引用部分為臺版翻譯，以大師之文自勉
前情提要
詹吉講述了袋底洞的歷史，警告了那些想搞事的人。
paragraph 01
Days passed and The Day drew nearer. An odd-looking waggon laden with odd-looking packages rolled into Hobbiton one evening and toiled up the Hill to Bag End. The startled hobbits peered out of lamplit doors to gape at it. It was driven by outlandish folk, singing strange songs: dwarves with long beards and deep hoods. A few of them remained at Bag End. At the end of the second week in September a cart came in through Bywater from the direction of the Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it all alone. He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat. Small hobbit-children ran after the cart all through Hobbiton and right up the hill. It had a cargo of fireworks, as they rightly guessed. At Bilbo's front door the old man began to unload: there were great bundles of fireworks of all sorts and shapes, each labelled with a large red G and the elf-rune, .
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日子一天天過去，那一天近在眼前了。一天傍晚，一輛老舊的四輪馬車載著同樣老舊的包裹駛進了哈比屯，吭哧吭哧地爬上山駛向袋底洞。被嚇著的霍比特人透過亮著燈的門瞪大眼睛看著。一些來自外邊的人開著馬車，唱著奇怪的歌。 他們是留著長長的胡須的矮人，戴著高高的兜帽。一些矮人留在了袋底洞。在九月的第二周，光天化日之下有一輛載貨馬車從烈酒橋穿過臨水路，徑直開了過來。一個老人單獨掌著馬車。他帶著一頂又高又尖的藍帽子，穿著長長的灰袍子，帶著銀色的圍巾。他有著白色的胡須，濃密的眉毛甚至從帽子的邊緣露了出來。小霍比特人跟著馬車跑過了整個哈比屯，徑直上了山。他們猜對了，馬車上裝著煙花。老人在比爾博的前門卸貨: 這兒有很多各式各樣的煙火，每個煙火上都有大大的紅色的G, 和一些精靈文.
note
- roll into 滾進
- peer out 望向外面
- gape at 目瞪口呆
- stuck out 突出
日子一天天過去，大日子也越來越接近。某天傍晚，一輛裝滿怪異包裹的怪異馬車開進哈比屯，在袋底洞前停了下來。吃驚的哈比人紛紛從窗內往外窺探。駕車的是形跡怪異的外地人，唱著沒人聽過的歌謠：車夫是有著長胡子帶著兜帽的矮人。幾名矮人甚至還在袋底洞留了下來。到了九月第二周的時候，另一輛馬車在光天化日之下越過烈酒橋，沿著臨水區開了過來。駕車的只有一名老人。他戴著一頂高高尖尖的藍色帽子，穿著長長的灰袍以及一條銀色的圍巾。他的胡子又白又長，眉毛也長到伸出了帽緣。一大群小孩跟著馬車后面跑，穿過整個哈比屯，沿路跟著上了小山。他們猜的果然沒錯，車內裝的是煙火。老人在比爾博的門前開始卸貨，里面有各種各樣的煙火，每個都標明著一個大的紅色“甘”和精靈文字。
paragraph 02
That was Gandalf's mark, of course, and the old man was Gandalf the Wizard, whose fame in the Shire was due mainly to his skill with fires, smokes, and lights. His real business was far more difficult and dangerous, but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it. To them he was just one of the 'attractions' at the Party. Hence the excitement of the hobbit-children. 'G
for Grand!' they shouted, and the old man smiled. They knew him by sight, though he only appeared in Hobbiton occasionally and never stopped long; but neither they nor any but the oldest of their elders had seen one of his firework displays - they now belonged to the legendary past.
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這當然是甘道夫的標記，這個老人就是甘道夫巫師，他以制造火焰、煙霧和光亮的技術聞名夏爾。夏爾的人一點兒也不知道，他真正的工作比這要困難和危險多了。對于他們來講，甘道夫只是一個聚會中的噱頭而已。因此那些霍比特小孩才這么激動?！备实婪?甘道夫!“ 他們叫喊著，這個老人在旁邊哈哈大笑。他們認得到甘道夫的標志，即使甘道夫只偶爾出現在哈比屯，而且每次都呆不長。但是即使他們中最年長的那個也沒有見過甘道夫的煙火表演，這些表演已經是久遠的傳說了。
note
- by sight 憑外貌
這就是甘道夫的徽記，而那老人就是巫師甘道夫。他在夏爾的名氣主要是關于他操縱火焰、煙霧和光線的技巧。他真正的工作比這還要復雜、危險的多，但單純的夏爾居民對此一無所知。對他們來說，這巫師只是宴會的另一大賣點。因此小孩們才會這么興奮?！斑@縮寫是壯麗的意思！”孩子們大喊著，老人報以慈祥的微笑。雖然他偶爾才會來拜訪此地，每次也不會停留很長的時間，但哈比人每個都知道他的長相。不過，包括這些小孩和目前最老的哈比人都一樣沒看過他的煙火表演；這偉大的表演現在只存在于史書的記載中了。
paragraph 03
When the old man, helped by Bilbo and some dwarves, had finished unloading. Bilbo gave a few pennies away; but not a single squib or cracker was forthcoming, to the disappointment of the onlookers.
