the fellowship of the ring-第73章

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。　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　soughtby　the　Enemy；　and　to　learn；　if　may　be；　why　he　desires　this　ring；　this　least　ofrings。　Also　we　crave　the　advice　of　Elrond。　For　the　Shadow　grows　and　drawsnearer。　We　discover　that　messengers　have　e　also　to　King　Brand　in　Dale；　andthat　he　is　afraid。　We　fear　that　he　may　yield。　Already　war　is　gathering　on　hiseastern　borders。　If　we　make　no　answer；　the　Enemy　may　move　Men　of　his　rule　toassail　King　Brand；　and　Dáin　also。'　
‘You　have　done　well　to　e；'　said　Elrond。　‘You　will　hear　today　all　thatyou　need　in　order　to　understand　the　purposes　of　the　Enemy。　There　is　naughtthat　you　can　do；　other　than　to　resist；　with　hope　or　without　it。　But　you　do　notstand　alone。　You　will　learn　that　your　trouble　is　but　part　of　the　trouble　ofall　the　western　world。　The　Ring！　What　shall　we　do　with　the　Ring；　the　least　ofrings；　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　havee　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　fromall　but　a　few　until　this　day。　And　first；　so　that　all　may　understand　what　isthe　peril；　the　Tale　of　the　Ring　shall　be　told　from　the　beginning　even　to　thispresent。　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　forging　in　the　Second　Age　of　the　world　long　ago。　Apart　of　his　tale　was　known　to　some　there；　but　the　full　tale　to　none；　and　manyeyes　were　turned　t=　Elrond　in　fear　and　wonder　as　he　told　of　the　Elven…smithsof　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　alltheir　secrets；　and　betrayed　them；　and　forged　secretly　in　the　Mountain　of　Firethe　One　Ring　to　be　their　master。　But　Celebrimbor　was　aware　of　him；　and　hid　theThree　which　he　had　made；　and　there　was　war；　and　the　land　was　laid　waste；　andthe　gate　of　Moria　was　shut。　
Then　through　all　the　years　that　followed　he　traced　the　Ring；　but　sincethat　history　is　elsewhere　recounted；　even　as　Elrond　himself　set　it　down　in　hisbooks　of　lore；　it　is　not　here　recalled。　For　it　is　a　long　tale；　full　of　deedsgreat　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　Kingsof　Men　to　Middle…earth　out　of　the　deeps　of　the　Sea；　borne　upon　the　wings　ofstorm。　Then　Elendil　the　Tall　and　his　mighty　sons；　Isildur　and　Anárion；　becamegreat　lords；　and　the　North…realm　they　made　in　Arnor；　and　the　South…realm　inGondor　above　the　mouths　of　Anduin。　But　Sauron　of　Mordor　assailed　them；　andthey　made　the　Last　Alliance　of　Elves　and　Men；　and　the　hosts　of　Gil…galad　andElendil　were　mustered　in　Arnor。　　
Thereupon　Elrond　paused　a　while　and　sighed。　‘I　remember　well　thesplendour　of　their　banners；'　he　said。　‘It　recalled　to　me　the　glory　of　theElder　Days　and　the　hosts　of　Beleriand；　so　many　great　princes　and　captains　wereassembled。　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　hisastonishment。　‘But　I　thought；'　he　stammered　as　Elrond　turned　towards　him；　'Ithought　that　the　fall　of　Gil…galad　was　a　long　age　ago。'　
'So　it　was　indeed；'　answered　Elrond　gravely。　‘But　my　memory　reaches　backeven　to　the　Elder　Days。　E。rendil　was　my　sire；　who　was　born　in　Gondolin　beforeits　fall；　and　my　mother　was　Elwing；　daughter　of　Dior；　son　of　Lúthien　ofDoriath。　I　have　seen　three　ages　in　the　West　of　the　world；　and　many　defeats；　
and　many　fruitless　victories。　
‘I　was　the　herald　of　Gil…galad　and　marched　with　his　host。　I　was　at　theBattle　of　Dagorlad　before　the　Black　Gate　of　Mordor；　where　we　had　the　mastery：　
