首頁>> >> 魔奇侠玄>> 約翰·羅納德·瑞爾·托爾金 John Ronald Reuel Tolkien   英國 United Kingdom   溫莎王朝   (1892年元月3日1973年九月2日)
雙塔奇兵 The Two Towers
  講述護戒聯盟中的哈比人梅利與皮平被奧剋斯擄走,護戒使者們不得不分頭行事:弗拉多與好友山姆繼續嚮索隆領地莫都(Modor)進發,途中他們製服了也在瘋狂尋找魔戒的怪物古魯姆(Gollum),魔戒曾經為他帶來了長壽與隱身之道直到弗拉多的前輩畢爾博拿走了這枚戒指。由於通嚮莫都的路途十分艱險,而末日山就在莫都的北面,所以弗拉多與山姆不得不依靠古魯姆的幫助。除了要時刻提防心懷鬼胎的古魯姆,以及強大的魔戒幽靈,弗拉多還要抵禦魔戒對其心靈愈來愈強的侵蝕,可謂生死一綫,險情迭出……
  另一面護戒使者阿拉貢、萊格拉斯與吉穆利則與成功逃離奧剋斯營地的梅利與皮平會合,並加入人類族群羅翰國 (Rohan)的隊伍準備對邪惡的白衣術士薩茹曼的領地伊森加德發動進攻。而此時黑魁首索隆也策動其奧剋斯部隊嚮羅翰的首都埃多拉斯進發,精靈族與人類的聯盟將遭到黑魔法獸兵強大戰鬥力與薩茹曼邪惡魔法的雙重挑戰!緊要關頭甘多夫再度現身,更從灰衣法師升至法力無邊的白衣法師,雙方一場惡戰在所難免!


  The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.
  
  Title
  
  The Lord of the Rings is composed of 6 "books", aside from an introduction, a prologue and 6 appendices. The novel was originally published as 3 separate volumes due to post-World War II paper shortages and size and price considerations. The Two Towers covers Books III and IV.
  
  Tolkien wrote, "The Two Towers gets as near as possible to finding a title to cover the widely divergent Books 3 & 4; and can be left ambiguous." At this stage he planned to title the individual books. The proposed title for Book III was The Treason of Isengard. Book IV was titled The Journey of the Ringbearers or The Ring Goes East. The titles The Treason of Isengard and The Ring Goes East were used in the Millennium edition.
  
  A note at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring and Tolkien's final illustration of the towers gives the pair as Minas Morgul and Orthanc. However, in a letter to Rayner Unwin, Tolkien instead gives Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol, but felt such an identification was misleading due to the opposition between Barad-dûr and Minas Tirith. Loosely, any pair from the set of five towers in the story could fit the title: the tower of Cirith Ungol (Cirith Ungol being a pass), Orthanc, Minas Tirith, Barad-dûr and Minas Morgul.
  
  However ambiguous the title may be in the book, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Two Towers designates the title as referring to the towers of Barad-dûr in Mordor and Orthanc in Isengard. In dialogue written for the film, the wizard Saruman says:
  
   "The World is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman ... and the union of the two towers? Together, my Lord Sauron ... we shall rule this Middle-earth."
  
  In different teaser trailers for the film, voice-over narration by Gandalf and Galadriel directly states the towers as Barad-dûr and Orthanc.
  Structure
  
  Because The Two Towers is the central portion of a longer work, its structure differs from that of a conventional novel. It begins and ends abruptly, without introduction to the characters, explanations of major plot elements, or a strict conclusion. This is characteristic of the technical classification novel sequence, not a book series — though it and the other two volumes are not individual novels themselves. The first section follows the divergent paths of several important figures from The Fellowship of the Ring, but tells nothing of its central character, on whose fate so much depends, enabling the reader to share in the suspense and uncertainty of the characters. The narrative of the second part returns to Frodo's quest to destroy the evil that threatens the world.
  Plot summary
  Book III: The Treason of Isengard
  
  As Aragorn searches for Frodo, he suddenly hears Boromir's horn. He finds Boromir mortally wounded by arrows, his assailants gone. Before Boromir dies he reveals that Merry and Pippin had been captured by Orcs in spite of his efforts to defend them, and that Frodo had vanished after Boromir had tried to take the Ring from him and that he truly regretted attempting to take the Ring from Frodo. In his last moments, he charges Aragorn to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron. With Legolas and Gimli, who had been fighting Orcs themselves, Aragorn pays his last respects to the fallen hero and sends him down the Great River Anduin on a funeral boat, the usual methods of burial being impracticable. The three then resolve to follow the Uruk-hai captors. Meanwhile, after some hardship, the hobbits escape when the Uruk-hai are attacked by the horsemen of Rohan, called the Rohirrim or "Riders of Rohan".
  
  Merry and Pippin escape into the nearby Fangorn Forest, where they encounter the giant treelike Ents. The Ents resembled actual trees, except they could see, talk, and move. These guardians of the forest generally kept to themselves, but after a long contemplation on whether or not the Hobbits were friends, or foes, their leader Treebeard persuades the Ent council to oppose the menace posed to the forest by the wizard Saruman, as suggested by Merry and Pippin, as Treebeard realizes that Saruman's minions have been cutting down large numbers of their trees to fuel the furnaces needed for Saruman's arming of his dark army.
  
