2 ROAST MUTTON

Chapter 2 ROAST MUTTON Up jumped Bilbo, and putting on his dressing-gown went into the dining-room. There he saw nobody, but all the signs of a large and hurried breakfast. There was a fearful mess in the room, and piles of unwashed crocks in the kitchen. Nearly every pot and pan he possessed seemed to have been used. The washing-up was so dismally real that Bilbo was forced to believe the party of the night before had not been part of his bad dreams, as he had rather hoped. Indeed he was really relieved after all to think that they had all gone without him, and without bothering to wake him up ("but with never a thank-you" he thought); and yet in a way he could not help feeling just a trifle disappointed. The feeling surprised him. "Don't be a fool, Bilbo Baggins!" he said to

第二章 烤羊肉 比尔博一跃而起，穿上睡袍就走进了餐厅 他在那儿一个人都没见到，只留下匆忙吃过一顿丰盛早餐的痕迹 房间里乱得一塌糊涂，厨房里堆着一大堆没洗的碗碟 比尔博几乎所有的锅碗瓢盆都被用过了 堆着的脏碗实实在在摆在眼前，比尔博不得不相信昨晚那伙人不是噩梦，本来他还满心盼着那只是场噩梦 其实，发现他们没叫醒他就走了（“居然连一句谢谢都没说”他心想），他确实松了口气，可又忍不住感到一点点失望 这种感觉连他自己都很惊讶 "别犯傻了，比尔博·巴金斯！" 他对

himself, "thinking of dragons and all that outlandish nonsense at your age!" So he put on an apron, lit fires, boiled water, and washed up. Then he had a nice little breakfast in the kitchen before turning out the dining-room. By that time the sun was shining; and the front door was open, letting in a warm spring breeze. Bilbo began to whistle loudly and to forget about the night before. In fact he was just sitting down to a nice little second breakfast in the dining-room by the open window, when in walked Gandalf. "My dear fellow," said he, "whenever are you going to come? What about an early start?—and here you are having breakfast, or whatever you call it, at half past ten! They left you the message, because they could not wait." "What message?" said poor Mr. Baggins all in a fluster. "Great Elephants!" said Gandalf, "you are not at all yourself this morning—you have never dusted the mantelpiece!" "What's that got to do with it? I have had enough to do with washing up for fourteen!" "If you had dusted the mantelpiece, you would have found this just under the clock," said Gandalf,

自己说，“你这年纪，还想什么龙啊那些稀奇古怪的荒唐事！" 于是他系上围裙，生起火，烧好水，洗完了所有碗碟 收拾餐厅之前，他先在厨房吃了一顿舒服的小早餐 这时候太阳高照，前门敞开，温暖的春风吹进屋子 比尔博开始大声吹口哨，差不多快忘了昨晚的事 实际上，他正挨着敞开的窗户，坐在餐厅里准备好好享用第二顿早餐，这时甘道夫走了进来 "我亲爱的伙计，"他说，“你到底什么时候出发呀？" 不是说要早早动身吗——都十点半了，你还在这儿吃早餐，管这叫什么呢？ 他们给你留了口信，因为等不及你了 "什么口信？"可怜的比尔博慌慌张张地问道 "我的天呐！"甘道夫说，“你今天太不对劲了——你连壁炉台都没擦！" "这跟口信有什么关系？ 我洗了一大堆碗碟，已经够忙的了！" "要是你擦过壁炉台，早就会在时钟下面找到这个了。"甘道夫说

handing Bilbo a note (written, of course, on his own note-paper). This is what he read: "Thorin and Company to Burglar Bilbo greeting! For your hospitality our sincerest thanks, and for your offer of professional assistance our grateful acceptance. Terms: cash on delivery, up to and not exceeding one fourteenth of total profits (if any); all travelling expenses guaranteed in any event; funeral expenses to be defrayed by us or our representatives, if occasion arises and the matter is not otherwise arranged for. "Thinking it unnecessary to disturb your esteemed repose, we have proceeded in advance to make requisite preparations, and shall await your respected person at the Green Dragon Inn, Bywater, at 11 a.m. sharp. Trusting that you will be punctual," We have the honour to remain "Yours deeply" Thorin & Co." "That leaves you just ten minutes. You will have to run," said Gandalf. "But—," said Bilbo.

边说边递给比尔博一张便条（当然啦，纸用的是比尔博自己的便签纸） 便条上写着：“索林一伙致窃贼比尔博，向你问好！ 我们衷心感谢你的热情款待，也十分感激接受你提供专业协助的提议 条件：事成后结算，总利润（若有）分成不超过十四分之一；任何情况下都承担你的全部旅途费用；若发生意外，葬礼费用由我们或我们的代表支付，除非另有安排 "我们觉得没必要打扰你宝贵的睡眠，已经先行出发做准备，将于上午十一点整在傍水镇绿龙客栈恭候你的大驾 相信你一定会准时赴约， 我们荣幸地谨上，你忠诚的 索林一伙" "你现在只剩十分钟了， "可是——"比尔博说

"No time for it," said the wizard. "But—," said Bilbo again. "No time for that either! Off you go!" To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf's hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more. Very puffed he was, when he got to Bywater just on the stroke of eleven, and found he had come without a pocket-handkerchief! "Bravo!" said Balin who was standing at the inn door looking out for him. Just then all the others came round the corner of the road from the village. They were on ponies, and each pony was slung about with all kinds of baggages, packages, parcels, and paraphernalia. There was a very small pony, apparently for Bilbo. "Up you two get, and off we go!" said Thorin. "I'm awfully sorry," said Bilbo, "but I have come without my hat, and I have left my pocket

