第九章: 残骸和废墟 Flotsam and Jetsam
“And there is a great deal, too, that we want to know about you,” said Merry. “We have learnt a few things through Treebeard, the Old Ent, but that is not nearly enough.”
“而我们也有很多事情想要请教你们呢，”梅里说：“老树人树胡告诉了我们一些东西，但总觉得意犹未尽呢。”
“Well, well! The hunt is over, and we meet again at last, where none of us ever thought to come,” said Aragorn.
“好呀，好呀！这场追猎终于已经结束了，我们好不容易会面了，却是在一个完全没想到的地方。”亚拉冈说。
“And now that the great ones have gone to discuss high matters,” said Legolas, “the hunters can perhaps learn the answers to their own small riddles. We tracked you as far as the forest, but there are still many things that I should like to know the truth of.”
“既然伟大的人物们去讨论重要的事情，”勒苟拉斯说：“这些猎人或许可以从朋友身上知道那些谜团的真相。我们一路追踪你们留下的痕迹到森林里面去，但有许多事情让我们感到十分好奇。”
Gandalf and the King’s company rode away, turning eastward to make the circuit of the ruined walls of Isengard. But Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas remained behind. Leaving Arod and Hasufel to stray in search of grass, they came and sat beside the hobbits.
甘道夫和国王一行人往东骑去，准备绕过艾辛格残破的城墙；但亚拉冈、金雳和勒苟拉斯则留了下来，他们让阿罗德和哈苏风在附近吃草，在哈比人身边坐了下来。
“Or second,” said Gimli. “It would go better after a meal. I have a sore head; and it is past mid-day. You truants might make amends by finding us some of the plunder that you spoke of. Food and drink would pay off some of my score against you.”
“这件事也还不急，”金雳说：“吃完饭之后可能听起来会舒服些。我头很痛，时间又过了中午了。你们这些懒惰虫应该找到不少吃的东西吧？如果有好吃好喝的，可以勉强消我心头的怒气啦。”
“All in good time,” said Legolas. “We were the hunters, and you should give an account of yourselves to us first.”
“没问题，不过待会儿再说，”勒苟拉斯说：“我们是辛苦出力的人，你们应该先告诉我们之前的经历。”
“Well let us go and have lunch then!” said the Dwarf.
“那我们就去吃午餐吧！”矮人这才觉得轻松多了。
“Then you shall have it,” said Pippin. “Will you have it here, or in more comfort in what’s left of Saruman’s guard-house — over there under the arch? We had to picnic out here, so as to keep an eye on the road.”
“没问题！”皮聘说：“你们要在这边吃，还是在萨鲁曼的卫哨室废墟里面吃？它就在拱门底下那边。我们刚刚在这里野餐，因为得注意道路上的动静。”
“And pipe-weed?” asked Gimli.
“有烟草吗？”金雳说。
“No, I don’t think so,” Merry laughed. “But that is another story, which can wait until after lunch.”
“不，我想没有好到那个地步，”梅里笑着说：“不过，那又是另一个故事了，我们可以等到吃完午餐再说。”
“We wouldn’t ask you to,” said Merry. “We have had enough of Orcs ourselves to last a life-time. But there were many other folk in Isengard. Saruman kept enough wisdom not to trust his Orcs. He had Men to guard his gates: some of his most faithful servants, I suppose. Anyway they were favoured and got good provisions.”
“我们可不敢要你这样做，”梅里说：“我们也已经受够了半兽人。别忘记，艾辛格还有许多其它的种族。萨鲁曼还算聪明，不敢完全信任半兽人，他有人类看守大门，我想这是他最忠实的仆人。反正哪，他们可是相当受到宠幸，拥有很不错的补给品唷！”
“Less than an eye!” said Gimli. “But I will not go into any orc-house; nor touch Orcs’ meat or anything that they have mauled.”
“恐怕没那么专心吧！”金雳说：“我可不愿意在半兽人的屋子里面吃饭，更别说碰任何半兽人污染过的食物。”
The hobbits led the way; and they passed under the arch and came to a wide door upon the left, at the top of a stair. It opened direct into a large chamber, with other smaller doors at the far end, and a hearth and chimney at one side. The chamber was hewn out of the stone; and it must once have been dark, for its windows looked out only into the tunnel. But light came in now through the broken roof. On the hearth wood was burning.
哈比人在前面带路，一行人通过了拱门，在左边找到了一连串的阶梯，在顶上有一扇门，那扇门直接通往一个大房间，远端则有其它的小门，甚至还有壁炉和烟囱。这个房间是由岩石所打造的，过去可能十分的昏暗，因为它唯一的窗户是面向隧道的。不过，由于屋顶已经被打破，外面的日光就直接流泄进来，壁炉内还正燃着熊熊的火焰。
“I lit a bit of fire,” said Pippin. “It cheered us up in the fogs. There were few faggots about, and most of the wood we could find was wet. But there is a great draught in the chimney: it seems to wind away up through the rock, and fortunately it has not been blocked. A fire is handy. I will make you some toast. The bread is three or four days old, I am afraid.”
“我生了一些火，”皮聘说：“在大雾里面烤火感觉好多了。附近柴火很少，我们能找到的几乎都泡湿了。幸好壁炉里面还藏了不少，而烟囱也没有被堵塞。有火真的很方便，我帮你烤些面包吧！不过，这些面包恐怕已经有点久了，大概做了三四天吧。”
“Store-room in there, and above the floods, luckily,” said Pippin, as they came back laden with dishes, bowls, cups, knives, and food of various sorts.
“这边是储藏室，幸好没被水淹到，”皮聘拿着盘子、杯子、碗、刀叉和各种各样的食物回来。
Aragorn and his companions sat themselves down at one end of a long table, and the hobbits disappeared through one of the inner doors.
亚拉冈和同伴们在一张长桌的尽头坐了下来，哈比人则跑进另一扇门中。
“And you need not turn up your nose at the provender, Master Gimli,” said Merry. “This is not orc-stuff, but man-food, as Treebeard calls it. Will you have wine or beer? There’s a barrel inside there — very passable. And this is first-rate salted pork. Or I can cut you some rashers of bacon and broil them, if you like. I am sorry there is no green stuff: the deliveries have been rather interrupted in the last few days! I cannot offer you anything to follow but butter and honey for your bread. Are you content?”
“金雳大爷，你也不需要闻到味道就皱鼻子，”梅里说：“树胡说，这些可不是半兽人的东西，而是人类的食物。你想喝葡萄酒还是啤酒？里面还有一桶啤酒，味道不错喔！这是顶级的腌猪肉，如果你需要的话，我也可以替你切一些培根，帮你煎一煎。真抱歉没有蔬菜啊，过去几天补给可能稍稍受到了一些影响吧！除了奶油和蜂蜜之外，我也没有别的东西可以让你夹面包，这样满意吗？”
“You are full of courtesy this morning,” laughed Legolas. “But maybe, if we had not arrived, you would already have been keeping one another company again.”
“你们今天早上可还真是有礼貌啊！”勒苟拉斯笑着说：“不过，如果我们没来，可能你们也会继续再吃下去吧。”
The three were soon busy with their meal; and the two hobbits, unabashed, set to a second time. “We must keep our guests company,” they said.
三人很快地狼吞虎咽起来，两名哈比人也跟着凑热闹似地开怀大吃：“我们可不能坐在旁边发呆，这样未免太失礼了！”他们说。
“Indeed yes,” said Gimli. “The score is much reduced.”
“啊，还算满意啦，”金雳说：“我的怒气一看到食物就阵亡不少罗！”
“Maybe; and why not?” said Pippin. “We had foul fare with the Orcs, and little enough for days before that. It seems a long while since we could eat to heart’s content.”
“或许吧，为什么不呢？”皮聘说：“我们可是和半兽人周旋了很久，在那之前又都吃得很少，很久没有开怀大吃了哪！”
“It does not seem to have done you any harm,” said Aragorn. “Indeed you look in the bloom of health.”
“这似乎没有对你造成任何伤害，”阿拉贡说。“你看起来真的很健康。”
“Aye, you do indeed,” said Gimli, looking them up and down over the top of his cup. “Why, your hair is twice as thick and curly as when we parted; and I would swear that you have both grown somewhat, if that is possible for hobbits of your age. This Treebeard at any rate has not starved you.”
“啊，的确是，”金雳从杯边打量着两人：“哇！你们的头发比我们上次看到的时候又浓密了许多，甚至变得更卷了些。我打赌你们好象还长高了一点，我不知道像你们这种年纪的哈比人还会长高啊？这个树胡可没让你们饿着吧？”
“He has not,” said Merry. “But Ents only drink, and drink is not enough for content. Treebeard’s draughts may be nourishing, but one feels the need of something solid. And even lembas is none the worse for a change.”
“他是没有，”梅里说：“但是树人靠着喝东西过活，光喝东西可是很难让我填饱肚子的。树胡的饮料可能营养充足，但我们总觉得要有些可以嚼的食物才能够填饱肚子，即使是精灵的干粮也会吃腻的。”
“Many strange tales have been told about that land,” said Aragorn. “I have never entered it. Come, tell me more about it, and about the Ents!”