  Aragorn, Gimli the Dwarf and Legolas the Elf come across the Riders of Rohan led by Éomer, nephew of King Théoden. The trio learn that the horsemen had attacked a band of Orcs the previous night, and that they had left no survivors. However, Aragorn is able to track a small set of prints that lead into Fangorn, where they meet a wizard in white robes. They shortly afterward meet Gandalf, (they at first take him to be Saruman) whom they believed had perished in the mines of Moria. He tells them of his fall into the abyss, his battle to the death with the Balrog and his resurrection and his enhanced power. The four ride to Rohan's capital Edoras, where Gandalf rouses King Théoden from inaction against the threat Saruman poses. In the process, Saruman's spy in Rohan (and King Théoden's trusted advisor) Gríma Wormtongue, is expelled from Rohan. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas then travel with Théoden's troops to the fortress of Hornburg, in the valley of Helm's Deep. Gandalf rides away before the battle begins, though he gives no reason for doing so. At the Hornburg, the army of Rohan led by King Théoden and Aragorn resist a full-scale onslaught by the hosts of Saruman. Yet, things begin to go ill with Rohan, until Gandalf arrives with the remains of the army of Westfold that Saruman's forces had previously routed. The tide now turns in Rohan's favour, and Saruman's orcs flee into a forest of Huorns, creatures similar to Ents, and none escape alive. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, along with King Théoden and Éomer, head to Saruman's stronghold of Isengard.
  
  Here, they reunite with Merry and Pippin and find Isengard overrun by Ents, who had flooded it by breaking a nearby dam of the river Isen, and the central tower of Orthanc besieged, with Saruman and Wormtongue trapped inside. After giving Saruman a chance to repent, who refuses, Gandalf casts him out of the Order of Wizards and the White Council. Gríma throws something from a window at Gandalf but misses, and it is picked up by Pippin. This object turns out to be one of the palantíri (seeing-stones). Pippin, unable to resist the urge, looks into it and encounters the Eye of Sauron, but emerges unscathed from the ordeal. Gandalf and Pippin then head for Minas Tirith in Gondor in preparation for the imminent war against Mordor, while Théoden and Aragorn remain behind to begin the muster of Rohan, to ride to the aid of Gondor.
  Book IV: The Journey to Mordor
  
  Frodo and Sam discover and capture Gollum, who has been stalking them in their quest to reach Mount Doom and destroy the One Ring, for Gollum hopes to reclaim the Ring for himself. Sam loathes and distrusts him, but Frodo pities the poor creature. Gollum promises to lead the pair to the Black Gate of Mordor and for a time appears to be a true ally. He leads them through a hidden passage of the Dead Marshes in order to avoid being spied by Orcs. Frodo and Sam learn that the Dead Marshes were once part of an ancient battlefield, upon which the War of the Last Alliance was fought. Upon reaching the Black Gate, Gollum persuades the hobbits not to enter, where they would have been surely caught. He tells them of a secret entrance to Mordor. Thus, they head south into Gondor's province of Ithilien and are accosted by a group of Gondorian rangers led by Faramir, the brother of Boromir. Frodo learns from Faramir of Boromir's death and Sam accidentally reveals to Faramir that Frodo carries the One Ring. As a result of this Frodo reveals the plan to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Later that night Gollum is captured diving into the sacred pool, the penalty for which is death. Frodo negotiates Gollum's freedom with Faramir. The following morning Faramir allows them to go on their way, but warns them that Gollum may know more about the secret entrance (Cirith Ungol) than he has been telling them.
  
  Gollum leads them past the city of Minas Morgul and up a long, steep staircase of the Tower of Cirith Ungol into the lair of an enormous spider named Shelob. Gollum hopes to get the Ring from Frodo's bones after Shelob is done with him. The hobbits escape Shelob in her lair and mistakenly assume that they are safe. However, Shelob sneaks up on Frodo. Sam attempts to warn Frodo but is attacked by Gollum. Shelob stings Frodo in the back of the neck and he collapses to the ground.
  
  Sam fends off Gollum and Gollum runs off back towards Shelob's cave. Sam then drives off Shelob. After seeing Frodo lifeless and pale, Sam assumes that Frodo is dead and debates chasing Gollum and abandoning the Quest in favour of vengeance. Sam resolves to finish the Quest himself and takes the Ring. But when Orcs take Frodo's body, Sam follows them and learns that Frodo is not dead, but only unconscious, and is now a prisoner. The book ends with the line, "Frodo was alive but taken by the Enemy."
  Chapter Summaries
  Book III
  
   * I - The Departure of Boromir - Aragorn finds Boromir wounded by many arrows. Boromir tells him that orcs took the Hobbits, and they were still alive. Boromir does not tell Aragorn which Hobbits were taken. He also reveals how he had attempted to seize the Ring from Frodo, and expresses his remorse at his actions. Boromir dies, and his body is sent down the river on a funeral boat by the three remaining members of the Company - Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli - who decide to follow the orcs.
   * II - The Riders of Rohan - Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Orcs for three days, eventually crossing into Rohan. On the fourth day of their chase, they instead encounter Éomer, who informs them that his company destroyed the Orcs the previous night, but had not spotted any hobbits. Éomer and Aragorn become friends, and he agrees to lend horses to the hunters to aid their search. Aragorn can find no signs on the edge of Fangorn, and in the middle night, the horses run off after a mysterious old man approaches the hunters' camp.
   * III - The Uruk-hai - This chapter begins further back in time, telling the story of Merry and Pippin being captured by the orcs. As they flee west towards Isengard, the orcs are constantly arguing, for they serve different masters. The orcs camp near Fangorn, and Grishnákh, an Orc of Mordor, attempts to take the hobbits away with him, believing them to have the Ring. The hobbits escape as Grishnákh is killed by an arrow, and Éomer's company attacks the Orc-party.
   * IV - Treebeard - Entering into Fangorn Forest, the hobbits meet Treebeard, leader of the Ents. The old Ent, initially labeling them as Orcs, eventually takes a liking to them, and leads them to his home, while discussing the history of the Ents and the treason of Isengard with the hobbits. Treebeard calls the Ents of Fangorn together at Entmoot, where they debate what should be done about Saruman. Merry and Pippin spend this time with another Ent, Quickbeam. Eventually, the Ents decide to attack Isengard, which lies just to the west.
   * V - The White Rider - The chapter goes back to the story of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, who discover signs that the hobbits escaped the orcs into the forest. In the forest, they encounter an old man whom they presume to be Saruman. Only after attempting to fight him do they realize it is Gandalf, returned from death. Gandalf sizes up the current situation and the impending war (and also gives an account on his epic battle against the Balrog) before leading the companions to their horses, and heading south to Edoras, capital city of Rohan
   * VI - The King of the Golden Hall - Arriving at Edoras, Gandalf and his companions find Gríma Wormtongue controlling the city in the name of King Théoden. Gandalf exposes Wormtongue as Saruman's spy, and cures the King of his depression and idleness brought on by Gríma's poisoned words. Éomer is released from his imprisonment, and Wormtongue flees the city. Gandalf persuades Théoden to fight against Saruman, and the King rides west with Éomer, Gandalf, the three hunters, and one thousand Rohirrim. He leaves his niece and Éomer's sister, Éowyn, to lead his people.
   * VII - Helm's Deep - Riding west, the army encounters a messenger warning them of an impending attack by Saruman's massive army of Uruk-hai and Wild Men. Gandalf urges the King to fight at the Hornburg in Helm's Deep, an ancient, almost impregnable fortress. He leaves to arrange for help. Aragorn and Éomer lead Rohan's outnumbered forces in the fierce Battle of the Hornburg. After having to abandon the outer wall, Aragorn and Théoden lead a cavalry charge at dawn into the Orcs. Taken by surprise, the Orcs are driven back right into approaching reinforcements led by Gandalf, and a waiting forest of trees from Fangorn. Saruman's army is defeated.
   * VIII - The Road to Isengard - Gandalf leads Théoden and the companions to Isengard. Upon their arrival, they see that the Ents have destroyed Saruman's machinery and factories. Merry and Pippin guard the ruined gate, and introduce themselves to Théoden.
   * IX - Flotsam and Jetsam - Merry and Pippin tell Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, the story of their adventures with both the Orcs and Ents. They recount how the Ents attacked Isengard, killing many Orcs and destroying Saruman's war-machines. The Ents then flooded the Ring of Isengard, drowning Saruman's underground smithies and barracks. The hobbits happily reveal that they found their favorite pipe-weed from the Shire in one of Saruman's store-rooms.
   * X - The Voice of Saruman - Gandalf leads Théoden, Éomer, and the other Fellowship members to a parley with Saruman at the tower of Orthanc in the midst of Isengard. Saruman, while defeated in battle, is still able to use his voice to gain power over others. He nearly convinces the King to make peace with him. Gandalf and Théoden, however, see through Saruman's lies. Gandalf offers Saruman a chance to repent and aid the forces of good in the war to come. When Saruman rejects the offer, Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff and casts him from the White Council. As they leave, Wormtongue, who had returned to Saruman, throws Saruman's Palantír down at the company. Pippin picks it up before Gandalf takes it from him. Gandalf entrusts control of Isengard (and Saruman) to Treebeard and the Ents before the company leaves.
   * XI - The Palantír - At the camp south of Isengard, Pippin takes the Palantír from Gandalf as he sleeps, and looks into it. He encounters the Eye of Sauron and sees Sauron's plans to attack Gondor's capital city of Minas Tirith. He escapes unscathed, and Gandalf takes the stone back before giving it to Aragorn for safekeeping. A winged Nazgûl flies over the camp, and Gandalf realizes the war is arriving. He rides of with Pippin to Minas Tirith, while Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, Théoden, Éomer, and the Rohirrim ride back towards Helm's Deep. On the way to Gondor, Gandalf explains the Palantír to Pippin, revealing that it is the one of the last surviving Seeing-Stones which Elendil brough from Númenor.
  
