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You are familiar with Thorin’s style on important occasions, so I will not give you any more of it, though he went on a good deal longer than this. It certainly was an important occasion, but Bilbo felt impatient. By now he was quite familiar with Thorin too, and he knew what he was driving at.
你们都很明白索林在重要时刻的讲话风格，所以我就不再详细告诉大家他说话的内容了，虽然他又啰里吧嗦说了一大通。这当然是一个很重要的时刻，但比尔博已经有点不耐烦了。经过这段时间的相处，他也已经对索林很熟悉了，所以他知道这家伙真正想说的是什么。
“If you mean you think it is my job to go into the secret passage first, O Thorin Thrain’s son Oakenshield, may your beard grow ever longer,” he said crossly, “say so at once and have done! I might refuse. I have got you out of two messes already, which were hardly in the original bargain, so that I am, I think, already owed some reward. But ‘third time pays for all’ as my father used to say, and somehow I don’t think I shall refuse. Perhaps I have begun to trust my luck more than I used to in the old days” — he meant last spring before he left his own house, but it seemed centuries ago –“but anyway I think I will go and have a peep at once and get it over. Now who is coming with me?”
“哦，瑟莱因之子索林·橡木盾，如果你是想说，你觉得第一个走进这条密道是我该做的事，”他不客气地打断道，“那就请你马上直说！我可以拒绝。我已经两次把你们从麻烦中解救出来了，这可不在原先谈妥的条件之内，所以我想，我已经有一些应得的报酬了。不过，我老爸常说。凡事三次才圆满。而且我也不觉得我会拒绝。或许，我对于自己的好运已经比过去要更信任了些。”——他指的是在刚刚过去的春天他离开自己的住所之前，但这给人的感觉却仿佛已经是好几世纪以前的事情了——“反正我想我会马上去看一看，把事情作个了断的。好了，有谁要和我一起去？”
For a long time the dwarves stood in the dark before the door and debated, until at last Thorin spoke:
矮人们在洞口的黑暗中站了很久，争辩不休，最后索林开了口：
“Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself a good companion on our long road, and a hobbit full of courage and resource far exceeding his size, and if I may say so possessed of good luck far exceeding the usual allowance-now is the time for him to perform the service for which he was included in our Company; now is the time for him to earn his Reward.”
“现在，该是我们受人尊敬的巴金斯先生，他在我们的漫长旅程中已经证明了自己是我们的好伙伴，是一个充满着与他的身量不相称的勇气与智慧的霍比特人，而且，如果我可以这么说的话，他还拥有远远超出常人的好运——现在，该是他执行他的使命的时候了，他正是为了这一使命才加入我们队伍的，现在该是他赚取他应得报酬的时候了。”
He did not expect a chorus of volunteers, so he was not disappointed. Fili and Kili looked uncomfortable and stood on one leg, but the others made no pretence of offering-except old Balin, the lookout man, who was rather fond of the hobbit. He said he would come inside at least and perhaps a bit of the way too, ready to call for help if necessary.
他本来就不指望会有很多人异口同声地抢着要去，所以对于大家的冷漠反应并不感到有多失望。菲力和奇力看起来还有些不好意思，身体随着重心从一条腿换到另一条腿而轻微摇晃着，但其他人连装装样子都不愿意——惟一的例外是负责站岗的巴林，他对比尔博相当有好感。说他至少愿意和比尔博一起进门，或许还能陪着走上一小段距离，如果有必要的话，他可以出来求援。
The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would; but they would all have done their best to get him out of trouble, if he got into it, as they did in the case of the trolls at the beginning of their adventures before they had any particular reasons for being grateful to him. There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don’t expect too much.
矮人们的心态其实是这样的：他们准备为了比尔博的服务而付给他可观的报酬；他们让他为他们完成一桩特别危险的活儿，如果这个可怜的小家伙愿意干的话，他们并不介意让他去干；但如果他遇到了什么麻烦的话，他们会竭尽全力帮他脱离险境，就像他们在冒险刚开始的时候遇到食人妖那次出手相救那样，而当时他们还并没有什么特别的理由要对比尔博感恩图报。事实就是：矮人们并不是什么英雄，而是善于算计的、把钱看得很重的家伙。矮人一族中有些人是精明狡猾的奸恶之徒，而索林和他的伙伴们则不是，只要你对他们不要期望太高的话，他们也完全可以算得上是正派人。
After a while Balin bade Bilbo “Good luck!” and stopped where he could still see the faint outline of the door, and by a trick of the echoes of the tunnel hear the rustle of the whispering voices of the others just outside. Then the hobbit slipped on his ring, and warned by the echoes to take more than hobbit’s care to make no sound, he crept noiselessly down, down, down into the dark. He was trembling with fear, but his little face was set and grim. Already he was a very different hobbit from the one that had run out without a pocket-handkerchief from Bag-End long ago. He had not had a pocket-handkerchief for ages. He loosened his dagger in its sheath, tightened his belt, and went on.
过了一会儿之后，巴林对比尔博说了句“祝好运！”就停住了脚步，这里还可以看见大门的依稀轮廓，而且凭借着洞穴的回音作用，还可以模模糊糊地听见门外其他矮人低声说话的声音。巴林走了之后，霍比特人戴上戒指，由于知道了洞穴会有回音效果，他加倍小心地不弄出任何声音，无声无息地一直向下、向下、向下，朝着无尽的黑暗走去。他害怕得浑身发抖，但小脸上的表情则是凝重而又坚毅的。此时的他和许久前刚上路时慌得忘记带手帕的那个霍比特人早已判若两人，而且他也已经很久没用过手帕了。他松开腰间的短剑，勒紧腰带，继续前进。
The stars were coming out behind him in a pale sky barred with black when the hobbit crept through the enchanted door and stole into the Mountain. It was far easier going than he expected. This was no goblin entrance, or rough wood-elves’ cave. It was a passage made by dwarves, at the height of their wealth and skill: straight as a ruler, smooth-floored and smooth-sided, going with a gentle never-varying slope direct-to some distant end in the blackness below.
当霍比特人慢慢进入施了魔法的密门，偷偷迈向大山的腹地时，在他身后，涂抹上了黑色的黯淡天空中已经开始出现了星辰。进山洞的过程远比他想像的要容易。这不是半兽人的洞穴，也不是森林精灵的简陋隧道，而是在矮人的财富和技艺都达到鼎盛的时期建造的通道：笔直得像把尺，地面和两边都很平整光滑，沿着一个平缓而又不变的坡度向前延伸——伸向下面的黑暗中某个遥远的尽头。
It was. As he went forward it grew and grew, till there was no doubt about it. It was a red light steadily getting redder and redder. Also it was now undoubtedly hot in the tunnel. Wisps of vapour floated up and past him and he began to sweat. A sound, too, began to throb in his ears, a sort of bubbling like the noise of a large pot galloping on the fire, mixed with a rumble as of a gigantic tom-cat purring. This grew to the unmistakable gurgling noise of some vast animal snoring in its sleep down there in the red glow in front of him.
的确如此。随着他继续朝前走，光芒变得越来越强，直到最后变得确凿无疑为止。那是一种越来越红的光芒，而且隧道里面也不仅是温暖，而是肯定称得上热了。一缕一缕的蒸汽从他身边飘过，让他开始冒汗。一个声音也开始钻进他的耳中跃动，听起来像是架在火上的一口大锅里在沸腾冒泡，还夹杂着一种类似超级大猫发出的咕噜声。再听下去，这声音渐渐明确地变成了某种巨大的动物在睡觉时的鼾声，它就睡在前方下面那红色的闪光里。
“Now you are in for it at last, Bilbo Baggins,” he said to himself. “You went and put your foot right in it that night of the party, and now you have got to pull it out and pay for it! Dear me, what a fool I was and am!” said the least Tookish part of him. “I have absolutely no use for dragon-guarded treasures, and the whole lot could stay here for ever, if only I could wake up and find this beastly tunnel was my own front-hall at home!”