"没时间浪费了。"巫师说 "可是——"比尔博又说道 "也没时间说这个了！ 快出发吧！" 直到比尔博晚年，都想不起来自己怎么就出了门：没帽子，没手杖，没带钱，什么出门常带的东西都没拿；第二顿早餐吃了一半，碗也没洗，把钥匙塞给甘道夫，就迈着毛茸茸的小腿拼命跑，沿着小路跑过大磨坊，跨过河水，又跑了一英里多路 他刚好十一点整跑到傍水镇，累得上气不接下气，还发现自己连手帕都没带！ "好样的！"站在客栈门口张望等他的巴林说道 就在这时，其他人都从村子那边的路拐角走了出来 他们都骑着小马，每匹小马身上都挂满了各式各样的行李、包裹和零碎用品 还有一匹很小的小马，显然是给比尔博准备的 "你们俩快上马，我们出发啦！"索林说 "非常抱歉，"比尔博说，“我没戴帽子，还把我的手帕

handkerchief behind, and I haven't got any money. I didn't get your note until after 10.45 to be precise." "Don't be precise," said Dwalin, "and don't worry! You will have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, before you get to the journey's end. As for a hat, I have got a spare hood and cloak in my luggage." That's how they all came to start, jogging off from the inn one fine morning just before May, on laden ponies; and Bilbo was wearing a dark-green hood (a little weather-stained) and a dark-green cloak borrowed from Dwalin. They were too large for him, and he looked rather comic. What his father Bungo would have thought of him, I daren't think. His only comfort was he couldn't be mistaken for a dwarf, as he had no beard. They had not been riding very long, when up came Gandalf very splendid on a white horse. He had brought a lot of pocket-handkerchiefs, and Bilbo's pipe and tobacco. So after that the party went along very merrily, and they told stories or sang songs as they rode forward all day, except of course when they stopped for meals. These didn't come quite as often as Bilbo would have liked them, but still he began to feel that adventures were not so

我的手帕落在后头，而且我一分钱都没带。 准确点说，我直到十点四十五之后才收到你的字条。" "别提什么准确不准确了，"德瓦林说，"别担心。 在你走到旅途终点前，你得习惯不用手帕，还有好多别的东西也都得凑合用。 至于帽子，我行李里有多余的兜帽和斗篷。" 就这样所有人都出发了，五月前一个晴朗的清晨，他们骑着驮满行李的小马离开了旅店；比尔博戴着借来的深绿色兜帽（有点旧褪色了），披着德瓦林的深绿色斗篷。 这两样对他来说都太大了，他看起来滑稽极了。 他的父亲邦戈会怎么想他，我真不敢猜。 他唯一的安慰是，没人会把他错认成矮人，因为他没长胡子。 他们没骑多久，甘道夫就骑着白马神采奕奕地赶来了。 他带了好多手帕，还有比尔博的烟斗和烟草。 从那之后，队伍一路都开开心心，他们整段骑行都在讲故事唱歌，当然停下来吃饭的时候除外。 吃饭的次数没有比尔博希望的那么多，但即便如此，他也开始觉得冒险好像也不是那么

bad after all. At first they had passed through hobbit-lands, a wide respectable country inhabited by decent folk, with good roads, an inn or two, and now and then a dwarf or a farmer ambling by on business. Then they came to lands where people spoke strangely, and sang songs Bilbo had never heard before. Now they had gone on far into the Lone-lands, where there were no people left, no inns, and the roads grew steadily worse. Not far ahead were dreary hills, rising higher and higher, dark with trees. On some of them were old castles with an evil look, as if they had been built by wicked people. Everything seemed gloomy, for the weather that day had taken a nasty turn. Mostly it had been as good as May can be, can be, even in merry tales, but now it was cold and wet. In the Lone-lands they had been obliged to camp when they could, but at least it had been dry. "To think it will soon be June!" grumbled Bilbo, as he splashed along behind the others in a very muddy track. It was after tea-time; it was pouring with rain, and had been all day; his hood was dripping into his eyes, his cloak was full of water; the pony was tired and stumbled on stones; the others were too grumpy to talk. "And I'm sure the

糟糕嘛。 一开始他们经过霍比特领地，这片开阔体面的地方住着规矩的百姓，道路平整，时不时有一两家旅店，偶尔会有矮人或者农夫赶路办事经过。 后来他们到了陌生的地方，这里的人说奇怪的话，唱比尔博从没听过的歌。 现在他们已经深入荒蛮之地，这里没有人烟，没有旅店，路也越来越难走。 不远处就是阴沉的山丘，越升越高，山上黑压压布满了树。 有些山丘上立着模样阴邪的古老城堡，好像是坏人建的。 一切都阴沉沉的，因为这天天气突然变糟了。 本来天气好得不能再好，是五月该有的好天气，就算童话里也算得上好天气，可现在又冷又湿。 在荒蛮之地他们不得已只能随处露营，好在之前天气都是干的。 "想想再过不久就到六月了！"比尔博抱怨着，踩着泥泞的小路跟在大伙身后，溅得满身泥。 已经过了下午茶时间，雨下了一整天，现在还倾盆不止；兜帽的水滴进他眼睛，斗篷浸满了水；小马累坏了，在石头上绊得跌跌撞撞；其他人都脾气糟糕，懒得说话。 "我敢肯定