jrt.the hobbit-第12部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　head　was　swimming；　and　he　was　far　from　certain　even　of　the　direction　they　had　been　going　in　when　he　had　his　fall。　He　guessed　as　well　as　he　could；　and　crawled　along　for　a　good　way；　till　suddenly　his　hand　met　what　felt　like　a　tiny　ring　of　cold　metal　lying　on　the　floor　of　the　tunnel。　It　was　a　turning　point　in　his　career；　but　he　did　not　know　it。　He　put　the　ring　in　his　pocket　almost　without　thinking；　certainly　it　did　not　seem　of　any　particular　use　at　the　moment。　He　did　not　go　much　further；　but　sat　down　on　the　cold　floor　and　gave　himself　up　to　plete　miserableness；　for　a　long　while。　He　thought　of　himself　frying　bacon　and　eggs　in　his　own　kitchen　at　home　…　for　he　could　feel　inside　that　it　was　high　time　for　some　meal　or　other；　but　that　only　made　him　miserabler。
　He　could　not　think　what　to　do；　nor　could　he　think　what　had　happened；　or　why　he　had　been　left　behind；　or　why；　if　he　had　been　left　behind；　the　goblins　had　not　caught　him；　or　even　why　his　head　was　so　sore。　The　truth　was　he　had　been　lying　quiet；　out　of　sight　and　out　of　mind；　in　a　very　dark　corner　for　a　long　while。
　After　some　time　he　felt　for　his　pipe。　It　was　not　broken；　and　that　was　something。　Then　he　felt　for　his　pouch；　and　there　was　some　tobacco　in　it；　and　that　was　something　more。　Then　he　felt　for　matches　and　he　could　not　find　any　at　all；　and　that　shattered　his　hopes　pletely。　Just　as　well　for　him；　as　he　agreed　when　he　came　to　his　senses。　Goodness　knows　what　the　striking　of　matches　and　the　smell　of　tobacco　would　have　brought　on　him　out　of　dark　holes　in　that　horrible　place。　Still　at　the　moment　he　felt　very　crushed。　But　in　slapping　all　his　pockets　and　feeling　all　round　himself　for　matches　his　hand　came　on　the　hilt　of　his　little　sword　…　the　little　dagger　that　he　got　from　the　trolls；　and　that　he　had　quite　forgotten；　nor　do　the　goblins　seem　to　have　noticed　it；　as　he　wore　it　inside　his　breeches。
　Now　he　drew　it　out。　It　shone　pale　and　dim　before　his　eyes。　〃So　it　is　an　elvish　blade；　too；〃　he　thought；　〃and　goblins　are　not　very　near；　and　yet　not　far　enough。〃
　But　somehow　he　was　forted。　It　was　rather　splendid　to　be　wearing　a　blade　made　in　Gondolin　for　the　goblin…wars　of　which　so　many　songs　had　sung；　and　also　he　had　noticed　that　such　weapons　made　a　great　impression　on　goblins　that　came　upon　them　suddenly。
　〃Go　back？〃　he　thought。　〃No　good　at　all！　Go　sideways？　Impossible！　Go　forward？　Only　thing　to　do！　On　we　go！〃　So　up　he　got；　and　trotted　along　with　his　little　sword　held　in　front　of　him　and　one　hand　feeling　the　wall；　and　his　heart　all　of　a　patter　and　a　pitter。
　Now　certainly　Bilbo　was　in　what　is　called　a　tight　place。　But　you　must　remember　it　was　not　quite　so　tight　for　him　as　it　would　have　been　for　me　or　for　you。　Hobbits　are　not　quite　like　ordinary　people；　and　after　all　if　their　holes　are　nice　cheery　places　and　properly　aired；　quite　different　from　the　tunnels　of　the　goblins；　still　they　are　more　used　to　tunnelling　than　we　are；　and　they　do　not　easily　lose　their　sense　of　direction　underground…not　when　their　heads　have　recovered　from　being　bumped。　Also　they　can　move　very　quietly；　and　hide　easily；　and　recover　wonderfully　from　falls　and　bruises；　and　they　have　a　fund　of　wisdom　and　wise　sayings　that　men　have　mostly　never　heard　or　have　forgotten　long　ago。　　I　should　not　have　liked　to　have　been　in　Mr。　Baggins'　place；　all　the　same。　　The　tunnel　seemed　to　have　no　end。　