“比尔博·巴金斯，现在你可终于要吃苦头了。那天晚上聚会的时候，你自己一脚踏入这趟浑水，现在就只能自己想办法把脚拔出来啦！天哪！我那会儿和现在都是多么大的大傻瓜啊！”他在自言自语，而说这些话的是他身体里面图克血统最稀薄的那部分，“恶龙守护的宝藏对我来说一点用都没有，管它宝藏有多少，就让它永远留在这里好了，我只求这会儿能突然醒过来，发现这可怕的隧道就是自己家的客厅，那该有多好啊！”
He did not wake up of course, but went still on and on, till all sign of the door behind had faded away. He was altogether alone. Soon he thought it was beginning to feel warm. “Is that a kind of a glow I seem to see coming right ahead down there?” he thought.
他当然没有醒过来，还是继续往前走啊走，直到身后的石门连一点影子都看不到了。他现在完全是孤身一人了。很快他就开始觉得这里越来越暖了。“我在前面正下方隐约看见的难道是什么东西在发光吗？”他想。
It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait. At any rate after a short halt go on he did; and you can picture him coming to the end of the tunnel, an opening of much the same size and shape as the door above. Through it peeps the hobbit’s little head. Before him lies the great bottom-most cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves right at the Mountain’s root. It is almost dark so that its vastness can only be dimly guessed, but rising from the near side of the rocky floor there is a great glow. The glow of Smaug!
比尔博就在这个时候停了下来。继续走下去成了他这辈子做过的最勇敢的事情。之后发生的任何惊天动地的事情都无法与之相比。真正的战斗，是他孤身一人在隧道中，甚至还没见到等待着他的巨大危险的时候所发生的。不管怎样，他在经过一段短暂的停顿后又继续走了下去，你们可以想像他来到隧道尽头时的紧张心情。那里是一个和入口差不多大小的开口处，霍比特人把小脑袋伸了出去，在他眼前是古代矮人在山中所挖掘洞穴的最底部，以前这里要么是用作酒窖，要么是用作地牢。这里几乎是一片漆黑，比尔博只能粗略估计这里空间的宽阔，但是在岩石地面靠近他的这一端升起了一团炽热的红光——那正是恶龙史矛革所发出的光芒！
There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; a thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light.
一条金红色的巨龙就躺在那里熟睡着，从他的下颌和鼻孔中传出呼噜噜的声音，冒出一缕缕的黑烟，但他在睡眠时喷出的火焰并不很旺盛。在他的四肢和盘起来的巨大尾巴之下，以及身体周围整个看不清的洞穴地面上，到处都是一堆堆珍贵的宝物，铸造过和尚未铸造过的黄金、宝石和珠宝，以及被恶龙发出的红光染成了红色的白银。
He gazed for what seemed an age, before drawn almost against his will, he stole from the shadow of the doorway, across the floor to the nearest edge of the mounds of treasure. Above him the sleeping dragon lay, a dire menace even in his sleep. He grasped a great two-handled cup, as heavy as he could carry, and cast one fearful eye upwards. Smaug stirred a wing, opened a claw, the rumble of his snoring changed its note.
他盯着财宝看了仿佛整整一个世纪，然后，他不由自主地从门口的阴影中偷偷走了出来，来到了最靠近他的宝山边沿。恶龙依旧沉睡着，但即便是睡着的恶龙也是一种巨大的威胁。他拿起了一个很大的双耳金杯，重得几乎是他所能负担的极限，同时满怀恐惧地朝上瞄了一眼。史矛革的翅膀动了一下，张开了一只爪子，鼾声的音调也跟着改变了。
To say that Bilbo’s breath was taken away is no description at all. There are no words left to express his staggerment, since Men changed the language that they learned of elves in the days when all the world was wonderful. Bilbo had heard tell and sing of dragon-hoards before, but the splendour, the lust, the glory of such treasure had never yet come home to him. His heart was filled and pierced with enchantment and with the desire of dwarves; and he gazed motionless, almost forgetting the frightful guardian, at the gold beyond price and count.
如果说比尔博看见宝物忘记了呼吸，真不算是过分的形容。人类的语言相对贫乏，所以没有什么词可以用來形容比尔当时目眩神迷的心灵震撼。人类的语言本来就是从精灵那里学来的，而精灵的语言跟他们当时所处的世界一样，是绚丽多彩的，人类学来后作了改变，因此表达就越来越贫乏了。比尔博以前听人们或说或唱过关于恶龙的财宝，却从未面对面领略过财富如此辉煌的景象、如此强烈的欲望和如此璀燦的荣耀。他怔怔地望着这些价值无法估量的金银财宝，几乎完全忘记了那恐怖的守卫，心中满是迷乱，并深深感受到了矮人们所怀的渴望。
Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed. Behind him where the walls were nearest could dimly be seen coats of mail, helms and axes, swords and spears hanging; and there in rows stood great jars and vessels filled with a wealth that could not be guessed.
史矛革的双翼收拢着，像是一只极其巨大的蝙蝠一样躺在地上，身体微微偏向一侧，因此霍比特人得以看见它那颀长而又苍白的肚子，因为长时间躺在价值连城的珍宝之床上，它的肚子上粘了许多宝石和金块。在史矛革身后的墙壁上，依稀可以看见挂着盔甲、头盔、斧头、剑和长矛等东西。墙边还立着一排排的大瓮，里面满装着的宝物价值难以估量。
Then Bilbo fled. But the dragon did not wake-not yet-but shifted into other dreams of greed and violence, lying there in his stolen hall while the little hobbit toiled back up the long tunnel. His heart was beating and a more fevered shaking was in his legs than when he was going down, but still he clutched the cup, and his chief thought was: “I’ve done it! This will show them. ‘More like a grocer than a burglar’ indeed! Well, we’ll hear no more of that.”
比尔博朝外逃去，但恶龙并没有醒来——还不到醒的时候——它依旧躺在这个从矮人们手里偷来的大厅里，只是转换到了另一个充满贪婪和暴力的梦境而已。霍比特人则紧张万分地沿着狭长的隧道往回跑着。他的心扑通扑通直跳，双腿比刚才下来的时候更加激动地颤抖着，但他依旧紧紧抓着金杯不放，脑子里只有一个念头：“我做到了！这个金杯就是证明。说我不像飞贼，倒更像杂货店老板，哼！看以后谁还敢说出这种话来！”
Nor did he. Balin was overjoyed to see the hobbit again, and as delighted as he was surprised. He picked Bilbo up and carried him out into the open air. It was midnight and clouds had covered the stars, but Bilbo lay with his eyes shut, gasping and taking pleasure in the feel of the fresh air again, and hardly noticing the excitement of the dwarves, or how they praised him and patted him on the back and put themselves and all their families for generations to come at his service.
他的确再也没有听到这种说法了。巴林看到霍比特人安全地回来，不禁欣喜若狂，同时也感到非常惊讶。他一把抱起比尔博来到外面的空地上。这时还是半夜，云朵遮住了星星，可比尔博闭着眼躺在地上，大口地喘着气，感受着新鲜空气带来的快感。他几乎没有注意到矮人们的兴奋反应，或是他们如何称赞自己，拍打他的肩膀，还答应不仅矮人们自己，而且还有他们全家、全族的好几代都愿意为他效劳。
The dwarves were still passing the cup from hand to hand and talking delightedly of the recovery of their treasure, when suddenly a vast rumbling woke in the mountain underneath as if it was an old volcano that had made up its mind to start eruptions once again. The door behind them was pulled nearly to, and blocked from closing with a stone, but up the long tunnel came the dreadful echoes, from far down in the depths, of a bellowing and a trampling that made the ground beneath them tremble.
矮人们还在轮流传看着金杯，兴高采烈地讨论着重新找到了他们的财宝，突然间山中深处传来了一阵巨大的隆隆声，仿佛有哪座古老的火山决定要再度喷发一般。他们身后的密门几乎要全关上了，矮人们用一块石头卡在那里不让它关上。但是，从长长的隧道里传来了可怕的回声，回声来自遥远的地底，是低吼和粗重的脚步声，令他们脚下的大地也为之震动。
Then the dwarves forgot their joy and their confident boasts of a moment before and cowered down in fright. Smaug was still to be reckoned with. It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. Dragons may not have much real use for all their wealth, but they know it to an ounce as a rule, especially after long possession; and Smaug was no exception. He had passed from an uneasy dream (in which a warrior, altogether insignificant in size but provided with a bitter sword and great courage, figured most unpleasantly) to a doze, and from a doze to wide waking. There was a breath of strange air in his cave. Could there be a draught from that little hole? He had never felt quite happy about it, though it was so small, and now he glared at it in suspicion and wondered why he had never blocked it up. Of late he had half fancied he had caught the dim echoes of a knocking sound from far above that came down through it to his lair. He stirred and stretched forth his neck to sniff. Then he missed the cup!
