Gandalf whistled again; but Nori and Ori were there almost before he had stopped, for, if you remember, Gandalf had told them to come in pairs every five minutes.

“Hullo!” said Beorn. “You came pretty quick — where were you hiding? Come on my jack-in-the-boxes!”

“Nori at your service, Ori at...” they began; but Beorn interrupted them.

“Thank you! When I want your help I will ask for it. Sit down, and let’s get on with this tale, or it will be supper-time before it is ended.”

“As soon as we were asleep,” went on Gandalf, “a crack at the back of the cave opened; goblins came out and grabbed the hobbit and the dwarves and our troop of ponies —“

“Troop of ponies? What were you — a travelling circus? Or were you carrying lots of goods? Or do you always call six a troop?”

 

“O no! As a matter of fact there were more than six ponies (на самом-то деле, там было больше шести пони), for there were more than six of us (так как нас было больше шести) — and well, here are two more (и вот, здесь еще двое)!”

Just at that moment Balin and Dwalin appeared (как раз в этот момент появились Балин и Двалин) and bowed so low (и поклонились так низко) that their beards swept the stone floor (что их бороды подмели каменный пол). The big man was frowning at first (большой человек поначалу хмурился), but they did their very best (но они старались изо всех сил; to do one's best — сделать все возможное, не щадить усилий) to be frightfully polite (быть чрезвычайно вежливыми), and kept on nodding (и продолжали кивать головами; to keep on doing smth. — продолжать делать что-либо) and bending (и наклоняться; to bend (bent) — гнуть(ся), сгибать(ся), наклонять(ся)) and bowing (и кланяться) and waving their hoods (и махать своими капюшонами; to wave — развевать(ся), размахивать) before their knees (перед их коленями) (in proper dwarf-fashion (в подобающей гномам манере)), till he stopped frowning (до тех пор, пока он не перестал хмурится) and burst into a chuckling laugh (и /не/ разразился фыркающим смехом; to chuckle — хихикать); they looked so comical (они выглядели так комично).

“Troop, was right (труппа, вот это точно),” he said. “A fine comic one (прекрасная смешная труппа). Come in my merry men (заходите, мои забавные друзья; merry — веселый, радостный, потешный), and what are your names (и как вас зовут)? I don’t want your service just now (я не нуждаюсь в ваших услугах прямо сейчас), only your names (/мне нужны/ только ваши имена); and then sit down (а затем садитесь) and stop wagging (и перестаньте размахивать /колпаками/; to wag — махать; качать(ся), колебать(ся))!”

“Balin and Dwalin,” they said not daring to be offended (сказали они и не посмев обидеться: «быть обиженными»; to offend — оскорблять), and sat flop on the floor (плюхнулись на пол; flop — шлепанье, глухой удар при падении) looking rather surprised (и выглядели они довольно изумленными).

“Now go on again (давайте, продолжайте снова)!” said Beorn to the wizard (сказал Беорн волшебнику).

 

beard [bIqd] frightfully ['fraItf(q)lI] troop [tru:p] offend [q'fend]

 

“O no! As a matter of fact there were more than six ponies, for there were more than six of us — and well, here are two more!”

Just at that moment Balin and Dwalin appeared and bowed so low that their beards swept the stone floor. The big man was frowning at first, but they did their very best to be frightfully polite, and kept on nodding and bending and bowing and waving their hoods before their knees (in proper dwarf-fashion), till he stopped frowning and burst into a chuckling laugh; they looked so comical.

“Troop, was right,” he said. “A fine comic one. Come in my merry men, and what are your names? I don’t want your service just now, only your names; and then sit down and stop wagging!”

“Balin and Dwalin,” they said not daring to be offended, and sat flop on the floor looking rather surprised.

“Now go on again!” said Beorn to the wizard.

 

“Where was I (на чем же я остановился)? O yes (ах да) — I was not grabbed (я не был схвачен). I killed a goblin or two with a flash (я убил одного или двух гоблинов вспышкой) —“

“Good (хорошо)!” growled Beorn (проворчал Беорн). “It is some good being a wizard, then (значит, есть какая-то польза от того, что ты волшебник).”

“— and slipped inside the crack (и проскользнул внутрь щели) before it closed (до того, как она захлопнулась). I followed down into the main hall (я последовал вниз в главный зал), which was crowded with goblins (который был переполнен гоблинами). The Great Goblin was there (там был Великий Гоблин) with thirty or forty armed guards (с тридцатью или сорока вооруженными стражниками). I thought to myself (я подумал про себя) ‘even if they were not all chained together (даже если бы они не были скованы цепью воедино), what can a dozen do against so many (что может сделать дюжина против такого большинства)?’ “

“A dozen (дюжина)! That’s the first time I’ve heard (это первый раз, когда я слышу) eight called a dozen (чтобы восьмерых называли дюжиной). Or have you still got some more jacks (или у вас все еще есть несколько Джеков) that haven’t yet come out of their boxes (которые еще не выпрыгнули из своих коробочек)?”

“Well, yes, there seem to be a couple more here now (ну, да, а вот, кажется, еще парочка здесь) — Fili and Kili, I believe (Фили и Кили, я полагаю),” said Gandalf, as these two now appeared (как эти двое теперь появились) and stood smiling and bowing (и стояли, улыбаясь и кланяясь).

“That’s enough (хватит)!” said Beorn. “Sit down and be quiet (присаживайтесь и замолчите)! Now go on, Gandalf (ну-ка, продолжайте, Гэндальф)!” So Gandalf went on with the tale (тогда Гэндальф продолжил рассказывать историю), until he came to the fight in the dark (пока он не дошел до битвы в темноте), the discovery of the lower gate (обнаружения нижних ворот), and their horror (и их ужасе) when they found that Mr. Baggins had been mislaid (когда они обнаружили, что мистер Бэггинс пропал; to mislay — положить не на место, заложить, затерять; to lay — положить).

“We counted ourselves (мы посчитались) and found that there was no hobbit (и обнаружили, что хоббита нет). There were only fourteen of us left (нас осталось только четырнадцать)!”

 

chain [tSeIn] dozen ['dAz(q)n] couple ['kAp(q)l] mislaid [mIs'leId]

 

“Where was I? O yes — I was not grabbed. I killed a goblin or two with a flash —“

“Good!” growled Beorn. “It is some good being a wizard, then.”

“ — and slipped inside the crack before it closed. I followed down into the main hall, which was crowded with goblins. The Great Goblin was there with thirty or forty armed guards. I thought to myself ‘even if they were not all chained together, what can a dozen do against so many?’ “

“A dozen! That’s the first time I’ve heard eight called a dozen. Or have you still got some more jacks that haven’t yet come out of their boxes?”

“Well, yes, there seem to be a couple more here now — Fili and Kili, I believe,” said Gandalf, as these two now appeared and stood smiling and bowing.

“That’s enough!” said Beorn. “Sit down and be quiet! Now go on, Gandalf!”