“这块土地有许多奇异的传说，”亚拉冈说：“但我却从来无缘亲身一探。来吧，告诉我这些传说，也好好描述一下这些树人吧！”
“You have drunk of the waters of the Ents, have you?” said Legolas. “Ah, then I think it is likely that Gimli’s eyes do not deceive him. Strange songs have been sung of the draughts of Fangorn.”
“你们喝了树人的水，对吧？”勒苟拉斯说：“啊，那么我想金雳没有看错，法贡森林的饮料可是有不少传说的哪。”
“Now, now!” said Gimli. “We are beginning the story in the middle. I should like a tale in the right order, starting with that strange day when our fellowship was broken.”
“等等，先别急！”金雳插嘴道：“我们说故事的顺序错乱了，我要从一开始来听这个故事，先从我们远征队分散的那天开始说起吧。”
“Ents,” said Pippin, “Ents are — well Ents are all different for one thing. But their eyes now, their eyes are very odd.” He tried a few fumbling words that trailed off into silence. “Oh, well,” he went on, “you have seen some at a distance, already — they saw you at any rate, and reported that you were on the way — and you will see many others, I expect, before you leave here. You must form your own ideas.”
“树人是…”皮聘说：“树人──树人每个都不一样，但他们的眼睛，他们的眼睛真的很特别。”他嗫嚅了几句，最后又闭上嘴。“喔，好吧，”他继续道：“你们应该已经从远方看过这些树人了，至少他们看见了你们，回报说你们已经在过来的路上了。我想，在你们离开这里之前，应该会看到更多的树人，你们会有自己的看法的。”
“You shall have it, if there is time,” said Merry. “But first — if you have finished eating — you shall fill your pipes and light up. And then for a little while we can pretend that we are all back safe at Bree again, or in Rivendell.”
“如果有时间的话，我们会仔细地告诉你，”梅里说：“如果你们吃饱了，可以先把烟草塞到烟斗里面。至少我们可以暂时假装还在布理，或是在瑞文戴尔，好好的轻松一下！”
He produced a small leather bag full of tobacco. “We have heaps of it,” he said; “and you can all pack as much as you wish, when we go. We did some salvage-work this morning, Pippin and I. There are lots of things floating about. It was Pippin who found two small barrels, washed up out of some cellar or store-house, I suppose. When we opened them, we found they were filled with this: as fine a pipe-weed as you could wish for, and quite unspoilt.”
他掏出了一个装满烟草的袋子。“我们有一大堆喔，”他说：“在离开这里之前，你们爱拿多少就拿多少，皮聘和我今天早上可做了不少资源回收的工作，水上漂着各种各样的东西。我们找到了两个小桶，我想是从某个仓库里面被冲出来的吧，当我们打开桶盖的时候，发现里面装满了这些东西：顶级的烟草，而且还没有坏呢！”
Gimli took some and rubbed it in his palms and sniffed it. “It feels good, and it smells good,” he said.
金雳捏了一些，在手掌中揉搓着，又闻了闻。“摸起来很好，闻起来更香！”他说。
“It is good!” said Merry. “My dear Gimli, it is Longbottom Leaf! There were the Hornblower brandmarks on the barrels, as plain as plain. How it came here, I can’t imagine. For Saruman’s private use, I fancy. I never knew that it went so far abroad. But it comes in handy now!”
“这真的很棒！”梅里说：“我亲爱的金雳啊，这是长底叶！桶子上面还有吹号者家的标签，很明显呢！我不知道这是怎么跑到这边来的，我想，多半是萨鲁曼专用的吧。不知道这东西会运到这么远的地方来，不过，现在正好派上用场。”
“It would,” said Gimli, “if I had a pipe to go with it. Alas, I lost mine in Moria, or before. Is there no pipe in all your plunder?”
“是啦，”金雳说：“如果我有烟斗就更好了，唉，我的在摩瑞亚还是什么时候弄丢了。你们有没有找到烟斗呢？”
“No, I am afraid not,” said Merry. “We have not found any, not even here in the guardrooms. Saruman kept this dainty to himself, it seems. And I don’t think it would be any use knocking on the doors of Orthanc to beg a pipe of him! We shall have to share pipes, as good friends must at a pinch.”
“不，恐怕没有，”梅里说：“我们没找到，在这房间里面也没有，萨鲁曼喜欢自己享受。我想，就算现在去敲欧散克塔的大门跟他要烟斗，恐怕也没什么用吧！看来我们得要一起分享好东西啦。”
“Well, I am going back into the open air, to see what the wind and sky are doing!” said Legolas.
“好啦，我要回去外面看看状况如何了！”勒苟拉斯说。
“We will come with you,” said Aragorn.
“我跟你一起去。”亚拉冈说。
“Half a moment!” said Pippin. Putting his hand inside the breast of his jacket he pulled out a little soft wallet on a string. “I keep a treasure or two near my skin, as precious as Rings to me. Here’s one: my old wooden pipe. And here’s another: an unused one. I have carried it a long way, though I don’t know why. I never really expected to find any pipe-weed on the journey, when my own ran out. But now it comes in useful after all.” He held up a small pipe with a wide flattened bowl, and handed it to Gimli. “Does that settle the score between us?” he said.
“等等！”皮聘说。他把手伸进外套的胸前口袋，掏出一个绑在绳子上的小袋子。“我竟然收藏了两个比魔戒还要珍贵的宝物──这是一个，我自己的旧木头烟斗，还有另一个，以前没用过的新烟斗。我带着这两样东西到处跑，连我自己也不知道为什么；在我的烟草用完之后，我也不认为路上还会找到烟草。不过，现在还是派上用场了。”他掏出一个扁扁的小烟斗，递给金雳，“这样你总该不生气了吧？”他说。
They went out and seated themselves upon the piled stones before the gateway. They could see far down into the valley now; the mists were lifting and floating away upon the breeze.
他们走出门外，在大门前的石堆旁坐了下来。现在他们可以清楚地看到山谷的风景，烟雾在清风吹拂下全都飘走了。
“Now let us take our ease here for a little!” said Aragorn. “We will sit on the edge of ruin and talk, as Gandalf says, while he is busy elsewhere. I feel a weariness such as I have seldom felt before.” He wrapped his grey cloak about him, hiding his mail-shirt, and stretched out his long legs. Then he lay back and sent from his lips a thin stream of smoke.
“让我们轻松一下吧！”亚拉冈说：“我们可以坐在废墟旁边聊天，让甘道夫在别的地方忙吧，我很少觉得这么累。”他将灰色的斗篷裹起来，藏住身上的锁子甲，双腿一伸躺了下来，接着开始吞云吐雾起来。
“Settle it!” cried Gimli. “Most noble hobbit, it leaves me deep in your debt.”
“算了吧！”金雳说：“高贵的哈比人，这让我反过来倒欠你们很多哪！”
“Well, my tale begins with waking up in the dark and finding myself all strung-up in an orc-camp,” said Pippin. “Let me see, what is today?”
“好吧，我的故事一开始的时候是：我醒了过来，发现自己浑身被绑住，身在半兽人的营地中，”皮聘说：“让我算算，今天是几号？”
“Look!” said Pippin. “Strider the Ranger has come back!”
“大家看！”皮聘说：“游侠神行客又回来了！”
They smoked in silence for a while, and the sun shone on them; slanting into the valley from among white clouds high in the West. Legolas lay still, looking up at the sun and sky with steady eyes, and singing softly to himself. At last he sat up. “Come now!” he said. “Time wears on, and the mists are blowing away, or would if you strange folk did not wreathe yourselves in smoke. What of the tale?”
他们沉默地吸了一阵子的烟，阳光照在众人身上，太阳缓缓西沉入西方山谷的云中。勒苟拉斯躺在地上，专注地看着天上的变化，边低声哼着歌。最后，他坐了起来，“可以了吧！”他说：“已经过了很久啦！如果不是因为你们抽烟，雾气也都散去了。你们到底说不说？”
“He has never been away,” said Aragorn. “I am Strider and Dúna-dan too, and I belong both to Gondor and the North.”
“他从来没离开过，”亚拉冈说：“我既是神行客，也是登纳丹，我属于北方也属于刚铎。”
“The fifth of March in the Shire-reckoning,” said Aragorn. Pippin made some calculations on his fingers. “Only nine days ago!” he said.
“是夏垦历的三月五号，”亚拉冈说。皮聘扳着手指计算着。“才不过九天以前！”他说。
“It seems a year since we were caught. Well, though half of it was like a bad dream, I reckon that three very horrible days followed. Merry will correct me, if I forget anything important: I am not going into details: the whips and the filth and stench and all that; it does not bear remembering.” With that he plunged into an account of Boromir’s last fight and the orc-march from Emyn Muil to the Forest. The others nodded as the various points were fitted in with their guesses.
“我还以为我们被抓了一年了咧！好吧，虽然其中有一半像是噩梦一样，但我可以清楚地知道中间过了非常恐怖的三天。如果我忘记任何重要的关键，梅里会提醒我的。我不准备详述所有的鞭打和臭味，那不值得我这么努力去回忆它。”他一说完，就开始仔细描述波罗莫的最后一战，和半兽人从爱明莫尔赶往森林的过程，其它人在符合他们猜测的地方纷纷点头。
“Well!” said Merry. “I never expected to see those again! I marked a few orcs with mine; but Uglúk took them from us. How he glared! At first I thought he was going to stab me, but he threw the things away as if they burned him.”