这时，矮人们完全忘记了不久之前他们还在兴高采烈，还在自信满满地说着大话，纷纷害怕得趴倒在地上。史矛革还等着他们去对付呢。如果你住在一头活蹦乱跳的恶龙附近，却忘记把他估算在计划内，这可实在有点不像话。恶龙们或许不太能把宝藏派上真正的用场，但一般说来，它们对宝藏的数量是非常清楚的，甚至能精确到一盎司，这一点在占据这些宝藏多年后就更是如此，史矛革也不例外。他刚刚从一个噩梦（梦里有个战士，虽然身材一点都不起眼，却有一把锋利的宝剑和满腔的勇气，让他看了觉得十分不舒服）中醒来，正处于半梦半醒之间，然后又完全醒了过来。洞里有一股奇怪的味道，那难道是从那个小洞吹来的风吗？他对那个小洞一直觉得很不舒服，尽管那个洞是那么小。现在他满腹怀疑地瞪着小洞的方向，心中在想自己为什么一直没有把这个洞堵上呢？近来，他经常觉得从小洞那里传来隐隐约约的敲打声，声音从遥远的上方一路直传进他的巢穴。他惊醒起来，伸长脖子，用力地嗅了嗅。这时，他终于发现金杯不见了！
Thieves! Fire! Murder! Such a thing had not happened since first he came to the Mountain! His rage passes description-the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted. His fire belched forth, the hall smoked, he shook the mountain-roots. He thrust his head in vain at the little hole, and then coiling his length together, roaring like thunder underground, he sped from his deep lair through its great door, out into the huge passages of the mountain-palace and up towards the Front Gate.
失窃！失火！杀人！自从他来到这座大山之后，这种事情还从来没发生过！他的狂怒难以形容——就好比某个有钱人，他拥有的财富超出了能实际享受的程度，突然间他发现少了一样宝物，这样东西他以前从来没用到过，也没有想到过要用，但他还是会愤怒无比。恶龙吐出高温的火焰，整个大厅浓烟滚滚，令大山从根底处都摇动起来。他想要把脑袋朝小洞那里伸，却根本伸不进去；然后他把身体蜷起来，在地底发出雷鸣般的暴吼，接着从他那幽深的巢穴中腾身而起，飞出大门，飞进山中宫殿的宽敞隧道，朝着大山的前门飞去。
To hunt the whole mountain till he had caught the thief and had torn and trampled him was his one thought. He issued from the Gate, the waters rose in fierce whistling steam, and up he soared blazing into the air and settled on the mountain-top in a spout of green and scarlet flame. The dwarves heard the awful rumour of his flight, and they crouched against the walls of the grassy terrace cringing under boulders, hoping somehow to escape the frightful eyes of the hunting dragon.
这时恶龙脑中惟一的念头只有搜遍整座山，把这个该死的小贼找出来，撕碎，踩烂！他从大门冲出，流水瞬间呼啸着腾起蒸汽，他振翅跃上空中，翱翔了一会儿后落到山顶，周身被包裹在一团糅合了红绿两种颜色的火焰中。矮人们早就听到过恶龙如何飞翔的可怕传言，全都紧贴着草地边沿的石壁，缩在大石头下面，希望多少能逃过四处搜索的巨龙那可怕的眼睛。
“They will be slain, and all our ponies too, and all our stores lost,” moaned the others. “We can do nothing.”
“他们会被杀的，还有我们所有的小马，那些补给品也全都完了。”其他的人哀嚎道，“我们什么忙也帮不上了。”
Roused by these words they were just about to creep inside the tunnel when Bifur gave a cry: “My cousins! Bombur and Bofur-we have forgotten them, they are down in the valley!”
听见这些话，他们才如梦方醒，开始悄悄朝隧道中转移。这时，比弗惊呼起来：“还有我的表兄弟们呢！邦伯和伯弗——我们把他们给忘了，他们还在下面的山谷里！”
“Nonsense!” said Thorin, recovering his dignity. “We cannot leave them. Get inside Mr. Baggins and Balin, and you two Fili and Kili-the dragon shan’t have all of us. Now you others, where are the ropes? Be quick!”
“胡说！”棱林于恢复了尊严，“我们不能抛下他们。巴金斯先生和巴林先进去，还有奇力、菲力你们俩——不能让恶龙把我们一锅端了！其他人，绳子在哪儿？快！”
Those were perhaps the worst moments they had been through yet. The horrible sounds of Smaug’s anger were echoing in the stony hollows far above; at any moment he might come blazing down or fly whirling round and find them there, near the perilous cliff’s edge hauling madly on the ropes. Up came Bofur, and still all was safe. Up came Bombur, puffing and blowing while the ropes creaked, and still all was safe. Up came some tools and bundles of stores, and then danger was upon them.
这可能是他们迄今为止遇到过的最严峻的时刻。史矛革愤怒的吼声在远方高处的山谷中回响，他随时都有可能吐着烈焰冲下来，或是在天空盘旋时找到他们，发现他们死死攀着绳子，挂在危险的悬崖边缘。波弗爬上来了，总算还平安无事。邦伯也爬上来了，呼哧呼哧地喘着粗气，把绳子坠得吱吱直响，也还平安无事。接着又拉上来了一些工具和几捆行李，也就在这时，危险降临了。
There they would have all been killed, if it had not been for Bilbo once again. “Quick! Quick!” he gasped. “The door! The tunnel! It’s no good here.”
如果不是再次多亏了比尔博的话，他们可能全都要难逃这一劫了。“快！快！”他上气不接下气地喊道，“进门！搜隧道！躲这儿没用！”
They had barely time to fly back to the tunnel, pulling and dragging in their bundles, when Smaug came hurtling from the North, licking the mountain-sides with flame, beating his great wings with a noise like a roaring wind. His hot breath shrivelled the grass before the door, and drove in through the crack they had left and scorched them as they lay hid. Flickering fires leaped up and black rock-shadows danced. Then darkness fell as he passed again. The ponies screamed with terror, burst their ropes and galloped wildly off. The dragon swooped and turned to pursue them, and was gone.
他们刚刚飞奔着跑进隧道，把行李也又拖又拽地弄进去，史矛革就从北面扇动着翅膀杀到了，他口中喷出的火苗舔过山坡，拍动大翅膀的声音如狂风呼啸。他那灼热的呼吸烤焦了门前的草地，并从他们留着的门缝里钻了进来，令躲在门后的人觉得灼热不堪。只见火苗上下跳动闪烁，岩石的黑影在火光映衬下舞蹈。接着，当他再次飞过的时候，周围被完全笼罩在了黑暗里。小马惊恐地撕鸣，挣脱了绳索，四下乱跑。恶龙俯冲下来，又掉过头追猎它们，然后就飞走了。
A whirring noise was heard. A red light touched the points of standing rocks. The dragon came.
耳畔传来一阵呼呼的翅翼扇动的声音，一红光射到他们站着的岩石上。恶龙来了！
“That’ll be the end of our poor beasts!” said Thorin. “Nothing can escape Smaug once he sees it. Here we are and here we shall have to stay, unless any one fancies tramping the long open miles back to the river with Smaug on the watch!”
“我们那些可怜的小马肯定完蛋了！”索林说，“只要被史矛革看见了，就休想逃掉。我们现在躲在这里，也只能躲在这里，除非有人想在史矛革的眼皮底下走过长长的开阔地回到河边去！”
It was not a pleasant thought! They crept further down the tunnel, and there they lay and shivered though it was warm and stuffy, until dawn came pale through the crack of the door. Every now and again through the night they could hear the roar of the flying dragon grow and then pass and fade, as he hunted round and round the mountain-sides.
