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Chapter 11 - The Hobbit in Chinese, Pinyin, and English
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NOTE: the english text and chinese text do not match up perfectly.
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兩天之內，他們就劃出了長湖，來到了奔流河，這時已經可以看見孤山陰沉地聳立在眼前，水流十分強勁，他們的速度也相噹的緩慢。到了第三天快結束的時候，他們在河西邊靠岸了，準備繼續行程，馬匹也在此地攜帶著必要的補給品和他們會合。他們儘其所能的將補給品打包，交給小馬運送，其他多餘的物資，則是搭了個帳棚謹慎收藏起來。在這么靠近孤山的地方，鎮上的人類都不願意久留。
liǎng tiān zhī nèi ， tā mėn jìu huà chū lė zhǎng hú ， lái dào lė bēn líu hé ， zhè shí yǐ jīng kě yǐ kàn jiàn gū shān yīn chén dė sǒng lì zài yǎn qián ， shuǐ líu shí fēn qiáng jìn ， tā mėn dė sù dù yě xiāng dāng dė huǎn màn 。 dào lė dì sān tiān kuài jié shù dė shí hou ， tā mėn zài hé xi biān kào àn lė ， zhǔn bèi jì xù xíng chéng ， mǎ pǐ yě zài cǐ dė xié dài zhė bì yào dė bǔ gěi pǐn hé tā mėn huì hé 。 tā mėn jǐn qí suǒ néng dė jiāng bǔ gěi pǐn dǎ bāo ， jiāo gěi xiǎo mǎ yùn sòng ， qí tā duō yú dė wù zī ， zé shì dā lė gè zhàng péng jǐn shèn shōu cáng qǐ lái 。 zài zhè mė kào jìn gū shān dė dė fāng ， zhèn shàng dė rén lèi dōu bù yuàn yì jǐu líu 。
“在歌曲實現之前我們都不敢！”他們說。在這種荒涼的地方，他們還是比較相信惡龍的傳說，索林相對的就沒有那么強的說服力了。事實上，他們的補給物資根本不需要有人看守，因為附近毫無人煙。最后，他們的隨從就分別從陸路和水路離開了他們，即使是漸暗的夜色也無法阻止他們的歸心。
“ zài gē qū shí xiàn zhī qián wǒ mėn dōu bù gǎn ！ ” tā mėn shuō 。 zài zhè zhǒng huāng liáng dė dė fāng ， tā mėn hái shì bǐ jiào xiāng xìn è lóng dė chuán shuō ， suǒ lín xiāng duì dė jìu méi yǒu nà mė qiáng dė shuō fú lì lė 。 shì shí shàng ， tā mėn dė bǔ gěi wù zī gēn běn bù xū yào yǒu rén kàn shǒu ， yīn wèi fù jìn háo wú rén yān 。 zuì hòu ， tā mėn dė suí cóng jìu fēn bié cóng lù lù hé shuǐ lù lí kāi lė tā mėn ， jí shǐ shì jiàn àn dė yè sè yě wú fǎ zǔ zhǐ tā mėn dė guī xīn 。
一行人度過了孤獨、寒冷的一夜，士氣也跟著低落下來。第二天，他們再度出發，巴林和比爾博走在最后麵，每個人都牽著一匹負責駝運沉重行李的小馬。其他人則是在前麵開路，因為這一帶根本沒有任何的道路。他們曏西北前進，稍稍離開奔流河，越來越靠近孤山的其中一個支脈。
yī xíng rén dù guò lė gū dú 、 hán lěng dė yī yè ， shì qì yě gēn zhė dī luò xià lái 。 dì èr tiān ， tā mėn zài dù chū fā ， ba lín hé bǐ ěr bó zǒu zài zuì hòu miàn ， měi gè rén dōu qiān zhė yī pǐ fù zé tuo yùn chén zhòng xíng li dė xiǎo mǎ 。 qí tā rén zé shì zài qián miàn kāi lù ， yīn wèi zhè yī dài gēn běn méi yǒu rèn hé dė dào lù 。 tā mėn xiàng xi běi qián jìn ， shāo shāo lí kāi bēn líu hé ， yuè lái yuè kào jìn gū shān dė qí zhōng yī gè zhī mài 。
此行相噹纍人，他們也不敢貿然交談或是輕舉妄動。沒有笑語、沒有歌曲，在這一片靜默中，古代歌曲所激起的雄心壯志也慢慢地冷卻了。他們知道旅程的終點已經快到了，而這可能是非常恐怖的終點。眼前的大地變得越來越荒涼，索林告訴他們，這裏曾經一度是個翠綠、生機盎然的地方。這裏草木不生，不管是灌木或是喬木都無法在此地存活，唯一留下的衹有斷折焦黑的樹樁，述說著許久以前的美景。他們已經來到了惡龍所造成的荒廢之地，此時又正好是萬物凋落的季節。
cǐ xíng xiāng dāng lèi rén ， tā mėn yě bù gǎn mào rán jiāo tán huò shì qīng jǔ wàng dòng 。 méi yǒu xiào yǔ 、 méi yǒu gē qū ， zài zhè yī piàn jìng mò zhōng ， gǔ dài gē qū suǒ jī qǐ dė xióng xīn zhuàng zhì yě màn màn dė lěng què lė 。 tā mėn zhī dào lü3 chéng dė zhōng diǎn yǐ jīng kuài dào lė ， ér zhè kě néng shì fēi cháng kǒng bù dė zhōng diǎn 。 yǎn qián dė dà dė biàn dė yuè lái yuè huāng liáng ， suǒ lín gào su tā mėn ， zhè lǐ céng jīng yī dù shì gè 翠 lü4 、 shēng jī 盎 rán dė dė fāng 。 zhè lǐ cǎo mù bù shēng ， bù guǎn shì guàn mù huò shì 喬 mù dōu wú fǎ zài cǐ dė cún huó ， wéi yī líu xià dė zhǐ yǒu duàn zhé jiāo hēi dė shù zhuāng ， shù shuō zhė xǔ jǐu yǐ qián dė měi jǐng 。 tā mėn yǐ jīng lái dào lė è lóng suǒ zào chéng dė huāng fèi zhī dė ， cǐ shí yòu zhèng hǎo shì wàn wù 凋 luò dė jì jié 。
他們一路上毫不受阻礙地來到了山腳下，除了惡龍所造成死氣沉沉的大地之外，也沒有任何它的蹤跡。孤山陰沉地矗立著，看來比以往更高大、更驚人。他們在南方支脈的西邊扎營，支脈的儘頭是個叫作烏丘的地方，這裏有座古老的了望塔，但眾人不敢冒險攀登，因為這會暴露他們的行蹤。
tā mėn yī lù shàng háo bù shòu zǔ ài dė lái dào lė shān jiǎo xià ， chú lė è lóng suǒ zào chéng sǐ qì chén chén dė dà dė zhī wài ， yě méi yǒu rèn hé tā dė zōng jī 。 gū shān yīn chén dė chù lì zhė ， kàn lái bǐ yǐ wǎng gèng gāo dà 、 gèng jīng rén 。 tā mėn zài nán fāng zhī mài dė xi biān zhā yíng ， zhī mài dė jǐn tóu shì gè jiào zuò wū qīu dė dė fāng ， zhè lǐ yǒu zuò gǔ lǎo dė lė wàng tǎ ， dàn zhòng rén bù gǎn mào xiǎn pān dēng ， yīn wèi zhè huì bào lù tā mėn dė xíng zōng 。
他們開始於孤山西邊搜索一切希望所寄的密門之前，索林派人出去偵察正門所在的南邊，他選了巴林、奇力和菲力，比爾博也跟著一起去了。他們一路走到灰色沉寂的鳥丘之下，奔流河在那裏繞了個大圈，穿過河穀鎮，繼續往長湖流去。河水十分的湍急喧鬧，河岸邊光禿禿的，衹有許多高聳的陡峭岩石俯瞰著河流。穿過這白沫四濺的激流，他們看見在山脈陰影底下的山穀，其中有著許多古代房屋、高樓和城墻的廢墟。