“太好了！”梅里说：“我根本没想到会再找到这些东西！我用我的刀子伤了不少半兽人，但乌骨陆把我们的武器给没收了。他瞪我们的眼光可真是凶狠啊！一开始我还以为他准备要刺死我们，不过，他随即就把这两个武器丢开，彷佛会烫手一样。”
“Here are some treasures that you let fall,” said Aragorn. “You will be glad to have them back.” He loosened his belt from under his cloak, and took from it the two sheathed knives.
“这里是几样你们弄丢的宝物，”亚拉冈说：“相信你们会很高兴找回这些东西的！”他解开了斗篷底下的腰带，拿出两柄小刀来。
“And here also is your brooch, Pippin,” said Aragorn. “I have kept it safe, for it is a very precious thing.”
亚拉冈说：“皮聘，还有你的别针，我替你好好保管这样东西，它可是很珍贵的。”
“The cutting of the bands on your wrists, that was smart work!” said Gimli. “Luck served you there; but you seized your chance with both hands, one might say.”
“割断你手上的绳子也真是聪明的一招！”金雳说：“虽然可以说是你运气好，但你也是用双手掌握住了机会。”
“Nothing else,” answered Aragorn. “One who cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters. You did rightly.”
“恐怕你的确是别无选择，”亚拉冈说：“如果不能壮士断腕，恐怕你会遇上更大的麻烦，你的选择是正确的。”
“I know,” said Pippin. “It was a wrench to let it go; but what else could I do?”
“我知道，”皮聘说：“丢掉它我真心痛，但我有什么选择呢？”
“And set us a pretty riddle,” said Legolas. “I wondered if you had grown wings!”
“也给我们留下了个大谜团，”勒苟拉斯说：“我还以为你们长出翅膀了呢！”
“Unfortunately not,” said Pippin. “But you did not know about Grishnákh.” He shuddered and said no more, leaving Merry to tell of those last horrible moments: the pawing hands, the hot breath, and the dreadful strength of Grishnákh’s hairy arms.
“很不幸的没有，”皮聘说：“但你们还没听到有关葛力斯那克的部分。”他打了个寒颤，不愿意继续说下去，留给梅里描述那恐怖的一刻：无情的双手、恶臭的呼吸和葛力斯那克拥有怪力的臂膀。
“All this about the Orcs of Barad-dûr, Lugbúrz as they call it, makes me uneasy,” said Aragorn. “The Dark Lord already knew too much, and his servants also; and Grishnákh evidently sent some message across the River after the quarrel. The Red Eye will be looking towards Isengard. But Saruman at any rate is in a cleft stick of his own cutting.”
“光是描述这个魔多的半兽人，或是他们口中的路格柏兹，就让我觉得很不安，”亚拉冈说：“黑暗魔君已经知道太多了，他的下人也一样。葛力斯那克很显然在争执之后，设法送了些消息到河对岸去。血红眼将会十分注意艾辛格，萨鲁曼这回可是自作自受了。”
“When was that?” asked Pippin.
“那是什么时候？”皮聘问道。
“Five nights ago,” said Aragorn.
“五天之前的晚上，”亚拉冈说。
“Yes, whichever side wins, his outlook is poor,” said Merry. “Things began to go all wrong for him from the moment his Orcs set foot in Rohan.”
“是啊，不管哪一方获胜，他的前途都十分黯淡，”梅里说：“在他手下的半兽人踏上洛汗国的时候，厄运就跟着降临了。”
“We caught a glimpse of the old villain, or so Gandalf hints,” said Gimli. “On the edge of the Forest.”
“甘道夫暗示我们曾经看过这个老坏蛋，”金雳说：“就在森林附近。”
“Let me see,” said Merry: “five nights ago — now we come to a part of the story you know nothing about. We met Treebeard that morning after the battle; and that night we were at Wellinghall, one of his ent-houses. The next morning we went to Entmoot, a gathering of Ents, that is, and the queerest thing I have ever seen in my life. It lasted all that day and the next; and we spent the nights with an Ent called Quickbeam. And then late in the afternoon in the third day of their moot, the Ents suddenly blew up. It was amazing. The Forest had felt as tense as if a thunderstorm was brewing inside it: then all at once it exploded. I wish you could have heard their song as they marched.”
梅里说：“让我算算看，五天之前──那就是你们一无所知的部分了。那天早上，我们在战斗后遇上了树胡，当天晚上我们在他的树屋威灵厅休息。第二天早上我们去树人会议，也就是树人集合开会的地方，那是我这辈子看过最诡异的情形了。他们的会议持续了整整两天，我们晚上是和一名叫快枝的树人一起度过的。到了第三天下午，树人们突然爆发了，真惊人！整座森林彷佛有场风暴在累积，然后一切突然间爆发开来。我真希望你们能听听他们在行军时所唱的歌！”
“There was very much more. A great deal of the song had no words, and was like a music of horns and drums. It was very exciting. But I thought it was only marching music and no more, just a song — until I got here. I know better now.”
“歌词并不只这些，这首战歌有一大部分没有歌词，听起来就像是号角和战鼓声，让人十分振奋。我当时以为那只是某种进行曲而已，但当我到了这边之后，我才知道他们真正的实力。”
“If Saruman had heard it, he would be a hundred miles away by now, even if he had had to run on his own legs,” said Pippin.
“如果萨鲁曼听到了那歌声，他可能早就跑到几百哩之外去了，就算他得徒步逃亡恐怕也不在乎！”皮聘说：
“Though Isengard be strong and hard, as cold as stone and bare as bone, We go, we go, we go to war, to hew the stone and break the door!”
“攻入艾辛格！无论它是否被坚不可破的盘石包围；我们冲、我们撞，我们终于要宣战，敲破那石头打开它城门！”
“We came down over the last ridge into Nan Curunír, after night had fallen,” Merry continued. “It was then that I first had the feeling that the Forest itself was moving behind us. I thought I was dreaming an entish dream, but Pippin had noticed it too. We were both frightened; but we did not find out more about it until later.”
“我们越过山脉，在天黑之后进入巫师之谷，”梅里继续道：“那时我才第一次感觉到整座森林都在我们身后移动，我还以为我在跟树人一起作梦，但皮聘也注意到了。我们两个都觉得很害怕，不过，要等到后来我们才知道这到底是什么情形。”
“It was the Huorns, or so the Ents call them in ‘short language’. Treebeard won’t say much about them, but I think they are Ents that have become almost like trees, at least to look at. They stand here and there in the wood or under its eaves, silent, watching endlessly over the trees; but deep in the darkest dales there are hundreds and hundreds of them, I believe.”
“他们是胡恩，树人用我们的‘简短语’这样称呼他们。树胡不愿意多谈，但我想他们是树人几乎退化成树的样子，至少外表看起来是这样的。他们不引人注意地生活在树林中，永远不松懈地照管着森林；在最黑暗的深谷中，我认为有数以千计这样的生物生存着。”
“Well, in the early night we crept down a long ravine into the upper end of the Wizard’s Vale, the Ents with all their rustling Huorns behind. We could not see them, of course, but the whole air was full of creaking. It was very dark, a cloudy night. They moved at a great speed as soon as they had left the hills, and made a noise like a rushing wind. The Moon did not appear through the clouds, and not long after midnight there was a tall wood all round the north side of Isengard. There was no sign of enemies nor of any challenge. There was a light gleaming from a high window in the tower, that was all.”
“然后，当天晚上我们就悄悄地进入了巫师之谷上方的一座峡谷，树人带着所有的胡恩一起赶了过去。当然，我们看不见他们，但可以感受到空气中无形的压力。天色非常的黑暗，那是多云的一个夜晚，当他们一离开山丘，就开始快速移动，发出类似风吹过的吵杂声。月亮被云朵所遮蔽，在午夜之后不久，整个艾辛格的北边就都被高大的树木给占据了。我们没有发现任何的敌踪或是阻碍，只有高塔上的一扇窗户里面发出明亮的光芒，如此而已。”
“There is a great power in them, and they seem able to wrap themselves in shadow: it is difficult to see them moving. But they do. They can move very quickly, if they are angry. You stand still looking at the weather, maybe, or listening to the rustling of the wind, and then suddenly you find that you are in the middle of a wood with great groping trees all around you. They still have voices, and can speak with the Ents — that is why they are called Huorns, Treebeard says — but they have become queer and wild. Dangerous. I should be terrified of meeting them, if there were no true Ents about to look after them.”
“他们拥有极强大的力量，而且似乎可以将自己隐藏在阴影中，你很难清楚地看见他们移动，但他们的确在动。如果他们生气了，他们可以非常快速地移动，可能正当你在抬头看着天气或是星空的瞬间，就这么无声无息地被树林所包围。他们依旧可以发出声音，也可以和树人对话，根据树胡的说法，这也是为什么他们还被叫作胡恩的原因。但他们的个性变得十分的狂野、危险，如果没有真正的树人约束他们，我可能不敢在他们附近行动。”
“Treebeard and a few more Ents crept on, right round to within sight of the great gates. Pippin and I were with him. We were sitting on Treebeard’s shoulders, and I could feel the quivering tenseness in him. But even when they are roused, Ents can be very cautious and patient. They stood still as carved stones, breathing and listening.”
