the fellowship of the ring-第16部分

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hat　he　becamevery　unpopular　and　was　shunned　（when　visible）　by　all　his　relations。　Theykicked　him；　and　he　bit　their　feet。　He　took　to　thieving；　and　going　aboutmuttering　to　himself；　and　gurgling　in　his　throat。　So　they　called　him　_Gollum；_　
and　cursed　him；　and　told　him　to　go　far　away；　and　his　grandmother；　desiringpeace；　expelled　him　from　the　family　and　turned　him　out　of　her　hole。　
'He　wandered　in　loneliness；　weeping　a　little　for　the　hardness　of　theworld；　and　he　journeyed　up　the　River；　till　he　came　to　a　stream　that　floweddown　from　the　mountains；　and　he　went　that　way。　He　caught　fish　in　deep　poolswith　invisible　fingers　and　ate　them　raw。　One　day　it　was　very　hot；　and　as　hewas　bending　over　a　pool；　he　felt　a　burning　on　the　back　of　his　head）　and　adazzling　light　from　the　water　pained　his　wet　eyes。　He　wondered　at　it；　for　hehad　almost　forgotten　about　the　Sun。　Then　for　the　last　time　he　looked　up　andshook　his　fist　at　her。　　
'But　as　he　lowered　his　eyes；　he　saw　far　above　the　tops　of　the　MistyMountains；　out　of　which　the　stream　came。　And　he　thought　suddenly：　〃It　would　becool　and　shady　under　those　mountains。　The　Sun　could　not　watch　me　there。　Theroots　of　those　mountains　must　be　roots　indeed；　there　must　be　great　secretsburied　there　which　have　not　been　discovered　since　the　beginning。〃　
'So　he　journeyed　by　night　up　into　the　highlands；　and　he　found　a　little　　
　
cave　out　of　which　the　dark　stream　ran；　and　he　wormed　his　way　like　a　maggotinto　the　heart　of　the　hills；　and　vanished　out　of　all　knowledge。　The　Ring　wentinto　the　shadows　with　him；　and　even　the　maker；　when　his　power　had　begun　togrow　again；　could　learn　nothing　of　it。'　　
'Gollum！'　cried　Frodo。　'Gollum？　Do　you　mean　that　this　is　the　very　Gollumcreature　　
that　Bilbo　met？　How　loathsome！'　　
'I　think　it　is　a　sad　story；'　said　the　wizard；　'and　it　might　have　happenedto　others；　even　to　some　hobbits　that　I　have　known。'　
'I　can't　believe　that　Gollum　was　connected　with　hobbits；　howeverdistantly；'　said　Frodo　with　some　heat。　'What　an　abominable　notion！'　
'It　is　true　all　the　same；'　replied　Gandalf。　'About　their　origins；　at　anyrate；　I　know　more　than　hobbits　do　themselves。　And　even　Bilbo's　story　suggeststhe　kinship。　There　was　a　great　deal　in　the　background　of　their　minds　andmemories　that　was　very　similar。　They　understood　one　another　remarkably　well；　
very　much　better　than　a　hobbit　would　understand；　say；　a　Dwarf；　or　an　Orc；　oreven　an　Elf。　Think　of　the　riddles　they　both　knew；　for　one　thing。'　
'Yes；'　said　Frodo。　'Though　other　folks　besides　hobbits　ask　riddles；　andof　much　the　same　sort。　And　hobbits　don't　cheat。　Gollum　meant　to　cheat　all　the　　
time。　He　was　just　trying　to　put　poor　Bilbo　off　his　guard。　And　I　daresay　itamused　his　wickedness　to　start　a　game　which　might　end　in　providing　him　with　aneasy　victim；　but　if　he　lost　would　not　hurt　him。'　
