jrt.the hobbit-第48部分

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　think　you　did　very　well；　if　you　ask　me…you　found　out　one　very　useful　thing　at　any　rate；　and　got　home　alive；　and　that　is　more　than　most　can　say　who　have　had　words　with　the　likes　of　Smaug。　It　may　be　a　mercy　and　a　blessing　yet　to　know　of　the　bare　patch　in　the　old　Worm's　diamond　waistcoat。〃　That　turned　the　conversation；　and　they　all　began　discussing　dragon…slayings　historical；　dubious；　and　mythical；　and　the　various　sorts　of　stabs　and　jabs　and　undercuts；　and　the　different　arts；　devices　and　stratagems　by　which　they　had　been　acplished。　The　general　opinion　was　that　catching　a　dragon　napping　was　not　as　easy　as　it　sounded；　and　the　attempt　to　stick　one　or　prod　one　asleep　was　more　likely　to　end　in　disaster　than　a　bold　frontal　attack。　All　the　while　they　talked　the　thrush　listened；　till　at　last　when　the　stars　began　to　peep　forth；　it　silently　spread　its　wings　and　flew　away。　And　all　the　while　they　talked　and　the　shadows　lengthened　Bilbo　became　more　and　more　unhappy　and　his　foreboding　At　last　he　interrupted　them。　〃I　am　sure　we　are　very　unsafe　here；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　don't　see　the　point　of　sitting　here。　The　dragon　has　withered　all　the　pleasant　green；　and　anyway　the　night　has　e　and　it　is　cold。　But　I　feel　it　in　my　bones　that　this　place　will　be　attacked　again。　Smaug　knows　now　how　I　came　down　to　his　hall；　and　you　can　trust　him　to　guess　where　the　other　end　of　the　tunnel　is。　He　will　break　all　this　side　of　the　Mountain　to　bits；　if　necessary；　to　stop　up　our　entrance；　and　if　we　are　smashed　with　it　the　better　he　will　like　it。〃
　〃You　are　very　gloomy；　Mr。　Baggins！〃　said　Thorin。　〃Why　has　not　Smaug　blocked　the　lower　end；　then；　if　he　is　so　eager　to　keep　us　out？　He　has　not；　or　we　should　have　heard　him。〃
　〃I　don't　know；　I　don't　know…because　at　first　he　wanted　to　try　and　lure　me　in　again；　I　suppose；　and　now　perhaps　because　he　is　waiting　till　after　tonight's　hunt；　or　because　he　does　not　want　to　damage　his　bedroom　if　he　can　help　it　…　but　I　wish　you　would　not　argue。　Smaug　will　be　ing　out　at　any　minute　now；　and　our　only　hope　is　to　get　well　in　the　tunnel　and　shut　the　door。〃　He　seemed　so　much　in　earnest　that　the　dwarves　at　last　did　as　he　said；　though　they　delayed　shutting　the　door…it　seemed　a　desperate　plan；　for　no　one　knew　whether　or　how　they　could　get　it　open　again　from　the　inside；　and　the　thought　of　being　shut　in　a　place　from　which　the　only　way　out　led　through　the　dragon's　lair　was　not　one　they　liked。　Also　everything　seemed　quite　quiet；　both　outside　and　down　the　tunnel。　So　for　a　longish　while　they　sat　inside　not　far　down　from　the　half…open　door　and　went　on　talking。　The　talk　turned　to　the　dragon's　wicked　words　about　the　dwarves。　Bilbo　wished　he　had　never　heard　them；　or　at　least　that　he　could　feel　quite　certain　that　the　dwarves　now　were　absolutely　honest　when　they　declared　that　they　had　never　thought　at　all　about　what　would　happen　after　the　treasure　had　been　won。　　〃We　knew　it　would　be　a　desperate　venture；〃　said　Thorin；　〃and　we　know　that　still；　and　I　still　think　that　when　we　have　won　it　will　be　time　enough　to　think　what　to　do　about　it。　As　for　your　share；　Mr。　Baggins；　I　assure　you　we　are　more　than　grateful　and　you　shall　choose　you　own　fourteenth；　as　soon　as　we　have　anything　to　divide；　am　sorry　if　you　are　worried　about　transport；　and　I　admit　the　difficulties　are　great…the　lands　have　not　bee　less　wild　with　the　passing　of　time；　rather　the　reverse…but　we　will　do　whatever　we　can　for　you；　and　take　our　share　of　the　cost　when　the　time　es。　Believe　me　or　not　as　you　like！〃
