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

After a while Gollum began to hiss with pleasure to himself: “Is it nice, my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?” He began to peer at Bilbo out of the darkness.

“Half a moment, ” said the hobbit shivering. “I gave you a good long chance just now. ”

“It must make haste, haste!” said Gollum, beginning to climb out of his boat on to the shore to get at Bilbo. But when he put his long webby foot in the water, a fish jumped out in a fright and fell on Bilbo’s toes.

“Ugh!” he said, “it is cold and clammy!” — and so he guessed. “Fish! Fish!” he cried. “It is fish!”

Gollum was dreadfully disappointed (Голлум был ужасно разочарован); but Bilbo asked another riddle (но Бильбо загадал другую загадку) as quick as ever be could (так быстро, как он только мог), so that Gollum had to get back into his boat and think (так, что Голлуму пришлось вернуться в свою лодку и думать /над загадкой/).

No-legs lay on one-leg (безногий лежит на одноногом), two-legs sat near on three-legs (двуногий сидит рядом на трехногом), four-legs got some (четырехногий получил что-то).

It was not really the right time for this riddle (это было не очень то, на самом деле, подходящее время для этой загадки), but Bilbo was in a hurry (но Бильбо спешил). Gollum might have had some trouble guessing it (Голлум должно быть намучился бы, отгадывая ее; trouble — беспокойство, беда, затруднение), if he had asked it at another time (если бы он загадал ее в другое время). As it was (хотя), talking of fish (говоря о рыбе), “no-legs” was not so very difficult («безногий» оказалось не так уж очень сложно), and after that the rest was easy (и после этого остальное было легко).

“Fish on a little table (рыба на маленьком столике), man at table sitting on a stool (человек за столом, сидящий на табурете), the cat has the bones (и кошке достались кости) ” — that of course is the answer (это, конечно, ответ), and Gollum soon gave it (и Голлум вскоре дал его). Then he thought (потом он подумал) the time had come (что пришло время) to ask something hard and horrible (загадать нечто трудное и ужасное). This is what he said (вот что он сказал):

This thing all things devours (это существо все существа пожирает):

Birds (птиц), beasts (зверей), trees (деревья), flowers (цветы);

Gnaws iron (разъедает железо; to gnaw — грызть, глодать), bites steel (и крушит сталь; to bite — кусать, жалить);

Grinds hard stones to meal (мелет тяжелые камни в муку);

Slays king (разит короля; to slay — убивать, уничтожать, лишать жизни), ruins town (разрушает город),

And beats high mountain down (и разбивает/обрушивает высокую гору).

disappointed [ˌdɪsǝˈpɔɪntɪd] hurry [ˈhʌrɪ] devour [dɪˈvaʋǝ] grind [ɡraɪnd]

Gollum was dreadfully disappointed; but Bilbo asked another riddle as quick as ever be could, so that Gollum had to get back into his boat and think.

No-legs lay on one-leg,
two-legs sat near on three-legs,
four-legs got some.

It was not really the right time for this riddle, but Bilbo was in a hurry. Gollum might have had some trouble guessing it, if he had asked it at another time. As it was, talking of fish, “no-legs” was not so very difficult, and after that the rest was easy.

“Fish on a little table, man at table sitting on a stool, the cat has the bones” — that of course is the answer, and Gollum soon gave it. Then he thought the time had come to ask something hard and horrible. This is what he said: