the fellowship of the ring-第17章

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'But　last　night　I　told　you　of　Sauron　the　Great；　the　Dark　Lord。　Therumours　that　you　have　heard　are　true：　he　has　indeed　arisen　again　and　left　hishold　in　Mirkwood　and　returned　to　his　ancient　fastness　in　the　Dark　Tower　of　　
Mordor。　That　name　even　you　hobbits　have　heard　of；　like　a　shadow　on　the　bordersof　old　stories。　Always　after　a　defeat　and　a　respite；　the　Shadow　takes　another　　
　
shape　and　grows　again。'　
'I　wish　it　need　not　have　happened　in　my　time；'　said　Frodo。　
'So　do　I；'　said　Gandalf；　'and　so　do　all　who　live　to　see　such　times。　Butthat　is　not　for　them　to　decide。　All　we　have　to　decide　is　what　to　do　with　the　　
time　that　is　given；　us。　And　already；　Frodo；　our　time　is　beginning　to　lookblack。　The　Enemy　is　fast　being　very　strong。　His　plans　are　far　from　ripe；　Ithink；　but　they　are　ripening。　We　shall　be　hard　put　to　it。　We　should　be　veryhard　put　to　it；　even　if　it　were　not　for　this　dreadful　chance。　
'The　Enemy　still　lacks　one　thing　to　give　him　strength　and　knowledge　tobeat　down　all　resistance；　break　the　last　defences；　and　cover　all　the　lands　ina　second　darkness。　He　lacks　the　One　Ring。　
'The　Three；　fairest　of　all；　the　Elf…lords　hid　from　him；　and　his　handnever　touched　them　or　sullied　them。　Seven　the　Dwarf…kings　possessed；　but　threehe　has　recovered；　and　the　others　the　dragons　have　consumed。　Nine　he　gave　toMortal　Men；　proud　and　great；　and　so　ensnared　them。　Long　ago　they　fell　underthe　dominion　of　the　One；　and　they　became　Ringwraiths；　shadows　under　his　greatShadow；　his　most　terrible　servants。　Long　ago。　It　is　many　a　year　since　the　Ninewalked　abroad。　Yet　who　knows？　As　the　Shadow　grows　once　more；　they　too　may　walkagain。　But　e！　We　will　not　speak　of　such　things　even　in　the　morning　of　theShire。　　
'So　it　is　now：　the　Nine　he　has　gathered　to　himself；　the　Seven　also；　orelse　they　are　destroyed。　The　Three　are　hidden　still。　But　that　no　longertroubles　him。　He　only　needs　the　One；　for　he　made　that　Ring　himself；　it　is　his；　
and　he　let　a　great　part　of　his　own　former　power　pass　into　it；　so　that　he　couldrule　all　the　others。　If　he　recovers　it；　then　he　will　mand　them　all　again；　
wherever　they　be；　even　the　Three；　and　all　that　has　been　wrought　with　them　willbe　laid　bare；　and　he　will　be　stronger　than　ever。　
'And　this　is　the　dreadful　chance；　Frodo。　He　believed　that　the　One　hadperished；　that　the　Elves　had　destroyed　it；　as　should　have　been　done。　But　heknows　now　that　it　has　_not_　perished；　that　it　has　been　found。　So　he　is　seekingit；　seeking　it；　and　all　his　thought　is　bent　on　it。　It　is　his　great　hope　andour　great　fear。'　
'Why；　why　wasn't　it　destroyed？'　cried　Frodo。　'And　how　did　the　Enemy　evere　to　lose　it；　if　he　was　so　strong；　and　it　was　so　precious　to　him？'　Heclutched　the　Ring　in　his　hand；　as　if　he　saw　already　dark　fingers　stretchingout　to　seize　it。　　
'It　was　taken　from　him；'　said　Gandalf。　'The　strength　of　the　Elves　toresist　him　was　greater　long　ago；　and　not　all　Men　were　estranged　from　them。　TheMen　of　Westernesse　came　to　their　aid。　That　is　a　chapter　of　ancient　historywhich　it　might　be　good　to　recall；　for　there　was　sorrow　then　too；　and　gatheringdark；　but　great　valour；　and　great　deeds　that　were　not　wholly　vain。　One　day；　
perhaps；　I　will　tell　you　all　the　tale；　or　you　shall　hear　it　told　in　full　byone　who　knows　it　best。　　
'But　for　the　moment；　since　most　of　all　you　need　to　know　how　this　thingcame　to　you；　and　that　will　be　tale　enough；　this　is　all　that　I　will　say。　It　wasGil…galad；　Elven…king　and　Elendil　of　Westernesse　who　overthrew　Sauron；　thoughthey　themselves　perished　in　the　deed；　and　Isildur　Elendil's　son　cut　the　Ringfrom　Sauron's　hand　and　took　it　for　his　own。　Then　Sauron　was　vanquished　and　hisspirit　fled　and　was　hidden　for　long　years；　until　his　shadow　took　shape　againin　Mirkwood。　　
'But　the　Ring　was　lost。　It　fell　into　the　Great　River；　Anduin；　andvanished。　For　Isildur　was　marching　north　along　the　east　banks　of　the　River；　
and　near　the　Gladden　Fields　he　was　waylaid　by　the　Orcs　of　the　Mountains；　andalmost　all　his　folk　were　slain。　He　leaped　into　the　waters；　but　the　Ringslipped　from　his　finger　as　he　swam；　and　then　the　Orcs　saw　him　and　killed　himwith　arrows。'　　
