引用部分為臺版翻譯，以大師之文自勉.
前情回顧
比爾博站在門口迎接那些參加宴會的客人，給所有人分發了禮物。
paragraph 01
When every guest had been welcomed and was finally inside the gate, there were songs, dances, music, games, and, of course, food and drink. There were three official meals: lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). But lunch and tea were marked chiefly by the fact that at those times all the guests were sitting down and eating together. At other times there were merely lots of people eating and drinking - continuously from elevenses until six-thirty, when the fireworks started.
The fireworks were by Gandalf: they were not only brought by him, but designed and made by him; and the special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets were let off by him. But there was also a generous distribution of squibs, crackers, backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf-fountains, goblin-barkers and thunder-claps. They were all superb. The art of Gandalf improved with age.
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每位客人都被引進門后，場地上充斥著音樂、舞蹈、歌唱、游戲，當然還有食物和飲料。這里將會有三次正餐: 午餐、下午茶和晚餐（晚宴）。但是午餐和下午茶的說法，只是源自那個時間段所有的客人一起坐下來吃飯。在其他時候，只不過有很多人一直在吃喝——一直從上午十一點吃到了下午六點半。之后煙火表演就開始了。
煙火表演由甘道夫進行: 這些煙火不僅僅是他帶來的，而且還是他親自設計和制造的。他放著一些飛天火箭、一般或者還有特殊效果的煙火。但是這些之中還散布著許多爆竹、拉炮、鞭炮、煙花、火樹、矮人之燭、精靈之泉、妖精之吠還有雷霆之怒。他們都是非常棒的煙火。這是一門被甘道夫發展了很多年的技藝。
note
- let off 放出
- set piece 策劃行動、小說中的套路
- with age 因年久
在每個客人終于都進了門內之后，歌曲、舞蹈、音樂和各種各樣的游戲隨即展開，當然，食物和飲料更是絕不可少的。正式的餐點有三頓：午餐、午茶和晚餐。不過，所謂的午餐和午茶也不過就是大家坐下來，一起吃飯的時間。其它的時間人們照樣還是川流不息的取用各種餐點和飲料，從早上十一點到晚上六點半之間從沒停過。只有在煙火表演開始的時候大家才放下餐具。
煙火是甘道夫親自出馬的杰作：這不只是由他親手運來，更是由他設計和制造；各種各樣的特殊效果、道具和火箭也都是由他親手點燃的。除此之外，他還大方的分送各式各樣的爆竹、花火、沖天炮、火樹銀花、矮人燭花、精靈火瀑、地精響炮等等。這些東西都棒極了。甘道夫的手藝隨著年紀的增長果然越來越純熟。
paragraph 02
There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices. There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a whole spring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers down upon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touched their upturned faces. There were fountains of butterflies that flew glittering into the trees; there were pillars of coloured fires that rose and turned into eagles, or sailing ships, or a phalanx of flying swans; there was a red thunderstorm and a shower of yellow rain; there was a forest of silver spears that sprang suddenly into the air with a yell like an embattled army, and came down again into the Water with a hiss like a hundred hot snakes. And there was also one last surprise, in honour of Bilbo, and it startled the hobbits exceedingly, as Gandalf intended. The lights went out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance, and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew a red-golden dragon - not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws, his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed three times over the heads of the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passed like an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafening explosion.
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有些煙花如鳴雀般閃耀著沖天而起。連帶著許多煙霧，有些生出巨樹: 樹葉就像瞬間綻開了整個春天，閃亮的枝丫垂下許多花朵，落在目瞪口呆的霍比特人頭上。在他們想摸摸自己的臉之前，這些花朵已經伴著迷人的香氣消失了。閃亮的蝴蝶如瀑布般涌向大樹， 煙火之柱升騰而起，化作蒼鷹、航船或天鵝群。這里像刮著紅色的暴風，下著黃色的雨幕。長矛如林，伴隨著沙場軍隊的吶喊擲向天空，復又落入水中，嘶嘶聲如百蛇吐信。還有一個為致敬比爾博而準備的驚喜，就像甘道夫預期的那樣，這可讓霍比特人們大吃一驚。光芒綻出，巨量煙霧升騰，化為遠方的山峰，頂端逐漸變紅。山峰噴出綠色和赤色火焰，其間飛出一條赤金色巨龍。不像真實一般龐大，但卻一樣駭人。下頜噴出火焰，眼眸刺出光芒。伴隨著震耳欲聾的吼叫，它三次掠過眾人的頭頂。他們紛紛低頭躲避，很多人摔了個嘴啃泥。巨龍就像訓練有素般飛走，空中翻轉一圈，在傍水鎮的上空猛烈爆炸了。
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- a forest of 林立
有的火箭引燃時像是出谷的黃鶯編隊在空中飛行，發出美妙的樂聲。還有煙火甚至變成了綠色的樹葉，黑煙成了火樹的樹干，一瞬間讓人體驗到春去秋來花開花落的奇觀。發出閃光的樹枝也不甘示弱的綻放出鮮艷的煙花，落在驚訝的人們身上，在這些火花燙傷他們之前，甘道夫的密招讓火花全都在甜美的香氣中消失的無影無蹤。如瀑布般涌出的閃光蝴蝶在樹叢間穿梭，火焰構成的石柱從地面噴出，隨即化身成飛鷹、帆船或是展翅翱翔的天鵝。一陣紅色的雷暴讓天空落下了黃色的細雨；銀色的長槍如千軍萬馬般射向天空，隨即又如同萬千長蛇一樣發出嘶嘶巨響落入河中。為了向比爾博致敬，節目中還有最后一個特別項目，它正如同甘道夫的計劃一樣，讓哈比人們大吃一驚。全場的燈光跟著熄滅。一陣濃煙出現，化成遠方看去的山影，山頂接著開始發出光芒。隨即它吐出了紅色和綠色的火焰。從火山中飛出一只金紅色的巨龍，體型雖然和真龍有段距離，但他栩栩如生的外貌讓人不寒而栗。巨龍的口中吐出火焰，發出巨吼，接著又在人群頭上連吐了三次烈焰。全部的人都不由自主的趴了下來，試圖躲過這陣烈焰。巨龍發出轟隆巨響飛過眾人頭上，最后來個后空翻，在臨水區上空炸成一片燦爛的火花。
paragraph 03
'That is the signal for supper!' said Bilbo. The pain and alarm vanished at once, and the prostrate hobbits leaped to their feet. There was a splendid supper for everyone; for everyone, that is, except those invited to the special family dinner-party. This was held in the great pavilion with the tree. The invitations were limited to twelve dozen (a number also called by the hobbits one Gross, though the word was not considered proper to use of people); and the guests were selected from all the families to which Bilbo and Frodo were related, with the addition of a few special unrelated friends (such as Gandalf). Many young hobbits were included, and present by parental permission; for hobbits were easy-going with their children in the matter of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting them a free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender.
