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

He did not expect a chorus of volunteers, so he was not disappointed. Fili and Kili looked uncomfortable and stood on one leg, but the others made no pretence of offering — except old Balin. the look-out man, who was rather fond the hobbit. He said he would come inside at least and perhaps a bit of the way too, really to call for help if necessary.

The most that can be said for the dwarves is this: they intended to pay Bilbo really handsomely for his services; they had brought him to do a nasty job for them, and they did not mind the poor little fellow doing it if he would; but they would all have done their best to get him out of trouble, if he got into it, as they did in the case of the trolls at the beginning of their adventures before they had any particular reasons for being grateful to him. There it is: dwarves are not heroes, but calculating folk with a great idea of the value of money; some are tricky and treacherous and pretty bad lots; some are not, but are decent enough people like Thorin and Company, if you don’t expect too much.

The stars were coming out behind him (звезды всходили за ним) in a pale sky (в бледном небе) barred with black (закрытым черными /тучами/; to bar — запирать /на засов/; загораживать, преграждать) when the hobbit crept through the enchanted door (когда хоббит прополз сквозь заколдованную дверь) and stole into the Mountain (и прокрался в Гору). It was far easier going (путь оказался гораздо проще) than he expected (чем он ожидал). This was no goblin entrance (это был не вход гоблинов), or rough wood-elves’ cave (или грубая пещера лесных эльфов). It was a passage made by dwarves (это был проход, выполненный гномами), at the height of their wealth and skill (/когда они были/ в расцвете своего богатства и умений; height — высота, вершина; апогей): straight as a ruler (прямой, словно линейка), smooth-floored and smooth-sided (с ровным полом и ровными стенами), going with a gentle never — varying slope (ведущий с никогда не изменяющимся, пологим наклоном; to vary — менять (ся), изменять (ся), разнообразить) direct — to some distant end (прямо к какому-то удаленному краю) in the blackness below (в темноте/черноте внизу).