“Have you thoroughly explored it?” said the wizard, who knew that caves up in the mountains were seldom unoccupied.
“Yes, yes!” they said, though everybody knew they could not have been long about it; they had come back too quick. “It isn’t all that big, and it does not go far back. ”
That, of course, is the dangerous part about caves: you don’t know how far they go back, sometimes, or where a passage behind may lead to, or what is waiting for you inside. But now Fili and Kili’s news seemed good enough. So they all got up and prepared to move. The wind was howling and the thunder still growling, and they had a business getting themselves and their ponies along.
Still it was not very far to go (в то же время, идти было не очень далеко), and before long (и вскоре) they came to a big rock (они подошли к большой скале) standing out into the path (выступающей на тропинку). If you stepped behind (если шагнуть за /нее/), you found a low arch (можно обнаружить низкую арку) in the side of the mountain (в поверхности горы). There was just room (там было как раз достаточно места) to get the ponies through (чтобы провести пони) with a squeeze (с трудом; squeeze — сжатие, теснота, давка), when they had been unpacked and unsaddled (когда они были разгружены и расседланы). As they passed under the arch (когда они прошли под аркой), it was good to hear the wind and the rain outside (то оказалось приятно: «хорошо» слышать ветер и дождь снаружи) instead of all about them (вместо того, чтобы слышать /их/ вокруг себя), and to feel safe from the giants (и /было приятно/ чувствовать себя в безопасности от великанов) and their rocks (и их скал). But the wizard was taking no risks (но волшебник не собирался рисковать). He lit up his wand (он зажег свой жезл/свою волшебную палочку) — as he did that day in Bilbo’s dining-room (как он сделал это в тот день в столовой Бильбо) that seemed so long ago (что казалось было так давно), if you remember (если вы помните), and by its light (и в ее свете) they explored the cave from end to end (они обследовали пещеру от одного конца до другого).
arch [ɑ: tʃ] squeeze [skwi: z] unsaddle [ʌnˈsædl]
Still it was not very far to go, and before long they came to a big rock standing out into the path. If you stepped behind, you found a low arch in the side of the mountain. There was just room to get the ponies through with a squeeze, when they had been unpacked and unsaddled. As they passed under the arch, it was good to hear the wind and the rain outside instead of all about them, and to feel safe from the giants and their rocks. But the wizard was taking no risks. He lit up his wand — as he did that day in Bilbo’s dining — room that seemed so long ago, if you remember, and by its light they explored the cave from end to end.
It seemed quite a fair size (она казалась достаточно большого размера), but not too large and mysterious (но не очень уж большой и таинственной). It had a dry floor (у нее был сухой пол) and some comfortable nooks (и несколько уютных укромных уголков). At one end there was room for the ponies (в одном конце было /достаточно/ места для пони); and there they stood (и там они и стояли) (mighty glad of the change (чрезвычайно довольные этой перемене)) steaming (взмыленные; to steam — дымиться, испускать пар; steam — пар), and champing in their nosebags (и громко жевали /траву/ из своих торб; nose — нос; bag — сумка). Oin and Gloin wanted to light a fire at the door (Ойн и Глойн хотели разжечь огонь у двери) to dry their clothes (чтобы высушить свою одежду), but Gandalf would not hear of it (но Гэндальф и слушать об этом не хотел). So they spread out their wet things on the floor (и тогда они разложили свою мокрую одежду на полу), and got dry ones out of their bundles (и достали сухую одежду из своих узелков); then they made their blankets comfortable (затем они поудобнее разложили свои одеяла), got out their pipes (достали свои /курительные/ трубки) and blew smoke rings (и выдували колечки дыма), which Gandalf turned into different colours (которые Гэндальф раскрашивал в различные цвета; to turn — поворачивать, вращать, менять) and set dancing up by the roof (и заставлял танцевать их вверх, к крыше) to amuse them (чтобы развлечь их). They talked and talked (они разговаривали и разговаривали), and forgot about the storm (и забыли о грозе; to forget), and discussed what each would do (и обсуждали, что каждый из них будет делать) with his share of the treasure (со своей долей сокровищ) (when they got it (когда они добудут его), which at the moment did not seem so impossible (что в этот момент не казалось таким уж невозможным)); and so they dropped off to sleep (и так они заснули) one by one (один за другим).
