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

Down, down they went. The dwarves could not, course, compare with the hobbit in real stealth, and they made a deal of puffing and shuffling which echoes magnified alarmingly; but though every now and again Bilbo in fear stopped and listened, not a sound stirred below Near the bottom, as well as he could judge, Bilbo slipped on his ring and went ahead. But he did not need it: the darkness was complete, and they were all invisible, ring or no ring. In fact so black was it that the hobbit came to the opening unexpectedly, put his hand on air, stumbled for ward, and rolled headlong into the hall! There he lay face downwards on the floor and did no dare to get up, or hardly even to breathe. But nothing moved. There was not a gleam of light — unless, as seemed to him, when at last he slowly raised his head, there was a pale white glint, above him and far off in the gloom. But certainly it was not a spark of dragon-fire, though the wormstench was heavy in the place, and the taste of vapour was on his tongue.

At length Mr. Baggins could bear it no longer. “Come found you, Smaug, you worm!” he squeaked aloud. “Stop playing hide-and-seek! Give me a light, and then eat me if you can catch me!”

Faint echoes ran round the unseen hall (слабое эхо пробежало по: «вокруг» невидимым /в темноте стенам/ зала), but there was no answer (но ответа не было). Bilbo got up (Бильбо поднялся), and found (и неожиданно для себя обнаружил) that he did not know (что он не знает) in what direction to turn (в каком направлении повернуть).

“Now I wonder (интересно: «теперь мне интересно»; towonder — интересоваться, желатьзнать, задаватьсебевопрос; изумляться, поражаться, восхищаться) what on earth Smaug is playing at (где сейчас, черт возьми, носится Смауг: «во что, на земле, Смауг играет»), ” he said (сказал он). “He is not at home today (сегодня /днем/ его нет дома) (or tonight, or whatever it is (или вечером, или что там сейчас)), I do believe (я /точно/ уверен). If Oin and Gloin have not lost their tinder-boxes (если Ойн и Глойн не потеряли свои трутницы; tinder — сухое гнилое дерево; трут), perhaps we can make a little light (возможно, нам удастся развести небольшой огонь), and have a look round (и оглядеться вокруг) before the luck turns (до того, как фортуна повернется). ”

“Light (огня)!” he cried (закричал он). “Can anybody make a light (кто-нибудь может развести огонь)?”

The dwarves, of course, were very alarmed (гномы, конечно же, были очень встревожены) when Bilbo fell forward (когда Бильбо упал /головой/ вперед) down the step (вниз со ступени; step — шаг, походка; ступень, приступка) with a bump (с глухим ударом) into the hall (в зал), and they sat huddled (и они сидели, сгрудившись) just where he had left them (там же, где он их оставил) at the end the tunnel (в конце туннеля).