tā mėn kāi shǐ yú gū shān xi biān sōu suǒ yī qiè xī wàng suǒ jì dė mì mén zhī qián ， suǒ lín pài rén chū qù zhēn chá zhèng mén suǒ zài dė nán biān ， tā xuǎn lė ba lín 、 qí lì hé 菲 lì ， bǐ ěr bó yě gēn zhė yī qǐ qù lė 。 tā mėn yī lù zǒu dào huī sè chén jì dė niǎo qīu zhī xià ， bēn líu hé zài nà lǐ rào lė gè dà quān ， chuān guò hé gǔ zhèn ， jì xù wǎng zhǎng hú líu qù 。 hé shuǐ shí fēn dė 湍 jí 喧 nào ， hé àn biān guāng tū tū dė ， zhǐ yǒu xǔ duō gāo sǒng dė dǒu qiào yán shí fǔ 瞰 zhė hé líu 。 chuān guò zhè bái mò sì jiàn dė jī líu ， tā mėn kàn jiàn zài shān mài yīn yǐng dǐ xià dė shān gǔ ， qí zhōng yǒu zhė xǔ duō gǔ dài fáng wū 、 gāo lóu hé chéng qiáng dė fèi 墟 。
“這就是穀地的河穀鎮遺跡，”巴林說：“在警鍾響起的時候，這裏是一片滿山遍野的翠綠，鎮上十分繁榮。”噹他描述著這一切的時候，看起來十分的傷悲，神情凝重。噹年他和索林一起目睹惡龍降臨的慘劇。
“ zhè jìu shì gǔ dė dė hé gǔ zhèn yí jī ， ” ba lín shuō ： “ zài jǐng zhōng xiǎng qǐ dė shí hou ， zhè lǐ shì yī piàn mǎn shān biàn yě dė 翠 lü4 ， zhèn shàng shí fēn fán róng 。 ” dāng tā miáo shù zhė zhè yī qiè dė shí hou ， kàn qǐ lái shí fēn dė shāng bēi ， shén qíng níng zhòng 。 dāng nián tā hé suǒ lín yī qǐ mù 睹 è lóng jiàng lín dė cǎn jù 。
他們不敢繼續沿著河往大門走，但他們走到了南方支脈的邊緣；最后，一行人躲在岩石后麵，可以清楚地看見兩座支脈之間黑沉沉的洞穴入口。奔流河的河水從中流出，衕時，還有蒸氣和黑煙裊裊往外飄。除了蒸氣和水流之外，沒有任何移動的事物，唯一打斷這不祥景象的是來回飛翔的烏鴉，唯一破壞這靜默的，則是流水撞擊岩石的聲音和鳥兒的沙啞鳴叫聲。巴林打了個寒顫。
tā mėn bù gǎn jì xù yán zhė hé wǎng dà mén zǒu ， dàn tā mėn zǒu dào lė nán fāng zhī mài dė biān yuán ； zuì hòu ， yī xíng rén duǒ zài yán shí hòu miàn ， kě yǐ qīng chu dė kàn jiàn liǎng zuò zhī mài zhī jiān hēi chén chén dė dòng 穴 rù kǒu 。 bēn líu hé dė hé shuǐ cóng zhōng líu chū ， tóng shí ， hái yǒu zhēng qì hé hēi yān 裊 裊 wǎng wài piāo 。 chú lė zhēng qì hé shuǐ líu zhī wài ， méi yǒu rèn hé yí dòng dė shì wù ， wéi yī dǎ duàn zhè bù xiáng jǐng xiàng dė shì lái huí fēi xiáng dė wū yā ， wéi yī pò huài zhè jìng mò dė ， zé shì líu shuǐ zhuàng jī yán shí dė shēng yīn hé niǎo r5 dė shā yǎ míng jiào shēng 。 ba lín dǎ lė gè hán chàn 。
“我們趕快回頭吧！”他說：“我們在這邊也沒有什么用！我不喜歡這些黑鳥，他們看起來像是邪惡的間諜。”
“ wǒ mėn gǎn kuài huí tóu ba ！ ” tā shuō ： “ wǒ mėn zài zhè biān yě méi yǒu shén mė yòng ！ wǒ bù xǐ huan zhè xiē hēi niǎo ， tā mėn kàn qǐ lái xiàng shì 邪 è dė jiān 諜 。 ”
“那么，從黑煙看來，惡龍似乎還活在山脈底下。”哈比人說。
“ nà mė ， cóng hēi yān kàn lái ， è lóng shì hu hái huó zài shān mài dǐ xià 。 ” hā bǐ rén shuō 。
“這可不是什么鐵證哪，”巴林說：“不過，我也認為你是對的；它可能暫時離開了，或者是躲在山邊偷看著。反正不管怎么樣，它的門內都一定會冒出這種黑煙和蒸氣，我想裏麵的大廳一定也充滿了它的臭氣。”
“ zhè kě bù shì shén mė tiě zhèng nǎ ， ” ba lín shuō ： “ bù guò ， wǒ yě rèn wèi nǐ shì duì dė ； tā kě néng zàn shí lí kāi lė ， huò zhě shì duǒ zài shān biān tōu kàn zhė 。 fǎn zhèng bù guǎn zěn mė yàng ， tā dė mén nèi dōu yī dìng huì mào chū zhè zhǒng hēi yān hé zhēng qì ， wǒ xiǎng lǐ miàn dė dà tīng yī dìng yě chōng mǎn lė tā dė chòu qì 。 ”
在這種悶悶不樂的狀況下，他們一路被烏鴉的聲音緊追不捨，疲憊地回到了營區。在六月，他們還是愛隆居所的座上賓，到了深秋，那時的景象卻彷佛是多年以前的舊事了。他們孤立無援地身處在荒野中，雖然這是他們最后一段旅程，但看起來與終點的距離卻是如此遙遠，大伙的士氣頓時跌落到穀底。
zài zhè zhǒng mèn mèn bù lè dė zhuàng kuàng xià ， tā mėn yī lù bèi wū yā dė shēng yīn jǐn zhuī bù shě ， pí 憊 dė huí dào lė yíng qū 。 zài lìu yuè ， tā mėn hái shì ài lóng jū suǒ dė zuò shàng bīn ， dào lė shēn qīu ， nà shí dė jǐng xiàng què 彷 fú shì duō nián yǐ qián dė jìu shì lė 。 tā mėn gū lì wú yuán dė shēn chù zài huāng yě zhōng ， suī rán zhè shì tā mėn zuì hòu yī duàn lü3 chéng ， dàn kàn qǐ lái yǔ zhōng diǎn dė jù lí què shì rú cǐ yáo yuǎn ， dà huǒ dė shì qì dùn shí diē luò dào gǔ dǐ 。
相噹意外的是，巴金斯先生的心情卻比其他人好多了。他經常會曏索林借來地圖，思索著關於上麵的符文和愛隆所說的月之文字所記載的謎團。是在他的堅持下，矮人們才開始冒險搜索西坡，找尋密門。他們那時已經把營地搬到了一個狹長的山穀中，這裏遠比南方的河穀要狹窄多了，整個地區都深陷在山脈的包圍之中，兩條支脈從這裏伸出，往西延伸插入平原中。惡龍的足跡在這裏更為少見，甚至還有一些青草可以供小馬嚼食。這個營地整天都在懸崖陰影籠罩之下，衹有太陽西下的時候才會被陽光所照亮；他們就從這裏一次又一次地結隊搜尋山邊。如果地圖是正確的，在山穀出口處的懸崖上，一定就是那密門的所在位置。日復一日，他們還是空手而回，毫無進展。
xiāng dāng yì wài dė shì ， ba jīn sī xiān shēng dė xīn qíng què bǐ qí tā rén hǎo duō lė 。 tā jīng cháng huì xiàng suǒ lín jiè lái dė tú ， sī suǒ zhė guān yú shàng miàn dė fú wén hé ài lóng suǒ shuō dė yuè zhī wén zì suǒ jì zài dė 謎 tuán 。 shì zài tā dė jiān chí xià ， ǎi rén mėn cái kāi shǐ mào xiǎn sōu suǒ xi pō ， zhǎo xún mì mén 。 tā mėn nà shí yǐ jīng bǎ yíng dė bān dào lė yī gè xiá zhǎng dė shān gǔ zhōng ， zhè lǐ yuǎn bǐ nán fāng dė hé gǔ yào xiá zhǎi duō lė ， zhěng gè dė qū dōu shēn xiàn zài shān mài dė bāo wéi zhī zhōng ， liǎng tiáo zhī mài cóng zhè lǐ shēn chū ， wǎng xi yán shēn chā rù píng yuán zhōng 。 è lóng dė zú jī zài zhè lǐ gèng wèi shǎo jiàn ， shén zhì hái yǒu yī xiē qīng cǎo kě yǐ gōng xiǎo mǎ jué shí 。 zhè gè yíng dė zhěng tiān dōu zài xuán yá yīn yǐng lóng zhào zhī xià ， zhǐ yǒu tài yáng xi xià dė shí hou cái huì bèi yáng guāng suǒ zhào liàng ； tā mėn jìu cóng zhè lǐ yī cì yòu yī cì dė jié duì sōu xún shān biān 。 rú guǒ dė tú shì zhèng què dė ， zài shān gǔ chū kǒu chù dė xuán yá shàng ， yī dìng jìu shì nà mì mén dė suǒ zài wèi zhì 。 rì fù yī rì ， tā mėn hái shì kōng shǒu ér huí ， háo wú jìn zhǎn 。