  Book IV
  
   * I - The Taming of Sméagol - Frodo and Sam become lost in the Emyn Muil and eventually encounter the creature Gollum, who had been tracking them, desiring the Ring. After capturing him, Frodo makes Gollum lead them to Mordor in exchange for Sam untying him. Gollum agrees to this plan, swearing "on the Precious".
   * II - The Passage of the Marshes - Gollum shows Frodo and Sam a secret way through the Dead Marshes in order to escape being noticed by Orcs. In the Marshes, Frodo and Sam discover more about their new guide. They also narrowly escape detection by a winged Nazgûl.
   * III - The Black Gate is Closed - Arriving at the Black Gate of Mordor, Frodo and Sam see it is impenetrable. While hiding within sight of the Towers of the Teeth, Gollum persuades the hobbits to take a "secret way" into Mordor he knows of further to the south. Seeing that he has no chance to enter Mordor via the Black Gate, Frodo agrees to the southward route.
   * IV - Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit - Frodo, Sam, and Gollum enter Ithilien, a pleasant land once belonging to Gondor. Making camp, Sam coaxes Gollum into procuring some rabbits for a meal. The smoke from Sam's fire catches the eye of Gondorian Rangers, led by Boromir's younger brother Faramir. Frodo and Sam watch while the Rangers engage a host of Haradrim, who are bringing a Mûmakil to Mordor. Meanwhile, Gollum runs off.
   * V - The Window on the West - After the Rangers defeat the Haradrim, Frodo and Sam are taken by Faramir to the secret outpost of Henneth Annûn. There, Faramir questions Frodo about the circumstances of Boromir's death. When Sam accidentally reveals that Frodo carries the Ring, and that Boromir had attempted to seize it, Faramir reveals that he would not use the Ring or try to take it; he sees the evil it can do.
   * VI - The Forbidden Pool - In the middle of the night, Faramir shows Frodo that his men have found Gollum in Henneth Annûn's forbidden pool. Frodo convinces Faramir not to shoot Gollum. Faramir questions the wretch over where he is leading Frodo. When Gollum reveals he intends to take the hobbits past Minas Morgul, Faramir grows alarmed and urges Frodo to not use that way. He warns of evil in the pass above the city.
   * VII - Journey to the Cross-roads - Faramir sends Frodo and Sam off with provisions and directions to Morgul-vale. He also allows Gollum to leave, but denounces him as evil and untrustworthy. Gollum brings the hobbits to the road between Osgiliath and Minas Morgul, and leads them east towards the Mountains of Shadow. At the Cross-roads, where the Harad Road meets the Osgiliath Road, the hobbits encounter an old, headless statue of a Gondorian king. When Frodo sees the head lying nearby, he perceives that "The king has got a crown again". At this same time, darkness from Mordor covers the Sun.
   * VIII - The Stairs of Cirith Ungol - Approaching the evil city of Minas Morgul, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum witness a great host of Sauron leaving the city to make war on Gondor. They are led by the Witch-king of Angmar. Climbing the stairs towards Gollum's secret pass, Gollum runs off for a short time. Sam suspects he may be alerting Orcs to their presence.
   * IX - Shelob's Lair - Gollum returns and leads the hobbits into a dark tunnel, which is really the lair of Shelob the spider. Encountering the monsterous arachnid, Frodo and Sam realize Gollum has fled, leaving them to die. Making use of the Phial of Galadriel and his sword Sting, Frodo is able to drive Shelob back for a short time. However, as the hobbits escape the lair, Gollum subdues Sam while Shelob reappears and attacks Frodo.
   * X - The Choices of Master Samwise - Sam overcomes Gollum and sends him fleeing in terror. Seeing that Shelob has attacked Frodo, Sam battles her fiercely, eventually wounding her with Sting and blinding her with the Phial. Sam sees that Shelob has stung Frodo, who lies seemingly dead in the pass. With Gollum's betrayal complete, Sam resolves to take the Ring and continue the Quest on his own, leaving his master's body. Shortly after taking the Ring, a company of Orcs from the nearby Tower of Cirith Ungol arrives and meets a company from Minas Morgul. They take Frodo's body back to the Tower. Sam, pursuing them, overhears the two commanders say that Shelob has not killed Frodo, but rendered him unconcious for several hours. The Orcs reach the Tower, but Sam cannot catch up to them in time. He is left out in a secret passageway, unable to enter as the novel ends.
  
  Adaptations
  
  Some of the events of The Two Towers along with The Fellowship of Ring were depicted in the 1978 film of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, directed by Ralph Bakshi.
  
  In 1999, The Lifeline Theatre in Chicago presented the world premiere of The Two Towers, adapted for the stage by James Sie and Karen Tarjan, directed by Ned Mochel.
  
  In 2002 the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, directed by Peter Jackson, was released. Both The Two Towers and the succeeding film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King abandoned the parallel storytelling of the volume in favour of a more chronological presentation. The first chapter from the volume actually appears at the end of Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Later events of The Two Towers involving Frodo and Sam were filmed for Jackson's The Return of the King. Other significant changes were made in the plot line, partially to give each of the characters a story arc in which they could develop and change. Although all three of Jackson's films differ from their source material, "The Two Towers" arguably contains the most major alterations. There was initial concern over using the title "The Two Towers" due to the real-life association with the World Trade Center and the terrorist attacks the previous year. The WTC was also commonly called The Twin Towers and due to that similarity, the filmmakers were reportedly considering alternate titles. It was decided, eventually, to retain the original title.
  
  Various games also adapt The Two Towers, including online role-playing games like The Two Towers Mud and graphically-oriented console games.
前書紀要
  這是魔戒三部麯的第二部分。在首部麯“魔戒現身”中,記述了灰袍甘道夫發現哈比人佛羅多所擁有的戒指其實正是至尊魔戒,統禦所有權能之戒的魔戒之王。因此,佛羅多和夥伴們從夏爾一路被魔多的黑騎士追殺,最後,在伊利雅德的遊俠亞拉岡的幫助下,他們終於剋服萬難,逃到了瑞文戴爾的愛隆居所去。
   愛隆在該處慎重的舉行了一場會議,决定將魔戒摧毀;佛羅多也被指派為魔戒的持有者。魔戒遠征隊的成員就這樣被挑選出來,他們的任務是前往魔王之境中的末日火山,在該處摧毀魔戒。遠征隊中包括了代表人類的亞拉岡和剛鐸之王繼承人波羅莫;幽暗密林的精靈國王之子勒苟拉斯代表精靈,孤山山脈的葛羅音之子金靂代表矮人。佛羅多和他的僕人山姆衛斯,以及兩名年輕的親戚梅裏雅達剋和皮瑞格林則代表了哈比人;率領他們的是灰袍甘道夫。
   一行人秘密的從瑞文戴爾離開,在經過長途跋涉之後,卻因意圖在鼕天橫越卡拉霍拉斯隘口而無法通過該處。之後,甘道夫帶領他們從密道進入摩瑞亞礦坑,試圖從山底下前往目的地。甘道夫在該處由於和一名黑暗世界的妖靈搏鬥,因此落入了無底深淵。被揭穿了西方王儲身份的亞拉岡繼承遺志,帶領着衆人逃出摩瑞亞的東門,進入精靈的疆界羅瑞安,並且沿着大河而下,來到拉洛斯瀑布。他們在這段旅程中已經意識到遭人跟蹤,對魔戒念念不忘的生物咕魯鍥而不捨的緊追在後。
   他們必須决定是否該往東前往魔多,或者是和波羅莫一起前往援助剛鐸的主城米那斯提力斯,面對即將到來的大戰;又或是應該解散小隊。當魔戒持有者决定必須繼續前往魔多的旅程時,絶望的波羅莫試圖搶奪魔戒。故事的第一部份就在波羅莫屈服於,佛羅多逃出虎口,和山姆衛斯一起消失的狀況下結束了。在此同時,剩餘的遠征隊成員遭到半獸人士兵突如其來的攻擊,有些是聽命於黑暗魔君的半獸人,有些則是來自叛徒薩魯曼旗下的半獸人。魔戒持有者的任務似乎已經遭遇到空前未有的危機。
   第二部分,“雙城奇謀”講述的是在分散之後,魔戒遠征隊每一名成員的命運,直到黑暗降臨,魔戒聖戰展開為止;剩下的部分則是會記述在魔戒三部麯的第三部中。
第一節 波羅莫的告別
  天下精靈鑄三戒,
   地底矮人得七戒,
   壽定凡人持九戒,
   魔多妖境暗影伏,
   闇王坐擁至尊戒。
   至尊戒,馭衆戒;
   至尊戒,尋衆戒,
   魔戒至尊引衆戒,
   禁錮衆戒黑暗中,
   魔多妖境暗影伏。
   ※ ※ ※
   亞拉岡快步跑上山丘,不停地低身察看地面上的痕跡。哈比人的腳步很輕,連遊俠都沒有辦法輕易辨識。不過,在距離小徑不遠的地方,他還是找到了一些綫索。
   “如果我的判斷沒錯,”他自言自語道:“佛羅多跑到山上去了,不知道他在那邊看見了什麽?不過,我確定他又從原路跑了回來,再度衝下山。”
   亞拉岡遲疑了。他想要坐上王座,看看是否有跡象可以協助他在這一團迷霧中找到出路,時間非常緊迫,不容許他浪費了。他箭步衝嚮前,奔上階梯,然後坐上王座,往四下看去。
   可是,太陽似乎黯淡下來,世界變得十分遙遠灰暗。他往四周看去,除了連綿不斷的山丘之外還是山丘,唯一特殊的地方是他又看見遠處有一隻巨鷹,仿佛正在盤旋着緩緩飄降到地面去。
   在此同時,他靈敏的聽覺發現了河西邊有些不尋常的動靜。他渾身一僵,底下傳來叫喊聲,讓他恐懼不已的是其中竟然有半獸人的聲音。接着,在一聲低沉的吶喊聲之後,傳來了驚天動地的號角聲;如悶雷般的號角聲在山𠔌之間來回震動,甚至壓過了瀑布的巨大聲響。
   “波羅莫的號角聲!”他大喊着:“他需要我們的幫助!”他立刻跳下階梯,沿着小徑往回跑。“該死!今天我做的每個决定都出錯,山姆到哪裏去了?”
   隨着他急促的腳步,此起彼落的叫喊聲開始漸漸變弱,號角聲變得越來越緊急;半獸人的尖厲聲音此起彼落,號角聲卻突然間沉默了。亞拉岡邁步飛奔衝下山坡,但是,在他抵達山腳之前,那叫喊聲就開始漸漸變遠。當他轉嚮左,衝嚮這些聲音的源頭時,他可以聽見那聲音開始往遠方撤退,最後化成一片死寂。他拔出聖劍,大喊着“伊蘭迪爾!伊蘭迪爾”!瞬間衝入樹叢間。