All　he　knew　was　that　it　was　still　going　down　pretty　steadily　and　keeping　in　the　same　direction　in　spite　of　a　twist　and　a　turn　or　two。　There　were　passages　leading　off　to　the　side　every　now　and　then；　as　he　knew　by　the　glimmer　of　his　sword；　or　could　feel　with　his　hand　on　the　wall。　Of　these　he　took　no　notice；　except　to　hurry　past　for　fear　of　goblins　or　half…imagined　dark　things　ing　out　of　them。　On　and　on　he　went；　and　down　and　down；　and　still　he　heard　no　sound　of　anything　except　the　occasional　whirr　of　a　bat　by　his　ears；　which　startled　him　at　first；　till　it　became　too　frequent　to　bother　about。　I　do　not　know　how　long　he　kept　on　like　this；　hating　to　go　on；　not　daring　to　stop；　on；　on；　until　he　was　tireder　than　tired。　It　seemed　like　all　the　way　to　tomorrow　and　over　it　to　the　days　beyond。　　Suddenly　without　any　warning　he　trotted　splash　into　water！　Ugh！　it　was　icy　cold。　That　pulled　him　up　sharp　and　short。　He　did　not　know　whether　it　was　just　a　pool　in　the　path；　or　the　edge　of　an　underground　stream　that　crossed　the　passage；　or　the　brink　of　a　deep　dark　subterranean　lake。　The　sword　was　hardly　shining　at　all。　He　stopped；　and　he　could　hear；　when　he　listened　hard；　drops　drip…drip…dripping　from　an　unseen　roof　into　the　water　below；　but　there　seemed　no　other　sort　of　sound。
　〃So　it　is　a　pool　or　a　lake；　and　not　an　underground　river；〃　he　thought。　　Still　he　did　not　dare　to　wade　out　into　the　darkness。　He　could　not　swim；　and　he　thought；　too；　of　nasty　slimy　things；　with　big　bulging　blind　eyes；　wriggling　in　the　water。　There　are　strange　things　living　in　the　pools　and　lakes　in　the　hearts　of　mountains：　fish　whose　fathers　swam　in；　goodness　only　knows　how　many　years　ago；　and　never　swam　out　again；　while　their　eyes　grew　bigger　and　bigger　and　bigger　from　trying　to　see　in　the　blackness；　also　there　are　other　things　more　slimy　than　fish。　Even　in　the　tunnels　and　caves　the　goblins　have　made　for　themselves　there　are　other　things　living　unbeknown　to　them　that　have　sneaked　in　from　outside　to　lie　up　in　the　dark。　Some　of　these　caves；　too；　go　back　in　their　beginnings　to　ages　before　the　goblins；　who　only　widened　them　and　joined　them　up　with　passages；　and　the　original　owners　are　still　there　in　odd　ers；　slinking　and　nosing　about。
　Deep　down　here　by　the　dark　water　lived　old　Gollum；　a　small　slimy　creature。　I　don't　know　where　he　came　from；　nor　who　or　what　he　was。　He　was　Gollum　…　as　dark　as　darkness；　except　for　two　big　round　pale　eyes　in　his　thin　face。　He　had　a　little　boat；　and　he　rowed　about　quite　quietly　on　the　lake；　for　lake　it　was；　wide　and　deep　and　deadly　cold。　He　paddled　it　with　large　feet　dangling　over　the　side；　but　never　a　ripple　did　he　make。　Not　he。　He　was　looking　out　of　his　pale　lamp…like　eyes　for　blind　fish；　which　he　grabbed　with　his　long　fingers　as　quick　as　thinking。　He　liked　meat　too。　Goblin　he　thought　good；　when　he　could　get　it；　but　he　took　care　they　never　found　him　out。　He　just　throttled　them　from　behind；　if　they　ever　came　down　alone　anywhere　near　the　edge　of　the　water；　while　he　was　prowling　about。　They　very　seldom　did；　for　they　had　a　feeling　that　something　unpleasant　was　lurking　down　there；　down　at　the　very　roots　of　the　mountain。　They　had　e　on　the　lake；　when　they　were　tunnelling　down　long　ago；　and　they　found　they　could　go　no　further；　so　there　their　road　ended　in　that　direction；　and　there　was　no　reason　to　go　that　way…unless　the　Great　Goblin　sent　them。　Sometimes　he　took　a　fancy　for　fish　from　the　lake；　and　sometimes　neither　goblin　nor　fish　came　back。