Gandalf　paused。　'And　there　in　the　dark　pools　amid　the　Gladden　Fields；'　hesaid；　'the　Ring　passed　out　of　knowledge　and　legend；　and　even　so　much　of　itshistory　is　known　now　only　to　a　few；　and　the　Council　of　the　Wise　could　discoverno　more。　But　at　last　I　can　carry　on　the　story；　I　think。　　
　
'Long　after；　but　still　very　long　ago；　there　lived　by　the　banks　of　theGreat　River　on　the　edge　of　Wilderland　a　clever…handed　and　quiet…footed　littlepeople。　I　guess　they　were　of　hobbit…kind；　akin　to　the　fathers　of　the　fathersof　the　Stoors；　for　they　loved　the　River；　and　often　swam　in　it；　or　made　littleboats　of　reeds。　There　was　among　them　a　family　of　high　repute；　for　it　was　largeand　wealthier　than　most；　and　it　was　ruled　by　a　grandmother　of　the　folk；　sternand　wise　in　old　lore；　such　as　they　had。　The　most　inquisitive　and　curious…　
minded　of　that　family　was　called　Sméagol。　He　was　interested　in　roots　andbeginnings；　he　dived　into　deep　pools；　he　burrowed　under　trees　and　growingplants；　he　tunnelled　into　green　mounds；　and　he　ceased　to　look　up　at　the　hilltops；　　
or　the　leaves　on　trees；　or　the　flowers　opening　in　the　air：　his　head　andhis　eyes　were　downward。　
'He　had　a　friend　called　Déagol；　of　similar　sort；　sharper…eyed　but　not　soquick　and　strong。　On　a　time　they　took　a　boat　and　went　down　to　the　GladdenFields；　where　there　were　great　beds　of　iris　and　flowering　reeds。　There　Sméagolgot　out　and　went　nosing　about　the　banks　but　Deal　sat　in　the　boat　and　fished。　
Suddenly　a　great　fish　took　his　hook；　and　before　he　knew　where　he　was；　he　wasdragged　out　and　down　into　the　water；　to　the　bottom。　Then　he　let　go　of　hisline；　for　he　thought　he　saw　something　shining　in　the　river…bed；　and　holdinghis　breath　he　grabbed　at　it。　
'Then　up　he　came　spluttering；　with　weeds　in　his　hair　and　a　handful　ofmud；　and　he　swam　to　the　bank。　And　behold！　when　he　washed　the　mud　away；　therein　his　hand　lay　a　beautiful　golden　ring；　and　it　shone　and　glittered　in　thesun；　so　that　his　heart　was　glad。　But　Sméagol　had　been　watching　him　from　behinda　tree；　and　as　Deal　gloated　over　the　ring；　Sméagol　came　softly　up　behind。　
'〃Give　us　that；　Deal；　my　love；〃　said　Sméagol；　over　his　friend's　shoulder。　
'〃Why？〃　said　Deal。　
'　〃Because　it's　my　birthday；　my　love；　and　I　wants　it；〃　said　Sméagol。　
'〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Deal。　〃I　have　given　you　a　present　already；　morethan　I　could　afford。　I　found　this；　and　I'm　going　to　keep　it。〃　
'　〃Oh；　are　you　indeed；　my　love；〃　said　Sméagol；　and　he　caught　Deal　by　thethroat　and　strangled　him；　because　the　gold　looked　so　bright　and　beautiful。　
Then　he　put　the　ring　on　his　finger。　
'No　one　ever　found　out　what　had　bee　of　Deal；　he　was　murdered　far　fromhome；　and　his　body　was　cunningly　hidden。　But　Sméagol　returned　alone；　and　hefound　that　none　of　his　family　could　see　him；　when　he　was　wearing　the　ring。　Hewas　very　pleased　with　his　discovery　and　he　concealed　it；　and　he　used　it　tofind　out　secrets；　and　he　put　his　knowledge　to　crooked　and　malicious　uses。　Hebecame　sharp…eyed　and　keen…eared　for　all　that　was　hurtful。　The　ring　had　givenhim　power　according　to　his　stature。　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　he　becamevery　unpopular　and　was　shunned　（when　visible）　by　all　his　relations。　Theykicked　him；　and　he　bit　their　feet。　He　took　to　thieving；　and　going　aboutmuttering　to　himself；　and　gurgling　in　his　throat。　So　they　called　him　_Gollum；_　
and　cursed　him；　and　told　him　to　go　far　away；　and　his　grandmother；　desiringpeace；　expelled　him　from　the　family　and　turned　him　out　of　her　hole。　
'He　wandered　in　loneliness；　weeping　a　little　for　the　hardness　of　theworld；　and　he　journeyed　up　the　River；　till　he　came　to　a　stream　that　floweddown　from　the　mountains；　and　he　went　that　way。　He　caught　fish　in　deep　poolswith　invisible　fingers　and　ate　them　raw。　One　day　it　was　very　hot；　and　as　hewas　bending　over　a　pool；　he　felt　a　burning　on　the　back　of　his　head）　and　adazzling　light　from　the　water　pained　his　wet　eyes。　He　wondered　at　it；　for　hehad　almost　forgotten　about　the　Sun。　Then　for　the　last　time　he　looked　up　andshook　his　fist　at　her。　　
'But　as　he　lowered　his　eyes；　he　saw　far　above　the　tops　of　the　MistyMountains；　out　of　which　the　stream　came。　And　he　thought　suddenly：　〃It　would　becool　and　shady　under　those　mountains。　The