   他在距離帕斯加蘭不到一哩的草地上發現了波羅莫,他背靠着一株大樹,仿佛正在休息。但是,亞拉岡註意到他渾身插滿了黑羽箭;他手中雖然還緊握着寶劍,武器卻已經連柄斷折,他的號角也碎成兩半,散落滿地,許多半獸人的屍體橫陳在他四周。
   亞拉岡跪倒下來,波羅莫張開眼睛,掙紮着想要說話,最後,他終於擠出了幾個字:“我試着從佛羅多手中奪走魔戒,”他說:“對不起,我罪有應得!”他的目光流連在倒下的敵人屍體上,這兒至少有二十具屍體。“哈比人已經被半獸人擄走了。我想他們還沒死,半獸人把他們綁了起來。”他停了片刻,眼睛疲倦地開始閉上,又過了幾秒鐘,他繼續道。
   “永別了,亞拉岡!去米那斯提力斯拯救我的同胞吧,我失敗了。”
   “不!”亞拉岡握住他的手,親吻他的眉心:“不,你徵服了這一切,沒有多少人能贏得這種輝煌戰果。安息吧!米那斯提力斯將永不陷落!”波羅莫笑了。
   “他們去了什麽方向?佛羅多在嗎?”亞拉岡追問道。
   波羅莫再也無法開口了。
   “難道這是天意嗎?”亞拉岡說:“衛戍塔之王迪耐瑟的王儲就這樣離開了人世!沒想到會是這樣的結局,遠征隊分崩離析,真正失敗的是我,甘道夫托付錯了人。我現在該怎麽辦?波羅莫把米那斯提力斯的重責大任交給了我,我也的確想要去那邊;但是,魔戒和魔戒持有者呢?我要怎麽找到他們,才能讓這次任務不一敗塗地?”
   他淚流滿面地發呆了片刻,當勒苟拉斯和金靂找到他時,他依舊緊握着波羅莫的手。他們從西方的山坡下來,靜悄悄地如同狩獵一般穿越了樹林,金靂手中握着斧頭,勒苟拉斯背着空空如也的箭袋,手拿着小刀。當他們來到草地上時,一時之間楞在當場。兩人不約而同低下頭,為眼前的景象哀悼,他們都明白發生了什麽事情。
   “早知如此,”勒苟拉斯走到亞拉岡的身邊說:“我們在森林中辛苦殺死了許多半獸人,現在一看,纔知道我們其實應該早點趕來這裏。我們一聽到號角聲就趕了過來,但是已經太遲了……你還好吧?”
   “波羅莫死了,”亞拉岡說:“我毫發無傷,因為我根本沒有和他並肩作戰。當我在山坡上調查的時候,他為了保護哈比人而犧牲。”
   “哈比人!”金靂大喊道,“他們呢?佛羅多到哪裏去了?”
   “我不知道,”亞拉岡非常疲倦地回答:“在波羅莫死前,他告訴我半獸人綁走了他們,他認為他們還活着。我派他過來是為了保護梅裏和皮聘,但是我來不及問他是否看到佛羅多和山姆。我今天所做的每個决定都是錯的,現在該怎麽辦?”
   “我們必須先處理犧牲的弟兄,”勒苟拉斯說:“我們不能讓他和這些該死的半獸人一起曝屍荒野。”
   “但也不能耽擱太久,”金靂說:“他也不會希望我們在這邊耗費太多時間,衹要還有希望救回人質,我們就必須跟蹤那些半獸人。”
   “可是,我們不知道魔戒持有者是否和他們在一起,”亞拉岡說:“我們要捨棄他嗎?我們難道不應該先去找他嗎?眼前又是一個兩難!”
   “讓我們先做能做的事情吧,”勒苟拉斯當機立斷地說:“我們沒有時間和工具來安葬夥伴,也沒時間火化他的遺骸。”
   “那會花上太多時間了,水邊又沒有岩石可以利用,”金靂無可奈何地說。“那麽,我們就把他和配戴的武器,以及那些被他擊殺的敵人武器一起放上船,”亞拉岡說:“我們讓他航嚮拉洛斯瀑布,把他獻給大河安都因。守護剛鐸的河流,至少不會讓任何的生物冒瀆他的遺體。”
   ※ ※ ※
   他們很快地從半獸人的身上收集到許多刀劍、破碎的盔甲和盾牌,並且將它們堆成一堆。
   “你們看!”亞拉岡說:“這是他們用的東西!”他從一堆破爛的武器中找出兩柄葉狀的短劍,劍柄上面纏繞着金色和紅色的裝飾;在仔細尋找了片刻之後,他又找到了兩個黑色、上面有着小小紅寶石的劍鞘。“這不是半獸人的東西!”他說:“這些是哈比人隨身攜帶的武器,半獸人抓住了他們,但卻不敢留下這些短劍,因為它們是西方皇族打造的,上面被註入了摧毀魔多之力的咒文。好吧,如果我們的朋友還活着,他們現在手無寸鐵。讓我先保管這些東西,衹要不放棄最後一絲希望,我相信還是有機會把這些東西物歸原主。”
