Английский язык с Дж. Р. Р. Толкиеном. Хоббит

“Hmmm! it smells like elves!” thought Bilbo, and he looked up at the stars. They were burning bright and blue. Just then there came a burst of song like laughter in the trees:

O! What are you doing,
And where are you going?
Your ponies need shoeing!
The river is flowing!

O! tra-la-la-lally
here down in the valley!

O! What are you seeking,
And where are you making?
The faggots are reeking,
The bannocks are baking!

O! tril-lil-lil-lolly
the valley is jolly,
ha! ha!

O! Where are you going
With beards all a-wagging?
No knowing, no knowing
What brings Mister Baggins,

And Balin and Dwalin down
into the valley in June
ha! ha!

O! Will you be staying,
Or will you be flying?
Your ponies are straying!
The daylight is dying!

To fly would be folly,
To stay would be jolly
And listen and hark
Till the end of the dark
to our tune ha! ha!

So they laughed and sang in the trees (так кто-то: «они» смеялся и пел в деревьях); and pretty fair nonsense (и довольно порядочную чепуху /несли они/) I daresay (как я полагаю) you think it (вы думаете /об этом/). Not that they would care (не то чтобы им уж было это так важно; to care — заботиться, беспокоиться) they would only laugh all the more (они бы только стали смеяться еще больше) if you told them so (если бы вы сказали им так). They were elves of course (они были эльфами, конечно же). Soon Bilbo caught glimpses of them (вскоре Бильбо мельком увидел их; glimpse — проблеск) as the darkness deepened (пока темнота усиливалась; to deepen — углубляться, делаться глубже; deep — глубокий). He loved elves (ему нравились эльфы), though he seldom met them (хотя он редко встречал их; to meet); but he was a little frightened of them too (но он так же и немного побаивался их). Dwarves don’t get on well with them (гномы не очень-то хорошо ладят с ними). Even decent enough dwarves (даже достаточно порядочные гномы) like Thorin and his friends (как Торин и его друзья) think them foolish (думают, что они глупые) (which is a very foolish thing to think (что очень глупо — думать так)), or get annoyed with them (или раздражаются на них). For some elves tease them (из-за того, что некоторые эльфы дразнят их) and laugh at them (и смеются над ними), and most of all at their beards (и больше всего над их бородами).

“Well, well (ну, вот те и на)!” said a voice (сказал какой-то голос). “Just look (только взгляните)! Bilbo the hobbit on a pony, my dear (хоббит Бильбо верхом на пони, бог ты мой)! Isn’t it delicious (разве это не восхитительно)!”

“Most astonishing wonderful (чрезвычайно изумительно-удивительно)!”

nonsense ['nns ns] daresay [de'se] delicious [d'ls]

So they laughed and sang in the trees; and pretty fair nonsense I daresay you think it. Not that they would care they would only laugh all the more if you told them so. They were elves of course. Soon Bilbo caught glimpses of them as the darkness deepened. He loved elves, though he seldom met them; but he was a little frightened of them too. Dwarves don’t get on well with them. Even decent enough dwarves like Thorin and his friends think them foolish (which is a very foolish thing to think), or get annoyed with them. For some elves tease them and laugh at them, and most of all at their beards.

“Well, well!” said a voice. “Just look! Bilbo the hobbit on a pony, my dear! Isn’t it delicious!”

“Most astonishing wonderful!”