引用部分为台版翻译，以大师之文自勉。
前情回顾
比尔博在生日宴上发表了并不讨人喜欢的演讲，他准备开始玩弄他的小把戏了。
paragraph 01
He stepped down and vanished. There was a blinding flash of light, and the guests all blinked. When they opened their eyes Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. One hundred and forty-four flabbergasted hobbits sat back speechless. Old Odo Proudfoot removed his feet from the table and stamped. Then there was a dead silence, until suddenly, after several deep breaths, every Baggins, Boffin, Took, Brandybuck, Grubb, Chubb, Burrows, Bolger, Bracegirdle, Brockhouse, Goodbody, Hornblower, and Proudfoot began to talk at once.
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他跳下椅子，随即消失。刺眼的闪光过后，客人们都暂时看不见东西了。当他们再睁开眼时，已经到处都找不到比尔博的影子。一百四十四个目瞪口呆的霍比特人半响不发一语。老奥多·普劳德福特把脚从桌子上拿下来，一顿一顿。随后是死一般的寂静，直到呼吸声响起后的一瞬间，巴金斯族、博芬族、图克族、烈酒鹿族、格鲁布族、邱波族、布劳斯族、博哲族、博尔格族、布罗克豪斯族、古德伯迪族、霍恩布罗尔族和普劳德福特族的人同时打破了寂静。。
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他跳下椅子，随即消失了。不知从什么地方传来一阵强光，所有的宾客都感到一阵目眩。当他们张开眼睛的时候，比尔博已经消失的无影无踪。一百四十四名吃惊的哈比人就这样张口结舌的坐在位子上。傲多傲脚老伯气的不停跺脚。在短暂的沉默之后，所有的巴金斯家人、波芬家人、图克家人、烈酒鹿家人、布罗斯家人、博格家人、抱腹家人、獾屋家人、健体家人、吹号者家人和傲脚家人在同一时间开始大呼小叫。
paragraph 02
It was generally agreed that the joke was in very bad taste, and more food and drink were needed to cure the guests of shock and annoyance. 'He's mad. I always said so,' was probably the most popular comment. Even the Tooks (with a few exceptions) thought Bilbo's behaviour was absurd. For the moment most of them took it for granted that his disappearance was nothing more than a ridiculous prank.
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大家都认为这个玩笑糟透了，他们需要更多的酒菜来安慰自己受伤的心灵。“ 你看我说吧，他疯了。” 这可能是最受认可的评论了。即使图克族（有些例外）的人也认为比尔博这样做太荒唐了。这个时候大家理所当然地认为他的消失只是一场愚蠢的玩笑。
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- took it for granted 理所当然地认为
大家都同意这个玩笑实在没有品味，客人们都应该再喝些东西，吃吃甜点来消消气、压压惊。“他疯了，我早就跟你们说过了，”这句话多半是在场人最常听到的评语。即使是最具冒险精神的图克家人（只有几个例外）也觉得比尔博这次的行径真是荒唐。这时，大家还都天真的以为，他的失踪不过是场闹剧而已。
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But old Rory Brandybuck was not so sure. Neither age nor an enormous dinner had clouded his wits, and he said to his daughter-in-law, Esmeralda: 'There's something fishy in this, my dear! I believe that mad Baggins is off again. Silly old fool. But why worry? He hasn't taken the vittles with him.' He called loudly to Frodo to send the wine round again.
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但是老罗利·烈酒鹿并不这么想。他的年纪和鼓鼓的肚皮都没能阻碍他的智慧，他告诉他的儿媳妇，埃斯梅拉达:“ 这里头肯定有鬼! 我觉得这个疯狂的巴金斯又出去冒险了。这个老傻瓜。但是干嘛要担心这个? 他又没有把吃的一起带走。” 他大声叫佛罗多再送一点酒过来。
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- There's something fishy 这事很蹊跷
不过，罗力烈酒鹿可没有这么确定。即使他年纪很大，肚子又装的太满，但这都没有影响到他的判断力。他对他的媳妇爱斯摩拉达说：“亲爱的，这其中必定有鬼！我想他体内疯狂的的巴金斯血统一定又开始作祟了。这个老笨蛋。管它的，他又没把食物带走！”他大声的叫唤佛罗多再给大家倒杯酒。
paragraph 04
Frodo was the only one present who had said nothing. For some time he had sat silent beside Bilbo's empty chair, and ignored all remarks and questions. He had enjoyed the joke, of course, even though he had been in the know. He had difficulty in keeping from laughter at the indignant surprise of the guests. But at the same time he felt deeply troubled: he realized suddenly that he loved the old hobbit dearly. Most of the guests went on eating and drinking and discussing Bilbo Baggins' oddities, past and present; but the Sackville-Bagginses had already departed in wrath. Frodo did not want to have any more to do with the party. He gave orders for more wine to be served; then he got up and drained his own glass silently to the health of Bilbo, and slipped out of the pavilion.
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佛罗多是在座的中唯一一个不发一言的人。他静静地坐在比尔博的空椅子后面好一阵，不理睬所有的问询和说法。即使他已经知道了这个，他依旧觉得玩笑很有意思。他觉得这些愤愤不平的客人很好笑。但是同时，他也被一个感受深深困扰着: 他突然意识到自己有多么爱戴这位和蔼的霍比特老人。大多数客人边吃喝边议论着比尔博的各种怪癖，不管是过去的还是现在的: 但是赛克威尔·巴金斯已经愤而离席。他给客人送去了更多的酒，然后他就沉默地用自己的酒杯向比尔博祝了酒，悄悄溜出了帐篷。
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佛罗多是现场唯一不发一语的人。他在比尔博的空位旁边发呆了半晌，对众人的评论和质疑置之不理。即使他早就知道这件事情，他还是觉得这玩笑蛮好玩的。看见客人们这么惊慌，他差点忍不住笑出来。但同时，他也觉得十分的不安，在此时他才意识到自己有多么敬爱这名长辈。大多数的客人继续吃吃喝喝，讨论比尔博的怪异行径，但塞克维尔一家人却早已气呼呼的离开了。佛罗多自己也没有什么心情继续饮宴，他下令再多送上些酒。自己悄悄的将杯中酒一仰而尽，遥祝比尔博身体健康，接着一声不响的溜出帐棚。
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As for Bilbo Baggins, even while he was making his speech, he had been fingering the golden ring in his pocket: his magic ring that he had kept secret for so many years. As he stepped down he slipped it on his finger, and he was never seen by any hobbit in Hobbiton again.
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至于比尔博·巴金斯，即使他在演讲的时候，手指还不忘在口袋里把玩金戒指: 他偷偷藏了好多年的魔法戒指。 在他跳下椅子的一刻，他带上了戒指，随后永远消失在了货币屯的霍比特人的视野中。
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至于比尔博这家伙呢，早在他口沫横飞的演讲时，他就已经开始玩弄着口袋中的金戒指：这正是他秘密收藏了多年的魔法戒指。当他跳下椅子时，他立刻戴上这戒指；从此以后，哈比屯的人们就再也没有见过比尔博的身影。