   “而我,”勒苟拉斯說:“會收起所有還可使用的箭矢,因為我的箭囊已經空了。”他在地上的武器堆中不停地搜尋着,找到一些箭身比較長、完好無損的半獸人箭矢,收到箭囊中。
   亞拉岡則是檢查着地上的屍體,最後作出了結論:“這裏有許多士兵並不是來自魔多,根據我對半獸人的瞭解,有些是從北方的迷霧山脈來的。這裏還有一些更奇怪的狀況,他們的裝備完全不是半獸人慣用的!”
   地上躺着四名身材高大的半獸人士兵,他們眼睛細小、手腳都格外粗壯,他們身上配戴着刀鋒寬大的短劍,不是一般半獸人愛用的彎刀;而且,他們的長弓是紫衫木做的,在形狀和長度上都與人類慣用的接近。他們的盾牌上有着一個奇怪的徽記,在黑色背景中出現一隻白色的手,在他們的頭盔正面,有着用白色金屬鑲嵌的符文。
   “我之前沒看過這些徽記,”亞拉岡說:“不知道它們代表什麽意義?”
   “我猜是‘索倫麾下’的意思,”金靂說:“很容易猜嘛!”
   “不對!”勒苟拉斯說:“索倫不會使用精靈的符文。”
   “而且,他也不會使用我們稱呼他的名字,更不可能准許屬下將它拼出來,甚至是放在頭盔上。”亞拉岡判斷道:“況且,他絶不可能使用白色,巴拉多要塞的半獸人使用的徽記,是血紅眼。”他沉思了片刻:“我猜這是代表薩魯曼,”良久,他終於作出判斷:“艾辛格中醖釀,西方已經不再安全。正如同甘道夫所擔心的一樣,薩魯曼透過某種方法知道了我們的計劃,他很有可能也知道甘道夫犧牲的消息。摩瑞亞的追兵可能躲過了羅瑞安的防守,或者是透過其它的路綫到達了艾辛格,半獸人的腳程很快。不過,我想,薩魯曼的情報來源絶對不衹一個,你還記得在天空盤旋的那些飛鳥嗎?”
   “好啦,我們沒時間猜謎了,”金靂說:“我們趕快處理波羅莫的遺體吧!”
   “在那之後我們還是要搞清楚這謎團,否則我們不可能作出正確的選擇,”亞拉岡回答。“或許根本沒有所謂正確的選擇!”金靂說。
   矮人拿出戰斧,砍下幾根樹枝。他們接着利用弓弦將這些樹枝綁起來,最後將鬥篷鋪在其上,利用這個簡陋的擔架,他們將夥伴的屍體搬到岸邊,身上放着從剛纔的戰場上收集來的戰利品。這段路並不遠,但因為波羅莫十分高大壯碩,對他們來說並不輕鬆。
   亞拉岡站在湖邊,看顧着擔架,勒苟拉斯和金靂則趕忙回到帕斯加蘭。這裏距離該處大概一哩左右,他們過了一段時間纔劃着兩艘船沿着湖岸回來。
   “有件怪事!”勒苟拉斯說:“岸邊衹有兩艘船,我們找不到另一艘。”
   “半獸人到過那邊嗎?”亞拉岡問。
   “我們找不到任何蛛絲馬跡,”金靂回答:“如果是半獸人,他們應該會弄壞所有的船衹,還包括那些行李。”
   “等我們過去的時候,我會再仔細檢查那裏的腳印。”亞拉岡說。
   接着,他們將波羅莫放在小舟的正中央,把灰色的精靈鬥篷折好,墊在他的頭下;三人梳理好他黑色的長發,讓它披散在他的肩膀上,羅瑞安的金色腰帶閃耀發光,他的頭盔放在身邊,腿上則放着斷成兩半的號角和斷折的劍柄;在他的腳下放着敵人的武器。
   接着,他們將小舟的船首綁在另一艘小舟的船尾,緩緩地劃進河中。他們沿着湖岸傷心地劃着,越過帕斯加蘭之後就進入大河的主流中。托爾布蘭達的陡峭山壁在陽光下反射着光芒,現在已經下午了。隨着他們繼續往南劃,拉洛斯瀑布的水霧開始將他們包圍,形成一片金色的迷霧。瀑布如同千軍萬馬,奔騰的聲響震動了附近靜滯的空氣。他們哀傷地鬆開了波羅莫遺體放置的小舟,讓他安祥地在水面上漂浮;水流載着他緩緩遠去,其它人則是劃動着船槳保持在原地。小舟慢慢飄嚮瀑布,變成金光中的黑點,最後消失得無影無蹤。拉洛斯瀑布依舊不變的發出怒吼聲,大河接納了英勇的波羅莫,從此,他再也不能夠像過去一樣,每天清晨登上米那斯提力斯的城墻,了望魔王的領土。不過,日後,剛鐸流傳着一個傳說:這艘精靈的小舟載着他穿越了瀑布和大湖,經過奧斯吉力亞斯的河岸,從大河安都因入海,自此沐浴在黑暗海面上的星光擁抱中。
   三名夥伴沉默不語地看着小舟漸行漸遠,然後,亞拉岡開口了:“聖白塔之民將會期待他的歸來,”他說:“但是,他再也不能從山中或是海上回到他的故鄉。”他緩緩開口唱道:
   穿越洛汗一望無際的草原,
   西風步履輕盈來到城墻邊緣。
   “喔,漫遊的風兒,今晚你從西方帶來什麽消息?