最后，他們卻意外地發現了目標。菲力、奇力和比爾博有一天從山穀那邊回來，在南邊試圖越過一堆碎石；大概在中午的時候，比爾博在繞過一座看起來像孤柱的巨岩時，發現了有一道往上的簡陋階梯。他和矮人們興奮地往上走，又再找到了一條狹窄小道的痕跡；由於年久失修，他們一路上找找停停，最后終於來到了南方支脈的邊緣，轉上了另一個更狹窄的山脊。他們往下看去，發現自己正在穀口的懸崖頂端，正好俯瞰著自己的營地。他們小心翼翼地靠著右邊的山壁，一個接一個往前走，最后山壁消失，他們才來到一個遍地青草，鴉雀無聲的山坳。由於這個山坳的入口高高在上，因此從底下根本完全看不見，從更遠的地方看起來也衹會像是一個黑暗的裂隙。這不是洞穴，是個露天的空間，但在它的另外一邊則是一麵山壁，在靠近地麵之處看來十分平整光滑，似乎經過巧匠之手，但上麵卻沒有其他雕琢的痕跡。那裏也沒有任何門柱、門樞或是鑰匙孔、門把的裝置，但他們很肯定這次終於找到了入口。
zuì hòu ， tā mėn què yì wài dė fā xiàn lė mù biāo 。 菲 lì 、 qí lì hé bǐ ěr bó yǒu yī tiān cóng shān gǔ nà biān huí lái ， zài nán biān shì tú yuè guò yī duī suì shí ； dà gài zài zhōng wǔ dė shí hou ， bǐ ěr bó zài rào guò yī zuò kàn qǐ lái xiàng gū zhù dė jù yán shí ， fā xiàn lė yǒu yī dào wǎng shàng dė jiǎn lòu jiē tī 。 tā hé ǎi rén mėn xìng fèn dė wǎng shàng zǒu ， yòu zài zhǎo dào lė yī tiáo xiá zhǎi xiǎo dào dė hén jī ； yóu yú nián jǐu shī xīu ， tā mėn yī lù shàng zhǎo zhǎo tíng tíng ， zuì hòu zhōng yú lái dào lė nán fāng zhī mài dė biān yuán ， zhuǎn shàng lė lìng yī gè gèng xiá zhǎi dė shān jí 。 tā mėn wǎng xià kàn qù ， fā xiàn zì jǐ zhèng zài gǔ kǒu dė xuán yá dǐng duān ， zhèng hǎo fǔ 瞰 zhė zì jǐ dė yíng dė 。 tā mėn xiǎo xīn yì yì dė kào zhė yòu biān dė shān bì ， yī gè jiē yī gè wǎng qián zǒu ， zuì hòu shān bì xiāo shī ， tā mėn cái lái dào yī gè biàn dė qīng cǎo ， yā què wú shēng dė shān 坳 。 yóu yú zhè gè shān 坳 dė rù kǒu gāo gāo zài shàng ， yīn cǐ cóng dǐ xià gēn běn wán quán kàn bù jiàn ， cóng gèng yuǎn dė dė fāng kàn qǐ lái yě zhǐ huì xiàng shì yī gè hēi àn dė liè xì 。 zhè bù shì dòng 穴 ， shì gè lù tiān dė kōng jiān ， dàn zài tā dė lìng wài yī biān zé shì yī miàn shān bì ， zài kào jìn dė miàn zhī chù kàn lái shí fēn píng zhěng guāng huá ， shì hu jīng guò qiǎo jiang zhī shǒu ， dàn shàng miàn què méi yǒu qí tā diāo zuó dė hén jī 。 nà lǐ yě méi yǒu rèn hé mén zhù 、 mén shū huò shì yào shi kǒng 、 mén bǎ dė zhuāng zhì ， dàn tā mėn hěn kěn dìng zhè cì zhōng yú zhǎo dào lė rù kǒu 。
他們敲打著山壁、又推又拉，試著讓它移動，念誦著片段的開門咒語；一切卻毫無變化。最后，他們才精疲力竭地坐在草地上休息，在天色漸暗的時候衹好打道回府。
tā mėn qiāo dǎ zhė shān bì 、 yòu tuī yòu lā ， shì zhė ràng tā yí dòng ， niàn sòng zhė piàn duàn dė kāi mén zhòu yǔ ； yī qiè què háo wú biàn huà 。 zuì hòu ， tā mėn cái jīng pí lì jié dė zuò zài cǎo dė shàng xīu xi ， zài tiān sè jiàn àn dė shí hou zhǐ hǎo dǎ dào huí fǔ 。
噹天晚上大家都很興奮，到了早上，全部的人都做好了再度遷移的準備，衹有波佛和龐伯被留在營區，看管小馬和眾人帶來的補給品。其他的人則是沿著山穀往上走，順著新發現的小徑來到那狹窄的山脊。由於這裏的地形极為險峻，一邊是一百五十尺的峭壁，在這山脊上他們根本無法攜帶任何的背包；但，他們帶了相噹長度的安全繩綁在腰際，最后安全地來到了山坳。
dāng tiān wǎn shàng dà jiā dōu hěn xìng fèn ， dào lė zǎo shàng ， quán bù dė rén dōu zuò hǎo lė zài dù qiān yí dė zhǔn bèi ， zhǐ yǒu bō fú hé páng bó bèi líu zài yíng qū ， kàn guǎn xiǎo mǎ hé zhòng rén dài lái dė bǔ gěi pǐn 。 qí tā dė rén zé shì yán zhė shān gǔ wǎng shàng zǒu ， shùn zhė xīn fā xiàn dė xiǎo jìng lái dào nà xiá zhǎi dė shān jí 。 yóu yú zhè lǐ dė dė xíng jí wèi xiǎn jùn ， yī biān shì yī bǎi wǔ shí chǐ dė qiào bì ， zài zhè shān jí shàng tā mėn gēn běn wú fǎ xié dài rèn hé dė bèi bāo ； dàn ， tā mėn dài lė xiāng dāng zhǎng dù dė ān quán shéng bǎng zài yāo jì ， zuì hòu ān quán dė lái dào lė shān 坳 。
他們在那邊搭了第三個營地，利用繩子從底下將需要的補給品拉上來。他們可以用衕樣的方法將力氣比較大的矮人（像是奇力）送下去，了解底下的狀況，或者是分擔下麵的守衛工作，波佛則是被拉到上麵的營地。不管是用繩子或是爬山，龐伯都不願意爬上來。 “我太胖了，不適合進行這種飛檐走壁的工作，”他說：“我會頭暉，然后就會絆到自己的衚子，然后你們又會變成衹有十三個人了。這些打了很多結的繩子也太細，不適合讓我來用。”他運氣不錯，等下你們就會知道，這其實還是撐得住他的重量。
tā mėn zài nà biān dā lė dì sān gè yíng dė ， lì yòng shéng zi cóng dǐ xià jiāng xū yào dė bǔ gěi pǐn lā shàng lái 。 tā mėn kě yǐ yòng tóng yàng dė fāng fǎ jiāng lì qì bǐ jiào dà dė ǎi rén （ xiàng shì qí lì ） sòng xià qù ， lė jiě dǐ xià dė zhuàng kuàng ， huò zhě shì fēn dān xià miàn dė shǒu wèi gōng zuò ， bō fú zé shì bèi lā dào shàng miàn dė yíng dė 。 bù guǎn shì yòng shéng zi huò shì pá shān ， páng bó dōu bù yuàn yì pá shàng lái 。 “ wǒ tài pàng lė ， bù shì hé jìn xíng zhè zhǒng fēi yán zǒu bì dė gōng zuò ， ” tā shuō ： “ wǒ huì tóu 暉 ， rán hòu jìu huì 絆 dào zì jǐ dė hú zi ， rán hòu nǐ mėn yòu huì biàn chéng zhǐ yǒu shí sān gè rén lė 。 zhè xiē dǎ lė hěn duō jié dė shéng zi yě tài xì ， bù shì hé ràng wǒ lái yòng 。 ” tā yùn qì bù cuò ， děng xià nǐ mėn jìu huì zhī dào ， zhè qí shí hái shì chēng dė zhù tā dė zhòng liàng 。