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”我們的晚宴開始啦！“比爾博說。緊張不安的氣氛一下子消失了，趴在地上的霍比特人立刻跳了起來。這里有著為每個人準備的豐盛晚宴, 每個人指的是除過了那些被邀請參加特殊家庭晚宴的人。家庭晚宴在長著樹的大帳篷里舉辦。只有一百四十四個人受到了邀請(霍比特人把一百四十四稱作一籮，雖然這個量詞似乎不太適合用在人身上)，這些客人是從與比爾博和佛羅多有親屬關系的家庭中挑選出來的，也包括一些沒有血緣關系的老朋友(就像甘道夫)。許多小霍比特人也包含其中，在父母的允許下出席。霍比特人在熬夜有關的問題上，和他們的孩子處得很好。尤其是在可以免費獲得食物的時候。撫養這些小霍比特人可是得花很多很多食物的。
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- leaped to 立刻
- in the matter of 在... 方面
- sitting up late 熬夜
“晚餐開始啦！”比爾博大喊。眾人的驚恐立刻消失于無形，之前還驚魂未定的人們拍拍衣服，立刻站了起來。晚餐十分的豐盛，每個人都可以盡享佳肴美點。唯一不在此用餐的只有另外一群參加特別家族宴會的人們。這個宴會中的宴會是在樹旁的大帳棚內舉辦的。獲邀的來賓只有一百四十四人（哈比人也稱這個數字為十二打，不過不太適合用在人身上）；這些賓客都是從比爾博和佛羅多的親戚中挑選出來的，另外還有一些沒有血緣關系的特別密友（像是甘道夫）。這里面還包括了許多年輕的哈比人，他們都在父母的同意之下前來參加宴會；哈比人一般來說對小孩熬夜的要求都會比較通融，特別是有機會填飽他們肚子的時候更是好說話。要養大哈比小孩得花上不少的伙食費哪！
paragraph 04
There were many Bagginses and Boffins, and also many Tooks and Brandybucks; there were various Grubbs (relations of Bilbo Baggins' grandmother), and various Chubbs (connexions of his Took grandfather); and a selection of Burrowses, Bolgers, Bracegirdles, Brockhouses, Goodbodies, Hornblowers and Proudfoots. Some of these were only very distantly connected with Bilbo, and some of them had hardly ever been in Hobbiton before, as they lived in remote corners of the Shire. The Sackville-Bagginses were not forgotten. Otho and his wife Lobelia were present. They disliked Bilbo and detested Frodo, but so magnificent was the invitation card, written in golden ink, that they had felt it was impossible to refuse. Besides, their cousin, Bilbo, had been specializing in food for many years and his table had a high reputation.
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這兒有很多巴金斯家的人和博芬家的人，還有許多來自圖克家族和烈酒鹿家族的人。還有一些格拉布家(比爾博·巴金斯祖母那一系)的人，和查布族（他的圖克爺爺的親戚）的人。有少許布羅斯族、博格族、布萊斯格德族、布羅克豪斯族、古德卜族、霍恩布羅爾族和普勞福特族的人。一些人只是比爾博的遠房親戚，一些甚至在哈比屯基本不怎么露面，因為他們住在夏爾遙遠的角落。賽克威爾·巴金斯家的人也沒有被忘掉。羅索和他妻子羅貝拉出席了宴會。他們不喜歡比爾博，更憎惡佛羅多。但是那張金色墨水書寫的邀請函是多么有魔力，他們根本不可能拒絕。而且他們的表弟比爾博在食物上潛心多年，他的宴會名聲總是那么棒。
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私人宴會中有很多巴金斯和波芬家的人，另外也有許多圖克家和烈酒鹿家的成員。還有幾名葛盧伯家人（比爾博曾祖母的親戚），幾名丘伯家的人（比爾博圖克家系的曾祖父那一系的親戚），還有幾個布羅斯家、博格家、抱腹家、獾屋家、健體家、吹號者家和傲腳家的人。這些人里面有些已經算是非常遠房的親戚了，甚至有人以前從未踏足哈比屯，一輩子都居住在夏爾的偏遠地區。當然，巴金斯家里面的塞克維爾一系也沒有被怠慢。傲梭和他老婆羅貝拉也都有出席。他們不喜歡比爾博，對佛羅多更是恨之入骨。但是華麗的邀請函是用金色的墨水所撰寫的，這種殊榮讓他們覺得難以抗拒。另外，他們痛恨的這位比爾博多年以來可都是以美食著稱，他的餐點可算是鄰近地區的奇觀之一。
