared him for what they saw. The Old Grange on the west side had been knocked down, and its place taken by rows of tarred sheds. All the chestnuts were gone. The banks and hedgerows were broken. Great waggons were standing in disorder in a field beaten bare of grass. Bagshot Row was a yawning
IOI16 魔戒 最後，一切都結束了。將近七十名暴徒陳屍於地，另有十二人被俘。十九名哈比人陣亡，約三十人受傷。那些死去的暴徒被裝上馬車，運到附近一個舊沙坑埋葬：那裡後來被稱為「戰壕坑」。陣亡的哈比人則合葬在山坡上的一個墓穴裡，後來那裡立起了一塊大石，周圍還建了花園。於是，水邊之戰在1419年結束了，這是夏爾最後一場戰役，也是自1147年北區綠野之戰以來唯一的一場戰役。因此，儘管這場戰役幸運地只犧牲了極少數生命，它卻在紅皮書中獨佔一章，所有參戰者的名字都被列入名冊，並被夏爾的歷史學家們熟記於心。棉花家族的聲望和財富從此時起大幅提升；但在所有記載中，名冊榜首的都是梅里亞達克和皮聘兩位隊長的名字。佛羅多也參與了戰鬥，但他並未拔劍，他主要的作用是阻止哈比人因損失而憤怒，進而殺害那些放下武器的敵人。戰鬥結束後，後續的清理工作也安排妥當，梅里、皮聘和山姆與他會合，他們和棉花家族的人一同騎馬返回。他們吃了一頓遲來的午餐，然後佛羅多嘆了口氣說：「好吧，我想現在是時候去處理那個『頭目』了。」「沒錯，越快越好！」梅里說，「而且別太溫和！他要為引進這些暴徒以及他們所做的一切惡行負責。」農夫棉花召集了約二十四名健壯的哈比人作為護衛。「因為我們只是猜測袋底洞沒有暴徒了，」他說，「我們不確定。」接著他們徒步出發。佛羅多、山姆、梅里和皮聘走在最前面。這是他們生命中最悲傷的時刻之一。巨大的煙囪聳立在他們眼前；當他們穿過道路兩旁一排排新建的簡陋房屋，靠近水域對岸的舊村莊時，他們看到了那座新磨坊，它醜陋不堪，令人皺眉，一座巨大的磚房橫跨溪流，一股冒著熱氣、發出惡臭的污水從中排出，污染了溪水。沿著水邊路，所有的樹木都被砍伐殆盡。當他們過橋並望向山丘時，他們倒抽了一口氣。即使是山姆在魔鏡中看到的景象，也未能讓他對眼前的一切有所準備。西邊的老農莊已被拆除，取而代之的是一排排柏油棚屋。所有的栗樹都消失了。河岸和樹籬被破壞。巨大的馬車雜亂無章地停在草皮被踐踏得光禿禿的田野裡。袋畔街一片空蕩蕩的。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOI7 sand and gravel quarry. Bag End up beyond could not be seen for a clutter of large huts. “They’ve cut it down!’ cried Sam. “They’ve cut down the Party Tree!’ He pointed to where the tree had stood under which Bilbo had made his Farewell Speech. It was lying lopped and dead in the field. As if this was the last straw Sam burst into tears. A laugh put an end to them. There was a surly hobbit lounging over the low wall of the mill-yard. He was grimy-faced and black-handed. ‘Don’t ’ee like it, Sam?’ he sneered. ‘But you always was soft. I thought you’d gone off in one o’ them ships you used to prattle about, sailing, sailing. What d’you want to come back for? We’ve work to do in the Shire now.’ ‘So I see,’ said Sam. ‘No time for washing, but time for wallpropping. But see here, Master Sandyman, I’ve a score to pay in this village, and don’t you make it any longer with your jeering, or you'll foot a bill too big for your purse.’ Ted Sandyman spat over the wall. ‘Garn!’ he said. ‘You can’t touch me. I’m a friend o’ the Boss’s. But he’ll touch you all right, if I have any more of your mouth.’ ‘Don’t waste any more words on the fool, Sam!’ said Frodo. ‘I hope there are not many more hobbits that have become like this. It would be a worse trouble than all the damage the Men have done.’ ‘You are dirty and insolent, Sandyman,’ said Merry. ‘And also very much out of your reckoning. We are just going up the Hill to remove your precious Boss. We have dealt with his Men.’ Ted gaped, for at that moment he first caught sight of the escort that at a sign from Merry now marched over the bridge. Dashing back into the mill he ran out with a horn and blew it loudly. ‘Save your breath!’ laughed Merry. ‘I’ve a better.’ Then lifting up his silver horn he winded it, and its clear call rang over the Hill; and out of the holes and sheds and shabby houses of Hobbiton the hobbits answered, and came pouring out, and with cheers and loud cries they followed the company up the road to Bag End. At the top of the lane the party halted, and Frodo and his friends went on; and they came at last to the once beloved place. The garden was full of huts and sheds, some so near the old westward windows that they cut off all their light. There were piles of refuse everywhere. The door was scarred; the bell-chain was dangling loose, and the bell would not ring. Knocking brought no answer. At length they pushed and the door yielded. They went in. The place stank and was full of filth and disorder: it did not appear to have been used for some time.
