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

“Well (ну же), well! It cannot be helped (теперь ничего не поделаешь; cannot help + (сложное) дополнение — быть не в состоянии воспрепятствовать, помешать чему-либо), and it is difficult not to slip (и /очень уж/ сложно не проговориться; to slip — зд. срываться с губ) in talking to a dragon (разговаривая с драконом), or so I have always heard (или так я всегда слышал), ” said Balin anxious to comfort him (сказал Балин, стремясь: «страстно желающий» утешить его). “I think you did very well (я думаю, что вы все отлично сделали), if you ask me (если вы спросите меня = если вас интересует мое мнение) — you found out one very useful thing at any rate (вы обнаружили одну очень важную вещь, во всяком случае), and got home alive (и вернулись домой живым), and that is more than most can say (и это больше, чем большинство /из тех/ могут сказать) who have had words with the likes of Smaug (кто поговорили: «имели слова» с такими же, как Смауг, /драконами/; word — слово; like — чье-либо подобие). It may be a mercy and a blessing (это может оказаться счастьем и благословлением; mercy—милосердие, сострадание; везение, счастье, удача) yet to know of the bare patch (даже знать о голом куске) in the old Worm’s diamond waistcoat (в бриллиантовом жилете старого Дракона). ”

direction [d (a) ɪˈrekʃ (ǝ) n] blind [blaɪnd] waistcoat [ˈweɪskǝʋt, ˈweskǝt]

So Bilbo told them all he could remember, and he confessed that he had a nasty feeling that the dragon guessed too much from his riddles added to the camps and the ponies. “I am sure he knows we came from Lake-town and had help from there; and I have a horrible feeling that his next move may be in that direction. I wish to goodness I had never said that about Barrel-rider; it would make even a blind rabbit in these parts think of the Lake-men. ” “Well, well! It cannot be helped, and it is difficult not to slip in talking to a dragon, or so I have always heard, ” said Balin anxious to comfort him. “I think you did very well, if you ask me — you found out one very useful thing at any rate, and got home alive, and that is more than most can say who have had words with the likes of Smaug. It may be a mercy and a blessing yet to know of the bare patch in the old Worm’s diamond waistcoat. ”