这个主意听听就让人害怕！他们又沿着隧道往下走了一点，然后躺下来，浑身发着抖，虽然这里已经温暖乃至闷热了。最后，苍白的曙光从门缝中照了进来。在刚刚过去的这个夜晚，他们时不时地听见飞翔的恶龙的吼声渐渐靠近，掠过，又渐渐远去，史矛革显然正围着这边的山坡在打着转转搜寻。
When morning came the terror of the dwarves grew less. They realized that dangers of this kind were inevitable in dealing with such a guardian, and that it was no good giving up their quest yet.
天亮了之后，矮人们的恐惧渐渐减少了，他们明白到，要对付这样一个宝藏守卫者，此类危险是不可避免的，就算现在放弃冒险也为时已晚。
Nor could they get away just now, as Thorin had pointed out. Their ponies were lost or killed, and they would have to wait some time before Smaug relaxed his watch sufficiently for them to dare the long way on foot. Luckily they had saved enough of their stores to last them still for some time.
索林指出，他们现在逃不出去了，他们的小马不是逃掉，就是被杀掉了。他们必须要等上一段时间，等史矛革放松戒心到一定程度，他们才敢以长途步行的方式逃出去。幸运的是，他们抢救出来的物资还够他们撑上一阵子的。
He guessed from the ponies, and from the traces of the camps he had discovered, that men had come up from the river and the lake and had scaled the mountain-side from the valley where the ponies had been standing; but the door withstood his searching eye, and the little high-walled bay had kept out his fiercest flames. Long he had hunted in vain till the dawn chilled his wrath and he went back to his golden couch to sleep-and to gather new strength. He would not forget or forgive the theft, not if a thousand years turned him to smouldering stone, but he could afford to wait. Slow and silent he crept back to his lair and half closed his eyes.
他从那些小马和它发现的扎营痕迹中推测，这些人是，从河到湖一路过来的，然后又从小马驻足的那个山谷爬上了这一侧的山坡，但他的眼睛找了半天也没有找到密门的所在，那片被岩壁围住的小山坳也没有受到烈火的攻击。他白费力气地搜寻了很久，直到黎明冷却了他的怒火，他才回他的黄金睡榻去睡觉，好恢复力气。他绝不会忘记，更不会原谅偷窃的行为，即使一千年的时光令对方变成了余烬中的石头，他也不会轻饶了他。但是他可以等，也等得起。于是他慢慢地、静静地爬回洞中，半闭上了眼睛。
They debated long on what was to be done, but they could think of no way of getting rid of Smaug-which had always been a weak point in their plans, as Bilbo felt inclined to point out. Then as is the nature of folk that are thoroughly perplexed, they began to grumble at the hobbit, blaming him for what had at first so pleased them: for bringing away a cup and stirring up Smaug’s wrath so soon.
对于接下来该做什么，他们争论了很久，却完全想不出要怎样才能除掉史矛革——比尔博一直有点想跟他们指出，这自始至终就是他们计划的一大弱点。然后，由于他们头脑一片混乱，因此矮人们出于天性就开始抱怨起比尔博来，当初他们对比尔博偷来金杯大感兴奋，赞许有加，现在却怪他过早暴露了目标，引发了恶龙的暴怒。
“What else do you suppose a burglar is to do?” asked Bilbo angrily. “I was not engaged to kill dragons, that is warrior’s work, but to steal treasure. I made the best beginning I could. Did you expect me to trot back with the whole hoard of Thror on my back? If there is any grumbling to be done, I think I might have a say. You ought to have brought five hundred burglars not one. I am sure it reflects great credit on your grandfather, but you cannot pretend that you ever made the vast extent of his wealth clear to me. I should want hundreds of years to bring it all up, if I was fifty times as big, and Smaug as tame as a rabbit.”
“你们觉得飞贼不偷东西该干什么？”比尔博生气地反问，“我可不是来干杀死恶龙这种事的，那是战士的工作，我的责任只是偷走宝物，我开了个我能开的最好的头。难道你们还指望我把所有瑟罗尔的宝物都背上然后走回来吗？如果要抱怨的话，我也有可以抱怨的。你们应该带来五百个飞贼，而不是只有我一个！我知道这些宝藏反映了你们祖父的功绩，但你们别装得好像跟我说过这笔财富有多大似的。就算我的个头是现在的五十倍，而史矛革又驯顺得像只小兔子一样，那些财宝我也得花上好几百年才能搬完。”
After that of course the dwarves begged his pardon. “What then do you propose we should do, Mr. Baggins?” asked Thorin politely.
他一说这些话，矮人们自然只能请求他原谅。“巴金斯先生，那你看我们该怎么办呢？”索林彬彬有礼地请教道。
“Never mind that for the moment! What are we to do now, to-day?”
“现在先别管那么多了！那么今天，就是眼前，我们该做什么呢？”
“I have no idea at the moment-if you mean about removing the treasure. That obviously depends entirely on some new turn of luck and the getting rid of Smaug. Getting rid of dragons is not at all in my line, but I will do my best to think about it. Personally I have no hopes at all, and wish I was safe back at home.”
“如果你是指怎样运走宝物，那我暂时还没想到办法。很明显，这必须要靠一点新的运气才行，而且史矛革必须得除掉。除掉恶龙绝对不是我所擅长的，不过我会尽力想想办法的。就个人而言，我对此并不存奢望，只想能平安回家就行了。”
“Well, if you really want my advice, I should say we can do nothing but stay where we are. By day we can no doubt creep out safely enough to take the air. Perhaps before long one or two could be chosen to go back to the store by the river and replenish our supplies. But in the meanwhile everyone ought to be well inside the tunnel by night.
“好吧，如果你们真心想听我的建议，我认为我们除了待在这里别无选择。白天的时候，我们毫无疑问能在保证安全的前提下偷偷溜出去呼吸点新鲜空气，或许过不了多久，就可以挑一两个人回到河边放物资的地方去补充给养了。不过，在这段时间中，每个人到了晚上都应该乖乖地待在洞里。
“Now I will make you an offer. I have got my ring and will creep down this very noon-then if ever Smaug ought to be napping-and see what he is up to. Perhaps something will turn up. ‘Every worm has his weak spot,’ as my father used to say, though I am sure it was not from personal experience.”
“我可以主动答应你们一件事。今天中午我会戴上戒指，偷偷溜下去看看史矛革在干吗——估计应该是在打吨儿。也许可以发现些什么。我父亲常说：‘每只虫都有他的弱点。’不过，我很肯定这不是他的亲身体验。”
The sun was shining when he started, but it was as dark as night in the tunnel. The light from the door, almost closed, soon faded as he went down. So silent was his going that smoke on a gentle wind could hardly have surpassed it, and he was inclined to feel a bit proud of himself as he drew near the lower door. There was only the very faintest glow to be seen.
出发的时候，外面阳光灿烂，隧道中却暗如黑夜。石门几乎是全关的，从缝里漏进来的那点光在他往下走不了几步后便马上消失殆尽了。他走得无声无息，简直都快赶上微风中飘荡的烟雾了。当他越来越靠近下面的那个门时，他也禁不住对自己有点感到自豪了。从那扇门里只透出一点非常微弱的光芒。
Naturally the dwarves accepted the offer eagerly. Already they had come to respect little Bilbo. Now he had become the real leader in their adventure. He had begun to have ideas and plans of his own. When midday came he got ready for another journey down into the Mountain. He did not like it of course, but it was not so bad now he knew, more or less, what was in front of him. Had he known more about dragons and their wily ways, he might have been more frightened and less hopeful of catching this one napping.
矮人们自然高兴地接受了比尔博的提议，他们已经开始尊敬起小比尔博了。他现在已经真正成为了这次冒险的领队，开始有了自己的点子和计划。到了中午，他准备好了要再次下到山腹中去。当然，他并不喜欢这种冒险，不过，因为他已经知道了自己要面对的是什么，所以也就不再像以前一样害怕了。如果他对恶龙多一些了解，知道它们有多狡猾的话，他也许就会对自己如此冒冒失失地利用恶龙午睡的机会感到更多的害怕，不那么充满希望了。
“Old Smaug is weary and asleep,” he thought. “He can’t see me and he won’t hear me. Cheer up Bilbo!” He had forgotten or had never heard about dragons’ sense of smell. It is also an awkward fact that they can keep half an eye open watching while they sleep, if they are suspicious.
