17 THE CLOUDS BURST

Chapter 17 THE CLOUDS BURST Next day the trumpets rang early in the camp. Soon a single runner was seen hurrying along the narrow path. At a distance he stood and hailed them, asking whether Thorin would now listen to another embassy, since new tidings had come to hand, and matters were changed. "That will be Dain!" said Thorin when he heard. "They will have got wind of his coming. I thought that would alter their mood! Bid them come few in number and weaponless, and I will hear," he called to the messenger. About midday the banners of the Forest and the Lake were seen to be borne forth again. A company of twenty was approaching. At the beginning of the narrow way they laid aside sword and spear, and came on towards the Gate. Wondering, the dwarves

第17章 风云突变 第二天，营地的号角大清早就吹响了。 很快，人们看到一名信使沿着窄路匆匆赶来。 他远远站定呼喊，问索林要不要听听新使团的传话，刚传来了新消息，局势已经变了。 “肯定是戴因！”索林听到后说道。 “他们肯定听到他要来的风声了。 我就知道这会让他们改态度！” “叫他们少来人，不许带武器，我会听的，”他对信使喊道。 将近中午，森林和湖镇的旗帜再次展了出来。 一支二十人的队伍正朝这边走来。 他们在窄路入口放下刀剑长矛，朝着大门走了过来。 矮人们满心疑惑

saw that among them were both Bard and the Elvenking, before whom an old man wrapped in cloak and hood bore a strong casket of iron-bound wood. "Hail Thorin!" said Bard. "Are you still of the same mind?" "My mind does not change with the rising and setting of a few suns," answered Thorin. "Did you come to ask me idle questions? Still the elf-host has not departed as I bade! Till then you come in vain to bargain with me." "Is there then nothing for which you would yield any of your gold?" "Nothing that you or your friends have to offer." "What of the Arkenstone of Thrain?" said he, and at the same moment the old man opened the casket and held aloft the jewel. The light leapt from his hand, bright and white in the morning. Then Thorin was stricken dumb with amazement and confusion. No one spoke for a long while. Thorin at length broke the silence, and his voice was thick with wrath. "That stone was my father's, and is mine," he said. "Why should I purchase my own?" But wonder overcame him and he added: "But how came you by the heirloom of my house—

看到队伍里既有巴德，也有精灵王，他们前方有个裹着斗篷兜帽的老人，捧着一个结实的包铁木匣。 “向你问好，索林！”巴德说。 “你还是原来的想法吗？” “我的想法才不会随便变来变去，”索林回答。 “你就是来问我这种无聊的问题吗？ 精灵大军还没按我的要求撤走呢！ 在那之前，你们来和我谈条件都是白费功夫。” “那难道没有什么东西，能让你拿出一点黄金交换吗？” “你和你的朋友能拿出来的东西都不行。” “那瑟罗尔的阿肯宝石呢？”他话音刚落，老人就打开匣子，把宝石高高举了起来。 宝石的光芒从他手中跃出，在晨光里明亮又洁白。 索林一下子惊呆了，慌乱得说不出话。 好半天都没有人开口说话。 索林终于打破了沉默，他的声音因为愤怒变得沙哑。 “这块石头本来是我父亲的，现在是我的，”他说。 “我为什么要买回我自己的东西？” 可他难掩惊讶，又补充道：“可你是怎么拿到我们家的传家宝——

if there is need to ask such a question of thieves?" "We are not thieves," Bard answered. "Your own we will give back in return for our own." "How came you by it?" shouted Thorin in gathering rage. "I gave it to them!" squeaked Bilbo, who was peering over the wall, by now in a dreadful fright. "You! You!" cried Thorin, turning upon him and grasping him with both hands. "You miserable hobbit! You undersized—burglar!" he shouted at a loss for words, and he shook poor Bilbo like a rabbit. "By the beard of Durin! I wish I had Gandalf here! Curse him for his choice of you! May his beard wither! As for you I will throw you to the rocks!" he cried and lifted Bilbo in his arms. "Stay! Your wish is granted!" said a voice. The old man with the casket threw aside his hood and cloak. "Here is Gandalf! And none too soon it seems. If you don't like my Burglar, please don't damage him. Put him down, and listen first to what he has to say!" "You all seem in league!" said Thorin dropping Bilbo on the top of the wall. "Never again will I have dealings with any wizard or his friends. What have

还要来问小偷这个问题吗？” “我们才不是小偷，”巴德回答。 “我们用属于我们的东西，换你的东西还给你。” “你到底怎么拿到它的！”索林怒火冲天，大吼道。 “是我给他们的！”比尔博尖声说，他正扒着墙头望过来，早就吓坏了。 “你！ “你！”索林大喊，转身扑过来双手抓住他。 “你这可恶的霍比特人！ “你这个矮个子——小偷！” 他气得话都说不利索，把可怜的比尔博晃得像只兔子。 “以都林的胡子起誓！ “我真希望甘道夫现在就在这儿！ 他选了你真是活该！ 让他的胡子烂掉！ “至于你，我要把你扔到悬崖下去！” 他大喊着把比尔博抱了起来。 “住手！ “你的愿望实现了！”一个声音说道。 捧着匣子的老人扯掉了兜帽和斗篷。 “我就是甘道夫！ “看起来来得正是时候。 要是你不喜欢我的飞贼，求你别伤他。 “放他下来，先听听他要说什么！” “你们原来是一伙的！”索林说着把比尔博扔在了墙头上。 “我再也不会和任何巫师还有他的朋友打交道了。 你有什么