for　the　Spear　of　Gil…galad　and　the　Sword　of　Elendil；　Aiglos　and　Narsil；　nonecould　withstand。　I　beheld　the　last　bat　on　the　slopes　of　Orodruin；　whereGil…galad　died；　and　Elendil　fell；　and　Narsil　broke　beneath　him；　but　Sauronhimself　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　theRing！'　he　cried。　‘If　ever　such　a　tale　was　told　in　the　South；　it　has　long　beenforgotten。　I　have　heard　of　the　Great　Ring　of　him　that　we　do　not　name；　but　webelieved　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。　Itshould　have　been　cast　then　into　Orodruin's　fire　nigh　at　hand　where　it　wasmade。　But　few　marked　what　Isildur　did。　He　alone　stood　by　his　father　in　thatlast　mortal　contest；　and　by　Gil…galad　only　Círdan　stood；　and　I。　But　Isildurwould　not　listen　to　our　counsel。　　
'　〃This　I　will　have　as　weregild　for　my　father；　and　my　brother；〃　he　said；　
and　therefore　whether　we　would　or　no；　he　took　it　to　treasure　it。　But　soon　hewas　betrayed　by　it　to　his　death；　and　so　it　is　named　in　the　North　Isildur'sBane。　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。　Smallwonder　it　is　that　you　have　not　heard　them；　Boromir。　From　the　ruin　of　theGladden　Fields；　where　Isildur　perished；　three　men　only　came　ever　back　over　themountains　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　toValandil；　the　heir　of　Isildur；　who　being　but　a　child　had　remained　here　inRivendell。　But　Narsil　was　broken　and　its　light　extinguished；　and　it　has　notyet　been　forged　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。　HisRing　was　lost　but　not　unmade。　The　Dark　Tower　was　broken；　but　its　foundationswere　not　removed；　for　they　were　made　with　the　power　of　the　Ring；　and　while　itremains　they　will　endure。　Many　Elves　and　many　mighty　Men；　and　many　of　theirfriends。　had　perished　in　the　war。　Anárion　was　slain；　and　Isildur　was　slain；　
and　Gil…galad　and　Elendil　were　no　more。　Never　again　shall　there　be　any　suchleague　of　Elves　and　Men；　for　Men　multiply　and　the　Firstborn　decrease；　and　thetwo　kindreds　are　estranged。　And　ever　since　that　day　the　race　of　Númenor　hasdecayed；　and　the　span　of　their　years　has　lessened。　
'In　the　North　after　the　war　and　the　slaughter　of　the　Gladden　Fields　theMen　of　Westernesse　were　diminished；　and　their　city　of　Annúminas　beside　LakeEvendim　fell　into　ruin；　and　the　heirs　of　Valandil　removed　and　dwelt　at　Fornoston　the　high　North　Downs；　and　that　now　too　is　desolate。　Men　call　it　Deadmen'sDike；　and　they　fear　to　tread　there。　For　the　folk　of　Arnor　dwindled；　and　theirfoes　devoured　them；　and　their　lordship　passed；　leaving　only　green　mounds　inthe　grassy　hills。　
'In　the　South　the　realm　of　Gondor　long　endured；　and　for　a　while　itssplendour　grew；　recalling　somewhat　of　the　might　of　Númenor；　ere　it　fell。　Hightowers　that　people　built；　and　strong　places。　and　havens　of　many　ships；　and　thewinged　crown　of　the　Kings　of　Men　was　held　in　awe　by　folk　of　many　tongues。　
Their　chief　city　was　Osgiliath；　Citadel　of　the　Stars。　through　the　midst　ofwhich　the　River　flowed。　And　Minas　Ithil　they　built；　Tower　of　the　Rising　Moon；　
eastward　upon　a　shoulder　of　the　Mountains　of　Shadow；　and　westward　at　the　feetof　the　White　Mountains　Minas　Anor　they　made；　Tower　of　the　Setting　Sun。　Therein　the　courts　of　the　King　grew　a　white　tree；　from　the　seed　of　that　tree　whichIsildur　brought　over　the　deep　waters；　and　the　seed　of　that　tree　before　camefrom　Eress。a；　an