At last Gandalf pushed away his plate and jug — he had eaten two whole loaves (with masses of butter and honey and clotted cream) and drunk at least a quart of mead and he took out his pipe.

“I will answer the second question first,” he said, “ — but bless me! this is a splendid place for smoke rings!” Indeed for a long time they could get nothing more out of him, he was so busy sending smoke-rings dodging round the pillars of the hall, changing them into all sorts of different shapes and colours, and setting them at last chasing one another out of the hole in the roof.

They must have looked very queer from outside, popping out into the air one after another, green, blue, red, silver-grey, yellow, white; big ones, little ones; little ones dodging through big ones and joining into figure-eights, and going off like a flock of birds into the distance.

“I have been picking out bear-tracks,” he said at last. “There must have been a regular bears’ meeting outside here last night. I soon saw that Beorn could not have made them all: there were far too many of them, and they were of various sizes too. I should say there were little bears, large bears, ordinary bears, and gigantic big bears, all dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn. They came from almost every direction, except from the west over the river, from the Mountains. In that direction only one set of footprints led — none coming, only ones going away from here.

 

I followed these as far as the Carrock (я последовал за ними: «этими /следами/» до самой скалы Каррок; to follow — следовать, сопровождать). There they disappeared into the river (там они исчезли в реке), but the water was too deep and strong beyond the rock (но вода была слишком глубока и течение слишком сильное за скалой) for me to cross (для меня чтобы пересечь ее; to cross — пересекать, переходить, переправляться). It is easy enough (достаточно легко), as you remember (как вы помните), to get from this bank to the Carrock by the ford (попасть с этого берега к скале Кэррок через брод), but on the other side (но на той стороне) is a cliff standing up from a swirling channel (стоит над бушующим протоком утес; swirl — водоворот, кружение; channel — канал). I had to walk miles (мне пришлось пройти /несколько/ миль) before I found a place (пока я не нашел место) where the river was wide and shallow enough for me (где река была достаточно широкой и мелкой для меня) to wade and swim (/чтобы я смог/ перейти вброд и проплыть), and then miles back again (и затем /те же несколько/ миль снова назад) to pick up the tracks again (чтобы снова найти эти следы; to pick up — поднимать; снова найти, возобновить). By that time (но к тому времени) it was too late (было уже слишком поздно) for me to follow them far (чтобы я смог следовать за ними далеко). They went straight off in the direction of the pine-woods (они уходили прямо в направлении сосновых лесов) on the east side of the Misty Mountains (на восточном склоне Мглистых Гор), where we had our pleasant little party (где у нас была наша приятная /маленькая/ встреча; party — зд. прием гостей, вечеринка) with the Wargs the night before last (с Варгами позапрошлой ночью). And now I think (и теперь я думаю) I have answered your first question, too (что я ответил и на ваш первый вопрос, тоже),” ended Gandalf (закончил Гэндальф), and he sat a long while silent (и он довольно долго сидел молча).

 

disappear [dIsq'pIq] cliff [klIf] swirl [swq:l] channel ['tSxnl]

 

I followed these as far as the Carrock. There they disappeared into the river, but the water was too deep and strong beyond the rock for me to cross. It is easy enough, as you remember, to get from this bank to the Carrock by the ford, but on the other side is a cliff standing up from a swirling channel. I had to walk miles before I found a place where the river was wide and shallow enough for me to wade and swim, and then miles back again to pick up the tracks again. By that time it was too late for me to follow them far. They went straight off in the direction of the pine-woods on the east side of the Misty Mountains, where we had our pleasant little party with the Wargs the night before last. And now I think I have answered your first question, too,” ended Gandalf, and he sat a long while silent.

 

Bilbo thought he knew what the wizard meant (Бильбо подумал, что знает, что имеет в виду волшебник).

“What shall we do (что же нам делать),” he cried (закричал он), “if he leads all the Wargs and the goblins down here (если он приведет всех Варгов и гоблинов сюда)? We shall all be caught and killed (нас всех поймают и убьют: «мы все будем пойманы и убиты»)! I thought you said he was not friend of theirs (я подумал, что вы сказали, что он не их друг).”

“So I did (я так и сказал). And don’t be silly (и не будьте глупы)! You had better go to bed (и вам лучше отправиться спать: «в постель»), your wits are sleepy (а то вы что-то не в своем уме: «у вас разум сонный»).”

The hobbit felt quite crushed (хоббит действительно чувствовал себя совершенно разбитым; to crush — давить, дробить, мять), and as there seemed nothing else to do (и, так как казалось, что делать действительно нечего) he did go to bed (он на самом деле отправился спать); and while the dwarves were still singing songs (и пока гномы все еще распевали песни) he dropped asleep (он заснул; drop — капля; to drop — капать; падать), still puzzling his little head about Beorn (все еще ломая свою маленькую голову о Беорне), till he dreamed a dream (пока ему не приснился сон) of hundreds of black bears (/в котором/ сотни черных медведей) dancing slow heavy dances (медленно танцевали неповоротливые: «тяжелые» танцы) round and round (все вокруг и вокруг) in the moonlight (при свете луны) in the courtyard (во внутреннем дворике). Then he woke up (затем он проснулся) when everyone else was asleep (когда все остальные спали), and he heard the same scraping (и услышал те же поскрипывания; to scrape — скоблить, скрести(сь); скрипеть), scuffling (шатания; to scuffle — ходить шаркая ногами, волоча ноги), snuffling (сопения), and growling as before (и ворчания, как и накануне). Next morning they were all wakened by Beorn himself (на следующее утро они все были разбужены самим Беорном).

 

silly ['sIlI] crushed [krASt] moonlight ['mu:nlaIt]