The Lord of the Rings-指环王(英文版)-第59部分

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Glóin　sighed。　'Moria！　Moria！　Wonder　of　the　Northern　world！　Too　deep　we　delved　there；　and　woke　the　nameless　fear。　Long　have　its　vast　mansions　lain　empty　since　the　children　of　Durin　fled。　But　now　we　spoke　of　it　again　with　longing；　and　yet　with　dread；　for　no　dwarf　has　dared　to　pass　the　doors　of　Khazadd？m　for　many　lives　of　kings；　save　Thrór　only；　and　he　perished。　At　last；　however；　Balin　listened　to　the　whispers；　and　resolved　to　go；　and　though　Dáin　did　not　give　leave　willingly；　he　took　with　him　Ori　and　óin　and　many　of　our　folk；　and　they　went　away　south。

〃That　was　nigh　on　thirty　years　ago。　For　a　while　we　had　news　and　it　seemed　good：　messages　reported　that　Moria　had　been　entered　and　a　great　work　begun　there。　Then　there　was　silence；　and　no　word　has　ever　e　from　Moria　since。

〃Then　about　a　year　ago　a　messenger　came　to　Dáin；　but　not　from　Moria　。　from　Mordor：　a　horseman　in　the　night；　who　called　Dáin　to　his　gate。　The　Lord　Sauron　the　Great；　so　he　said；　wished　for　our　friendship。　Rings　he　would　give　for　it；　such　as　he　gave　of　old。　And　he　asked　urgently　concerning　hobbits；　of　what　kind　they　were；　and　where　they　dwelt。　〃For　Sauron　knows；〃　said　he；　〃that　one　of　these　was　known　to　you　on　a　time。〃

'At　this　we　were　greatly　troubled；　and　we　gave　no　answer。　And　then　his　fell　voice　was　lowered；　and　he　would　have　sweetened　it　if　he　could。　〃As　a　small　token　only　of　your　friendship　Sauron　asks　this；〃　he　said：　〃that　you　should　find　this　thief；〃　such　was　his　word；　〃and　get　from　him；　willing　or　no；　a　little　ring；　the　least　of　rings；　that　once　he　stole。　It　is　but　a　trifle　that　Sauron　fancies；　and　an　earnest　of　your　good　will。　Find　it；　and　three　rings　that　the　Dwarf　sires　possessed　of　old　shall　be　returned　to　you；　and　the　realm　of　Moria　shall　be　yours　for　ever。　Find　only　news　of　the　thief；　whether　he　still　lives　and　where；　and　you　shall　have　great　reward　and　lasting　friendship　from　the　Lord。　Refuse；　and　things　will　not　seem　so　well。　Do　you　refuse？〃

'At　that　his　breath　came　like　the　hiss　of　snakes；　and　all　who　stood　by　shuddered；　but　Dáin　said：　〃I　say　neither　yea　nor　nay。　I　must　consider　this　message　and　what　it　means　under　its　fair　cloak。〃

'　〃Consider　well；　but　not　too　long；〃　said　he。

'　〃The　time　of　my　thought　is　my　own　to　spend；〃　answered　Dáin。

'　〃For　the　present；〃　said　he；　and　rode　into　the　darkness。

'Heavy　have　the　hearts　of　our　chieftains　been　since　that　night。　We　needed　not　the　fell　voice　of　the　messenger　to　warn　us　that　his　words　held　both　menace　and　deceit；　for　we　knew　already　that　the　power　that　has　reentered　Mordor　has　not　changed；　and　ever　it　betrayed　us　of　old。　Twice　the　messenger　has　returned；　and　has　gone　unanswered。　The　third　and　last　time；　so　he　says；　is　soon　to　e；　before　the　ending　of　the　year。

'And　so　I　have　been　sent　at　last　by　Dáin　to　warn　Bilbo　that　he　is　sought　by　the　Enemy；　and　to　learn；　if　may　be；　why　he　desires　this　ring；　this　least　of　rings。　Also　we　crave　the　advice　of　Elrond。　For　the　Shadow　grows　and　draws　nearer。　We　discover　that　messengers　have　e　also　to　King　Brand　in　Dale；　and　that　he　is　afraid。　We　fear　that　he　may　yield。　Already　war　is　gathering　on　his　eastern　borders。　If　we　make　no　answer；　the　Enemy　may　move　Men　of　his　rule　to　assail　King　Brand；　and　Dáin　also。'