夏爾的掃蕩 1017號砂石採石場。遠處的袋底洞被一大堆棚屋擋住了，看不見。「他們把它砍倒了！」山姆大叫。「他們把宴會樹砍倒了！」他指向那棵比爾博曾發表告別演說的樹原先所在的地方。它被砍伐後，枯死地躺在田野裡。彷彿這是壓垮駱駝的最後一根稻草，山姆哭了起來。一陣笑聲打斷了他的哭泣。磨坊院子的矮牆上，坐著一個脾氣暴躁的哈比人。他臉上沾滿了污垢，雙手烏黑。「你不喜歡嗎，山姆？」他譏笑道。「但你總是那麼軟弱。我還以為你搭著你常叨唸的那些船走了呢，航行啊，航行啊。你回來幹什麼？我們現在夏爾有活要幹呢。」「我看到了，」山姆說。「沒時間洗澡，卻有時間靠牆閒晃。但聽著，山迪曼老爺，我在這個村子裡有筆帳要算，別再用你的嘲諷拖延時間了，不然你會付出你錢包無法承受的代價。」泰德·山迪曼朝牆外吐了口水。「哼！」他說。「你動不了我。我是老大的朋友。但如果你再多嘴，他會好好教訓你的。」「別再對這個傻瓜浪費口舌了，山姆！」佛羅多說。「我希望沒有更多哈比人變成這樣。這會比人類造成的破壞更糟糕。」「你又髒又無禮，山迪曼，」梅里說。「而且你大錯特錯了。我們正要上山去解決你那寶貝老大。我們已經處理了他的手下。」泰德目瞪口呆，因為就在那一刻，他第一次看到了梅里示意後，正行軍過橋的護衛隊。他衝回磨坊，拿著號角跑出來，大聲吹響。「省省力氣吧！」梅里笑道。「我有一個更好的。」然後他舉起銀號角吹響，清亮的號聲響徹山丘；哈比屯的洞穴、棚屋和破舊的房子裡，哈比人們應聲而出，蜂擁而出，帶著歡呼和響亮的叫喊聲，跟隨隊伍沿著道路前往袋底洞。在小徑的盡頭，隊伍停了下來，佛羅多和他的朋友們繼續前進；他們終於來到了那個曾經備受喜愛的地方。花園裡滿是棚屋和倉庫，有些離舊的西向窗戶太近，完全擋住了光線。到處都是成堆的垃圾。門上傷痕累累；門鈴鏈鬆鬆地垂著，門鈴也響不起來。敲門沒有回應。最後他們一推，門就開了。他們走了進去。屋裡發出惡臭，滿是污穢和雜亂：看來已經很久沒有人使用了。
1018 THE LORD OF THE RINGS ‘Where is that miserable Lotho hiding?’ said Merry. They had searched every room and found no living thing save rats and mice. ‘Shall we turn on the others to search the sheds?’ “This is worse than Mordor!’ said Sam. ‘Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say; because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined.’ ‘Yes, this is Mordor,’ said Frodo. ‘Just one of its works. Saruman was doing its work all the time, even when he thought he was working for himself. And the same with those that Saruman tricked, like Lotho.’ Merry looked round in dismay and disgust. “‘Let’s get out!’ he said. ‘If I had known all the mischief he had caused, I should have stuffed my pouch down Saruman’s throat.’ ‘No doubt, no doubt! But you did not, and so Jam able to welcome you home.’ There standing at the door was Saruman himself, looking well-fed and well-pleased; his eyes gleamed with malice and amusement. A sudden light broke on Frodo. ‘Sharkey!’ he cried. Saruman laughed. ‘So you have heard the name, have you? All my people used to call me that in Isengard, I believe. A sign of affection, possibly.* But evidently you did not expect to see me here.’ ‘I did not,’ said Frodo. ‘But I might have guessed. A little mischief in a mean way: Gandalf warned me that you were still capable of it.’ ‘Quite capable,’ said Saruman, ‘and more than a little. You made me laugh, you hobbit-lordlings, riding along with all those great people, so secure and so pleased with your little selves. You thought you had done very well out of it all, and could now just amble back and have a nice quiet time in the country. Saruman’s home could be all wrecked, and he could be turned out, but no one could touch yours. Oh no! Gandalf would look after your affairs.’ Saruman laughed again. ‘Not he! When his tools have done their task he drops them. But you must go dangling after him, dawdling and talking, and riding round twice as far as you needed. ‘“‘Well,”’ thought I, “‘if they’re such fools, I will get ahead of them and teach them a lesson. One ill turn deserves another.”’ It would have been a sharper lesson, if only you had given me a little more time and more Men. Still I have already done much that you will find it hard to mend or undo in your lives. And it will be pleasant to think of that and set it against my injuries.’ ‘Well, if that is what you find pleasure in,’ said Frodo, ‘I pity you. It will be a pleasure of memory only, I fear. Go at once and never return!’ * It was probably Orkish in origin: sharki, ‘old man’.