“树胡和几名树人悄悄潜到靠近正门的地方，正好可以好好地观察人员的出入；皮聘和我都坐在树胡的肩膀上，我可以感觉到他身体紧张的微微颤抖。但是，即使树人在生气的状态下，他们依旧可以非常小心和有耐心。他们就这么动也不动地站着、喘息着、倾听着。”
“Then all at once there was a tremendous stir. Trumpets blared, and the walls of Isengard echoed. We thought that we had been discovered, and that battle was going to begin. But nothing of the sort. All Saruman’s people were marching away. I don’t know much about this war, or about the Horsemen of Rohan, but Saruman seems to have meant to finish off the king and all his men with one final blow. He emptied Isengard. I saw the enemy go: endless lines of marching Orcs; and troops of them mounted on great wolves. And there were battalions of Men, too. Many of them carried torches, and in the flare I could see their faces. Most of them were ordinary men, rather tall and dark-haired, and grim but not particularly evil-looking. But there were some others that were horrible: man-high, but with goblin-faces, sallow, leering, squint-eyed. Do you know, they reminded me at once of that Southerner at Bree; only he was not so obviously orc-like as most of these were.”
“突然间起了巨大的骚动，号角雷动，艾辛格的高墙不停的回响。我们以为自己被发现了，战斗终于要展开了，但完全不是这么一回事，萨鲁曼的所有兵力倾巢而出。我对这场战争一无所知，也不知道洛汗国的骠骑出动了，只知道萨鲁曼这次似乎要给他的敌人最后致命一击，他几乎让艾辛格成了空城。我看见敌人们头也不回地出发，半兽人的长龙延伸到地平线的彼端、还有骑着巨大恶狼的部队，而且，队伍中也有人类组成的战力。许多人携带着火把，在闪动的火光中我可以看见他们的面孔，大部分只是普通的人类，身材很高，头发是黑色的，表情严肃，但并不特别邪恶；不过，也有其它很恐怖的怪物，他们长着半兽人的面孔，和人一样高，一双斜眼瞟呀瞟的。你知道吗，他们让我想起布理出现的那些南方人，只不过他没有像这些人有那么明显的半兽人血统。”
“I thought of him too,” said Aragorn. “We had many of these half-orcs to deal with at Helm’s Deep. It seems plain now that that Southerner was a spy of Saruman’s; but whether he was working with the Black Riders, or for Saruman alone, I do not know. It is difficult with these evil folk to know when they are in league, and when they are cheating one another.”
“听你一说，我也想到了他，”亚拉冈说：“我们在圣盔谷对付了不少的混种半兽人。很明显的，那名南方人可能就是萨鲁曼的间谍，但我不确定他究竟是为黑骑士工作，还是为了萨鲁曼工作。这些邪恶的势力彼此之间尔虞我诈、勾心斗角，实在很难确定谁效忠谁。”
“Well, of all sorts together, there must have been ten thousand at the very least,” said Merry. “They took an hour to pass out of the gates. Some went off down the highway to the Fords, and some turned away and went eastward. A bridge has been built down there, about a mile away, where the river runs in a very deep channel. You could see it now, if you stood up. They were all singing with harsh voices, and laughing, making a hideous din. I thought things looked very black for Rohan. But Treebeard did not move. He said: ‘My business is with Isengard tonight, with rock and stone.'”
“好啦，就我大概推算一下，当时至少有一万人以上的兵力，”梅里说：“他们花了快一个小时才全部走出门外。有些沿着大道往渡口走，有些人转个弯，往东方走。大概一哩之外，在河水特别湍急的地方建造了一座便桥，如果你们站起来，还可以看见那座桥。他们每个人都有说有笑，唱着粗鲁的歌曲，我想洛汗国这次可能要完蛋了，但树胡不为所动。他说：‘今晚我的工作是要对付艾辛格的岩石。’”
“But, though I could not see what was happening in the dark, I believe that Huorns began to move south, as soon as the gates were shut again. Their business was with Orcs I think. They were far down the valley in the morning; or at any rate there was a shadow there that one couldn’t see through.”
“虽然我看不见黑暗中的情形，但是我推测大门一关上，那些胡恩可能就开始往南移动。我想，他们的任务是对付留守的半兽人。到了早上，他们就已经到了山谷的另一边，被一种我无法看透的黑暗所包围。”
“As soon as Saruman had sent off all his army, our turn came. Treebeard put us down, and went up to the gates, and began hammering on the doors, and calling for Saruman. There was no answer, except arrows and stones from the walls. But arrows are no use against Ents. They hurt them, of course, and infuriate them: like stinging flies. But an Ent can be stuck as full of orc-arrows as a pin-cushion, and take no serious harm. They cannot be poisoned, for one thing; and their skin seems to be very thick, and tougher than bark. It takes a very heavy axe-stroke to wound them seriously. They don’t like axes. But there would have to be a great many axe-men to one Ent: a man that hacks once at an Ent never gets a chance of a second blow. A punch from an Ent-fist crumples up iron like thin tin.”
“等到萨鲁曼把所有的兵力都派出去之后，就轮到我们上场了。树胡把我们放了下来，走到门前，开始敲打大门，大声喊着萨鲁曼的名字。门内毫无回应，只有箭矢和落石从高墙上掷下，但弓箭对于树人并没有效果；当然，他们会觉得疼痛，但也更激起了他们的怒火，就像我们被蚊子咬一样。树人身上可以插满了半兽人的箭，却不会受到什么真正的伤害，对了，他们也不会中毒，而他们的皮似乎非常的厚，比一般的树皮要坚韧多了，得要有极为沉重的一斧，才会对他们造成严重的伤害。他们不喜欢斧头，不过，光是对付一名树人就要有很多持斧战士才行：对树人砍出一斧的人永远不会有机会砍出第二下，树人一拳就可以打穿最坚硬的钢铁。”
“When Treebeard had got a few arrows in him, he began to warm up, to get positively ‘hasty’, as he would say. He let out a great hoom-hom, and a dozen more Ents came striding up. An angry Ent is terrifying. Their fingers, and their toes, just freeze on to rock; and they tear it up like bread-crust. It was like watching the work of great tree-roots in a hundred years, all packed into a few moments.”
“当树胡身上插了很多根箭矢之后，他才刚开始热身完毕，照他的说法，也才真正的‘仓促’起来，他发出震耳的呼姆，轰的声音，数十名树人走上前去。生气的树人是个非常恐怖的景象。他们的手指和脚指陷入岩石中，像是撕扯面包屑一样将它们拉碎，这就像是观看一株老树百年的动作，缩短到几秒钟之内一样的恐怖。”
“No,” said Aragorn. “Once he was as great as his fame made him. His knowledge was deep, his thought was subtle, and his hands marvellously skilled; and he had a power over the minds of others. The wise he could persuade, and the smaller folk he could daunt. That power he certainly still keeps. There are not many in Middle-earth that I should say were safe, if they were left alone to talk with him, even now when he has suffered a defeat. Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, perhaps, now that his wickedness has been laid bare, but very few others.”
“你错了，”亚拉冈说：“他拥有深不可测的实力，他的知识丰厚、诡计多端，他可以任意操纵人心；他可以说服贤者，弱小的生物则能加以震慑，这些能力一定还没有消失。如果单独和他对阵，我敢打赌，中土世界没有多少人可以全身而退。或许在他的阴谋被揭穿之后，甘道夫、爱隆和凯兰崔尔可以不受影响，但其它人就没有这么轻松了。”
“They pushed, pulled, tore, shook, and hammered; and clang-bang, crash-crack, in five minutes they had these huge gates just lying in ruin; and some were already beginning to eat into the walls, like rabbits in a sand-pit. I don’t know what Saruman thought was happening; but anyway he did not know how to deal with it. His wizardry may have been falling off lately, of course; but anyway I think he has not much grit, not much plain courage alone in a tight place without a lot of slaves and machines and things, if you know what I mean. Very different from old Gandalf. I wonder if his fame was not all along mainly due to his cleverness in settling at Isengard.”
“他们又推又拉、又扯、又摇、又撞；过不了五分钟，就在巨大的轰隆声中，把大门破坏殆尽，有些树人甚至开始捣毁城墙。我不知道萨鲁曼以为发生了什么事情，我只知道他根本不知道该如何对付这情况。他或许还是有使用巫术攻击啦，但我认为他实在不是怎么样伟大的人。特别是被困在一个拥挤的地方，没有什么机器、奴隶和军队的时候，更是显得一无是处。他和我们的老甘道夫真是完全不同；不知道他的名声，是否都是来自于躲在艾辛格这地方所造成的。”
“When the Ents had reduced a large part of the southern walls to rubbish, and what was left of his people had bolted and deserted him, Saruman fled in a panic. He seems to have been at the gates when we arrived: I expect he came to watch his splendid army march out. When the Ents broke their way in, he left in a hurry. They did not spot him at first. But the night had opened out, and there was a great light of stars, quite enough for Ents to see by, and suddenly Quickbeam gave a cry ‘The tree-killer, the tree-killer!’ Quickbeam is a gentle creature, but he hates Saruman all the more fiercely for that: his people suffered cruelly from orc-axes. He leapt down the path from the inner gate, and he can move like a wind when he is roused. There was a pale figure hurrying away in and out of the shadows of the pillars, and it had nearly reached the stairs to the tower-door. But it was a near thing. Quickbeam was so hot after him, that he was within a step or two of being caught and strangled when he slipped in through the door.”
