以后每次翻译将会用台湾联经版本作为对照。以大师之文自勉。
前情提要:
比尔博宣布自己即将举行一百一十一岁生日宴会，夏尔的人对此议论纷纷。
paragraph 01
'A very nice well-spoken gentlehobbit is Mr. Bilbo, as I've always said,' the Gaffer declared. With perfect truth: for Bilbo was very polite to him, calling him 'Master Hamfast', and consulting him constantly upon the growing of vegetables - in the matter of 'roots', especially potatoes, the Gaffer was recognized as the leading authority by all in the neighbourhood (including himself).
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“我总说比尔博先生是一个为人称道的绅士，” 老爹这样说。比尔博总是对他很友好，叫他“哈姆法斯特大师”。比尔博总会请教老爹怎么培植蔬菜的事，特别是像土豆一样的“根”。詹吉老爹被所有的街坊（包括他自己）公认为是这方面的权威。
note
- in the matter of 在...方面. 就...而论
- recognized as 公认为
reference
“我老早就说，比尔博先生是个相当好的哈比人，”老家伙宣称。这是千真万确的，因为比尔博对他非常有礼貌，平常都称呼他为哈姆法斯特先生，并且经常的在蔬菜种植的问题上请教他，特别是在根茎类植物的种植上更是执礼甚恭。老家伙在马铃薯这类植物方面可是第一把交椅。（连他自己也不吝承认）
paragraph 02
'But what about this Frodo that lives with him?' asked Old Noakes of Bywater.
'Baggins is his name, but he's more than half a Brandybuck, they say. It beats me why any Baggins of Hobbiton should go looking for a wife away there in Buckland, where folks are so queer.'
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"但是和他住一起的佛罗多是什么情况？" 临水路的老诺克问道。
“巴金斯是他的姓，但是据说他有一半的血统属于烈酒鹿家。我不太清楚为什么哈比屯的巴金斯家族的人要去雄鹿地找老婆。那里的人都有些古怪。”
note
- It beats me 不太清楚
reference
“但和他住在一起的佛罗多又怎么样？”临水区的老诺克问道。“他也叫作巴金斯，但他也有一半烈酒鹿家的血统。我也搞不清楚为什么会有哈比屯的巴金斯家人想要去找雄鹿地的怪家伙结婚。”
paragraph 03
'And no wonder they're queer,' put in Daddy Twofoot (the Gaffer's next-door neighbour), 'if they live on the wrong side of the Brandywine River, and right agin the Old Forest. That's a dark bad place, if half the tales be true.'
'You're right, Dad!' said the Gaffer. 'Not that the Brandybucks of Buck-land live in the Old Forest; but they're a queer breed, seemingly. They fool about with boats on that big river - and that isn't natural. Small wonder that trouble came of it, I say. But be that as it may, Mr. Frodo is as nice a young hobbit as you could wish to meet. Very much like Mr. Bilbo, and in more than looks. After all his father was a Baggins. A decent respectable hobbit was Mr. Drogo Baggins; there was never much to tell of him, till he was drowned.'
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“不奇怪他们为什么那么古怪，” 图福特老爹（詹吉的隔壁邻居）插嘴道，“他们住在烈酒河错误的那边，正好对着老森林。如果传说有一半是真的话，那可真是一个晦暗的地方。”
“对对对，老爹！“ 詹吉说到。”不是说雄鹿地的烈酒鹿家住在老森林里面，而是他们看起来就是古怪的人。他们在那条大河上瞎摆弄船，这一点都不合常理。也就不奇怪他们总能带来些麻烦。尽管如此，佛罗多先生就像一个你能遇到的最好的小霍比特人。他和比尔博先生很像，不只是长得像而已。毕竟他的父亲是巴金斯家族的人。他父亲德罗哥·巴金斯是一个体面又令人尊敬的霍比特人，他淹死之前大家也没怎么说起过他。
note
- Not that 并不是说
- fool about with 瞎摆弄
- came of 引来
- be that as it may 尽管如此
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“也不能怪他们不合常理，”老家伙的隔壁邻居图伏特老爹说，“他们住在烈酒河的另一边，又靠近老林那边。那里可是个受诅咒的不祥之地。”
“你说的对，老爹！”老家伙说。“虽然雄鹿地的烈酒鹿那家子人不是住在老林里面，但他们的行事作风真的很奇怪。他们会在那条大河上搞艘船跑来跑去，这可不是正当人家会做的事情。难怪那里老是会有麻烦事。不管怎么样，佛罗多先生都是个好青年。他和比尔博先生很像，连想法都差不了多少。毕竟他父亲那边还是有巴金斯家的血统。德罗哥巴金斯可是个好人，在他淹死之前可是个洁身自爱的家伙哪！”
paragraph 04
'Drownded?' said several voices. They had heard this and other darker rumours before, of course; but hobbits have a passion for family history, and they were ready to hear it again.
'Well, so they say,' said the Gaffer.
'You see: Mr. Drogo, he married poor Miss Primula Brandybuck. She was our Mr. Bilbo's first cousin on the mother's side (her mother being the youngest of the Old Took's daughters); and Mr. Drogo was his second cousin. So Mr. Frodo is his first and second cousin, once removed either way, as the saying is, if you follow me. And Mr. Drogo was staying at Brandy Hall with his father-in-law, old Master Gorbadoc, as he often did after his marriage (him being partial to his vittles, and old Gorbadoc keeping a mighty generous table); and he went out boating on the Brandywine River; and he and his wife were drownded, and poor Mr. Frodo only a child and all. '
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“ 淹死了？” 一些人叽叽喳喳的说。他们已经听过这个说法，当然也听过一些更黑暗的传闻。但是霍比特人本着对家族历史的热爱，已经准备好再听一遍了。
“嗯，他们是这么说的。” 詹吉说到。
“你们看： 德罗哥先生娶了雄鹿地的普利缪拉小姐。她是我们比尔博先生在母亲那一支最年长的表亲（她的妈妈是老图克最小的女儿），而且德罗哥先生是比尔博第二支的表亲。所以说佛罗多先生是他的第一代也是第二代表亲，如果你们听我说的话，这两种说法都无所谓的。德罗哥先生和他的岳父，老戈巴达克一起厮混在烈酒厅。就像他在结婚后经常做的那样（他有对食物的癖好，而戈巴达克备有美酒佳肴招待别人） 。 然后他在烈酒河上划船，他和他的妻子就这样淹死了。留下了佛罗多孤苦伶仃一个小孩。”
note
- either way 无所谓
- keep a good table 家中常备美食招待别人
reference
“淹死？”听众中有人反问。他们当然听过这类恐怖的谣言，不过哈比人就是喜欢这种家族历史的故事；他们这次又想再听一次。
“嗯，他们是这样说的，”老家伙道。“我想一下喔，德罗哥先生娶了可怜的普丽谬拉烈酒鹿小姐。她是比尔博先生母系的表妹（她妈妈是老图克最小的女儿）；德罗哥则是他的旁系亲戚。所以，佛罗多就是比尔博的表妹的儿子，这关系可深远着哪！德罗哥先生结婚之后就经常和去烈酒厅的岳父家斯混。（这家伙嘴可馋着呢，他岳父葛巴达克又爱吃好菜，两人就这么一拍即合）当时他去烈酒河上泛舟，他和他的妻子就这么翻船淹死了。可怜的佛罗多那时还只是个小孩啊！”
paragraph 05
‘I've heard they went on the water after dinner in the moonlight,' said Old Noakes; 'and it was Drogo's weight as sunk the boat.'
'And I heard she pushed him in, and he pulled her in after him,' said Sandyman, the Hobbiton miller.
'You shouldn't listen to all you hear, Sandyman,' said the Gaffer, who did not much like the miller. 'There isn't no call to go talking of pushing and pulling. Boats are quite tricky enough for those that sit still without looking further for the cause of trouble. Anyway: there was this Mr. Frodo left an orphan and stranded, as you might say, among those queer Bucklanders, being brought up anyhow in Brandy Hall. A regular warren, by all accounts. Old Master Gorbadoc never had fewer than a couple of hundred relations in the place. Mr. Bilbo never did a kinder deed than when he brought the lad back to live among decent folk.
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“我听说他们在晚饭后去的水上，” 老诺克说道，“是德罗哥的重量把船压沉了。”
“我听说是她把他推下去的，而他也顺势把她拽了下去，” 哈比屯的磨坊主桑迪曼说道。
“你不应该相信你听到的所有东西， 桑迪曼，” 詹吉说道，他不怎么喜欢桑迪曼。“推啊拉啊的，根本没有依据。船对那些乖乖坐着不到处找麻烦的人来说已经足够棘手了。不管怎么样，这就是佛罗多怎么变成孤苦伶仃的故事。你可以在那些古怪的雄鹿地人中发现他有多么可怜，但不管怎么样，他依旧在烈酒厅被带大了。据大家所说，那里就是一个大杂院，而老戈巴达克总能在那个地方找到几百个亲戚。比尔博先生能领养这个可怜的小人是非常仁慈的。
note
- by all accounts. 据大家所说
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“我听说他们是吃完饭之后准备在月光下泛舟，”老诺克说，“德罗哥吃得太多，把船给压沉了。”
“我听说是她把他推下去，而德罗哥又把老婆给拉下去，”哈比屯的磨坊主人山迪曼接口道。
“我说山迪曼哪，你最好不要把这些谣言照单全收，”老家伙不太喜欢眼前的磨坊主人。“老是提一些推推拉拉的事情没意思嘛！船这种东西很危险，就算你坐好不动，不想惹麻烦，还是有可能倒楣的。不管啦，反正佛罗多最后就是成了孤儿，被丢在那群雄鹿地的怪人之中，在烈酒厅被养大。那里就像个大杂院一样。葛巴达克大人在那边起码有几百个亲戚。比尔博先生把这位小朋友带回来教养，真是做了件好事啊！”