As for Bilbo he could easily have trotted through his legs without ducking his head to miss the fringe of the man’s brown tunic.

“I am Gandalf,” said the wizard.

“Never heard of him,” growled the man, “And what’s this little fellow?” he said, stooping down to frown at the hobbit with his bushy eyebrows. “That is Mr. Baggins, a hobbit of good family and unimpeachable reputation,” said Gandalf. Bilbo bowed. He had no hat to take off, and was painfully conscious of his many missing buttons. “I am a wizard,” continued Gandalf. “I have heard of you, if you have not heard of me; but perhaps you have heard of my good cousin Radagast who lives near the Southern borders of Mirkwood?”

 

“Yes; not a bad fellow as wizards go (не плохой для волшебника человек), I believe (я полагаю). I used to see him now and again (я бывало виделся с ним время от времени),” said Beorn. “Well, now I know who you are (ну, теперь я знаю, кто вы), or who you say you are (или за кого вы себя выдаете: «или тот, кто вы говорите, что вы есть»). What do you want (что вы хотите)?”

“To tell you the truth (сказать вам по правде), we have lost our luggage (мы потеряли свой багаж) and nearly lost our way (и чуть не заблудились: «и почти потеряли свой путь»), and are rather in need of help (и довольно-таки нуждаемся в помощи), or at least advice (или, по меньшей мере, в совете). I may say (могу сказать) we have had rather a bad time (мы пережили довольно трудное время) with goblins in the mountains (с гоблинами в горах).”

“Goblins?” said the big man less gruffly (сказал большой человек менее грубо). “Oho (ого), so you’ve been having trouble with them, have you (значит, у вам были с ними неприятности, так)? What did you go near them for (зачем же вы близко к ним подошли)?”

“We did not mean to (и не собирались /этого делать/). They surprised us at night (они застали нас врасплох ночью) in a pass (в проходе) which we had to cross (который мы должны были пройти), we were coming out of the Lands over West (мы шли с Земель за Западом) into these countries (в эти страны) — it is a long tale (это долгая история).”

“Then you had better come inside (тогда вам лучше зайти внутрь) and tell me some of it (и рассказать мне что-нибудь из нее), if it won’t take all day (если это не займет весь день),” said the man leading the way (сказал человек, показывая им путь: «ведя путь») through a dark door (сквозь темную дверь) that opened out of the courtyard into the house (которая открывалась из внутреннего дворика в дом).

 

luggage ['lAgIdZ] surprise [sq'praIz] gruffly ['grAflI]

 

“Yes; not a bad fellow as wizards go, I believe. I used to see him now and again,” said Beorn. “Well, now I know who you are, or who you say you are. What do you want?”

“To tell you the truth, we have lost our luggage and nearly lost our way, and are rather in need of help, or at least advice. I may say we have had rather a bad time with goblins in the mountains.”

“Goblins?” said the big man less gruffly. “Oho, so you’ve been having trouble with them have you? What did you go near them for?”

“We did not mean to. They surprised us at night in a pass which we had to cross, we were coming out of the Lands over West into these countries — it is a long tale.”

“Then you had better come inside and tell me some of it, if it won’t take all day,” said the man leading the way through a dark door that opened out of the courtyard into the house.

 

Following him they found themselves in a wide hall (следуя за ним, они очутились в просторном зале) with a fire-place in the middle (с очагом посередине). Though it was summer (хотя было лето) there was a wood-fire burning (там горел костер) and the smoke was rising to the blackened rafters (и дымок поднимался к закопченным стропилам) in search of the way out (в поисках выхода) through an opening in the roof (сквозь отверстие в крыше). They passed through this dim hall (они прошли сквозь этот полутемный зал), lit only by the fire (освещенный только светом огня) and the hole above it (и отверстием над ним), and came through another smaller door (и вошли, через другую, меньшую дверь) into a sort of veranda (в что-то вроде веранды) propped on wooden posts (подпертой деревянными столбами) made of single tree-trunks (изготовленных из цельных стволов деревьев; single — единственный, отдельный). It faced south (она выходила на юг) and was still warm (и в ней было все еще тепло) and filled with the light of the westering sun (и она была заполнена светом идущего на запад солнца) which slanted into it (которое косыми лучами проходило ее насквозь; to slant — двигаться наклонно, под углом), and fell golden on the garden (и золотистым /светом/ падало в сад) full of flowers (полный цветов) that came right up to the steps (которые росли: «подходили» прямо у ступеней).

Here they sat on wooden benches (здесь они присели на деревянные лавки) while Gandalf began his tale (пока Гэндальф начал свой рассказ), and Bilbo swung his dangling legs (и Бильбо качал болтающимися ногами) and looked at the flowers in the garden (и смотрел на цветы в саду), wondering what their names could be (задаваясь вопросом, как они могут называться; name — имя, фамилия, название), as he had never seen half of them before (так как он не видел половину их раньше).

 

fireplace ['faIqpleIs] rafter ['rQ:ftq] veranda [vq'rxndq]

 

Following him they found themselves in a wide hall with a fire-place in the middle. Though it was summer there was a wood-fire burning and the smoke was rising to the blackened rafters in search of the way out through an opening in the roof. They passed through this dim hall, lit only by the fire and the hole above it, and came through another smaller door into a sort of veranda propped on wooden posts made of single tree-trunks. It faced south and was still warm and filled with the light of the westering sun which slanted into it, and fell golden on the garden full of flowers that came right up to the steps.

Here they sat on wooden benches while Gandalf began his tale, and Bilbo swung his dangling legs and looked at the flowers in the garden, wondering what their names could be, as he had never seen half of them before.

 

“I was coming over the mountains (я шел через горы) with a friend or two (с одним или двумя друзьями)...” said the wizard (сказал волшебник).

“Or two (или двумя)? I can only see one (я вижу только одного), and a little one at that (да и маленького, к тому же),” said Beorn.

“Well to tell you the truth (ну, сказать вам по правде), I did not like to bother you with a lot of us (я не хотел вам надоедать всей нашей оравой; lot — множество), until I found out (пока я не выяснил) if you were busy (заняты ли вы или нет). I will give a call, if I may (я подам сигнал, если позволите; call — крик, оклик).”

“Go on, call away (давайте, подавайте; to call away — отзывать, вызвать)!”

So Gandalf gave a long shrill whistle (тогда Гэндальф издал длинный резкий свист), and presently Thorin and Dori came round the house (и вскоре Торин и Дори появились из-за дома) by the garden path (по садовой дорожке) and stood bowing low before them (и встали, низко кланяясь, перед ними).

“One or three you meant, I see (/с/ одним или тремя вы имели в виду, я вижу)!” said Beorn. “But these aren’t hobbits (но эти-то не хоббиты), they are dwarves (это гномы)!”

“Thorin Oakenshield, at your service (Торин Оукеншильд, к вашим услугам)! Dori at your service!” said the two dwarves bowing again (сказали двое гномов, снова кланяясь).

 

truth [tru:T] busy ['bIzI] whistle ['wIs(q)l]

 

“I was coming over the mountains with a friend or two...” said the wizard.

“Or two? I can only see one, and a little one at that,” said Beorn.

“Well to tell you the truth, I did not like to bother you with a lot of us, until I found out if you were busy. I will give a call, if I may.”

“Go on, call away!”