　Actually　Gollum　lived　on　a　slimy　island　of　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　lake。　He　was　watching　Bilbo　now　from　the　distance　with　his　pale　eyes　like　telescopes。　Bilbo　could　not　see　him；　but　he　was　wondering　a　lot　about　Bilbo；　for　he　could　see　that　he　was　no　goblin　at　all。
　Gollum　got　into　his　boat　and　shot　off　from　the　island；　while　Bilbo　was　sitting　on　the　brink　altogether　flummoxed　and　at　the　end　of　his　way　and　his　wits。　Suddenly　up　came　Gollum　and　whispered　and　hissed：
　〃Bless　us　and　splash　us；　my　precioussss！　I　guess　it's　a　choice　feast；　at　least　a　tasty　morsel　it'd　make　us；　gollum！〃　And　when　he　said　gollum　he　made　a　horrible　swallowing　noise　in　his　throat。　That　is　how　he　got　his　name；　though　he　always　called　himself　'my　precious。'
　The　hobbit　jumped　nearly　out　of　his　skin　when　the　hiss　came　in　his　ears；　and　he　suddenly　saw　the　pale　eyes　sticking　out　at　him。　　〃Who　are　you？〃　he　said；　thrusting　his　dagger　in　front　of　him。　　〃What　iss　he；　my　preciouss？〃　whispered　Gollum　（who　always　spoke　to　himself　through　never　having　anyone　else　to　speak　to）。　This　is　what　he　had　e　to　find　out；　for　he　was　not　really　very　hungry　at　the　moment；　only　curious；　otherwise　he　would　have　grabbed　first　and　whispered　afterwards。　　〃I　am　Mr。　Bilbo　Baggins。　I　have　lost　the　dwarves　and　I　have　lost　the　wizard；　and　I　don't　know　where　I　am；　and　〃I　don't　want　to　know；　if　only　I　can　get　；away。〃
　〃What's　he　got　in　his　handses？〃　said　Gollum；　looking　at　the　sword；　which　he　did　not　quite　like。
　〃A　sword；　a　blade　which　came　out　of　Gondolin！〃
　〃Sssss；〃　said　Gollum；　and　became　quite　polite。　〃Praps　ye　sits　here　and　chats　with　it　a　bitsy；　my　preciousss。　It　like　riddles；　praps　it　does；　does　it？〃　He　was　anxious　to　appear　friendly；　at　any　rate　for　the　moment；　and　until　he　found　out　more　about　the　sword　and　the　hobbit；　whether　he　was　quite　alone　really；　whether　he　was　good　to　eat；　and　whether　Gollum　was　really　hungry。　　Riddles　were　all　he　could　think　of。　Asking　them；　and　sometimes　guessing　them；　had　been　the　only　game　he　had　ever　played　with　other　funny　creatures　sitting　in　their　holes　in　the　long；　long　ago；　before　he　lost　all　his　friends　and　was　driven　away；　alone；　and　crept　down；　down；　into　the　dark　under　the　mountains。　　〃Very　well；〃　said　Bilbo；　who　was　anxious　to　agree；　until　he　found　out　more　about　the　creature；　whether　he　was　quite　alone；　whether　he　was　fierce　or　hungry；　and　whether　he　was　a　friend　of　the　goblins。
　〃You　ask　first；〃　he　said；　because　he　had　not　had　time　to　think　of　a　riddle。
　So　Gollum　hissed：
　〃What　has　roots　as　nobody　sees；
　Is　taller　than　trees；
　Up；　up　it　goes；
　And　yet　never　grows？〃
　〃Easy！〃　said　Bilbo。　〃Mountain；　I　suppose。〃
　〃Does　it　guess　easy？　It　must　have　a　petition　with　us；　my　preciouss！　If　precious　asks；　and　it　doesn't　answer；　we　eats　it；　my　preciousss。　If　it　asks　us；　and　we　doesn't　answer；　then　we　does　what　it　wants；　eh？　We　shows　it　the　way　out；　yes！〃
　〃All　right！〃　said　Bilbo；　not　daring　to　disagree；　and　nearly　bursting　his　brain　to　think　of　riddles　that　could　save　him　from　being　eaten。
　〃Thirty　white　horses　on　a　red　hill；
　First　they　champ；
　Then　they　stamp；
　Then　they　stand　still。〃
　That　was　all　he　could　think　of　to　ask…the　idea　of　eating　was　rather　on
　his　mind。　It　was　rather　an　old　one；　too；　and　Gollum　knew　the　answer　as　well　as　you　do。
　〃Chestnuts；　chestnuts；〃　he　hissed。　〃Teeth！　teeth！　my　preciousss；　but　we　has　only　six！〃　Then　he　asked　his　second：
　〃Voiceless　it　cries；
　Wingless　flutters；
　Toothless　bite