“老史矛革一定累得睡着了。”他想，“他看不见我，也听不见我的声音。比尔博，打起精神来！”他已经忘记了或者索性根本没听说过恶龙的嗔觉很厉害。而且还有一个要命的事实是，当它们起疑心的时候，是可以半闭着眼睛睡觉的。
“Well, thief! I smell you and I feel your air. I hear your breath. Come along! Help yourself again, there is plenty and to spare!”
“听着，小偷！我闻到你了，而且感受到了你的气息。我听见了你的呼吸。过来吧！想拿就尽管拿吧，这儿有的是，分你点儿也无所谓！”
But Bilbo was not quite so unlearned in dragon-lore as all that, and if Smaug hoped to get him to come nearer so easily he was disappointed. “No thank you, O Smaug the Tremendous!” he replied.
但比尔博对恶龙的了解还不至于浅薄到会上这种当的地步，如果史矛革希望用这种方法就能骗得他走过来，那么他只能失望了。“不啦，谢谢，大块头史矛革先生！”
“I did not come for presents. I only wished to have a look at you and see if you were truly as great as tales say. I did not believe them.”
他回答道，“我不是冲着礼物来的，我只是想来看看你，看你有没有传说中的那么伟大。我不相信别人的说法。”
Smaug certainly looked fast asleep, almost dead and dark, with scarcely a snore more than a whiff of unseen steam, when Bilbo peeped once more from the entrance. He was just about to step out on to the floor when he caught a sudden thin and piercing ray of red from under the drooping lid of Smaug’s left eye. He was only pretending to sleep! He was watching the tunnel entrance! Hurriedly Bilbo stepped back and blessed the luck of his ring. Then Smaug spoke.
比尔博再次从入口往内张望的时候，史矛革的样子的确像是睡熟了，几乎一动不动，呼噜也很轻，只从鼻孔里喷出一点点难以察觉到的蒸汽。当他正准备迈步踏进去的时候，突然注意到史矛革左眼聋拉着的眼皮下射出一丝细细的红光——他是在装睡！他正在紧盯着隧道的入口！比尔博赶紧缩回了脚步，心想多亏自己戴着能隐身的戒指，还不至于被发现，没料到史矛革突然开口说话了。
“Do you now?” said the dragon somewhat flattered, even though he did not believe a word of it.
“那你现在相信了吗？”恶龙听了这话多少有些受宠若惊，尽管他一个字儿也不相信比尔博的话。
“You have nice manners for a thief and a liar,” said the dragon. “You seem familiar with my name, but I don’t seem to remember smelling you before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?”
“对一个小偷和骗子来说，你倒还蛮有礼貌的！”恶龙说，“你似乎对我很熟悉啊，但我好像不记得以前闻到过你的味道。可以问问你是谁，又是从哪儿来的吗？”
“Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities,” replied Bilbo.
“噢，史矛革，你是所有能给人带来祸害的东西中最具威力的，那些歌曲和传说根本不及事实的万分之一啊！”比尔博回答道。
“You may indeed! I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen.”
“当然可以！我是从山下来的，我的道路穿过山脉，越过山丘。我还能在空中飞翔，我是个来无影去无踪的人。”
“So I can well believe,” said Smaug, “but that is hardly your usual name.”
“这我相信，”史矛革说，“但这恐怕不是你平常用的名字吧！”
“I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number.”
“我是能发现蛛丝马迹的人，是能砍破蛛网的人，是能用蜇刺刺人的苍蝇。我是被选来凑足幸运数字的。”
“These don’t sound so creditable,” scoffed Smaug.
“这些话听着可不太能令人相信。”史矛革嘲讽道。
“Lovely titles!” sneered the dragon. “But lucky numbers don’t always come off.”
“这些名头可真可爱啊！”恶龙冷笑着说道，“但幸运数字可不见得每次都管用哦！”
“I am he that buries his friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came from the end of a bag, but no bag went over me.”
“我是把朋友活埋，把他们丢进水里，然后又能让他们从水中活生生离开的人。我是从袋子的底端来的，但从来没被袋子套上过。”
“I am the friend of bears and the guest of eagles. I am Ringwinner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrel-rider,” went on Bilbo beginning to be pleased with his riddling.
“我是熊之友、鹰之客，我是赢得戒指并幸运佩戴的人，我也是木桶骑士。”比尔博一路说下去，开始为自己编的谜语感到来劲了。
“That’s better!” said Smaug. “But don’t let your imagination run away with you!”
“这个更棒了！”史矛革说，“不过，可别把想像游戏玩儿得太过头了！”
“I thought so last night,” he smiled to himself. “Lake-men, some nasty scheme of those miserable tub-trading Lake-men, or I’m a lizard. I haven’t been down that way for an age and an age; but I will soon alter that!”
“我昨晚就猜到了！”他微笑着在心中想道，“这一定是湖上的那些人类，就是那些卖桶子的可怜家伙弄出来的计策，不然我就是条蜥蜴。我已经有好几年没有去过那个地方了，不过我很快就会改变这种情况的！”
“Very well, O Barrel-rider!” he said aloud. “Maybe Barrel was your pony’s name; and maybe not, though it was fat enough. You may walk unseen, but you did not walk all the way. Let me tell you I ate six ponies last night and I shall catch and eat all the others before long. In return for the excellent meal I will give you one piece of advice for your good: don’t have more to do with dwarves than you can help!”
“好极了，木桶骑士！”这次他大声说了出来，“或许木桶就是你坐骑的名字，或许不是，它作为坐骑可是太胖了点。你或许可以来无影去无踪，但你绝对不可能一路都是走来的。让我告诉你吧，我昨天晚上吃了六匹小马，过不了多久，我会把别的小马也都吃掉。为了回报这顿美餐，我愿意给你一个忠告：这事儿准跟矮人有关！”
This of course is the way to talk to dragons, if you don’t want to reveal your proper name (which is wise), and don’t want to infuriate them by a flat refusal (which is also very wise). No dragon can resist the fascination of riddling talk and of wasting time trying to understand it. There was a lot here which Smaug did not understand at all (though I expect you do, since you know all about Bilbo’s adventures to which he was referring), but he thought he understood enough, and he chuckled in his wicked inside.
如果你不想泄露你的真名实姓（这是聪明的做法），也不想因为直截了当地拒绝而惹恼了他们（这也很聪明），那么你当然就只能这样跟恶龙说话。没有哪条恶龙能抵御充满谜语的谈话和花时间来解谜的诱惑。比尔博刚才的这番话里，史矛革有许多是一点都弄不明白的（不过我想你们是应该明白的，因为他指的是他这一路历险的过程，而你们对此是再清楚不过了），但他自以为自己已经了解得够多了，因此不禁在他那邪恶的内心中窃笑不已。
“Don’t talk to me!” said Smaug. “I know the smell (and taste) of dwarf-no one better. Don’t tell me that I can eat a dwarf-ridden pony and not know it! You’ll come to a bad end, if you go with such friends, Thief Barrel-rider. I don’t mind if you go back and tell them so from me.” But he did not tell Bilbo that there was one smell he could not make out at all, hobbit-smell; it was quite outside his experience and puzzled him mightily.
“别跟我装了！”史矛革说，“我很淸楚矮人的气息（还有滋味），没有人比我更熟悉了。别跟我说我吃了矮人骑过的小马还闻不出是谁骑的！如果你交上这样的朋友，木桶骑士小偷，你的下场会很惨的！啊，我不介意你回去告诉他们，就说这是我说的。”不过，他并没有告诉比尔博的是，其中有种味道是他根本分辨不出的，那就是霍比特人的味道。这种味道不在他的经验范围之内，令他大感迷惑。
“Dwarves!” said Bilbo in pretended surprise.