在此衕時，有些人已經開始摸索這塊空地，發現有條小徑通往更高的山區；但他們不敢再往更高的地方走，就算去了那邊也沒有多大的用處。在這塊高地上萬籟俱寂，鳥雀也跟著沉默，衹有風吹過山隙的聲音。他們壓低聲音說話，不敢大聲交談，因為危機似乎潛伏在每一個角落。其他忙著檢查密門的人一點進展也沒有。他們太過急迫，根本忘記了符文或是月之文字的記載，衹是在那塊平滑的山壁上不停地推敲。大伙從長湖鎮帶來了各式各樣的工具，一開始他們先試著利用這些東西，但不是握把斷折，就是鋼鐵的尖端像是鉛一樣的扭曲變形。很明顯的，埰礦工具並不足以對付封印密門的魔法，而且，他們也開始對這裏的回聲感到十分擔心。
zài cǐ tóng shí ， yǒu xiē rén yǐ jīng kāi shǐ mō suǒ zhè kuài kōng dė ， fā xiàn yǒu tiáo xiǎo jìng tōng wǎng gèng gāo dė shān qū ； dàn tā mėn bù gǎn zài wǎng gèng gāo dė dė fāng zǒu ， jìu suàn qù lė nà biān yě méi yǒu duō dà dė yòng chù 。 zài zhè kuài gāo dė shàng wàn 籟 jù jì ， niǎo què yě gēn zhė chén mò ， zhǐ yǒu fēng chuī guò shān xì dė shēng yīn 。 tā mėn yā dī shēng yīn shuō huà ， bù gǎn dà shēng jiāo tán ， yīn wèi wēi jī shì hu qián fú zài měi yī gè jiǎo luò 。 qí tā máng zhė jiǎn chá mì mén dė rén yī diǎn jìn zhǎn yě méi yǒu 。 tā mėn tài guò jí pò ， gēn běn wàng jì lė fú wén huò shì yuè zhī wén zì dė jì zài ， zhǐ shì zài nà kuài píng huá dė shān bì shàng bù tíng dė tuī qiāo 。 dà huǒ cóng zhǎng hú zhèn dài lái lė gè shì gè yàng dė gōng jù ， yī kāi shǐ tā mėn xiān shì zhė lì yòng zhè xiē dōng xi ， dàn bù shì wò bǎ duàn zhé ， jìu shì gāng tiě dė jiān duān xiàng shì qiān yī yàng dė nǐu qū biàn xíng 。 hěn míng xiǎn dė ， cǎi kuàng gōng jù bìng bù zú yǐ duì fù fēng yìn mì mén dė mó fǎ ， ér qiě ， tā mėn yě kāi shǐ duì zhè lǐ dė huí shēng gǎn dào shí fēn dān xīn 。
比爾博坐在門口，覺得十分孤單和疲倦。噹然，這裏並沒有什么台階或是門檻之類的東西，衹是他們都習慣把山壁和山坳入口之間的草地叫作“門口”。噹他們第一次拜訪比爾博的時候，還記得他叫他們在想到好點子之前可以先去門口坐坐，因此，他們就打趣的將這裏改了個名字。他們的確在這邊沉思了很長時間，或是漫無目的四處亂跑，大伙的心情越來越低落。
bǐ ěr bó zuò zài mén kǒu ， jué dė shí fēn gū dān hé pí juàn 。 dāng rán ， zhè lǐ bìng méi yǒu shén mė tái jiē huò shì mén kǎn zhī lèi dė dōng xi ， zhǐ shì tā mėn dōu xí guàn bǎ shān bì hé shān 坳 rù kǒu zhī jiān dė cǎo dė jiào zuò “ mén kǒu ” 。 dāng tā mėn dì yī cì bài fǎng bǐ ěr bó dė shí hou ， hái jì dė tā jiào tā mėn zài xiǎng dào hǎo diǎn zi zhī qián kě yǐ xiān qù mén kǒu zuò zuò ， yīn cǐ ， tā mėn jìu dǎ qù dė jiāng zhè lǐ gǎi lė gè míng zì 。 tā mėn dė què zài zhè biān chén sī lė hěn zhǎng shí jiān ， huò shì màn wú mù dė sì chù luàn pǎo ， dà huǒ dė xīn qíng yuè lái yuè dī luò 。
噹他們發現小徑的時候，士氣的確有所提升，但現在又跌落到穀底了。不過，他們依舊不肯輕易放棄。哈比人也不再興緻勃勃，他經常會什么事也不做，就是靠著山壁，俯瞰著幽暗密林，望著遠方的天空。有時，他會覺得自己可以看見遙遠的迷霧山脈。如果矮人們問他在乾什么，他會回答：
dāng tā mėn fā xiàn xiǎo jìng dė shí hou ， shì qì dė què yǒu suǒ tí shēng ， dàn xiàn zài yòu diē luò dào gǔ dǐ lė 。 bù guò ， tā mėn yī jìu bù kěn qīng yì fàng qì 。 hā bǐ rén yě bù zài xìng zhì bó bó ， tā jīng cháng huì shén mė shì yě bù zuò ， jìu shì kào zhė shān bì ， fǔ 瞰 zhė 幽 àn mì lín ， wàng zhė yuǎn fāng dė tiān kōng 。 yǒu shí ， tā huì jué dė zì jǐ kě yǐ kàn jiàn yáo yuǎn dė mí wù shān mài 。 rú guǒ ǎi rén mėn wèn tā zài gàn shén mė ， tā huì huí dá ：
“你們說坐在門口想辦法和進到洞穴裏麵是我的工作，因此我正坐在這裏想辦法！”不過，恐怕在他腦中的並非是眼前的工作，而是在地平綫彼端的西方大陸，以及那座小丘和在其下的洞穴。
“ nǐ mėn shuō zuò zài mén kǒu xiǎng bàn fǎ hé jìn dào dòng 穴 lǐ miàn shì wǒ dė gōng zuò ， yīn cǐ wǒ zhèng zuò zài zhè lǐ xiǎng bàn fǎ ！ ” bù guò ， kǒng pà zài tā nǎo zhōng dė bìng fēi shì yǎn qián dė gōng zuò ， ér shì zài dė píng xiàn bǐ duān dė xi fāng dà lù ， yǐ jí nà zuò xiǎo qīu hé zài qí xià dė dòng 穴 。
在草地的正中央有一塊很大的黑色石頭，他會悶悶不樂地一直瞪著那石頭，或是看著大蝸牛到處爬。這些大蝸牛似乎很喜歡這個三麵封閉的山坳和冰冷的岩石，光是在這個地方就有很多大蝸牛慢吞吞地四處爬。
zài cǎo dė dė zhèng zhōng yāng yǒu yī kuài hěn dà dė hēi sè shí tóu ， tā huì mèn mèn bù lè dė yī zhí dèng zhė nà shí tóu ， huò shì kàn zhė dà wō níu dào chù pá 。 zhè xiē dà wō níu shì hu hěn xǐ huan zhè gè sān miàn fēng bì dė shān 坳 hé bīng lěng dė yán shí ， guāng shì zài zhè gè dė fāng jìu yǒu hěn duō dà wō níu màn tūn tūn dė sì chù pá 。
“明天就是秋天的最后一周了，”某一天索林說。
“ míng tiān jìu shì qīu tiān dė zuì hòu yī zhōu lė ， ” mǒu yī tiān suǒ lín shuō 。
“秋天之后就是冬天了，”畢佛說。
“ qīu tiān zhī hòu jìu shì dōng tiān lė ， ” bì fú shuō 。
“然后就是明年了，”德瓦林說：“我們的衚子會越來越長，在這裏有任何變化之前，可能都長到山底下去了。我們的飛賊有幫上任何忙嗎？既然他手上有那個隱形戒指，現在應該正好可以派上用場。我認為他應該從正門進去，替我們打探一下狀況！”
“ rán hòu jìu shì míng nián lė ， ” dé wǎ lín shuō ： “ wǒ mėn dė hú zi huì yuè lái yuè zhǎng ， zài zhè lǐ yǒu rèn hé biàn huà zhī qián ， kě néng dōu zhǎng dào shān dǐ xià qù lė 。 wǒ mėn dė fēi zéi yǒu bāng shàng rèn hé máng ma ？ jì rán tā shǒu shàng yǒu nà gè yǐn xíng jiè zhǐ ， xiàn zài yīng gāi zhèng hǎo kě yǐ pài shàng yòng chǎng 。 wǒ rèn wèi tā yīng gāi cóng zhèng mén jìn qù ， tì wǒ mėn dǎ tàn yī xià zhuàng kuàng ！ ”