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在比爾博和一些矮人的幫助下，老人卸完了貨。比爾博散了一些零錢，但一根爆竹也沒有給他們。這讓外邊的那些小人很失望。
note
老人在比爾博和幾名矮人的幫助下完成卸貨之后，比爾博給了這群小孩一些零錢。不過，孩子們失望的發現，今天比爾博叔叔沒有餅干或零嘴可以給他們。
paragraph 04
'Run away now!' said Gandalf. 'You will get plenty when the time comes.' Then he disappeared inside with Bilbo, and the door was shut. The young hobbits stared at the door in vain for a while, and then made off, feeling that the day of the party would never come.
Inside Bag End, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the open window of a small room looking out west on to the garden. The late afternoon was bright and peaceful. The flowers glowed red and golden: snap-dragons and sun-flowers, and nasturtiums trailing all over the turf walls and peeping in at the round windows.
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“走走走，去玩吧!”甘道夫說，“到時候不會少了你們的?！?然后他就和比爾博消失在了袋底洞，關上了門。這些小孩徒勞的看了門一會兒，就四散走開了。他們覺得這次聚會可能永遠不會舉辦了。
袋底洞里面，比爾博和甘道夫一起坐在一個小房間的窗戶旁，看著西邊的花園。天色漸晚，卻是個明亮祥和的黃昏。紅色和金色的花長在一起: 這些是金魚草和向日葵。旱金蓮花爬過了抹著泥炭的墻，透過圓窗窺視著房間。
note
“快回家吧！”甘道夫說?！皶r候到了你們會吃都吃不完的?！比缓笏秃捅葼柌┮黄鹱哌M屋內，關上大門。年輕的哈比人們呆呆的看了大門半晌，最后才拖著不情愿的腳步離開，滿心覺得宴會彷佛永遠都不會到。在袋底洞里，比爾博和甘道夫坐在俯瞰花園的窗戶下。傍晚的天色還很明亮，天氣也很溫和。紅色和金色的花朵生長的十分茂盛，龍嘴花和向日葵都露出欣欣向榮的態勢，金蓮花則是生氣勃勃的攀上窗子，看著屋內的情景。
paragraph 05
'How bright your garden looks!' said Gandalf.
'Yes,' said Bilbo.'I am very fond indeed of it, and of all the dear old Shire; but I think I need a holiday.'
'You mean to go on with your plan then?'
'I do. I made up my mind months ago, and I haven't changed it.'
'Very well. It is no good saying any more. Stick to your plan - your whole plan, mind - and I hope it will turn out for the best, for you, and for all of us.'
'I hope so. Anyway I mean to enjoy myself on Thursday, and have my little joke.'
'Who will laugh, I wonder?' said Gandalf, shaking his head.
'We shall see,' said Bilbo.
translate
“你的花園真漂亮!” 甘道夫說。
“是啊,”比爾博說。“我很喜歡這個花園，也喜歡這個可愛的老夏爾。但是我需要一個假期。”
“ 你的意思是，你要繼續按你的計劃做?”
“ 是的。我在幾個月前就決定了，沒有動搖過?！?/p>
“好吧，我也不能說什么了。堅持你的計劃吧，我希望這于你于我們都是好事?！?/p>
“我也希望這樣。不管怎么樣，我周四會很開興的，我也準備了一個小玩笑。”
“ 我很好奇，誰最后會笑啊?！备实婪驌u了搖頭，說道。
“ 到時候就知道了。” 比爾博說。
note
- turn out 結果是
“你的花園看起來真漂亮！”甘道夫說。
“沒錯，”比爾博回答。“我很喜歡這個花園，夏爾對我來說也一樣的親切。不過，我想也該是放個假的時候了?！?/p>
“你是說要繼續你原先的計劃嗎？”
“是的。我幾個月前就下定了決心，現在也不會臨時變卦。”
“很好。那我們就不必多說了。不要心軟，照著原訂的計劃進行。記住，是原訂的計劃，我希望這會為你，也為我們大家帶來好結果?！?/p>
“我也這么希望。反正我準備這周四好好的享受一下，讓大家看看我的小玩笑?！?/p>
“不知道最后誰會笑??？”甘道夫搖著頭說。
“到時就知道了，”比爾博回答。