you to say, you descendant of rats?" "Dear me! Dear me!" said Bilbo. "I am sure this is all very uncomfortable. You may remember saying that I might choose my own fourteenth share? Perhaps I took it too literally—I have been told that dwarves are sometimes politer in word than in deed. The time was, all the same, when you seemed to think that I had been of some service. Descendant of rats, indeed! Is this all the service of you and your family that I was promised, Thorin? Take it that I have disposed of my share as I wished, and let it go at that!" "I will," said Thorin grimly. "And I will let you go at that—and may we never meet again!" Then he turned and spoke over the wall. "I am betrayed," he said. "It was rightly guessed that I could not forbear to redeem the Arkenstone, the treasure of my house. For it I will give one fourteenth share of the hoard in silver and gold, setting aside the gems; but that shall be accounted the promised share of this traitor, and with that reward he shall depart, and you can divide it as you will. He will get little enough, I doubt not. Take him, if you wish him to live; and no friendship of mine goes with him. "Get down now to your friends!" he said to Bilbo,

要说的，你这鼠辈的后代？” “哎呀呀！ “哎呀呀！”比尔博说。 “我知道这一切真的很让人不舒服。 你还记得说过我可以自己选我的十四分之一份财宝吗？ 或许我把这话理解得太死板了——有人说矮人有时候嘴上客气，做事却不是这样。 但不管怎么说，从前你们还觉得我帮了不少忙呢。 居然说我是鼠辈的后代！ 索林，我当初应得的报酬就是你和你家说的这些吗？ 就当我把我那份财宝这么处置了，咱们就此两清吧！” “我同意，”索林冷冷地说。 “我也同意就此两清——希望我们永远不要再见面！” 然后他转过身，对着墙那边说话。 “我被背叛了，”他说。 “你们猜得没错，我肯定没办法不赎回阿肯宝石，我家族的珍宝。 我会从宝藏里分出十四分之一的金银，宝石不算在内；这份就算这个叛徒应得的份额，他拿了这份就走，你们可以分了它。 我看他也落不了多少好处，反正。 “想要留他性命就带他走，我可不会再认他这个朋友了。 “现在下去找你的朋友去吧！” 他对比尔博说，

"or I will throw you down." "What about the gold and silver?" asked Bilbo. "That shall follow after, as can be arranged," said he. "Get down!" "Until then we keep the stone," cried Bard. "You are not making a very splendid figure as King under the Mountain," said Gandalf. "But things may change yet." "They may indeed," said Thorin. And already, so strong was the bewilderment of the treasure upon him, he was pondering whether by the help of Dain he might not recapture the Arkenstone and withhold the share of the reward. And so Bilbo was swung down from the wall, and departed with nothing for all his trouble, except the armour which Thorin had given him already. More than one of the dwarves in their hearts felt shame and pity at his going. "Farewell!" he cried to them. "We may meet again as friends." "Be off!" called Thorin. "You have mail upon you, which was made by my folk, and is too good for you. It cannot be pierced by arrows; but if you do not hasten, I will sting your miserable feet. So be swift!"

"不然我就把你扔下去。" "那金银怎么办呢？"比尔博问道。 "这事回头再安排，"他说道。 "下来！" "在那之前宝石我们来保管，"巴德喊道。 "你作为山下国王，可真没什么王者风范呀，"甘道夫说。 "不过世事还难说呢。" "确实说不定，"索林说。 此时他已经被宝藏迷昏了头，心里正盘算能不能靠戴因夺回阿肯宝石，再扣下分给大家的酬劳。 就这样比尔博被放下城墙，他辛苦一场，除了索林之前给的铠甲，什么都没拿到就离开了。 不止一个矮人，在心里为他的离去感到羞愧又惋惜。 "再会啦！" 他对着矮人们喊道。 "我们说不定还能做朋友再相见。" "滚！"索林喝道。 你身上穿的铠甲是我族打造的，给你穿都糟蹋了。 它箭都射不穿；可你再不快点走，我就要射穿你那倒霉的脚底板。 赶紧走！"

"Not so hasty!" said Bard. "We will give you until tomorrow. At noon we will return, and see if you have brought from the hoard the portion that is to be set against the stone. If that is done without deceit, then we will depart, and the elf-host will go back to the Forest. In the meanwhile farewell!" With that they went back to the camp; but Thorin sent messengers by Ro.c telling Dain of what had passed, and bidding him come with wary speed. That day passed and the night. The next day the wind shifted west, and the air was dark and gloomy. The morning was still early when a cry was heard in the camp. Runners came in to report that a host of dwarves had appeared round the eastern spur of the Mountain and was now hastening to Dale. Dain had come. He had hurried on through the night, and so had come upon them sooner than they had expected. Each one of his folk was clad in a hauberk of steel mail that hung to his knees, and his legs were covered with hose of a fine and flexible metal mesh, the secret of whose making was possessed by Dain's people. The dwarves are exceedingly strong for their height, but most of these were strong even

"别急着走！"巴德说。 我们给你留到明天。 中午我们会回来，查看你有没有拿出宝藏里对应宝石的那一份。 要是你老老实实办妥，我们就撤军，精灵大军也会退回森林。 那我们先告辞了！" 说完他们就返回营地；索林派罗克当信使给戴因报信，告知这边的情况，命他速速赶来。 白日过去，夜晚也过去了。 第二天风向转西，天色阴沉昏暗。 天还没亮，营地里就响起了呼喊声。 探哨跑进来报告，一队矮人出现在山的东坡，正往河谷镇赶过来。 戴因来了。 他连夜赶路，所以比众人预料的更早抵达。 他手下每个矮人都穿着长及膝盖的钢胸甲，腿上套着柔韧精细的金属网护腿，这种制法是戴因族人的独门秘诀。 矮人本来就比同体型的其他种族强壮得多，这些矮人大多数就连