　From　that　the　talk　turned　to　the　great　hoard　itself　and　to　the　things　that　Thorin　and　Balin　remembered。　They　wondered　if　they　were　still　lying　there　。unharmed　in　the　hall　below：　the　spears　that　were　made　for　the　armies　of　the　great　King　Bladorthin　（long　since　dead）；　each　had　a　thrice…forged　head　and　their　shafts　were　inlaid　with　cunning　gold；　but　they　were　never　delivered　or　paid　for；　shields　made　for　warriors　long　dead；　the　great　golden　cup　of　Thror；　two…handed；　hammered　and　carven　with　birds　and　flowers　whose　eyes　and　petals　were　of　jewels；　coats　of　mail　gilded　and　silvered　and　impenetrable；　the　necklace　of　Girion；　Lord　of　Dale；　made　of　five　hundred　emeralds　green　as　grass；　which　he　gave　for　the　arming　of　his　eldest　son　in　a　coat　of　dwarf…linked　rings　the　like　of　which　had　never　been　made　before；　for　it　was　wrought　of　pure　silver　to　the　power　and　strength　of　triple　steel。　But　fairest　of　all　was　the　great　white　gem；　which　the　dwarves　had　found　beneath　the　roots　of　the　Mountain；　the　Heart　of　the　Mountain；　the　Arkenstone　of　Thrain。　　〃The　Arkenstone！　The　Arkenstone！〃　murmured　Thorin　in　the　dark；　half　dreaming　with　his　chin　upon　his　knees。　〃It　was　like　a　globe　with　a　thousand　facets；　it　shone　like　silver　in　the　firelight；　like　water　in　the　sun；　like　snow　under　the　stars；　like　rain　upon　the　Moon！〃
　But　the　enchanted　desire　of　the　hoard　had　fallen　from　Bilbo。　All　through　their　talk　he　was　only　half　listening　to　them。　He　sat　nearest　to　the　door　with　one　ear　cocked　for　any　beginnings　of　a　sound　without；　his　other　was　alert　or　echoes　beyond　the　murmurs　of　the　dwarves；　for　any　whisper　of　a　movement　from　far　below。
　Darkness　grew　deeper　and　he　grew　ever　more　uneasy。　〃Shut　the　door！〃　he　begged　them。　〃I　fear　that　dragon　in　my　marrow。　I　like　this　silence　far　less　than　the　uproar　of　last　night。　Shut　the　door　before　it　is　too　late！〃　Something　in　his　voice　gave　the　dwarves　an　unfortable　feeling。　Slowly　Thorin　shook　off　his　dreams　and　getting　up　he　kicked　away　the　stone　that　wedged　the　door。　Then　they　thrust　upon　it；　and　it　closed　with　a　snap　and　a　clang。　No　trace　of　a　keyhole　was　there　left　on　the　inside。　They　were　shut　in　the　Mountain！
　And　not　a　moment　too　soon。　They　had　hardly　gone　any　distance　down　the　tunnel　when　a　blow　smote　the　side　of　the　Mountain　like　the　crash　of　battering…rams　made　of　forest　oaks　and　swung　by　giants。　The　rock　boomed；　the　walls　cracked　and　stones　fell　from　the　roof　on　their　heads。　What　would　have　happened　if　the　door　had　still　been　open　I　don't　like　to　think。　They　fled　further　down　the　tunnel　glad　to　be　still　alive；　while　behind　them　outside　they　heard　the　roar　and　rumble　of　Smaug's　fury。　He　was　breaking　rocks　to　pieces；　smashing　wall　and　cliff　with　the　lashings　of　his　huge　tail；　till　their　little　lofty　camping　ground；　the　scorched　grass；　the　thrush's　stone；　the　snail…covered　walls；　the　narrow　ledge；　and　all　disappeared　in　a　jumble　of　smithereens；　and　an　avalanche　of　splintered　stones　fell　over　the　cliff　into　the　valley　below。　　Smaug　had　left　his　lair　in　silent　stealth；　quietly　soared　into　the　air；　and　then　floated　heavy　and　slow　in　the　dark　like　a　monstrous　crow；　down　the　wind　towards　the　west　of　the　Mountain；　in　the　hopes　of　catching　unawares　something　or　somebody　there；　and　of　spying　the　outlet　to　the　passage　which　the　thief　had　used。　This　was　the　outburst　of　his　wrath　when　he　could　find　nobody　and　see　nothing；　even　where　he　guessed　the　outlet　must　actually　be。　　After　he　had　let　off　his　rage　in　this　way　he　felt　better　and　he　thought　in　his　heart　that　he　would　not　be　troubled　again　from　that　direction。　In…the　meanwhile　he　had　further　vengeance　to　take。　〃Barrel…rider！〃　he　snorted。　〃Your　fee　came　from　the　waterside　and　up　the　water　you　came　with　out　a　doubt。　I　don't　know　your　smell；　but　if　you　are　not　one　of　those　men　of　the　Lake；　you　had　their　help。　They　shall　see　me　and　remember　who　is　the　real　King　under　the　Mountain！〃
　He　rose　in　fire　and　went　away　south　towards　the　Running　River。
　
　Chapter　13
　Not　at　Home
　
　In　the　meanwhile；　the　dwarves　sat　in　darkness；　and　utter　silence　fell　about　them。　Little　they　ate　and　little　they　spoke。　They　could　not　count　the　passing　of　time；　and　they　scarcely　dared　to　move；　for　the　whisper　of　their　voices　echoed　and　rustled　in　the　tunnel。　If　they　dozed；　they　woke　still　to　darkness　and　to　silence　going　on　unbroken。　At　last　after　days　and　days　of　waiting；　as　it　seemed；　when　they　were　being　choked　and　dazed　for　want　of　air；　they　could　bear　it　no　longer。　They　would　almost　have　weled　sounds　from　below　of　the　dragon's　return。　In　the　silence　they　feared　some　cunning　devilry　of　his；　but　they　could　not　sit　there　for　ever。
　Thorin　spoke：　〃Let　us　try　the　door！〃　he　said。　〃I　must　feel　the　wind　on　my　face　soon　or　die。　I　think　I　would　rather　be　smashed　by　Smaug　in