“矮人！”比尔博故作惊讶地喊了一句。
“I suppose you got a fair price for that cup last night?” he went on. “Come now, did you? Nothing at all! Well, that’s just like them. And I suppose they are skulking outside, and your job is to do all the dangerous work and get what you can when I’m not looking-for them? And you will get a fair share? Don’t you believe it! If you get off alive, you will be lucky.”
“我想，昨天晚上的那个金杯，让你得了个好价钱吧？”他继续说道，“说嘛，是不是？什么都没得到！哈，这倒正是他们的风格。我想他们一定是偷偷摸摸地躲在外面，而你是专干危险工作的，那就是趁我不注意的时候能偷多少就偷多少。你替他们卖命？会分给你一大票吗？别信他们的鬼话！你能活着离开就算幸运了！”
Bilbo was now beginning to feel really uncomfortable. Whenever Smaug’s roving eye, seeking for him in the shadows, flashed across him, he trembled, and an unaccountable desire seized hold of him to rush out and reveal himself and tell all the truth to Smaug. In fact he was in grievous danger of coming under the dragon-spell. But plucking up courage he spoke again.
比尔博现在开始觉得很不安了。史矛革正用眼睛在暗影中寻找着他，每当他那巡视的目光扫过他身体的时候，他就禁不住浑身发抖，有种解释不清的冲动会攫住他，让他想要冲出去把自己显露出来，并把所有的实情都告诉史矛革。事实上，他已经陷入了被恶龙魔法攫住的危险边缘。但他还是鼓起勇气大声说道：
“You don’t know everything, O Smaug the Mighty,” said he. “Not gold alone brought us hither.”
“哦，了不起的史矛革，你并没有知道所有事情，我们到这儿来可并不单单是为了黄金的。”
“Ha! Ha! You admit the ‘us'” laughed Smaug. “Why not say ‘us fourteen’ and be done with it, Mr. Lucky Number? I am pleased to hear that you had other business in these parts besides my gold. In that case you may, perhaps, not altogether waste your time.
“哈！哈！你承认有‘我们’了，”史矛革大笑着说，“为什么不索性爽爽快快地说，我们十四个，呢，幸运数字先生？我很高兴地知道，你们到这里来除了我的黄金还另有所图。如果那样的话，或许你们就不会是在白白浪费时间。
“I don’t know if it has occurred to you that, even if you could steal the gold bit by bit-a matter of a hundred years or so-you could not get it very far? Not much use on the mountain-side? Not much use in the forest? Bless me! Had you never thought of the catch? A fourteenth share, I suppose, or something like it, those were the terms, eh? But what about delivery? What about cartage? What about armed guards and tolls?” And Smaug laughed aloud. He had a wicked and a wily heart, and he knew his guesses were not far out, though he suspected that the Lake-men were at the back of the plans, and that most of the plunder was meant to stop there in the town by the shore that in his young days had been called Esgaroth.
“我不知道你是否曾经想过，就算你可以一点一点地偷走我的黄金——那大概得花上个一百多年左右——你又能带着黄金跑多远？躲在山边一点用也没有，躲在森林里面就行吗？天啊！你难道从来没想过自己能分到多少吗？十四分之一吧，我想，或者多点少点，这就是你们定好的吧，嗯？那么运送的成本呢？车辆的费用呢？武装护卫和过路费呢？”史矛革大笑了起来。他不仅心地邪恶，也诡计多端，他知道自己猜了个八九不离十。不过，他怀疑在这一计划背后操纵一切的是长湖边的人类，偷来的财宝大部分会最终运送到湖岸边的那个镇子上，在他年轻时那里被称作埃斯加洛斯。
You will hardly believe it, but poor Bilbo was really very taken aback. So far all his thoughts and energies had been concentrated on getting to the Mountain and finding the entrance. He had never bothered to wonder how the treasure was to be removed, certainly never how any part of it that might fall to his share was to be brought back all the way to Bag-End Under-Hill.
你可能很难相信，但可怜的比尔博真的被这些问题问得有些慌乱了。到目前为止，他所有的心思和精力全都集中在如何到达孤山，如何找到密门上。他根本没有费心去想过怎样运走宝藏，当然更没想过该怎样把分给他的那份运回小丘下的袋底洞了。
“I tell you,” he said, in an effort to remain loyal to his friends and to keep his end up, “that gold was only an afterthought with us. We came over hill and under hill, by wave and wind, for Revenge. Surely, O Smaug the unassessably wealthy, you must realize that your success has made you some bitter enemies?”
“我告诉你，”他试图继续相信自己的朋友，不让自己泄气，“黄金只是我们次要的考虑而已。我们跋山涉水，风餐露宿地来到这里是为了复仇！哦，财富多到无可估量的史矛革，你一定已经意识到，你的成功会为你带来一些仇敌的吧？”
Then Smaug really did laugh-a devastating sound which shook Bilbo to the floor, while far up in the tunnel the dwarves huddled together and imagined that the hobbit had come to a sudden and a nasty end.
史矛革听了发出真正的大笑，这可怕的笑声把比尔博震倒在地上，而隧道远处的矮人们也吓得抱在一起，不禁认为霍比特人会不会已经惨遭了不幸。
Now a nasty suspicion began to grow in his mind-had the dwarves forgotten this important point too, or were they laughing in their sleeves at him all the time? That is the effect that dragon-talk has on the inexperienced. Bilbo of course ought to have been on his guard; but Smaug had rather an overwhelming personality.
现在，他的心中开始起了严重的疑心：这些矮人是否也忘记了这最重要的一点，还是他们一直都在背后偷偷笑他傻呢？这就是恶龙的一番话对于缺乏经验的人所具有的影响力。比尔博当然应该要保持警惕，但史矛革的确具有令人难以抗拒的蛊惑力。
“I have always understood,” said Bilbo in a frightened squeak, “that dragons were softer underneath, especially in the region of the-er-chest; but doubtless one so fortified has thought of that.”
“我从以前就知道，”比尔博害怕得声音都在发颤了，“恶龙的肉体在表层之下是很柔软的，尤其是在——呃——胸部，但像你这样全身戒备的，肯定早已想到了这一点。”
“Revenge!” he snorted, and the light of his eyes lit the hall from floor to ceiling like scarlet lightning. “Revenge! The King under the Mountain is dead and where are his kin that dare seek revenge? Girion Lord of Dale is dead, and I have eaten his people like a wolf among sheep, and where are his sons’ sons that dare approach me? I kill where I wish and none dare resist. I laid low the warriors of old and their like is not in the world today. Then I was but young and tender. Now I am old and strong, strong, strong, Thief in the Shadows!” he gloated. “My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!”
“复仇！”他鼻孔里哼了一声，眼中泛起的光芒如猩红的闪电将整个大厅从天花板到地板全都照亮了。“复仇！山下之王已经死了那么久，他的后代有哪个敢来复仇的？河谷邦之王吉瑞安已经死了，我吃他的子民就像狼吃羊一样，他的子子孙孙有哪一个敢靠近我的？我想杀就杀，没有人敢抵抗我。我杀死了古代的战士，而如今世上像他们那样的人根本都找不到了。那时，我还年轻纤弱；现在，我已经成熟而强大、强大、无比强大了，你这个阴影中的小偷！”他得意洋洋地继续说道，“我的鳞甲如同十层厚的钢盾，牙齿如同钢剑，利爪如同长矛，尾巴摇一摇便如同打了个雷，翅膀扇一扇便如同刮起狂风，我的呼吸就足以带来死亡！”
The dragon stopped short in his boasting. “Your information is antiquated,” he snapped. “I am armoured above and below with iron scales and hard gems. No blade can pierce me.”
恶龙突。然停止了夸耀。“你的情报早已过时了，”他怒冲冲地说道，“我全身上下已经披满了钢铁般的鳞甲和坚硬的宝石，没有任何刀剑能穿透我了。”
After he had seen that Mr. Baggins’ one idea was to get away. “Well, I really must not detain Your Magnificence any longer,” he said, “or keep you from much needed rest. Ponies take some catching, I believe, after a long start. And so do burglars,” he added as a parting shot, as he darted back and fled up the tunnel.