'You　have　done　well　to　e；'　said　Elrond。　'You　will　hear　today　all　that　you　need　in　order　to　understand　the　purposes　of　the　Enemy。　There　is　naught　that　you　can　do；　other　than　to　resist；　with　hope　or　without　it。　But　you　do　not　stand　alone。　You　will　learn　that　your　trouble　is　but　part　of　the　trouble　of　all　the　western　world。　The　Ring！　What　shall　we　do　with　the　Ring；　the　least　of　rings；　the　trifle　that　Sauron　fancies？　That　is　the　doom　that　we　must　deem。

'That　is　the　purpose　for　which　you　are　called　hither。　Called；　I　say。　though　I　have　not　called　you　to　me；　strangers　from　distant　lands。　You　have　e　and　are　here　met；　in　this　very　nick　of　time；　by　chance　as　it　may　seem。　Yet　it　is　not　so。　Believe　rather　that　it　is　so　ordered　that　we；　who　sit　here；　and　none　others；　must　now　find　counsel　for　the　peril　of　the　world。

'Now；　therefore；　things　shall　be　openly　spoken　that　have　been　hidden　from　all　but　a　few　until　this　day。　And　first；　so　that　all　may　understand　what　is　the　peril；　the　Tale　of　the　Ring　shall　be　told　from　the　beginning　even　to　this　present。　And　I　will　begin　that　tale；　though　others　shall　end　it。'

Then　all　listened　while　Elrond　in　his　clear　voice　spoke　of　Sauron　and　the　Rings　of　Power；　and　their　fing　in　the　Second　Age　of　the　world　long　ago。　A　part　of　his　tale　was　known　to　some　there；　but　the　full　tale　to　none；　and　many　eyes　were　turned　t　Elrond　in　fear　and　wonder　as　he　told　of　the　Elvensmiths　of　Eregion　and　their　friendship　with　Moria；　and　their　eagerness　for　knowledge；　by　which　Sauron　ensnared　them。　For　in　that　time　he　was　not　yet　evil　to　behold；　and　they　received　his　aid　and　grew　mighty　in　craft；　whereas　he　learned　all　their　secrets；　and　betrayed　them；　and　fed　secretly　in　the　Mountain　of　Fire　the　One　Ring　to　be　their　master。　But　Celebrimbor　was　aware　of　him；　and　hid　the　Three　which　he　had　made；　and　there　was　war；　and　the　land　was　laid　waste；　and　the　gate　of　Moria　was　shut。

Then　through　all　the　years　that　followed　he　traced　the　Ring；　but　since　that　history　is　elsewhere　recounted；　even　as　Elrond　himself　set　it　down　in　his　books　of　lore；　it　is　not　here　recalled。　For　it　is　a　long　tale；　full　of　deeds　great　and　terrible；　and　briefly　though　Elrond　spoke；　the　sun　rode　up　the　sky；　and　the　morning　was　passing　ere　he　ceased。

Of　Númenor　he　spoke；　its　glory　and　its　fall；　and　the　return　of　the　Kings　of　Men　to　Middleearth　out　of　the　deeps　of　the　Sea；　borne　upon　the　wings　of　storm。　Then　Elendil　the　Tall　and　his　mighty　sons；　Isildur　and　Anárion；　became　great　lords；　and　the　Northrealm　they　made　in　Arnor；　and　the　Southrealm　in　Gondor　above　the　mouths　of　Anduin。　But　Sauron　of　Mordor　assailed　them；　and　they　made　the　Last　Alliance　of　Elves　and　Men；　and　the　hosts　of　Gilgalad　and　Elendil　were　mustered　in　Arnor。

Thereupon　Elrond　paused　a　while　and　sighed。　'I　remember　well　the　splendour　of　their　banners；'　he　said。　'It　recalled　to　me　the　glory　of　the　Elder　Days　and　the　hosts　of　Beleriand；　so　many　great　princes　and　captains　were　assembled。　And　yet　not　so　many；　nor　so　fair；　as　when　Thangorodrim　was　broken；　and　the　Elves　deemed　that　evil　was　ended　for　ever；　and　it　was　not　so。'