“当树人将南墙的大部分都捣毁，大部分的爪牙也都逃跑之后，萨鲁曼自己就准备仓皇逃跑。我们抵达的时候，他正好站在大门口，我猜他是来视察那壮盛军容的。当树人冲进门内，他匆匆忙忙地想要开溜。一开始我们没有发现他，但随着云朵散开，星光就足够让树人看清楚附近的环境。突然间，快枝大喊一声：‘砍树者！砍树者在这边！’快枝是名很温柔的树人，但这也让他更痛恨萨鲁曼，他的同胞们在半兽人的斧头下吃了不知多少苦头。他从内门的信道上跳了下来，怀着满腔的怒火像是一阵风冲上前。有个苍白的身影，借着柱子的遮掩差点就逃到门口了，不过，还是功败垂成。动作飞快的快枝冲到塔边，差一两步就把那个家伙给勒死在门边，可惜对方先他一步溜进塔内。”
“The Ents are safe,” said Pippin. “He seems at one time to have got round them, but never again. And anyway he did not understand them; and he made the great mistake of leaving them out of his calculations. He had no plan for them, and there was no time to make any, once they had set to work. As soon as our attack began, the few remaining rats in Isengard started bolting through every hole that the Ents made. The Ents let the Men go, after they had questioned them, two or three dozen only down at this end. I don’t think many orc-folk, of any size, escaped. Not from the Huorns: there was a wood full of them all round Isengard by that time, as well as those that had gone down the valley.”
“树人是安全的，”皮聘说：“他似乎曾经说服过他们，但这状况再也不会发生。反正，他自始至终就不了解他们，忽略他们是极为严重的失算。他本来就没有对付他们的计划；等到他们开始行动，要研拟任何对策也嫌太晚了。在我们的攻击开始之后，艾辛格中残余的爪牙们就开始从每一个树人打出的破洞往外钻。树人们在盘问过这些人类之后，就让他们离开，到目前为止大概也只有发现二三十个。我认为没有任何半兽人活着逃出来，至少胡恩们不会放过他们。那时整个艾辛格已经被一座浓密的森林包围了，连山谷那边都毫无空隙。”
“That sent them mad. I thought that they had been really roused before; but I was wrong. I saw what it was like at last. It was staggering. They roared and boomed and trumpeted, until stones began to crack and fall at the mere noise of them. Merry and I lay on the ground and stuffed our cloaks into our ears. Round and round the rock of Orthanc the Ents went striding and storming like a howling gale, breaking pillars, hurling avalanches of boulders down the shafts, tossing up huge slabs of stone into the air like leaves. The tower was in the middle of a spinning whirlwind. I saw iron posts and blocks of masonry go rocketing up hundreds of feet, and smash against the windows of Orthanc. But Treebeard kept his head. He had not had any burns, luckily. He did not want his folk to hurt themselves in their fury, and he did not want Saruman to escape out of some hole in the confusion. Many of the Ents were hurling themselves against the Orthanc-rock; but that defeated them. It is very smooth and hard. Some wizardry is in it, perhaps, older and stronger than Saruman’s. Anyway they could not get a grip on it, or make a crack in it; and they were bruising and wounding themselves against it.”
“这可真正惹恼了树人们！我还以为他们之前的举动已经算是激动了，但我错了，我最后才知道什么叫作生气的树人，那真是让人心胆俱裂的景象。他们大吼着四处狂奔，光是那声浪就足以让岩石爆碎；我和梅里只能躺在地上，用斗篷蒙住耳朵。树人们如同狂风般席卷整座山谷，他们打断柱子、用巨石堵塞洞口，巨大的岩石好象树叶一般满天飞舞…欧散克塔成了在飓风中心的唯一建筑。我亲眼看见巨大的铁柱和岩石飞起数百尺，打在欧散克塔的窗户上。幸好，树胡还保持清醒，他并没有被烧伤，也不想让萨鲁曼趁着这一团混乱之间逃跑。许多树人不停地用身体撞击欧散克塔，但却没有多大的效果。建造塔身的岩石又硬又光滑，多半是有什么比萨鲁曼还要古老的魔法在其中。反正，树人们就是无法抓住这座塔，或是在上面造成任何的裂缝，这样冲动的行为只是白白受伤而已。”
“When Saruman was safe back in Orthanc, it was not long before he set some of his precious machinery to work. By that time there were many Ents inside Isengard: some had followed Quickbeam, and others had burst in from the north and east; they were roaming about and doing a great deal of damage. Suddenly up came fires and foul fumes: the vents and shafts all over the plain began to spout and belch. Several of the Ents got scorched and blistered. One of them, Beechbone I think he was called, a very tall handsome Ent, got caught in a spray of some liquid fire and burned like a torch: a horrible sight.”
“当萨鲁曼又躲回欧散克塔之后，他就启动了那些邪恶的机器。到了那个时候，已经有许多的树人强行进入艾辛格，有些人跟着快枝进来，其它的则是从北方和东边冲了进来，他们在山谷内四处乱窜，造成极大的破坏。突然间，无数的火焰和恶臭的黑烟窜起，整块大地上的各种孔道都喷出了大量的火焰，有几名树人被烧伤了，其中一个，我记得他的名字是柏骨，一名非常高大、雄壮的树人，正好被一团燃烧的液体火焰给淋到了，转眼间就成了一根大火把，让人看了好难过。”
“So Treebeard went out into the ring and shouted. His enormous voice rose above all the din. There was a dead silence, suddenly. In it we heard a shrill laugh from a high window in the tower. That had a queer effect on the Ents. They had been boiling over; now they became cold, grim as ice, and quiet. They left the plain and gathered round Treebeard, standing quite still. He spoke to them for a little in their own language; I think he was telling them of a plan he had made in his old head long before. Then they just faded silently away in the grey light. Day was dawning by that time.”
“因此，树胡冲进这一片混乱中，开口大喊，他低沉的声音压过了一切的噪音，突然间，一切沉寂下来；我们可以听见高塔上传来尖厉的笑声，这对树人们产生了十分奇特的影响。他们之前被怒气冲昏了头，现在反而冷静下来，安静、严肃地像是冰山一样。他们离开高塔，聚集在树胡身边，动也不动地站着。他用树人的语言对他们交代了几句话，我猜他是在说明一个很早以前就决定的计划。然后他们就这么消失在曙光之中，当时天已经快要亮了。”
“They set a watch on the tower, I believe, but the watchers were so well hidden in shadows and kept so still, that I could not see them. The others went away north. All that day they were busy, out of sight. Most of the time we were left alone. It was a dreary day; and we wandered about a bit, though we kept out of the view of the windows of Orthanc, as much as we could: they stared at us so threateningly. A good deal of the time we spent looking for something to eat. And also we sat and talked, wondering what was happening away south in Rohan, and what had become of all the rest of our Company. Every now and then we could hear in the distance the rattle and fall of stone, and thudding noises echoing in the hills.”
“我相信他们派人监视那座塔，但那些监视者隐藏得非常好，让我根本无法发现他们的身影。其它人则是全部都往北走，他们就在那边忙了一整天。那一天我们过得很无聊，只能到处乱逛；不过，我们还是聪明得尽可能避开欧散克塔的窗子，因为我们觉得其中有股非常可怕的邪气。我们花了不少时间在找食物方面，我们也坐下来聊天，讨论不知道洛汗国到底怎么样了，以及我们同伴的遭遇究竟如何。在这段时间中，我们不停地听到远方传来岩石落下和敲打的声音。”
“In the afternoon we walked round the circle, and went to have a look at what was going on. There was a great shadowy wood of Huorns at the head of the valley, and another round the northern wall. We did not dare to go in. But there was a rending, tearing noise of work going on inside. Ents and Huorns were digging great pits and trenches, and making great pools and dams, gathering all the waters of the Isen and every other spring and stream that they could find. We left them to it.”
“到了下午，我们绕过去想要看看到底怎么回事，在山谷的开口处有一座胡恩们所构成的巨大黑暗森林，在北墙的另外一边则是另一座森林；我们不敢进去，但远远可以听见里面传来敲打的声音。树人和胡恩携手一起挖掘深坑和渠道，建造巨大的水池和水坝，把艾辛河所有的水流和山中的泉水都集中在一起。我们决定不打搅他们。”
“At dusk Treebeard came back to the gate. He was humming and booming to himself, and seemed pleased. He stood and stretched his great arms and legs and breathed deep. I asked him if he was tired. ‘Tired?’ he said, ‘tired? Well no, not tired, but stiff. I need a good draught of Entwash. We have worked hard; we have done more stone-cracking and earth-gnawing today than we have done in many a long year before. But it is nearly finished. When night falls do not linger near this gate or in the old tunnel! Water may come through — and it will be foul water for a while, until all the filth of Saruman is washed away. Then Isen can run clean again.’ He began to pull down a bit more of the walls, in a leisurely sort of way, just to amuse himself.”
