It’s trolls!” said Bilbo from behind a tree. They had forgotten all about him. “They’re hiding in the bushes with sacks, ” said he.

O! are they?” said Thorin, and he jumped forward to the fire, before they could leap on him. He caught up a big branch all on fire at one end; and Bert got that end in his eye before he could step aside. That put him out of the battle for a bit.

Bilbo did his best (Бильбо сделал все возможное). He caught hold of Tom’s leg (он ухватился /мертвой/ хваткой за ногу Тома) as well as he could (/так хорошо/ как только мог), it was thick as a young tree-trunk (она была такая же толстая, как ствол молодого деревца) but he was sent spinning up (но был отброшен ударом; to spin — прясть; крутить, вертеть, описывать круги) into the top of some bushes (на верхушку каких-то кустов), when Tom kicked the sparks up in Thorin’s face (когда Том швырнул ногой искры от костра в лицо Торина). Tom got the branch in his teeth for that (Том получил веткой в зуб за это), and lost one of the front ones (и лишился одного из передних). It made him howl (от этого он завыл; to make smb. do smth. — заставлять, вынуждать), I can tell you (могу вам сказать). But just at that moment (но как раз в этот момент) William came up behind (сзади подошел Вильям) and popped a sack (и быстро и неожиданно накинул мешок) right over Thorin’s head (прямо на голову Торина) and down to his toes (и вниз, до его ног). And so the fight ended (и так вот бой закончился). A nice pickle they were all in now (в хорошенький попали они все переплет; pickle — рассол, маринад; /разг. / неприятное положение): all neatly tied up in sacks (все аккуратно завязанные в мешках), with three angry trolls (с тремя сердитыми троллями) (and two with burns (и двое /из них/ — с ожогами) and bashes (и побоями; bash — сильный удар) to remember (чтобы помнить = на память) sitting by them (сидящих рядом с ними), arguing whether they should roast them slowly (споря, стоит ли им поджарить их медленно), or mince them fine (или мелко покрошить их) and boil them (и сварить их), or just sit on them (или просто сесть на них) one by one (одного за другим) and squash them into jelly (раздавить их в желе): and Bilbo up in a bush (и Бильбо высоко в кусте), with his clothes and his skin torn (и его одеждой и кожей разорванной /в клочья/), not daring to move (не отваживаясь пошевелиться) for fear they should hear him (из-за страха, что они смогут услышать его).

behind [bɪˈhaɪnd] pickle [ˈpɪk (ǝ) l] burns [bǝ: nz] argue [ˈɑ: ɡju:]

Bilbo did his best. He caught hold of Tom’s leg — as well as he could, it was thick as a young tree-trunk — but he was sent spinning up into the top of some bushes, when Tom kicked the sparks up in Thorin’s face. Tom got the branch in his teeth for that, and lost one of the front ones. It made him howl, I can tell you. But just at that moment William came up behind and popped a sack right over Thorin’s head and down to his toes. And so the fight ended. A nice pickle they were all in now: all neatly tied up in sacks, with three angry trolls (and two with burns and bashes to remember) sitting by them, arguing whether they should roast them slowly, or mince them fine and boil them, or just sit on them one by one and squash them into jelly: and Bilbo up in a bush, with his clothes and his skin torn, not daring to move for fear they should hear him.

It was just then (это было как раз тогда) that Gandalf came back (когда вернулся Гэндальф). But no one saw him (но никто не увидел его). The trolls had just decided (тролли только что решили) to roast the dwarves now (поджарить гномов сейчас же) and eat them later (и съесть их позже) that was Bert’s idea (это была идея Берта), and after a lot of argument (и после долгих споров) they had all agreed to it (они все согласились с ней).

“No good roasting ‘em now (ничего хорошего в том, чтобы жарить их сейчас), it’d take all night (это займет всю ночь), ” said a voice (сказал чей-то голос). Bert thought it was William’s (Берт подумал, что это был голос Вильяма).

“Don’t start the argument all over again, Bill (не начинай спор заново, Билл). ” he said (сказал он), “or it will take all night (или он займет всю ночь). ”

“Who’s a-arguing (кто это спорит)?” said William, who thought it was Bert (который подумал, что это был Берт) that had spoken (который сказал это). “You are (ты), ” said Bert.

“You’re a liar (ты лжец), ” said William; and so the argument began all over again (и таким образом спор начался снова заново). In the end (наконец) they decided to mince them fine (они решили смолоть их мелко) and boil them (и сварить их). So they got a black pot (и они достали черный горшок), and they took out their knives (и они достали свои ножи).

argument [ˈɑ: ɡjʋmǝnt] roasting [ˈrǝʋstɪŋ] liar [ˈlaɪǝ] mince [mɪns]

It was just then that Gandalf came back. But no one saw him. The trolls had just decided to roast the dwarves now and eat them later — that was Bert’s idea, and after a lot of argument they had all agreed to it.