比爾博聽見了，矮人正好就在他頭上的岩石邊討論。 “天哪！”他想道：“原來這些人心裏麵想的是這樣啊？自從巫師離開之后，每次都要靠我才能夠解決問題，我能怎么辦？我看最后搞不好我會遇上最悲慘的結局。我不認為我能夠忍受再看到這個古老的河穀鎮了，更別提那個冒蒸氣的大門蚋”
bǐ ěr bó tīng jiàn lė ， ǎi rén zhèng hǎo jìu zài tā tóu shàng dė yán shí biān tǎo lùn 。 “ tiān nǎ ！ ” tā xiǎng dào ： “ yuán lái zhè xiē rén xīn lǐ miàn xiǎng dė shì zhè yàng a ？ zì cóng 巫 shī lí kāi zhī hòu ， měi cì dōu yào kào wǒ cái néng gòu jiě jué wèn tí ， wǒ néng zěn mė bàn ？ wǒ kàn zuì hòu gǎo bù hǎo wǒ huì yù shàng zuì bēi cǎn dė jié jú 。 wǒ bù rèn wèi wǒ néng gòu rěn shòu zài kàn dào zhè gè gǔ lǎo dė hé gǔ zhèn lė ， gèng bié tí nà gè mào zhēng qì dė dà mén 蚋 ”
那天晚上，他覺得非常的不爽，翻來覆去就是睡不著。第二天，矮人全都四散去打發時間去了；有些人下去遛馬，有些則是在附近亂逛。比爾博整天都坐在那邊鬱悶地看著草地上的石頭，或看著西方的入口。 “或許巫師今天會突然出現也說不定，”他想。
nà tiān wǎn shàng ， tā jué dė fēi cháng dė bù shuǎng ， fān lái fù qù jìu shì shuì bù zhė 。 dì èr tiān ， ǎi rén quán dōu sì sàn qù dǎ fā shí jiān qù lė ； yǒu xiē rén xià qù 遛 mǎ ， yǒu xiē zé shì zài fù jìn luàn guàng 。 bǐ ěr bó zhěng tiān dōu zuò zài nà biān yù mèn dė kàn zhė cǎo dė shàng dė shí tóu ， huò kàn zhė xi fāng dė rù kǒu 。 “ huò xǔ 巫 shī jīn tiān huì tū rán chū xiàn yě shuō bù dìng ， ” tā xiǎng 。
如果他抬起頭來，就會看見遠方的森林，噹太陽西沉的時候，在森林的頂端泛起一片金光，彷佛太陽照射在森林中金黃的樹葉上。很快的，他就可以看見橘色的火球落曏地平綫。他走到山坳的入口，可以看見一輪新月出現在地平麵上。
rú guǒ tā tái qǐ tóu lái ， jìu huì kàn jiàn yuǎn fāng dė sēn lín ， dāng tài yáng xi chén dė shí hou ， zài sēn lín dė dǐng duān fàn qǐ yī piàn jīn guāng ， 彷 fú tài yáng zhào shè zài sēn lín zhōng jīn huáng dė shù yè shàng 。 hěn kuài dė ， tā jìu kě yǐ kàn jiàn jú sè dė huǒ qíu luò xiàng dė píng xiàn 。 tā zǒu dào shān 坳 dė rù kǒu ， kě yǐ kàn jiàn yī lún xīn yuè chū xiàn zài dė píng miàn shàng 。
就在那一刻，他聽見身后傳來一陣喀達聲。有衹巨大的黑鳥站在草地上的大石上，它黃色的胸口點綴著幾個黑點。喀達！它抓到了一衹蝸牛，正在岩石上試圖敲破它的殻。喀達！喀達！
jìu zài nà yī kè ， tā tīng jiàn shēn hòu chuán lái yī zhèn 喀 dá shēng 。 yǒu zhǐ jù dà dė hēi niǎo zhàn zài cǎo dė shàng dė dà shí shàng ， tā huáng sè dė xiōng kǒu diǎn zhui zhė jǐ gè hēi diǎn 。 喀 dá ！ tā zhuā dào lė yī zhǐ wō níu ， zhèng zài yán shí shàng shì tú qiāo pò tā dė ké 。 喀 dá ！ 喀 dá ！
比爾博突然間明白了。他忘記了所有的危險，站在山脊上大喊大叫，拼命揮手，通知矮人們快回來。最靠近的人立刻小心翼翼地沿著狹窄的山脊奔來，心中懷疑有什么重要的事情，其他人則是大喊著上麵拉繩把他們吊上來。 （唯一例外的是龐伯：他睡著了。）
bǐ ěr bó tū rán jiān míng bái lė 。 tā wàng jì lė suǒ yǒu dė wēi xiǎn ， zhàn zài shān jí shàng dà hǎn dà jiào ， pīn mìng huī shǒu ， tōng zhī ǎi rén mėn kuài huí lái 。 zuì kào jìn dė rén lì kè xiǎo xīn yì yì dė yán zhė xiá zhǎi dė shān jí bēn lái ， xīn zhōng huái yí yǒu shén mė zhòng yào dė shì qíng ， qí tā rén zé shì dà hǎn zhė shàng miàn lā shéng bǎ tā mėn diào shàng lái 。 （ wéi yī lì wài dė shì páng bó ： tā shuì zhė lė 。 ）
比爾博很快地對眾人解釋，而他們一言不發地看著。哈比人靜靜地站在灰岩旁邊，矮人們的衚子晃來晃去，不耐煩地繼續看著。太陽越落越低，他們的希望之火也跟著熄滅，最后，它化成火紅的彩霞就這么消失了。矮人開始抱怨，但比爾博依舊動也不動地站著。新月剛脫離地平綫，夜色正要降臨，突然間，正噹他們最灰心的時候，最后一道陽光穿破雲層，像是手指一樣地落在灰岩上。之前一直側著頭棲息在旁邊觀察的黑鳥，也發出了凄厲的叫聲。眾人都聽見了十分清楚的喀啦聲──山壁上落下了一片薄岩，在距離地麵三尺的地方突然出現了一個小洞。
bǐ ěr bó hěn kuài dė duì zhòng rén jiě shì ， ér tā mėn yī yán bù fā dė kàn zhė 。 hā bǐ rén jìng jìng dė zhàn zài huī yán páng biān ， ǎi rén mėn dė hú zi huang lái huang qù ， bù nài fán dė jì xù kàn zhė 。 tài yáng yuè luò yuè dī ， tā mėn dė xī wàng zhī huǒ yě gēn zhė xī miè ， zuì hòu ， tā huà chéng huǒ hóng dė cǎi xiá jìu zhè mė xiāo shī lė 。 ǎi rén kāi shǐ bào yuàn ， dàn bǐ ěr bó yī jìu dòng yě bù dòng dė zhàn zhė 。 xīn yuè gāng tuō lí dė píng xiàn ， yè sè zhèng yào jiàng lín ， tū rán jiān ， zhèng dāng tā mėn zuì huī xīn dė shí hou ， zuì hòu yī dào yáng guāng chuān pò yún céng ， xiàng shì shǒu zhǐ yī yàng dė luò zài huī yán shàng 。 zhī qián yī zhí cè zhė tóu 棲 xi zài páng biān guān chá dė hēi niǎo ， yě fā chū lė qī lì dė jiào shēng 。 zhòng rén dōu tīng jiàn lė shí fēn qīng chu dė 喀 la shēng ─ ─ shān bì shàng luò xià lė yī piàn báo yán ， zài jù lí dė miàn sān chǐ dė dė fāng tū rán chū xiàn lė yī gè xiǎo dòng 。
矮人們擔心這機會稍縱即逝，紛紛沖曏前去推著大門，然而卻一點用也沒有。
ǎi rén mėn dān xīn zhè jī huì shāo zòng jí shì ， fēn fēn chōng xiàng qián qù tuī zhė dà mén ， rán ér què yī diǎn yòng yě méi yǒu 。
“鑰匙！鑰匙！”比爾博大喊著：“索林在哪裏？”索林急忙跑過來。
“ yào shi ！ yào shi ！ ” bǐ ěr bó dà hǎn zhė ： “ suǒ lín zài nǎ lǐ ？ ” suǒ lín jí máng pǎo guò lái 。
“鑰匙！”比爾博大吼道：“和那張地圖一起的鑰匙！趕快把握機會試試！”
“ yào shi ！ ” bǐ ěr bó dà hǒu dào ： “ hé nà zhāng dė tú yī qǐ dė yào shi ！ gǎn kuài bǎ wò jī huì shì shì ！ ”
索林走上前，從脖子上掏出鑰匙，他將它插入洞中。鑰匙配合得天衣無縫，也跟著轉動了起來！喀達！光綫消失了，太陽落下，月亮也不見了，夜色籠罩大地。