1018 魔戒之王 「那個可惡的羅索躲到哪裡去了？」梅里說。他們搜遍了每個房間，除了老鼠和家鼠之外，沒有發現任何活物。「我們要不要叫其他人去搜棚屋？」 「這比魔多還糟！」山姆說。「某種程度上更糟。就像他們說的，這讓你感同身受；因為這是你的家，你記得它在被毀壞之前的樣子。」 「是的，這就是魔多。」佛羅多說。「只是它的其中一個傑作。薩魯曼一直都在為它效力，即使他以為自己是為自己工作。那些被薩魯曼欺騙的人，比如羅索，也是一樣。」 梅里沮喪又厭惡地環顧四周。「『我們快走吧！』他說。『如果我早知道他造成了這麼多禍害，我真該把我的錢袋塞進薩魯曼的喉嚨裡。』」 「『毫無疑問，毫無疑問！但你沒有，所以我才能歡迎你們回家。』」 此時，薩魯曼本人正站在門口，看起來吃得很好，心滿意足；他的眼睛閃爍著惡意和戲謔。 佛羅多突然靈光一閃。「『鯊奇！』」他喊道。 薩魯曼笑了。「『所以你聽過這個名字，是嗎？我想，我所有的人在艾辛格都這麼叫我。或許是一種愛的表示。* 但顯然你沒想到會在這裡見到我。』」 「『我沒有，』佛羅多說。『但我或許應該猜到。一點點卑劣的惡作劇：甘道夫警告過我，你仍然有這種能力。』」 「『很有能力，』薩魯曼說，『而且不只是一點點。你們這些哈比人小領主，和那些大人物一起騎行，自以為安全又得意洋洋，真是讓我發笑。你們以為自己做得很好，現在可以悠閒地回家，在鄉下享受一段寧靜的時光。薩魯曼的家可以被徹底毀壞，他可以被趕走，但沒人能動你們的家。哦不！甘道夫會照顧你們的事務。』」 薩魯曼又笑了。「『他才不會！當他的工具完成任務後，他就會丟棄它們。但你們卻非要跟在他後面晃蕩、磨蹭、說話，而且騎的路程比你們需要的遠了兩倍。』」 「『「嗯，」』我想，『「如果他們是這樣的傻瓜，我就要搶在他們前面，給他們一個教訓。以牙還牙。」』如果你們能給我多一點時間和更多的人手，那會是一個更嚴厲的教訓。不過，我已經做了很多事，你們會發現很難在你們的有生之年修復或挽回。想到這些，並將其與我的傷害相抵，將會是件愉快的事。』」 「『好吧，如果你從中找到樂趣，』佛羅多說，『我可憐你。我擔心那只會是記憶中的樂趣。立刻離開，永遠不要回來！』」 * 它可能源自獸人語：sharki，意為「老人」。
THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE IOIQ The hobbits of the villages had seen Saruman come out of one of the huts, and at once they came crowding up to the door of Bag End. When they heard Frodo’s command, they murmured angrily: ‘Don’t let him go! Kill him! He’s a villain and a murderer. Kill him!’ Saruman looked round at their hostile faces and smiled. ‘Kill him!’ he mocked. ‘Kill him, if you think there are enough of you, my brave hobbits!’ He drew himself up and stared at them darkly with his black eyes. ‘But do not think that when I lost all my goods I lost all my power! Whoever strikes me shall be accursed. And if my blood stains the Shire, it shall wither and never again be healed.’ The hobbits recoiled. But Frodo said: ‘Do not believe him! He has lost all power, save his voice that can still daunt you and deceive you, if you let it. But I will not have him slain. It is useless to meet revenge with revenge: it will heal nothing. Go, Saruman, by the speediest way!’ ‘Worm! Worm!’ Saruman called; and out of a nearby hut came Wormtongue, crawling, almost like a dog. “To the road again, Worm!’ said Saruman. “These fine fellows and lordlings are turning us adrift again. Come along!’ Saruman turned to go, and Wormtongue shuffled after him. But even as Saruman passed close to Frodo a knife flashed in his hand, and he stabbed swiftly. The blade turned on the hidden mail-coat and snapped. A dozen hobbits, led by Sam, leaped forward with a cry and flung the villain to the ground. Sam drew his sword. ‘No, Sam!’ said Frodo. ‘Do not kill him even now. For he has not hurt me. And in any case I do not wish him to be slain in this evil mood. He was great once, of a noble kind that we should not dare to raise our hands against. He is fallen, and his cure is beyond us; but I would still spare him, in the hope that he may find it.’ Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. ‘You have grown, Halfling,’ he said. “Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell.’ He walked away, and the hobbits made a lane for him to pass; but their knuckles whitened as they gripped on their weapons. Wormtongue hesitated, and then followed his master. ‘Wormtongue!’ called Frodo. ‘You need not follow him. I know of no evil you have done to me. You can have rest and food here for a while, until you are stronger and can go your own ways.’
夏爾的收復 村莊裡的哈比人看到薩魯曼從其中一間小屋裡出來，他們立刻蜂擁到袋底洞門口。當他們聽到佛羅多的命令時，他們憤怒地低聲說：「別讓他走！殺了他！他是個惡棍和兇手。殺了他！」薩魯曼環顧他們充滿敵意的臉龐，笑了。他嘲諷道：「殺了他！如果你們覺得人夠多的話，我勇敢的哈比人們！」他挺直身子，用他那雙黑眼睛陰沉地盯著他們。「但別以為我失去了所有財物，就失去了所有力量！任何攻擊我的人都將受到詛咒。如果我的血玷污了夏爾，它將枯萎，永不復原。」哈比人們退縮了。但佛羅多說：「別相信他！他已經失去了所有力量，除了他的聲音，如果你們任由它，它仍然能嚇倒你們、欺騙你們。但我不會讓他被殺。以牙還牙是沒有用的：那什麼也治不好。走吧，薩魯曼，走最快的路！」 「蟲！蟲！」薩魯曼喊道；一個名叫葛力馬·蟲舌的人從附近的小屋裡爬了出來，幾乎像條狗。「又上路了，蟲！」薩魯曼說。「這些好傢伙和貴族們又要把我們趕走了。走吧！」薩魯曼轉身要走，葛力馬·蟲舌在他身後拖著腳步。但就在薩魯曼經過佛羅多身邊時，他手中刀光一閃，迅速刺了過去。刀刃撞上隱藏的鎖子甲，斷裂了。十幾個哈比人，在山姆的帶領下，大叫一聲衝上前去，將那個惡棍摔倒在地。山姆拔出劍。「不，山姆！」佛羅多說。「即使現在也不要殺他。因為他沒有傷害我。而且無論如何，我也不希望他在這種邪惡的心情下被殺。他曾經偉大，屬於我們不應膽敢動手的那種高貴之人。他已經墮落了，他的救贖已非我們所能及；但我仍然會饒恕他，希望他能找到它。」薩魯曼站起身，盯著佛羅多。他眼中流露出奇異的神色，夾雜著驚訝、尊敬和仇恨。「你成長了，半身人。」他說。「是的，你成長了很多。你既明智又殘酷。你奪走了我復仇的甜美，現在我必須帶著苦澀離去，欠著你的仁慈。我恨它，也恨你！好吧，我走了，不會再打擾你。但別指望我會祝你健康長壽。你兩者都不會有。但那不是我的作為。我只是預言。」他走開了，哈比人們為他讓開了一條路；但他們緊握武器，指關節發白。葛力馬·蟲舌猶豫了一下，然後跟隨他的主人。「葛力馬·蟲舌！」佛羅多喊道。「你不必跟著他。我不知道你對我做過什麼惡事。你可以在這裡休息和吃飯一陣子，直到你變得更強壯，可以走自己的路。」
1020 THE LORD OF THE RINGS Wormtongue halted and looked back at him, half prepared to stay. Saruman turned. ‘No evil?’ he cackled. ‘Oh no! Even when he sneaks out at night it is only to look at the stars. But did I hear someone ask where poor Lotho is hiding? You know, don’t you, Worm? Will you tell them?’ Wormtongue cowered down and whimpered: ‘No, no!’ ‘Then I will,’ said Saruman. ‘Worm killed your Chief, poor little fellow, your nice little Boss. Didn’t you, Worm? Stabbed him in his sleep, I believe. Buried him, I hope; though Worm has been very hungry lately. No, Worm is not really nice. You had better leave him to me.’ A look of wild hatred came into Wormtongue’s red eyes. ‘You told me to; you made me do it,’ he hissed. Saruman laughed. ‘You do what Sharkey says, always, don’t you, Worm? Well, now he says: follow!’ He kicked Wormtongue in the face as he grovelled, and turned and made off. But at that something snapped: suddenly Wormtongue rose up, drawing a hidden knife, and then with a snarl like a dog he sprang on Saruman’s back, jerked his head back, cut his throat, and with a yell ran off down the lane. Before Frodo could recover or speak a word, three hobbit-bows twanged and Wormtongue fell dead. To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the Hill. For a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing. Frodo looked down at the body with pity and horror, for as he looked it seemed that long years of death were suddenly revealed in it, and it shrank, and the shrivelled face became rags of skin upon a hideous skull. Lifting up the skirt of the dirty cloak that sprawled beside it, he covered it over, and turned away. ‘And that’s the end of that,’ said Sam. ‘A nasty end, and I wish I needn’t have seen it; but it’s a good riddance.’ ‘And the very last end of the War, I hope,’ said Merry. ‘I hope so,’ said Frodo and sighed. “The very last stroke. But to think that it should fall here, at the very door of Bag End! Among all my hopes and fears at least I never expected that.’ ‘I shan’t call it the end, till we’ve cleared up the mess,’ said Sam gloomily. ‘And that’ll take a lot of time and work.’
1020 魔戒 葛力馬停下腳步，回頭看著他，半心半意地準備留下。薩魯曼轉過身。「沒有邪惡？」他咯咯地笑著。「喔不！即使他晚上偷偷溜出去，也只是為了看星星。但我好像聽到有人問可憐的羅索躲在哪裡？你知道的，不是嗎，蟲子？你會告訴他們嗎？」葛力馬畏縮地蹲下，嗚咽著：「不，不！」 「那我來告訴他們。」薩魯曼說。「蟲子殺了你們的首領，那個可憐的小傢伙，你們的好老闆。不是嗎，蟲子？我猜他是趁他睡著時刺殺的。我希望他把他埋了；儘管蟲子最近非常飢餓。不，蟲子真的一點也不好。你最好把他留給我。」一股狂野的恨意湧上葛力馬的紅眼睛。「是你叫我做的；是你逼我做的。」他嘶聲說。薩魯曼笑了。「你總是聽鯊奇的話，不是嗎，蟲子？嗯，現在他說：跟上！」他在葛力馬匍匐在地時踢了他的臉，然後轉身離開。但就在那一刻，某種東西斷裂了：葛力馬突然站起來，抽出一把藏著的刀，然後像狗一樣咆哮著撲向薩魯曼的背部，猛地將他的頭向後一扯，割斷了他的喉嚨，然後大叫一聲跑下小巷。佛羅多還沒來得及恢復或說一句話，三把哈比人弓弦一響，葛力馬便應聲倒地而死。令旁觀者沮喪的是，薩魯曼的屍體周圍聚集了一團灰霧，緩緩升騰到高處，像火中的煙霧一樣，以一個蒼白、被裹屍布覆蓋的形象，它籠罩在山丘上空。它顫抖了一會兒，望向西方；但一陣冷風從西方吹來，它便彎曲消散，伴隨著一聲嘆息，化為烏有。佛羅多帶著憐憫和恐懼俯視著屍體，因為他看著它時，彷彿其中突然顯露出漫長歲月的死亡，它萎縮了，乾枯的臉變成了醜陋頭骨上的皮膚碎片。他掀起散落在屍體旁的骯髒斗篷下擺，將它蓋上，然後轉過身去。「這下總算結束了。」山姆說。「一個糟糕的結局，我真希望我沒看到；但這也算是一了百了。」 「我希望這就是戰爭的最終結局了。」梅里說。「我也希望如此。」佛羅多嘆了口氣說。「這真是最後一擊。但想到它竟然發生在這裡，就在袋底洞的門口！在我所有的希望和恐懼中，我至少從未預料到這一點。」 「在我們清理完這堆爛攤子之前，我不會稱之為結束。」山姆陰鬱地說。「那會花費很多時間和精力。」