在看过想看的东西之后，巴金斯先生惟一想着的就是要开溜了。“好吧，我想我不能够再叨扰大人您，”他说，“使您无法进行必要的休息了。小马在受了长时间的惊吓后肯定不怎么好抓了吧，我想，飞贼也是一样。”这句临别的刺激话一说完，他立刻转身飞也似的顺着隧道逃跑了。
“Yes, it is rare and wonderful, indeed,” said Smaug absurdly pleased. He did not know that the hobbit had already caught a glimpse of his peculiar under-covering on his previous visit, and was itching for a closer view for reasons of his own. The dragon rolled over. “Look!” he said. “What do you say to that?”
“那是当然，这可是稀罕的宝物，”史矛革听了这话有点飘飘然起来。他并不知道霍比特人上次来的时候已经瞥见过了他那件特别的护甲，这次他只是出于自己的原因，很想要近距离观察一下。恶龙把身子转了过来。“看看！”他说，“觉得怎么样？”
“I might have guessed it,” said Bilbo. “Truly there can nowhere be found the equal of Lord Smaug the Impenetrable. What magnificence to possess a waistcoat of fine diamonds!”
“我早就应该猜到了，”比尔博说，“是啊，整个世上都找不到能够和刀枪不人的史矛革大王匹敌的对手。您那件钻石褂子可真是美丽啊！”
“Dazzlingly marvellous! Perfect! Flawless! Staggering!” exclaimed Bilbo aloud, but what he thought inside was: “Old fool! Why, there is a large patch in the hollow of his left breast as bare as a snail out of its shell!”
“耀眼夺目！太完美了！毫无缺点！让人震撼哪！”比尔博嘴上这样大声说着，但心里想的其实是：“老蠢蛋！在他左胸的凹陷处，为什么会有一大块地方像出了壳的蜗牛一样是光溜溜的呢？”
It was an unfortunate remark, for the dragon spouted terrific flames after him, and fast though he sped up the slope, he had not gone nearly far enough to be comfortable before the ghastly head of Smaug was thrust against the opening behind. Luckily the whole head and jaws could not squeeze in, but the nostrils sent forth fire and vapour to pursue him, and he was nearly overcome, and stumbled blindly on in great pain and fear. He had been feeling rather pleased with the cleverness of his conversation with Smaug, but his mistake at the end shook him into better sense.
这可真是一句倒霉的话，受了刺激的恶龙立刻朝他身后吐出了可怕的火焰。虽然比尔博飞快地沿着斜坡向上跑去，但他的速度还是无法跟史矛革相提并论，史矛革一下子就将大脑袋塞进了他身后的洞口。对他来说幸运的是，它的整个脑袋和下巴无法完全挤进来，但他鼻孔里喷出来的火焰和蒸汽还是追了上来。他险些就要被追上了，只能在黑暗中带着极大的恐惧连滚带爬，落荒而逃。他之前还对于自己与史矛革谈话时的机敏颇有点得意，可最后关头犯的错误终于使他清醒了过来。
The afternoon was turning into evening when he came out again and stumbled and fell in a faint on the ‘doorstep’. The dwarves revived him, and doctored his scorches as well as they could; but it was a long time before the hair on the back of his head and his heels grew properly again: it had all been singed and frizzled right down to the skin. In the meanwhile his friends did their best to cheer him up; and they were eager for his story, especially wanting to know why the dragon had made such an awful noise, and how Bilbo had escaped.
当他踉踉跄跄地从洞穴中走出来，一头栽倒在“门阶”上的时候，天色已是傍晚了。矮人们把他弄醒，尽可能地医治了他身上的烫伤，但他后脑和脚后跟上的毛发又过了好久才重新长出来：它们全都给烧成焦黄，卷了起来。在这段时间里，他的朋友们尽力想让他高兴起来，他们还急着想要从他口中知道这段故事，特别是为什么恶龙会发出那么巨大的声音，以及比尔博究竟是怎么逃出来的。
“Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo you fool!” he said to himself, and it became a favourite saying of his later, and passed into a proverb. “You aren’t nearly through this adventure yet,” he added, and that was pretty true as well.
“比尔博你这个笨蛋，永远不要取笑还活着的恶龙！”他对自己说道，这在以后成了他的口头禅，也慢慢变成了一句谚语。“你的冒险还远没结束呢。”他又加了一句，这话也一点没说错。
“Drat the bird!” said Bilbo crossly. “I believe he is listening, and I don’t like the look of him.”
“该死的鸟！”比尔博生气地说，“我觉得它肯定在偷听，我看见它的样子就讨厌。”
But the hobbit was worried and uncomfortable, and they had difficulty in getting anything out of him. On thinking things over he was now regretting some of the things he had said to the dragon, and was not eager to repeat them. The old thrush was sitting on a rock near by with his head cocked on one side, listening to all that was said. It shows what an ill temper Bilbo was in: he picked up a stone and threw it at the thrush, which merely fluttered aside and came back.
可是，霍比特人一副忧心忡忡浑身不舒服的样子，他们很难从他口中套出任何东西来。在把整个过程回想了一遍之后，他开始对自己跟恶龙说过的有些话感到后悔，因此也实在不愿意再复述一遍了。那只老画眉鸟正坐在旁边的岩石上，侧扬着脑袋，倾听着他们所有的对话。比尔博的心情实在是糟透了，只见他捡起一块石头来就对着画眉鸟扔了过去，老鸟扑闪了两下翅膀往旁边躲过，然后又回到了原处。
“Leave him alone!” said Thorin. “The thrushes are good and friendly-this is a very old bird indeed, and is maybe the last left of the ancient breed that used to live about here, tame to the hands of my father and grandfather. They were a long-lived and magical race, and this might even be one of those that were alive then, a couple of hundreds of years or more ago. The Men of Dale used to have the trick of understanding their language, and used them for messengers to fly to the Men of the Lake and elsewhere.”
“别管它了！”索林说，“画眉鸟是友好和善的鸟，这也的确是只很老的鸟了，它可能是过去居住在这边的古老鸟类中仅存的硕果了——我的父亲和祖父曾经驯养过它们。这是一个长寿而又有魔法的品种，这一只甚至有可能就是当年那一批中的一只，搞不好都有几百岁了。河谷城的人类以前曾听得懂它们的语言，利用它们来和长湖边的人类以及其他地方传递讯息。”
“Why what has happened?” cried the dwarves. “Do get on with your tale!”
“为什么会有那样的事情呢？”矮人们着急地问道，“快把详情告诉我们吧！”
“Well, well! It cannot be helped, and it is difficult not to slip in talking to a dragon, or so I have always heard,” said Balin anxious to comfort him. “I 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.”
“好吧，算了吧！这也是没办法的事情，和恶龙对话是很难不说漏嘴的，我一直都听人这么说的。”巴林急着想要安慰他，“如果你问我的看法，我觉得你已经做得很好了——你至少发现了一件非常有用的事情，而且还活着回来了，在和史矛革谈过话的人当中你已经是做得最好的了。我们知道了这个老家伙的钻石褂子上有一块光秃的地方，这或许是我们的幸运和福气也未可知。”
“Well, he’ll have news to take to Lake-town all right, if that is what he is after,” said Bilbo; “though I don’t suppose there are any people left there that trouble with thrush-language.”
“好吧，它会有消息可以带回长湖镇了，如果这就是它想要的东西的话。”比尔博说，“不过，那里可能不会有任何活人能听它的鸟语了！”
So Bilbo told them all he could remember, and he confessed that he had a nasty feeling that the dragon guessed too much from his riddles added to the camps and the ponies. “I am sure he knows we came from Lake-town and had help from there; and I have a horrible feeling that his next move may be in that direction. I wish to goodness I had never said that about Barrel-rider; it would make even a blind rabbit in these parts think of the Lake-men.”
比尔博于是就把所有还记得的事情都告诉了矮人们，他承认自己有种不好的预感，他认为恶龙除了它自己原先发现的小马和营地外，又从他的谜语中推测出了太多的线索。“我想他一定已经知道了我们是从长湖镇来的，从那里得到过帮助。我有一种可怕的感觉，他的下一步行动会是冲着那里去的。我真希望我从来都没说过木桶骑士之类的话，在这一带就连一只瞎了眼的兔子都会联想到长湖镇的人类。”
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 come 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.”