'Only　too　true；　I　fear；'　said　Gandalf。　'But　there　was　something　else　init；　I　think；　which　you　don't　see　yet。　Even　Gollum　was　not　wholly　ruined。　Hehad　proved　tougher　than　even　one　of　the　Wise　would　have　guessed　…as　a　hobbitmight。　There　was　a　little　corner　of　his　mind　that　was　still　his　own；　and　lightcame　through　it；　as　through　a　chink　in　the　dark：　light　out　of　the　past。　It　wasactually　pleasant；　I　think；　to　hear　a　kindly　voice　again；　bringing　up　memoriesof　wind；　and　trees；　and　sun　on　the　grass；　and　such　forgotten　things。　
'But　that；　of　course；　would　only　make　the　evil　part　of　him　angrier　in　theend　–　unless　it　could　be　conquered。　Unless　it　could　be　cured。'　Gandalf　sighed。　
'Alas！　there　is　little　hope　of　that　for　him。　Yet　not　no　hope。　No；　not　thoughhe　possessed　the　Ring　so　long；　almost　as　far　back　as　he　can　remember。　For　itwas　long　since　he　had　worn　it　much：　in　the　black　darkness　it　was　seldomneeded。　Certainly　he　had　never　〃faded〃。　He　is　thin　and　tough　still。　But　thething　was　eating　up　his　mind；　of　course；　and　the　torment　had　bee　almostunbearable。　　
'All　the　〃great　secrets〃　under　the　mountains　had　turned　out　to　be　justempty　night：　there　was　nothing　more　to　find　out；　nothing　worth　doing；　onlynasty　furtive　eating　and　resentful　remembering。　He　was　altogether　wretched。　Hehated　the　dark；　and　he　hated　light　more：　he　hated　everything；　and　the　Ringmost　of　all。'　　
'What　do　you　mean？'　said　Frodo。　'Surely　the　Ring　was　his　precious　and　theonly　thing　he　cared　for？　But　if　he　hated　it；　why　didn't　he　get　rid　of　it；　orgo　away　and　leave　it？'　
'You　ought　to　begin　to　understand；　Frodo；　after　all　you　have　heard；'　saidGandalf。　'He　hated　it　and　loved　it；　as　he　hated　and　loved　himself。　He　couldnot　get　rid　of　it。　He　had　no　will　left　in　the　matter。　
'A　Ring　of　Power　looks　after　itself；　Frodo。　_It_　may　slip　offtreacherously；　but　its　keeper　never　abandons　it。　At　most　he　plays　with　theidea　of　handing　it　on　to　someone　else's　care　–　and　that　only　at　an　earlystage；　when　it　first　begins　to　grip。　But　as　far　as　I　know　Bilbo　alone　inhistory　has　ever　gone　beyond　playing；　and　really　done　it。　He　needed　all　myhelp；　too。　And　even　so　he　would　never　have　just　forsaken　it；　or　cast　it　aside。　
It　was　not　Gollum；　Frodo；　but　the　Ring　itself　that　decided　things。　The　Ringleft　_him。'_　　
'What；　just　in　time　to　meet　Bilbo？'　said　Frodo。　'Wouldn't　an　Orc　havesuited　it　better？'　　
'It　is　no　laughing　matter；'　said　Gandalf。　'Not　for　you。　It　was　thestrangest　event　in　the　whole　history　of　the　Ring　so　far：　Bilbo's　arrival　just　　
　
at　that　time；　and　putting　his　hand　on　it；　blindly；　in　the　dark。　
'There　was　more　than　one　power　at　work；　Frodo。　The　Ring　was　trying　to　getback　to　its　master。　It　had　slipped　from　Isildur's　hand　and　betrayed　him；　thenwhen　a　chance　came　it　caught　poor　Deal；　and　he　was　murdered；　and　after　thatGollum；　and　it　had　devoured　him。　It　could　make　no　further　use　of　him：　he　wastoo　small　and　mean；　and　as　long　as　it　stayed　with　him　he　would　never　leave　hisdeep　pool　again。　So　now；　when　its　master　was　awake　once　more　and　sending　outhis　dark　thought　from　Mirkwood；　it　abandoned　Gollum。　Only　to　be　picked　up　bythe　most　unlikely　person　imaginable：　Bilbo　from　the　Shire！　
'Behind　that　there　was　something　else　at　work；　beyond　any　design　of　theRing…maker。　I　can　put　it　no　plainer　than　by　saying　that　Bilbo　was　_meant_tofind　the　Ring；　and　_not_　by　its　maker。　In　which　case　you　also　were　_meant_tohave　it。　And　that　maybe　an　encouraging　thought。'　