mysterious [mɪˈstɪ (ǝ) rɪǝs] champ [tʃæmp] bundle [ˈbʌndl]
It seemed quite a fair size, but not too large and mysterious. It had a dry floor and some comfortable nooks. At one end there was room for the ponies; and there they stood (mighty glad of the change) steaming, and champing in their nosebags. Oin and Gloin wanted to light a fire at the door to dry their clothes, but Gandalf would not hear of it. So they spread out their wet things on the floor, and got dry ones out of their bundles; then they made their blankets comfortable, got out their pipes and blew smoke rings, which Gandalf turned into different colours and set dancing up by the roof to amuse them. They talked and talked, and forgot about the storm, and discussed what each would do with his share of the treasure (when they got it, which at the moment did not seem so impossible); and so they dropped off to sleep one by one.
And that was the last time (и это оказался последний раз) that they used the ponies (когда они воспользовались пони), packages (тюками), baggages (багажом), tools (инструментами) and paraphernalia (и личными вещами) that they had brought with them (которые они привезли с собой). It turned out a good thing (это оказалось хорошим делом) that night (той ночью) that they had brought little Bilbo with them (что они взяли с собой маленького Бильбо), after all (в конце-то концов). For somehow (так как почему-то), he could not go to sleep (он не мог заснуть) for a long while (очень долго); and when he did sleep (и когда он, наконец, уснул), he had very nasty dreams (у него были очень мерзкие сны). He dreamed (ему снилось) that a crack in the wall at the back of the cave (что трещина в стене в задней части пещеры) got bigger and bigger (становилась все больше и больше), and opened wider and wider (и открывалась все шире и шире), and he was very afraid (и он был очень испуган) but could not call out (но не мог закричать) or do anything (или сделать что-нибудь) but lie and look (просто лежал и смотрел). Then he dreamed (затем ему приснилось) that the floor of the cave was giving way (что пол пещеры рушился: «поддавался»), and he was slipping (и он скользил), beginning to fall down, down (начиная падать куда-то вниз, вниз), goodness knows where to (Бог знает куда; goodness — доброта, великодушие /вместо god — «Бог», чтобы не употреблять это слово всуе/). At that he woke up (на этом он проснулся; towakeup) with a horrible start (с ужасным вздрагиванием), and found that part of his dream was true (и неожиданно для себя обнаружил, что часть его сна была правдой). A crack had opened at the back of the cave (трещина открылась на задней стороне пещеры), and was already a wide passage (и превратилась уже в широкий проход). He was just in time to see (он проснулся: «был» как раз во время, чтобы /успеть/ заметить) the last of the ponies’ tails (как хвосты последних пони) disappearing into it (исчезают в нем). Of course he gave a very loud yell (конечно же, он издал очень громкий пронзительный крик; yell — пронзительный крик), as loud a yell as a hobbit can give (такой пронзительный крик, которым только может закричать хоббит), which is surprising for their size (который удивителен для их роста).
paraphernalia [pærǝfǝˈneɪlɪǝ] afraid [ǝˈfreɪd] disappear [ˌdɪsǝˈpɪǝ] yell [jel]
And that was the last time that they used the ponies, packages, baggages, tools and paraphernalia that they had brought with them. It turned out a good thing that night that they had brought little Bilbo with them, after all. For somehow, he could not go to sleep for a long while; and when he did sleep, he had very nasty dreams. He dreamed that a crack in the wall at the back of the cave got bigger and bigger, and opened wider and wider, and he was very afraid but could not call out or do anything but lie and look. Then he dreamed that the floor of the cave was giving way, and he was slipping — beginning to fall down, down, goodness knows where to. At that he woke up with a horrible start, and found that part of his dream was true. A crack had opened at the back of the cave, and was already a wide passage. He was just in time to see the last of the ponies’ tails disappearing into it. Of course he gave a very loud yell, as loud a yell as a hobbit can give, which is surprising for their size.