“到了黄昏的时候，树胡回到了门口。他愉悦地发出哼哼声，看来似乎相当满意。他伸展着手脚，深深的吸了一口气。我问他是否觉得疲倦了。‘疲倦？’他说：‘不，没有，不疲倦，只是身体有些僵硬啦。我真希望可以好好喝上几口树人的饮料。我们工作得很辛苦，今天所搬运的石头和挖掘的土壤，就远远超过好几千年以来所做的了，幸好已经快完成。在夜色降临之后，千万别靠近这座门或是那些隧道！大水可能会淹过来，那些水可能会暂时染上恶臭，得要把萨鲁曼的臭味给冲干净才行，这样艾辛河才能够恢复往日的纯净。’他随手从墙上扯下一大块岩石，单纯只是好玩而已。”
“There was no need. He halted just by us and looked down at us. ‘Gandalf!’ I said at last, but my voice was only a whisper. Did he say: ‘Hullo, Pippin! This is a pleasant surprise!’? No, indeed! He said: ‘Get up, you tom-fool of a Took! Where, in the name of wonder, in all this ruin is Treebeard? I want him. Quick!'”
“其实根本不需要，他就在我们身前停下来，低头看着我们。‘甘道夫！’我最后好不容易挤出三个字，但听起来跟咳嗽一样。他可是中气十足的说啦：‘你好啊，皮聘！这可真是让人喜出望外啊！’喔，好啦，我稍微修正一下，其实他是说：‘快起来，你这个笨图克人！在这一团废墟里面，树胡到底人在哪里？我想要见他。快点！’”
“Treebeard heard his voice and came out of the shadows at once; and there was a strange meeting. I was surprised, because neither of them seemed surprised at all. Gandalf obviously expected to find Treebeard here; and Treebeard might almost have been loitering about near the gates on purpose to meet him. Yet we had told the old Ent all about Moria. But then I remembered a queer look he gave us at the time. I can only suppose that he had seen Gandalf or had some news of him, but would not say anything in a hurry. ‘Don’t be hasty’ is his motto; but nobody, not even Elves, will say much about Gandalf’s movements when he is not there.”
“树胡听到他的声音，立刻从阴影走了出来，这可真是场诡异的会面；真令我诧异，因为这两个人似乎一点也不感到惊讶。甘道夫很明显的知道树胡在这里，而树胡躲在门廊附近也是为了等待甘道夫。可是，我们明明把摩瑞亚发生的事情都跟树胡说了，我还记得他脸上露出的怪异表情。我只能说他曾经看过甘道夫，对他的行踪似乎知道得比我们更多，只是不愿意匆忙地将事情说出来。‘不要仓促行事！’是他的口头禅。可是，连精灵在甘道夫不在的时候，似乎都不会多提及他的行踪。”
“We were just wondering where it would be safe to lie and get some sleep, when the most amazing thing of all happened. There was the sound of a rider coming swiftly up the road. Merry and I lay quiet, and Treebeard hid himself in the shadows under the arch. Suddenly a great horse came striding up, like a flash of silver. It was already dark, but I could see the rider’s face clearly: it seemed to shine, and all his clothes were white. I just sat up, staring, with my mouth open. I tried to call out, and couldn’t.”
“我们还正在思索，应该躲在哪里比较安全的时候，最出乎意料的景象出现在我们面前。我们听见一名骑士快速奔驰的声音。梅里和我悄悄地趴在地上，树胡自己则是躲在拱门下的阴影中。突然间，一匹骏马跑了出来，像是一道银光一样。天色已经渐渐昏暗，但我可以清楚看见那骑士的面孔，他的脸似乎在发光，所有的衣服也都是白色。我就这么站了起来，张口结舌地看着他。我试着想要发出声音，但我做不到。”
“‘Hoom! Gandalf!’ said Treebeard. ‘I am glad you have come. Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master; but there is a Wizard to manage here.'”
“‘呼姆！甘道夫！’树胡说：‘真高兴看见你。树木和水流、货物和岩石我都可以处理，但还有一个巫师要对付呢。’”
“‘Treebeard,’ said Gandalf. ‘I need your help. You have done much, but I need more. I have about ten thousand Orcs to manage.'”
“‘树胡，’甘道夫说：‘我需要你的帮助。你已经做了很多，但我还需要更多的帮助，我大概有一万名左右的半兽人要对付。’”
“‘But Gandalf,’ I cried, ‘where have you been? And have you seen the others?’
“‘可是甘道夫，’我大喊着：‘你之前到哪里去了？你遇到其它人了吗？’”
“Then those two went off and had a council together in some corner. It must have seemed very hasty to Treebeard, for Gandalf was in a tremendous hurry, and was already talking at a great pace, before they passed out of hearing. They were only away a matter of minutes, perhaps a quarter of an hour. Then Gandalf came back to us, and he seemed relieved, almost merry. He did say he was glad to see us, then.”
“然后，这两个人就走到另外一个角落，悄悄地讨论起来。对树胡来说一定觉得这很仓促，因为甘道夫似乎十万火急，边走边说了很多句话。他们离开了大概只有几分钟，或许十五分钟吧，然后甘道夫又回到我们身边，他似乎松了一口气，几乎要露出笑容。那时，他才说他很高兴见到我们。”
“‘Wherever I have been, I am back,’ he answered in the genuine Gandalf manner. ‘Yes, I have seen some of the others. But news must wait. This is a perilous night, and I must ride fast. But the dawn may be brighter; and if so, we shall meet again. Take care of yourselves, and keep away from Orthanc! Good-bye!'”
“‘不管我去了哪里，现在都回来了！’他用甘道夫惯用的那套说法回答我：‘没错，我看到了一些同伴，不过现在不适合聊天叙旧，今晚是危险的一晚，我得要四处赶路。曙光或许会带来新的希望，如果这样的话，我们将会再见面的。好好照顾自己，不要靠近欧散克！再会！’”
“‘Huorns will help,’ said Treebeard. Then he went away and we did not see him again until this morning.”
“‘胡恩会帮忙的，’树胡说。然后他就离开了，直到今天早上我们都没有再看见他。”
“It was deep night. We lay on top of a pile of stone, and could see nothing beyond it. Mist or shadows blotted out everything like a great blanket all round us. The air seemed hot and heavy; and it was full of rustlings, creakings, and a murmur like voices passing. I think that hundreds more of the Huorns must have been passing by to help in the battle. Later there was a great rumble of thunder away south, and flashes of lightning far away across Rohan. Every now and then we could see mountain-peaks, miles and miles away, stab out suddenly, black and white, and then vanish. And behind us there were noises like thunder in hills, but different. At times the whole valley echoed.”
“当天深夜，我们躺在一堆石头上，由于天色的关系什么也看不见，外面的雾气和阴影像，仿佛一块厚重毯子一样遮蔽了周围所有的景象。空气又热又闷，其中还充满了各式各样的骚动、摩擦和像是呢喃的耳语声，我猜多半有几百名的胡恩出发帮忙战斗了。稍后，南方传来了打雷一般的巨响，远方的闪电照亮了整个洛汗；每隔一段时间，我们就可以看到远方的山脉突然间被闪电照亮，像是黑白的风景一样闪动在天际，然后又刹那消失。在我们身后的山脉中，则传去低沉的声响，但又和雷声不一样，整座山谷也跟着这声音摇晃着。”
“Before he went, we got a little news out of him; and it did not cheer us up at all. But for the moment we thought more about you three than about Frodo and Sam, or about poor Boromir. For we gathered that there was a great battle going on, or soon would be, and that you were in it, and might never come out of it.”
“在他离开之前，我们从他口中得知了一些消息，但并没有让我们觉得多高兴。至少当时，我们比较担心的是你们三个，对佛罗多、山姆和波罗莫，可没有多余的时间去他们。我们知道有场大战将临，而你们也在其中，甚至可能无法生还。”
“Treebeard was very thoughtful after Gandalf had gone. He had evidently learnt a lot in a short time and was digesting it. He looked at us and said: ‘Hm, well, I find you are not such hasty folk as I thought. You said much less than you might, and no more than you should. Hm, this is a bundle of news and no mistake! Well, now Treebeard must get busy again.'”
“在甘道夫走后，树胡开始沉思，他很明显的在短时间内知道了很多消息，正在设法消化这些情报。他看着我们说道：‘嗯，我这才发现你们并不像我想的一样那么仓促，你们保留了很多，但也没有把不该说的告诉我。嗯，这可真是一大堆新消息啊！好吧，树胡又得开始忙了。’”
“It must have been about midnight when the Ents broke the dams and poured all the gathered waters through a gap in the northern wall, down into Isengard. The Huorn-dark had passed, and the thunder had rolled away. The Moon was sinking behind the western mountains.”
“树人打破水坝，将所有存积的水从北方的缺口灌入艾辛格的时候，一定已经午夜了。胡恩的身影都消失了，雷声也渐行渐远，月亮则缓缓地落到西方的群山之后。”
“We saw a cloud of smoke and steam from the south last night, when we came to the mouth of Nan Curunír,” said Aragorn. “We feared that Saruman was brewing some new devilry for us.”