suǒ lín zǒu shàng qián ， cóng bó zi shàng tāo chū yào shi ， tā jiāng tā chā rù dòng zhōng 。 yào shi pèi hé dė tiān yī wú fèng ， yě gēn zhė zhuǎn dòng lė qǐ lái ！ 喀 dá ！ guāng xiàn xiāo shī lė ， tài yáng luò xià ， yuè liàng yě bù jiàn lė ， yè sè lóng zhào dà dė 。
這時，眾人一起出力推動大門，岩壁的一部分鬆動，狹長的縫隙出現了，並且逐漸擴大中。看得出來有一扇五尺高，三尺寬的大門，它緩緩、無聲地往內敝開。看起來，黑暗彷佛蒸氣一般從山壁上的黑洞往外流，在他們的眼前是一個伸手不見五指的漆黑洞穴，直通入孤山深處。
zhè shí ， zhòng rén yī qǐ chū lì tuī dòng dà mén ， yán bì dė yī bù fēn sōng dòng ， xiá zhǎng dė fèng xì chū xiàn lė ， bìng qiě zhú jiàn kuò dà zhōng 。 kàn dė chū lái yǒu yī shàn wǔ chǐ gāo ， sān chǐ kuān dė dà mén ， tā huǎn huǎn 、 wú shēng dė wǎng nèi 敝 kāi 。 kàn qǐ lái ， hēi àn 彷 fú zhēng qì yī bān cóng shān bì shàng dė hēi dòng wǎng wài líu ， zài tā mėn dė yǎn qián shì yī gè shēn shǒu bù jiàn wǔ zhǐ dė qī hēi dòng 穴 ， zhí tōng rù gū shān shēn chù 。
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In two days going they rowed right up the Long Lake and passed out into the River Running, and now they could all see the Lonely Mountain towering grim and tall before them. The stream was strong and their going slow. At the; end of the third day, some miles up the river, they drew in to the left or western bank and disembarked. Here they were joined by the horses with other provisions and necessaries and the ponies for their own use that had been sent to meet them. They packed what they could on the ponies and the rest was made into a store under a tent, but none of the men of the town would stay with them even for the night so near the shadow of the Mountain.
"Not at any rate until the songs have come true!" said they. It was easier to believe in the Dragon and less easy to believe in Thorin in these wild parts. Indeed their stores had no need of any guard, for all the land was desolate and empty. So their escort left them, making off swiftly down the river and the shoreward paths, although the night was already drawing on.
They spent a cold and lonely night and their spirits fell. The next day they set out again. Balin and Bilbo rode behind, each leading another pony heavily laden beside him; the others were some way ahead picking out a slow road, for there were no paths. They made north-west, slanting away from the River Running, and drawing ever nearer and nearer to a great spur of the Mountain that was flung out southwards towards them.
It was a weary journey, and a quiet and stealthy one. There was no laughter or song or sound of harps, and the pride and hopes which had stirred in their hearts at the singing of old songs by the lake died away to a plodding gloom. They knew that they were drawing near to the end of their journey, and that it might be a very horrible end. The land about them grew bleak and barren, though once, as Thorin told them, it had been green and fair. There was little grass, and before long there was neither bush nor tree, and only broken and blackened stumps to speak of ones long vanished. They were come to the Desolation of the Dragon, and they were come at the waning of the year.
They reached the skirts of the Mountain all the same without meeting any danger or any sign of the Dragon other than the wilderness he had made about his lair. The Mountain lay dark and silent before them and ever higher above them. They made their first camp on the western side of the great southern spur, which ended in a height called Ravenhill. On this there had been an old watch-post; but they dared not climb it yet, it was too exposed.
Before setting out to search the western spurs of the Mountain for the hidden door, on which all their hopes rested, Thorin sent out a scouting expedition to spy out the land to the South where the Front Gate stood. For this purpose he chose Balin and Fili and Kili, and with them went Bilbo. They marched under the grey and silent cliffs to the feet of Ravenhill. There the river, after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale, turned from the Mountain on its road to the Lake, flowing swift and noisily. Its bank was bare and rocky, tall and steep above the stream; and gazing out from it over the narrow water, foaming and splashing among many boulders, they could see in the wide valley shadowed by the Mountain's arms the grey ruins of ancient houses, towers, and walls.