'You　remember？'　said　Frodo；　speaking　his　thought　aloud　in　his　astonishment。　'But　I　thought；'　he　stammered　as　Elrond　turned　towards　him；　'I　thought　that　the　fall　of　Gilgalad　was　a　long　age　ago。'

'So　it　was　indeed；'　answered　Elrond　gravely。　'But　my　memory　reaches　back　even　to　the　Elder　Days。　E。rendil　was　my　sire；　who　was　born　in　Gondolin　before　its　fall；　and　my　mother　was　Elwing；　daughter　of　Dior；　son　of　Lúthien　of　Doriath。　I　have　seen　three　ages　in　the　West　of　the　world；　and　many　defeats；　and　many　fruitless　victories。

'I　was　the　herald　of　Gilgalad　and　marched　with　his　host。　I　was　at　the　Battle　of　Dagorlad　before　the　Black　Gate　of　Mordor；　where　we　had　the　mastery：　for　the　Spear　of　Gilgalad　and　the　Sword　of　Elendil；　Aiglos　and　Narsil；　none　could　withstand。　I　beheld　the　last　bat　on　the　slopes　of　Orodruin；　where　Gilgalad　died；　and　Elendil　fell；　and　Narsil　broke　beneath　him；　but　Sauron　himself　was　overthrown；　and　Isildur　cut　the　Ring　from　his　hand　with　the　hilt　shard　of　his　father's　sword；　and　took　it　for　his　own。'

At　this　the　stranger；　Boromir；　broke　in。　'So　that　is　what　became　of　the　Ring！'　he　cried。　'If　ever　such　a　tale　was　told　in　the　South；　it　has　long　been　fotten。　I　have　heard　of　the　Great　Ring　of　him　that　we　do　not　name；　but　we　believed　that　it　perished　from　the　world　in　the　ruin　of　his　first　realm。　Isildur　took　it！　That　is　tidings　indeed。'

'Alas！　yes；'　said　Elrond。　'Isildur　took　it；　as　should　not　have　been。　It　should　have　been　cast　then　into　Orodruin's　fire　nigh　at　hand　where　it　was　made。　But　few　marked　what　Isildur　did。　He　alone　stood　by　his　father　in　that　last　mortal　contest；　and　by　Gilgalad　only　Círdan　stood；　and　I。　But　Isildur　would　not　listen　to　our　counsel。

'　〃This　I　will　have　as　were　gild　for　my　father；　and　my　brother；〃　he　said；　and　therefore　whether　we　would　or　no；　he　took　it　to　treasure　it。　But　soon　he　was　betrayed　by　it　to　his　death；　and　so　it　is　named　in　the　North　Isildur's　Bane。　Yet　death　maybe　was　better　than　what　else　might　have　befallen　him。

'Only　to　the　North　did　these　tidings　e；　and　only　to　a　few。　Small　wonder　it　is　that　you　have　not　heard　them；　Boromir。　From　the　ruin　of　the　Gladden　Fields；　where　Isildur　perished；　three　men　only　came　ever　back　over　the　mountains　after　long　wandering。　One　of　these　was　Ohtar；　the　esquire　of　Isildur；　who　bore　the　shards　of　the　sword　of　Elendil；　and　he　brought　them　to　Valandil；　the　heir　of　Isildur；　who　being　but　a　child　had　remained　here　in　Rivendell。　But　Narsil　was　broken　and　its　light　extinguished；　and　it　has　not　yet　been　fed　again。

'Fruitless　did　I　call　the　victory　of　the　Last　Alliance？　Not　wholly　so；　yet　it　did　not　achieve　its　end。　Sauron　was　diminished；　but　not　destroyed。　His　Ring　was　lost　but　not　unmade。　The　Dark　Tower　was　broken；　but　its　foundations　were　not　removed；　for　they　were　made　with　the　power　of　the　Ring；　and　while　it　remains　they　will　endure。　Many　Elves　and　many　mighty　Men；　and　many　of　their　fr