Английский язык с Дж. Р. Р. Толкиеном. Хоббит

Now strange to say Mr. Baggins had more than the others. He would often borrow Thorin’s map and gaze at it, pondering over the runes and the message of the moon-letters Elrond had read. It was he that made the dwarves begin the dangerous search on the western slopes for the secret door. They moved their camp then to a long valley, narrower than the great dale in the South where the Gates of the river stood, and walled with lower spurs of the Mountain. Two of these here thrust forward west from the main mass in long steep-sided ridges that fell ever downwards towards the plain. On this western side there were fewer signs of the dragon’s marauding feet, and there was some grass for their ponies. From this western camp, shadowed all day by cliff and wall until the sun began to sink towards the forest, day by day they toiled in parties searching for paths up the mountain-side. If the map was true, somewhere high above the cliff at the valley’s head must stand the secret door. Day by day they came back to their camp without success.

But at last unexpectedly (но наконец, неожиданно) they found what they were seeking (они нашли то, что они искали; to seek — искать, разыскивать). Fili and Kili and the hobbit went back one day (Фили, Кили и хоббит вернулись однажды) down the valley (вниз в долину) and scrambled among the tumbled rocks (и карабкались с трудом меж сваленных скал) at its southern corner (у ее южной части; corner — угол, закоулок; район). About midday (около полудня), creeping behind a great stone (медленно крадучись за огромным камнем) that stood alone like a pillar (что стоял отдельно, подобно колонне), Bilbo came on what looked like rough steps going upwards (Бильбо вышел на что-то, что выглядело подобно грубым ступеням, ведущим вверх). Following these excitedly (с волнение следуя им: «следуя этим /ступеням/») he and the dwarves found traces of a narrow track (он и гномы обнаружили следы узкой тропы; trace — след, отпечаток, остатки чего-либо, признаки), often lost (/которая/ часто терялась), often rediscovered (/которую/ часто /они вынуждены были/ отыскивать заново), that wandered on to the top of the southern ridge (которая брела = вела /блуждая/ к верхушке южного хребта) and brought them at last (и /которая/ привела их, наконец-то) to a still narrower ledge (к еще более узкому выступу; ledge — планка, полочка; выступ, край), which turned north (который поворачивал на север) across the face of the Mountain (по всему склону Горы; face — лицо; открытый склон, склон холма). Looking down (взглянув вниз) they saw that they were at the top of the cliff (они увидели, что они были у самого верха отвесной скалы) at the valley’s head (у верхней части долины) and were gazing down (и смотрели пристально вниз) on to their own camp below (на их собственный лагерь там, внизу).

pillar ['pl] rough [rf] narrow ['naer]