"There lies all that is left of Dale," said Balin. "The mountain's sides were green with woods and all the sheltered valley rich and pleasant in the days when the bells rang in that town." He looked both sad and grim as he said this: he had been one of Thorin's companions on the day the Dragon came.
They did not dare to follow the river much further to. wards the Gate; but they went on beyond the end of the southern spur, until lying hidden behind a rock they could look out and see the dark cavernous opening in a great cliff-wall between the arms of the Mountain. Out of it the waters of the Running River sprang; and out of it too there came a steam and a dark smoke. Nothing moved in the waste, save the vapour and the water, and every now and again a black and ominous crow. The only sound was the sound of the stony water, and every now and again the harsh croak of a bird. Balin shuddered.
"Let us return!" he said. "We can do no good here!- And I don't like these dark birds, they look like spies of evil."
"The dragon is still alive and in the halls under the Mountain then-or I imagine so from the smoke," said the hobbit.
"That does not prove it," said Balin, "though I don't doubt you are right. But he might be gone away some time, or he might be lying out on the mountain-side keeping watch, and still I expect smokes and steams would come out of the gates: all the halls within must be filled with his foul reek."
With such gloomy thoughts, followed ever by croaking crows above them, they made their weary way back to the camp. Only in June they had been guests in the fair house of Elrond, and though autumn was now crawling towards winter that pleasant time now seemed years ago. They were alone in the perilous waste without hope of further help. They were at the end of their journey, but as far as ever, it seemed, from the end of their quest. None of them had much spirit left.
Now strange to say Mr. Baggins had more than the others. He would often borrow Thorin's map and gaze at it, pondering over the runes and the message of the moon-letters Elrond had read. It was he that made the dwarves begin the dangerous search on the western slopes for the secret door. They moved their camp then to a long valley, narrower than the great dale in the South where the Gates of the river stood, and walled with lower spurs of the Mountain. Two of these here thrust forward west from the main mass in long steep-sided ridges that fell ever downwards towards the plain. On this western side there were fewer signs of the dragon's marauding feet, and there was some grass for their ponies. From this western camp, shadowed all day by cliff and wall until the sun began to sink towards the forest, day by day they toiled in parties searching for paths up the mountain-side. If the map was true, somewhere high above the cliff at the valley's head must stand the secret door. Day by day they came back to their camp without success.
But at last unexpectedly they found what they were seeking. Fili and Kili and the hobbit went back one day down the valley and scrambled among the tumbled rocks at its southern corner. About midday, creeping behind a great stone that stood alone like a pillar, Bilbo came on what looked like rough steps going upwards. Following these excitedly he and the dwarves found traces of a narrow track, often lost, often rediscovered, that wandered on to the top of the southern ridge and brought them at last to a still narrower ledge, which turned north across the face of the Mountain. Looking down they saw that they were at the top of the cliff at the valley's head and were gazing down on to their own camp below. Silently, clinging to the rocky wall on their right, they went in single file along the ledge, till the wall opened and they turned into a little steep-walled bay, grassy-floored, still and quiet. Its entrance which they had found could not be seen from below because of the overhang of the cliff, nor from further off because it was so small that it looked like a dark crack and no more. It was not a cave and was open to the sky above; but at its inner end a flat wall rose up that in the lower I part, close to the ground, was as smooth and upright as mason's work, but without a joint or crevice to be seen.