It　is　not；'　said　Frodo。　〃Though　I　am　not　sure　that　I　understand　you。　Buthow　have　you　learned　all　this　about　the　Ring；　and　about　Gollum？　Do　you　reallyknow　it　all；　or　are　you　just　guessing　still？'　
Gandalf　looked　at　Frodo；　and　his　eyes　glinted。　I　knew　much　and　I　havelearned　much；'　he　answered。　'But　I　am　not　going　to　give　an　account　of　all　mydoings　to　_you。_　The　history　of　Elendil　and　Isildur　and　the　One　Ring　is　knownto　all　the　Wise。　Your　ring　is　shown　to　be　that　One　Ring　by　the　fire…writingalone；　apart　from　any　other　evidence。'　'And　when　did　you　discover　that？'　askedFrodo；　interrupting。　'Just　now　in　this　room；　of　course；'　answered　the　wizardsharply。　'But　I　expected　to　find　it。　I　have　e　back　from　dark　journeys　andlong　search　to　make　that　final　test。　It　is　the　last　proof；　and　all　is　now　onlytoo　clear。　Making　out　Gollum's　part；　and　fitting　it　into　the　gap　in　thehistory；　required　some　thought。　I　may　have　started　with　guesses　about　Gollum；　
but　I　am　not　guessing　now。　I　know。　I　have　seen　him。'　
'You　have　seen　Gollum？'　exclaimed　Frodo　in　amazement。　　
'Yes。　The　obvious　thing　to　do；　of　course；　if　one　could。　I　tried　long　ago；　
but　I　have　managed　it　at　last。'　
'Then　what　happened　after　Bilbo　escaped　from　him？　Do　you　know　that？'　
'Not　so　clearly。　What　I　have　told　you　is　what　Gollum　was　willing　to　tell　
–　though　not；　of　course；　in　the　way　I　have　reported　it。　Gollum　is　a　liar；　andyou　have　to　sift　his　words。　For　instance；　he　called　the　Ring　his　〃birthdaypresent〃；　and　he　stuck　to　that。　He　said　it　came　from　his　grandmother；　who　hadlots　of　beautiful　things　of　that　kind。　A　ridiculous　story。　I　have　no　doubtthat　Sméagol's　grandmother　was　a　matriarch；　a　great　person　in　her　way；　but　totalk　of　her　possessing　many　Elven…rings　was　absurd；　and　as　for　giving　themaway；　it　was　a　lie。　But　a　lie　with　a　grain　of　truth。　
'The　murder　of　Deal　haunted　Gollum；　and　he　had　made　up　a　defence；　
repeating　it　to　his　〃precious〃　over　and　over　again；　as　he　gnawed　bones　in　thedark；　until　he　almost　believed　it。　It　_was_　his　birthday。　Deal　ought　to　havegiven　the　ring　to　him。　It　had　previously　turned　up　just　so　as　to　be　a　present。　
It　_was_　his　birthday　present；　and　so　on；　and　on。　
I　endured　him　as　long　as　I　could；　but　the　truth　was　desperatelyimportant；　and　in　the　end　I　had　to　be　harsh。　I　put　the　fear　of　fire　on　him；　
and　wrung　the　true　story　out　of　him；　bit　by　bit；　together　with　much　snivellingand　snarling。　He　thought　he　was　misunderstood　and　ill…used。　But　when　he　had　atlast　told　me　his　history；　as　far　as　the　end　of　the　Riddle…game　and　Bilbo'sescape；　he　would　not　say　any　more；　except　in　dark　hints。　Some　other　fear　wason　him　greater　than　mine。　He　muttered　that　he　was　going　to　gel　his　own　back。　
People　would　see　if　he　would　stand　being　kicked；　and　driven　into　a　hole　andthen　_robbed。_　Gollum　had　good　friends　now；　good　friends　and　very　strong。　Theywould　help　him。　Baggins　would　pay　for　it。　That　was　his　chief　thought。　He　hatedBilbo　and　cursed　his　name。　What　is　more；　he　knew　where　he　came　from。'　
'But　how　did　he　find　that　out？'　asked　Fro