“我们昨天在靠近巫师谷入口的时候，就发现了一大堆的蒸气从中冒出，”亚拉冈说：“我们还担心是萨鲁曼有什么阴谋诡计要对付我们呢。”
“Isengard began to fill up with black creeping streams and pools. They glittered in the last light of the Moon, as they spread over the plain. Every now and then the waters found their way down into some shaft or spouthole. Great white steams hissed up. Smoke rose in billows. There were explosions and gusts of fire. One great coil of vapour went whirling up, twisting round and round Orthanc, until it looked like a tall peak of cloud, fiery underneath and moonlit above. And still more water poured in, until at last Isengard looked like a huge flat saucepan, all steaming and bubbling.”
“艾辛格开始被洪水灌入，一瞬间河水就在平原上四处横流，残余的月光照在四溢的洪水上，反射着微弱的光芒。这些四处窜流的洪水毫不留情的钻进地下的隧道和孔洞，随即就冒出了大量的白色蒸气，白烟也跟着不停涌出。地底传来了沉闷的爆炸声，偶尔还会冒出火光，数道浓密的蒸气一路往天空窜，将欧散克紧紧包围起来，在月光下形成了平地云海的诡异景观。大水依旧毫不留情地持续流入，到了最后，艾辛格看起来像是一个汤碗，各个角落都被蒸气和烟雾所笼罩。”
“Not he!” said Pippin. “He was probably choking and not laughing any more. By the morning, yesterday morning, the water had sunk down into all the holes, and there was a dense fog. We took refuge in that guardroom over there; and we had rather a fright. The lake began to overflow and pour out through the old tunnel, and the water was rapidly rising up the steps. We thought we were going to get caught like Orcs in a hole; but we found a winding stair at the back of the store-room that brought us out on top of the arch. It was a squeeze to get out, as the passages had been cracked and half blocked with fallen stone near the top. There we sat high up above the floods and watched the drowning of Isengard. The Ents kept on pouring in more water, till all the fires were quenched and every cave filled. The fogs slowly gathered together and steamed up into a huge umbrella of cloud: it must have been a mile high. In the evening there was a great rainbow over the eastern hills; and then the sunset was blotted out by a thick drizzle on the mountain-sides. It all went very quiet. A few wolves howled mournfully, far away. The Ents stopped the inflow in the night, and sent the Isen back into its old course. And that was the end of it all.”
“这次可轮不到他了！”皮聘说：“他可能都快被呛死，连笑都笑不出来了。到了昨天早上，大水都流入了地底，平地则笼罩在大量的浓雾中。我们暂时躲在这边的房间里面，觉得非常害怕，里面湖水开始溢流，沿着旧隧道往上淹。我以为我们会像是半兽人被困在洞穴中一样走投无路，幸好我们在储藏室后面找到了一个楼梯，可以走到拱门上方。由于楼梯之前被树人破坏了一部分，信道也被落石堵塞了，我们花了很大的功夫才挤出去。然后，我们就安全地坐在高地上静观水淹艾辛格的奇景。树人们不停地将大水导入，淹灭所有的火焰和洞穴，大雾慢慢的聚集在一起，变成了一朵巨大的蕈状云，可能有一哩高哪！到了晚上，东边山丘那边还出现了漂亮的彩虹，日落则被山上的一场大雨给遮挡住了，一切都非常安静，只有远方几只野狼嚎叫着哀悼这一切。树人们晚上又挡住了水流，让艾辛河重新复流。故事就是这样啦！”
“Since then the water has been sinking again. There must be outlets somewhere from the caves underneath, I think. If Saruman peeps out of any of his windows, it must look an untidy, dreary mess. We felt very lonely. Not even a visible Ent to talk to in all the ruin; and no news. We spent the night up on top there above the arch, and it was cold and damp and we did not sleep. We had a feeling that anything might happen at any minute. Saruman is still in his tower. There was a noise in the night like a wind coming up the valley. I think the Ents and Huorns that had been away came back then; but where they have all gone to now, I don’t know. It was a misty, moisty morning when we climbed down and looked round again, and nobody was about. And that is about all there is to tell. It seems almost peaceful now after all the turmoil. And safer too, somehow, since Gandalf came back. I could sleep!”
“从那之后，积水就开始退去，我猜，底下的洞穴中一定有什么可以让水流出去的出口。如果萨鲁曼从他的房间往外看，一定会觉得惨不忍睹。我们在这边觉得很寂寞，在整个废墟中连一个可以聊天的树人都没有。我们一整晚都待在拱门上，那里又湿又冷，根本睡不着，我们有种感觉，仿佛随时会有大事发生。萨鲁曼还在塔里面，到了晚上，有种像是风吹进谷内的声音传来，我想是之前离开的树人和胡恩又回来了；不过，我也不知道他们现在到哪里去了，当我们爬下来察看四周环境时，已经是个又湿又多雾的清晨了。大概就这样了，在那一阵混乱之后，现在感觉起来可以说是十分安祥。自从甘道夫回来后，我甚至觉得更安全了些，终于可以睡觉了！”
They all fell silent for a while. Gimli re-filled his pipe. “There is one thing I wonder about,” he said as he lit it with his flint and tinder: “Wormtongue. You told Théoden he was with Saruman. How did he get there?”
众人沉默了片刻，金雳重新将烟草装满烟斗。“有件事我不明白，”他一边点着火绒盒，一边说：“巧言──你告诉希优顿说他和萨鲁曼在一起，这家伙是怎么进去的？”
“Oh yes, I forgot about him,” said Pippin. “He did not get here till this morning. We had just lit the fire and had some breakfast when Treebeard appeared again. We heard him hooming and calling our names outside.”
“喔，对了，我都忘记他了！”皮聘说：“他到今天早上才赶到，那时我们正好生起火，吃了一些早餐，树胡就出现了。我们听见他在外面哼歌，同时叫着我们的名字。”
“‘I have just come round to see how you are faring, my lads,’ he said; ‘and to give you some news. Huorns have come back. All’s well; aye very well indeed!’ he laughed, and slapped his thighs. ‘No more Orcs in Isengard, no more axes! And there will be folk coming up from the South before the day is old; some that you may be glad to see.'”
“‘小朋友，我正好过来想要看看你们过的怎样，顺便告诉你们一些消息，胡恩们已经都回来了，一切都很好，好得不得了哪！’他大笑着，边拍着屁股。‘艾辛格里面再也不会有半兽人，也不会再有斧头了！天黑之前就会有人从南方过来，里面有些人你见到会很高兴的。’”
“He had hardly said that, when we heard the sound of hoofs on the road. We rushed out before the gates, and I stood and stared, half expecting to see Strider and Gandalf come riding up at the head of an army. But out of the mist there rode a man on an old tired horse; and he looked a queer twisted sort of creature himself. There was no one else. When he came out of the mist and suddenly saw all the ruin and wreckage in front of him, he sat and gaped, and his face went almost green. He was so bewildered that he did not seem to notice us at first. When he did, he gave a cry, and tried to turn his horse round and ride off. But Treebeard took three strides, put out a long arm, and lifted him out of the saddle. His horse bolted in terror, and he grovelled on the ground. He said he was Gríma, friend and counsellor of the king, and had been sent with important messages from Théoden to Saruman.”
“他话才刚说完，我们就听见路上有马蹄的声音。我们冲到门前，在那边等着，本来以为会看见神行客和甘道夫带着大军过来。可是，出乎意料之外，从浓雾中出来的是一个骑着老马的人，他自己看起来也是狼狈不堪。当他走出大雾之后，猛一看见眼前的一片残破，脸色刷地一声变成青白色，露出哭笑不得的表情。他震惊过了头，以致于一时之间没有注意到我们人就在旁边。当他发现的时候，他惊呼一声，试着要转身逃跑。但树胡三步就赶上了他，将他从马上抓了下来。他的马匹吃惊乱窜，而他则是趴在地上不敢动弹，他说他叫作葛力马，是国王的好友和咨询大臣，这次是希优顿派他来送一个重要的口信给萨鲁曼。”
“‘You knew the way, I don’t doubt,’ said Treebeard. ‘But things have changed here a little. Go and see!'”
“‘我可不怀疑你知道怎么走，’树胡说：‘但事情已经有了转变，自己去看看吧！’”
“He let Wormtongue go, and he limped off through the arch, with us close behind, until he came inside the ring and could see all the floods that lay between him and Orthanc. Then he turned to us.”
“他让巧言走了。这家伙一跛一跛地穿越拱门，我们则是紧跟在后；最后，他终于看见里面一片水乡泽国的情形。他转过身面对我们。”
“I caught the sidelong looks he gave to Treebeard, and I said to myself ‘liar’. Treebeard looked at him in his long slow way for several minutes, till the wretched man was squirming on the floor. Then at last he said: ‘Ha, hm, I was expecting you, Master Wormtongue.’ The man started at that name. ‘Gandalf got here first. So I know as much about you as I need, and I know what to do with you. Put all the rats in one trap, said Gandalf; and I will. I am the master of Isengard now, but Saruman is locked in his tower; and you can go there and give him all the messages that you can think of.'”
“我看见他偷瞄树胡的样子，心中暗叫了一声‘骗子’。树胡沉默地看着他很长的一段时间，到最后对方已经完全趴到地上去了。最后，他才说：‘哈，嗯，巧言先生，我本来就在等你呢！’那人一听到这名字吃了一惊。‘甘道夫先到这边，所以我知道很多有关你的事情，也知道该怎么对付你。甘道夫说，把所有的老鼠都摆在同一个陷阱里面，我会照做的。我是艾辛格的主人，而萨鲁曼则被锁在他的塔中，你可以进去把你所有编出来的口信告诉他。’”
“‘No one else would dare to ride through the open land, so full of foul Orcs,’ he said, ‘so I was sent. And I have had a perilous journey, and I am hungry and weary. I fled far north out of my way, pursued by wolves.'”
“‘没有其它人胆敢冒险穿越到处都是半兽人的领地，’他说：‘所以他们才派我来。我一路上突破重重难关，现在又饿又累。我被恶狼追赶，偏离了原先的路径。’”
“‘Let me go, let me go!’ said Wormtongue. ‘I know the way.'”
“‘让我去，让我去！’巧言说：‘我知道怎么走。’”
“‘Let me go away!’ he whined. ‘Let me go away! My messages are useless now.'”
“‘快让我离开这里！’他哀求道：‘让我离开！我的口信现在一点用也没有了。’”
“‘They are indeed,’ said Treebeard. ‘But you have only two choices: to stay with me until Gandalf and your master arrive; or to cross the water. Which will you have?'”
“‘的确，’树胡说，‘不过，你只有两个选择：留在我身边，直到甘道夫和你的主人抵达为止，或是越过这些积水。你选择哪一个？’”
“The man shivered at the mention of his master, and put a foot into the water; but he drew back. ‘I cannot swim,’ he said.”
“一提到他的主人，那人开始浑身发抖，一只脚踏进水中，但随即又抽了回来。‘我不会游泳！’他说。”
“With that the wretch floundered off into the flood. It rose up nearly to his neck before he got too far away for me to see him. The last I saw of him was clinging to some old barrel or piece of wood. But Treebeard waded after him, and watched his progress.”
“话一说完，那个落魄的家伙就跳进水中。他走了不远，水就快淹到他的脖子，最后，我看到他抱着桶子还是什么东西开始漂流。但树胡涉水靠近，监视着他的进度。”
“‘The water is not deep,’ said Treebeard. ‘It is dirty, but that will not harm you, Master Wormtongue. In you go now!'”
“‘水并不深，’树胡说：‘水很脏，不过不会伤害你的，巧言先生。快下去！’”
“‘Well, he has gone in,’ he said when he returned. ‘I saw him crawling up the steps like a draggled rat. There is someone in the tower still: a hand came out and pulled him in. So there he is, and I hope the welcome is to his liking. Now I must go and wash myself clean of the slime. I’ll be away up on the north side, if anyone wants to see me. There is no clean water down here fit for an Ent to drink, or to bathe in. So I will ask you two lads to keep a watch at the gate for the folk that are coming. There’ll be the Lord of the Fields of Rohan, mark you! You must welcome him as well as you know how: his men have fought a great fight with the Orcs. Maybe, you know the right fashion of Men’s words for such a lord, better than Ents. There have been many lords in the green fields in my time, and I have never learned their speech or their names. They will be wanting man-food, and you know all about that, I guess. So find what you think is fit for a king to eat, if you can.’ And that is the end of the story. Though I should like to know who this Wormtongue is. Was he really the king’s counsellor?”
“‘好啦，他已经进去了，’当他回来的时候描述道：‘我看见他像是只溺水的老鼠一样趴了进去，塔上还有人，有只手把他拉了进去。现在他到了目的地，希望人家会好好欢迎他。我得先去找个地方洗干净身上的污泥，如果有人想要找我，我就在北边。这里的水都不够干净，没办法让树人饮用或是沐浴。所以，请你们两位小朋友注意靠近的人物，请注意，会有洛汗的国王喔！你们必须用周到的礼仪欢迎他，他的部下刚和半兽人打了一场恶战。对啦，你们对人类国王所喜欢的尊称和礼仪，应该比我们树人懂得多了。在我小时候，大草原上到处都是王公贵族，我从来记不起他们的称呼和语言。他们会想要一些可以让人吃的食物，我想你们也都知道。所以也请你们找一些适合国王吃的东西吧！’故事到这边告一段落啦，不过，我很想要知道巧言是谁？他真的是国王的咨询大臣吗？”
“He was,” said Aragorn; “and also Saruman’s spy and servant in Rohan. Fate has not been kinder to him than he deserves. The sight of the ruin of all that he thought so strong and magnificent must have been almost punishment enough. But I fear that worse awaits him.”
“他是的，”亚拉冈说：“同时兼任萨鲁曼的间谍和洛汗的公仆。这家伙的命运实在不好，无敌壮丽的王国在他面前毁于一旦的滋味恐怕就够受了。但是，我想，塔里面可能还有更可怕的遭遇在等待着他。”
“Yes, I don’t suppose Treebeard sent him to Orthanc out of kindness,” said Merry. “He seemed rather grimly delighted with the business, and was laughing to himself when he went to get his bathe and drink. We spent a busy time after that, searching the flotsam, and rummaging about. We found two or three store-rooms in different places nearby, above the flood-level. But Treebeard sent some Ents down, and they carried off a great deal of the stuff.”
“没错，我并不认为树胡让这家伙进入欧散克塔是出于同情，”梅里说：“树胡似乎自得其乐，当他去喝水和洗澡的时候还在傻笑呢。在那之后我们花了很大的功夫搜寻漂在水上的残骸。我们在附近的几个地方，找到了几间在水线以上的储藏室，但树胡还派了一些树人过来，带走不少东西。”
“‘We want man-food for twenty-five,’ the Ents said, so you can see that somebody had counted your company carefully before you arrived. You three were evidently meant to go with the great people. But you would not have fared any better. We kept as good as we sent, I promise you. Better, because we sent no drink.”
“‘我们需要二十五份人吃的食物，’树人说，由此可见在你们到之前，就有人仔细的数过你们的人数了。你们三个人很明显是该和大人物们一起走的。不过，你们在那边也不会吃得比这边好，我保证他们拿到的不会比我们丰盛，这儿的佳肴或许更好，因为我们没把酒给他们。”
“We understand it all perfectly now,” said Gimli.
“我们现在都了解了，”金雳说。
“All except one thing,” said Aragorn: “leaf from the Southfarthing in Isengard. The more I consider it, the more curious I find it. I have never been in Isengard, but I have journeyed in this land, and I know well the empty countries that lie between Rohan and the Shire. Neither goods nor folk have passed that way for many a long year, not openly. Saruman had secret dealings with someone in the Shire, I guess. Wormtongues may be found in other houses than King Théoden’s. Was there a date on the barrels?”
“只有一件事情例外，”亚拉冈说：“夏尔南区的烟叶怎么会来到艾辛格，我越想就越不对。我之前没有来过艾辛格，但我曾经到过附近，对于在夏尔和洛汗之间的荒地相当了解。已经有许多年两边没有任何货物的往来和贸易，至少不是公开的。我猜，萨鲁曼应该和夏尔的某个人有秘密的往来，巧言或许不只出现在希优顿的皇室中。桶上的制造日期是什么时候？”
“‘There is water of Isen,’ they said, ‘and that is good enough for Ents and Men.’ But I hope that the Ents may have found time to brew some of their draughts from the mountain-springs, and we shall see Gandalf’s beard curling when he returns. After the Ents had gone, we felt tired, and hungry. But we did not grumble — our labours had been well rewarded. It was through our search for man-food that Pippin discovered the prize of all the flotsam, those Hornblower barrels. ‘Pipe-weed is better after food,’ said Pippin; that is how the situation arose.”
“‘艾辛河的水就够了，’他们说：‘对人类或是树人都够好了。’不过，我还是希望树人们可以酿出他们爱喝的那种饮料，这样一来，我们就可以看见甘道夫翘着胡子回到我们面前。在树人走掉之后，我们觉得又饿又累，但我们并没抱怨，实际上，我们的努力换来丰富的报酬。在那一阵忙乱之中，皮聘发现了这些残骸中的宝物，吹号者牌子的烟草，‘抽烟比吃东西爽多了！’皮聘说，所以最后就变成这个样子了。”
“‘What about drink?’ I said to the Ents.”
“‘饮料怎么办？’我问树人说。”
“Ah well, whatever evil was afoot is over now, I hope; or else it is beyond our reach at present,” said Aragorn. “Yet I think I shall mention it to Gandalf, small matter though it may seem among his great affairs.”
“啊，好吧，我希望邪恶的事情都已经告一段落了，再不然，其它的状况我们可爱莫能助了，”亚拉冈说：“我认为等下应该把这小事告诉甘道夫，枝微末节往往会影响大局。”
“Yes,” said Pippin. “It was the 1417 crop, that is last year’s; no, the year before, of course, now: a good year.”
“我看看，”皮聘说：“这是一四一七年份的，是去年的──不，应该说是前年的，那年的烟草很不错。”
“I wonder what he is doing,” said Merry. “The afternoon is getting on. Let us go and look round! You can enter Isengard now at any rate, Strider, if you want to. But it is not a very cheerful sight.”
“不知道他在忙些什么，”梅里说：“下午都快过完了。我们四处逛逛吧！神行客，如果你想的话，现在可以走进艾辛格了，只是，风景并怎么不漂亮喔！”
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