"No sign was there of post or lintel or threshold, nor any sign of bar or bolt or key-hole; yet they did not doubt that they had found the door at last.
They beat on it, they thrust and pushed at it, they implored it to move, they spoke fragments of broken spells of opening, and nothing stirred. At last tired out they. rested on the grass at its feet, and then at evening began, their long climb down.
There was excitement in the camp that night. In the morning they prepared to move once more. Only Bofur and Bombur were left behind to guard the ponies and such stores as they had brought with them from the river. The others went down the valley and up the newly found path, and so to the narrow ledge. Along this they could carry no bundles or packs, so narrow and breathless was it, with a fall of a hundred and fifty feet beside them on to sharp rocks below; but each of them took a good coil of rope wound tight about his waist, and so at last without mishap they reached the little grassy bay.
There they made their third camp, hauling up what they needed from below with their ropes. Down the same way they were able occasionally to lower one of the more active dwarves, such as Kili, to exchange such news as there was, or to take a share in the guard below, while Bofur was hauled up to the higher camp. Bombur would not come up either the rope or the path.
"I am too fat for such fly-walks," he said. "I should turn dizzy and tread on my beard, and then you would be thirteen again. And the knotted ropes are too slender for my weight." Luckily for him that was not true, as you will see.
In the meanwhile some of them explored the ledge beyond the opening and found a path that led higher and higher on to the mountain; but they did not dare to venture very far that way, nor was there much use in it. Out up there a silence reigned, broken by no bird or sound except that of the wind in the crannies of stone. They spoke low and never called or sang, for danger brooded in every rock.
The others who were busy with the secret of the door had no more success. They were too eager to trouble about the runes or the moon-letters, but tried without resting to discover where exactly in the smooth face of the rock the door was hidden. They had brought picks and tools of many sorts from Lake-town, and at first they tried to use these. But when they struck the stone the handles splintered and jarred their arms cruelly, and the steel heads broke or bent like lead. Mining work, they saw clearly was no good against the magic that had shut this door; and they grew terrified, too, of the echoing noise.
Bilbo found sitting on the doorstep lonesome and wearisome-there was not a doorstep, of course, really, but they used to call the little grassy space between the wall and the opening the "doorstep" in fun, remembering Bilbo's words long ago at the unexpected party in his hobbit-hole, when he said they could sit on the doorstep till they thought of something. And sit and think they did, or wandered aimlessly about, and glummer and glummer they became.
Their spirits had risen a little at the discovery of the path, but now they sank into their boots; and yet they would not give it up and go away. The hobbit was no longer much brighter than the dwarves. He would do nothing but sit with his back to the rock-face and stare away west through the opening, over the cliff, over the wide lands to the black wall of Mirkwood, and to the distances beyond, in which he sometimes thought he could catch glimpses of the Misty Mountains small and far. If the dwarves asked him what he was doing he answered:
"You said sitting on the doorstep and thinking would be my job, not to mention getting inside, so I am sitting and thinking." But I am afraid he was not thinking much of the job, but of what lay beyond the blue distance, the quiet Western Land and the Hill and his hobbit-hole under it. A large grey stone lay in the centre of the grass and he stared moodily at it or watched the great snails. They seemed to love the little shut-in bay with its walls of cool rock, and there were many of them of huge size crawling slowly and stickily along its sides.
"Tomorrow begins the last week of Autumn," said Thorin one day.
"And winter comes after autumn," said Bifur.
"And next year after that," said Dwalin, "and our beards will grow till they hang down the cliff to the valley before anything happens here. What is our burglar doing for us?
Since he has got an invisible ring, and ought to be a specially excellent performer now, I am beginning to think he might go through the Front Gate and spy things out a bit!"
Bilbo heard this-the dwarves were on the rocks just : above the enclosure where he was sitting-and "Good Gracious!" he thought, "so that is what they are beginning to think, is it? It is always poor me that has to get them out : of their difficulties, at least since the wizard left. Whatever am I going to do? I might have known that something dreadful would happen to me in the end. I don't think I could bear to see the unhappy valley of Dale again, and as for that steaming gate! ! !"
That night he was very miserable and hardly slept. Next day the dwarves all went wandering off in various directions; some were exercising the ponies down below, some were roving about the mountain-side. All day Bilbo sat gloomily in the grassy bay gazing at the stone, or out west through the narrow opening. He had a queer feeling that he was waiting for something. "Perhaps the wizard will suddenly come back today," he thought.
If he lifted his head he could see a glimpse of the distant forest. As the sun turned west there was a gleam of yellow upon its far roof, as if the light caught the last pale leaves. Soon he saw the orange ball of the sun sinking towards the level of his eyes. He went to the opening and there pale and faint was a thin new moon above the rim of Earth. At that very moment he heard a sharp crack behind him. There on the grey stone in the grass was an enormous thrush, nearly coal black, its pale yellow breast freckled dark spots. Crack! It had caught a snail and was knocking it on the stone. Crack! Crack!
Suddenly Bilbo understood. Forgetting all danger he stood on the ledge and hailed the dwarves, shouting and paying. Those that were nearest came tumbling over the rocks and as fast as they could along the ledge to him, wondering what on earth was the matter; the others shouted to be hauled up the ropes (except Bombur, of course: he was asleep).
Quickly Bilbo explained. They all fell silent: the hobbit standing by the grey stone, and the dwarves with wagging beards watching impatiently. The sun sank lower and lower, and their hopes fell. It sank into a belt of reddened cloud and disappeared. The dwarves groaned, but still Bilbo stood almost without moving. The little moon was dipping to the horizon. Evening was coming on. Then suddenly when their hope was lowest a red ray of the sun escaped like a finger through a rent in the cloud. A gleam of light came straight through the opening into the bay and fell on the smooth rock-face. The old thrush, who had been watching from a high perch with beady eyes and head cocked on one side, gave a sudden trill. There was a loud attack. A flake of rock split from the wall and fell. A hole appeared suddenly about three feet from the ground. Quickly, trembling lest the chance should fade, the dwarves rushed to the rock and pushed-in vain.
"The key! The key!" cried Bilbo. "Where is Thorin?"
Thorin hurried up.
"The key!" shouted Bilbo. "The key that went with the map! Try it now while there is still time!"
Then Thorin stepped up and drew the key on its chain from round his neck. He put it to the hole. It fitted and it turned! Snap! The gleam went out, the sun sank, the moon was gone, and evening sprang into the sky.
Now they all pushed together, and slowly a part of the rock-wall gave way. Long straight cracks appeared and widened. A door five feet high and three broad was out- lined, and slowly without a sound swung inwards. It seemed as if darkness flowed out like a vapour from the hole in the mountain-side, and deep darkness in which nothing could be seen lay before their eyes mouth leading in and down.
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