Whence did the trolls get them, I wonder?” said Thorin looking at his sword with new interest.

“I could not say, ” said Elrond, “but one may guess that your trolls had plundered other plunderers, or come on the remnants of old robberies in some hold in the mountains of the North. I have heard that there are still forgotten treasures of old to be found in the deserted caverns of the mines of Moria, since the dwarf and goblin war. ”

Thorin pondered these words. “I will keep this sword in honour, ” he said. “May it soon cleave goblins once again!”

A wish that is likely to be granted soon enough in the mountains!” said Elrond. “But show me now your map!” He took it and gazed long at it, and he shook his head; for if he did not altogether approve of dwarves and their love of gold, he hated dragons and their cruel wickedness, and he grieved to remember the ruin of the town of Dale and its merry bells, and the burned banks of the bright River Running.

The moon was shining (сияла луна) in a broad silver crescent (широким серебряным полумесяцем). He held up the map (он поднял карту) and the white light shone through it (и белый свет светился сквозь нее; to shine).

“What is this (что это)?” he said. “There are moon-letters here (да здесь лунные буквы), beside the plain runes (кроме обычных рун) which say (которые говорят) ‘five feet high the door (дверь высотой пять футов) and three may walk abreast (и трое смогут пройти в ряд). ’ “

“What are moon-letters (что такое лунные буквы)?” asked the hobbit full of excitement (спросил хоббит, полный возбуждения). He loved maps (он любил карты), as I have told you before (как я уже сказал вам раньше); and he also liked runes and letters (и ему также нравились руны и буквы) and cunning handwriting (и искусный почерк), though when he wrote himself (хотя, когда он писал сам) it was a bit thin and spidery (его почерк был слегка тонким и неразборчивым; spider — паук).

“Moon-letters are rune-letters (лунные буквы — это те же руны), but you cannot see them (но их нельзя увидеть), ” said Elrond, “not when you look straight at them (когда смотришь прямо на них). They can only be seen (их можно увидеть только тогда) when the moon shines behind them (когда за ними светит луна), and what is more (и, более того), with the more cunning sort (/есть еще/ такая более хитроумная разновидность /лунных букв/) it must be a moon of the same shape and season (что луна должна быть той же формы и в тоже время года) as the day when they were written (как и в тот день, когда они были написаны). The dwarves invented them (их изобрели гномы) and wrote them with silver pens (и писали их с помощью серебряных ручек), as your friends could tell you (как могли бы рассказать вам ваши друзья). These must have been written on a midsummer’s eve (эти, должно быть, были написаны в канун летнего солнцестояния) in a crescent moon (в первую четверть Луны; crescent — полумесяц, неполная луна, серп луны; первая/последняя четверть луны), a long while ago (очень и очень давно). ”

crescent [ˈkres (ǝ) nt] excitement [ɪkˈsaɪtmǝnt] spidery [ˈspaɪd (ǝ) rɪ]

The moon was shining in a broad silver crescent. He held up the map and the white light shone through it.

“What is this?” he said. “There are moon-letters here, beside the plain runes which say ‘five feet high the door and three may walk abreast. ’ “

What are moon-letters?” asked the hobbit full of excitement. He loved maps, as I have told you before; and he also liked runes and letters and cunning handwriting, though when he wrote himself it was a bit thin and spidery.

“Moon-letters are rune-letters, but you cannot see them, ” said Elrond, “not when you look straight at them. They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them, and what is more, with the more cunning sort it must be a moon of the same shape and season as the day when they were written. The dwarves invented them and wrote them with silver pens, as your friends could tell you. These must have been written on a midsummer’s eve in a crescent moon, a long while ago. ”

“What do they say (что же они говорят)?” asked Gandalf and Thorin together (спросили Гэндальф и Торин вместе), a bit vexed perhaps (возможно, слегка раздосадованные; to vex — досаждать, раздражать; возмущать, сердить) that even Elrond should have found this out first (что именно Элронд обнаружил эти /буквы/ первым), though really (хотя, на самом деле) there had not been a chance before (шанса раньше не представлялось), and there would not have been another (и не было бы и другого) until goodness knows when (до неизвестно каких пор; goodness — доброта, ценные качества; зд. заменяет слово God — Бог /чтобы не употреблять его всуе/).

“Stand by the grey stone (стой у серого камня) when the thrush knocks (когда застучит дрозд), ” read Elrond (прочитал Элронд), “and the setting sun (и заходящее солнце) with the last light of Durin’s Day (последним лучом света Дьюриного Дня) will shine upon the key-hole (озарит замочную скважину). ”

“Durin (Дьюрин), Durin!” said Thorin (сказал Торин). “He was the father of the fathers (он был прародителем родоначальников) of the eldest race of Dwarves (древнейшего рода Гномов), the Longbeards (Длиннобородых), and my first ancestor (и мой первый предок): I am his heir (я его наследник). ”

“Then what is Durin’s Day (тогда, что же это за Дьюрин день)?” asked Elrond (спросил Элронд).

“The first day of the dwarves’ New Year (первый день Нового Года гномов), ” said Thorin, “is as all should know (это, как все должны знать) the first day of the last moon of Autumn (первый день последней луны Осени) on the threshold of Winter (на пороге Зимы). We still call it Durin’s Day (мы все еще называем его Дьюриным Днем) when the last moon of Autumn (когда последняя луна Осени) and the sun (и солнце) are in the sky together (находятся на небе вместе). But this will not help us much (но это нам не очень поможет), I fear (я боюсь), for it passes our skill in these days (потому как за пределом наших умений в эти дни; to pass — проходить; превосходить) to guess when such a time (предугадать, когда такое время) will come again (наступит снова). ”

vex [veks] chance [tʃɑ: ns] thrush [Ɵrʌʃ]

What do they say?” asked Gandalf and Thorin together, a bit vexed perhaps that even Elrond should have found this out first, though really there had not been a chance before, and there would not have been another until goodness knows when.

“Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, ” read Elrond, “and the setting sun with the last light of Durin’s Day will shine upon the key-hole. ”

“Durin, Durin!” said Thorin. “He was the father of the fathers of the eldest race of Dwarves, the Longbeards, and my first ancestor: I am his heir. ”