最后，他打断了大家的话。“我敢肯定我们在这里非常不安全，”他说，“而且我也看不出坐在这里有什么用。恶龙已经把所有的绿地都给烧焦了，现在已经晚上了，天气也比较冷。我有种从骨子里发散出来的感觉，这个地方一定会再次受到攻击。史矛革现在已经知道我是怎么进入他的洞穴，而且肯定也猜得到隧道的另一头会在什么地方。如果有必要的话，它会把山的这一面全都炸平来阻止我们进入的。如果我们能跟石头一起被炸碎，它会更加髙兴的。”
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 accomplished. 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 grew.
众人随即改变了话题，开始讨论起了有关屠龙的各种历史的、半真半假的和流传于神话的方法，以及各种各样刺、劈和撩的刀法，以及他们已经具备了的各种技艺、装置和策略。大家达成的共识是，要想抓住恶龙打盹儿的机会并没有听上去那么容易，趁他睡着时行刺可能比从正面发起勇敢的攻击还更容易导致灾难性的结局。整个谈论过程中，那只黑鸟都在专注地听着，直到天上星辰开始出现，他才无声无息地张开翅膀飞走了。他们不停地谈着，地上的影子越拖越长，比尔博的心情也越来越糟，不祥的预感越来越强烈。
“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 coming out at any minute now, and our only hope is to get well in the tunnel and shut the door.”
“我不知道，真的不知道——可能它想要先把我再骗进去吧，我想，又或许它准备等到今晚狩猎后再来做这件事，也有可能它想尽可能不弄坏自己的卧室——不过我希望你们不要再和我争辩了。史矛革随时有可能出来，我们惟一的希望就是躲进隧道里面，把门关起来。”
“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.”
“巴金斯先生，你太悲观了啦！”索林说，“如果它这么迫切想要把我们关在外面，那为什么它还没把下边的出口封掉？它肯定还没封，不然我们会听到声音的。”。
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.
他的态度非常恳切，矮人们最终照他说的做了，尽管他们在关门一事上拖延了一下——这个计划太铤而走险了，因为没有人知道从里面到底能不能把门打开，又该怎么打开。他们一想到自己被困的地方其惟一出口通往的是恶龙的巢穴，心中就很不是滋味。况且，一切看来都非常平静，不管是外面还是隧道里面。因此，他们久久地坐在离半开着的门不远的隧道内，继续聊着天。
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 your own fourteenth, as soon as we have anything to divide. I am sorry if you are worried about transport, and I admit the difficulties are great-the lands have not become 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 comes. Believe me or not as you like!”
话题转到了恶龙所说的关于矮人们的恶毒话。比尔博真希望自己从来没听过这些话，或者他可以相信矮人们这回的说法是绝对诚实的。他们声称自己真的从来也没有考虑过夺回宝藏之后该怎么办。“我们知道这是场九死一生的冒险，”索林说，“我们现在还是这么想的。我依旧认为，等我们拿到宝藏之后，会有足够的时间来考虑该怎么来应付宝藏。至于你的分成，巴金斯先生，我向你保证，由于我们对你的感激实在难以用言语形容，因此只要我们有了可分的东西，会让你优先挑选属于你的那一份。如果你为运输问题而感到担心的话，我向你表示歉意。我承认困难会很大——随着时间的流逝，这片土地上非但没有越来越太平，反而越来越危险了——不过，我们会竭尽所能地帮你解决运输问题，并替你分摊运输费用的。我的话就说到这儿了，相不相信随便你！”
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.
自那以后，话题又转到了那堆积如山的金银财宝，以及索林和巴林还记得的一些东西。他们在想，不知道那些东西是否还完好地保存在地下的大厅里：替伟大的国王布拉多辛（他早就过世了）的部队打造的长枪，每柄长枪都拥有经过三次锻造的枪尖，柄上则镶着精雕细琢的黄金，但这些武器一直都没能送出去，当然也就没收到对方付的工钱；还有替早已亡故的战士们打造的盾牌；供瑟罗尔双手持用的巨大金杯，上面雕琢的鸟和花其眼睛与花瓣都是珠宝镶成；还有精心锻造的铠甲，镀了纯银，刀枪不人；还有河谷邦之王吉瑞安的项链，是用五百颗如同青草一般碧绿的翡翠缀成，他用这串项链为代价，替他的长子量身打造了一副铠甲，铠甲由纯银制成，上面的每一个环扣都由矮人们手工接合，强度和硬度是钢铁的三倍，堪称举世无双。不过，在这其中最美丽的，则是一枚巨大的白色宝石，这是矮人们在大山底下挖掘到的，被称为山之心，又被称作瑟莱因的阿肯宝钻。
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!”
黑暗变得越来越浓，他也越来越不安起来。“关上门！”他恳求大家道，“我从骨髓里害怕恶龙，此刻的寂静比昨夜的狂啸还要可怕。快关上门，不然一切都来不及了！”
“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!”
“阿肯宝钻！阿肯宝钻！”索林把下巴搁在双膝上，在黑暗中梦呓般地喃喃着。“那就像是一颗拥有一千个切面的圆球，在火光中会发出银色的光芒，如同阳光下的水面，星辰下的积雪，月光下的雨珠！”
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 for echoes beyond the murmurs of the dwarves, for any whisper of a movement from far below.
不过，那种对宝物着了魔似的渴望在比尔博身上已经降温了。矮人们在谈论的时候，他只是半心半意地听着。他坐在离门最近的地方，竖起一只耳朵来专心倾听门外的任何异响，而另一只耳朵则是用来监听门内除了矮人们低语之外的声响，任何由下面的动静造成的轻微回声。
Something in his voice gave the dwarves an uncomfortable 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!
他声音中的某种东西让矮人也有了一种不安的感觉。索林慢慢地从对财宝的幻想中醒来，站起身，踢开了挡住门的石头。然后他们用力一推，门就先是咔嗒一声，然后哐地关上了。门的内侧没有任何钥匙孔的痕迹，他们被关在大山里面了！
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.
真是千钧一发啊。他们刚刚迈步朝着隧道下面没走出多远，就只听见山的这一边发出一声轰天巨响，仿佛被巨人用橡木做的攻城大锤用力击中了一般。岩石轰隆隆地震动着，岩壁裂开了缝隙，碎右从洞顶落下。我真不敢想像如果门没有关上的话会是什么样子。他们庆幸自己逃过一劫，朝着隧道深处狂奔，身后的门外传来史矛革愤怒的吼声。他将岩石击碎成粉末，用他那巨大的尾巴甩打着岩壁与悬崖，直到他们建在高处的小小营地、洞门前被烤焦的青草、画眉鸟栖身的巨石、爬满蜗牛的岩壁、狭窄的山脊，统统在恶龙的愤怒下化成碎屑，巨大的山崩也跟着掩埋了底下的山谷。
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.
史矛革之前轻轻地离开了洞穴，悄悄飞上天空，然后像一只巨大的乌鸦一般沉重而又缓慢地盘旋在夜空中，乘着风滑翔向大山的西边，希望能够出其不意地抓到某些东西或某些人，同时探看一下小偷们用的那条隧道的出口在哪里。刚才的地动山摇，就是因为当他来到了他认准的出口，却什么人和东西都没发现，一怒之下采取的发泄之举。
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 feet came from the waterside and up the water you came without 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!”
在以这种方式发泄了心中的怒气之后，史矛革感觉好多了，他发自内心地认为自己不会再从那个方向受到骚扰了。转过神来，他就觉得自己还有别的复仇计划要进行。“木桶骑士！”他鼻子里哼了一声说道，“你们的双脚原本是在水边的，你们毫无疑问是沿水路上来的。我虽然不知道你的气味，但就算你不是湖边人类的一份子，肯定也得到过他们的帮助。他们应该见见我了，我要让他们记起来谁才是真正的山下之王！”
He rose in fire and went away south towards the Running River.
它从烈焰中腾身而起，朝着南方的奔流河飞去。
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