   是否見到壯漢波羅莫在月光下的聲息?”
   “我見他策馬越過七溪流,越過寬廣大江;
   我見他疾行於荒野,進入北方,
   那魔影遍布之地,自此渺無音訊。
   北風或許聽見迪耐瑟之子的號角傳訊。”
   “壯哉波羅莫!從那高墻上我看嚮遠方,
   但你的身影卻不再出現在那荒蕪人煙的地方。”
   勒苟拉斯接着唱下去:
   從那洶涌的海岸南風吹來,越過沙丘和岩石;
   帶着海鷗的哭喊飛嚮前,在那門口悲嘆多時。
   “喔,低嘆的風兒,南方是否有什麽消息?
   俊壯的波羅莫人在何方?他遲遲不歸,我衹能空等嘆息。”
   “別問我他最後落腳的地方,無數白骨
   躺在白色沙灘,襯着黑色海岸,和天空的悲苦。
   無數魂魄流入安都因,在海中消失無蹤。
   問那北風,問那北風可有他的蹤影!”
   “偉哉波羅莫!大江越過海口,往那南方流去,
   但你的身影卻再也不會與灰暗大海相聚。”
   亞拉岡最後開口唱道:
   北風穿過王者之門,越過那狂吼的瀑布;
   清澈、熾烈的號角聲刺破高塔旁的雲霧。
   “喔,強有力的風兒,你今天帶來什麽北方的消息?
   勇者波羅莫去嚮何處?他已離此甚久,渺無音信。”
   “在那阿蒙漢山下我聽見他的怒吼,他衹身迎戰無數敵人。
   他的破盾、斷劍,隨着滔滔江水流逝,
   他神情自傲、擡頭挺胸,足以在任何豪雄身邊安息;
   拉洛斯,金黃的拉洛斯瀑布,將他擁在胸前。”
   “勇哉波羅莫!衛戍之塔將永恆地望嚮北方,
   看着拉洛斯,金黃的拉洛斯瀑布,直到地老天荒。”
   一切就這樣結束了。然後他們轉過小舟,使盡全力逆着水流劃回帕斯加蘭。
   “你們把東風留給我描述,”金靂說:“但我决定保持沉默。”
   “也就這樣了吧,”亞拉岡說。“在米那斯提力斯,他們承受東風的吹拂,卻不會詢問它任何消息,因為它代表的勢力。現在,波羅莫上路了,我們也必須决定自己的道路。”
   他搜查着眼前的緑色草地,目光貼近地面:“這塊土地尚沒有半獸人的足跡,”他說:“否則我就什麽也看不出來了!我們來回的足跡都在這裏,我看不出在找尋佛羅多的任務開始之後,有多少哈比人回來過。”他轉過身,看嚮河岸,仔細看着山泉流入大河的地方。
   “這裏有幾個很清楚的腳印,一個哈比人涉水走進河中,又跑了回來,但我看不出來是多久以前。”
   “你猜這是怎麽一回事?”金靂問道。
   亞拉岡沒有立刻回答,反而回到宿營地去檢查行李的狀況。“少了兩個背包,”他說:“一個很明顯是山姆那個又重又大的背包。那麽,根據現場的狀況研判,很顯然佛羅多乘船離開了,而他的僕人則是跟他一起走。我往山上走的時候遇見了山姆,請他跟我走,很明顯他並沒有照做。他猜到了主人的心意,在佛羅多離開前回到這裏來。要擺脫山姆恐怕沒那麽簡單呢!”
   “可是,他為什麽不留下衹字片語就離開我們?”金靂說:“這樣真的太奇怪了!”
   “而且也很勇敢,”亞拉岡說:“我想山姆說的對,佛羅多不想牽纍任何朋友,和他一起踏上往魔多的死路,但他知道自己非去不可。在他沉思的那段時間中,一定發生了什麽事情,讓他剋服了恐懼和疑惑。”
   “或許是那些半獸人找上他,他就這樣跑了,”勒苟拉斯說。
   “他的確是逃跑了,”亞拉岡說:“但是,我認為他並不是在躲避半獸人。”他並沒有說出佛羅多離開的原因,波羅莫最後的遺言將永遠成為他心中的秘密。
   “好吧,至少我們目前已經確定了這些事情,”勒苟拉斯一項項的分析道:“佛羅多已經離開河的這岸了,唯一可能劃走船的衹有他。山姆和他在一起,否則沒人會拿走他的背包。”
   “那麽,我們衹能選擇──”金靂接續着說:“劃着剩下的船去追佛羅多,或者是步行去追半獸人。兩個方向達成目標的希望都很渺茫,我們已經損失了最寶貴的黃金時間。”
   “讓我想想!”亞拉岡說:“我得要作出一次正確的抉擇,扭轉這不幸的一天!”他沉默了片刻。“我决定追蹤半獸人,”他最後終於說:“我本來應該指引佛羅多前往魔多,一路到達最後的目標;但是,如果我計劃在河上追到他,就等於袖手讓被抓走的人質遭到折磨和殺害。我想一切都很明白了,魔戒持有者的命運不再由我掌控。遠征隊的任務已經完成了,但衹要我們還有一口氣在,就不能夠捨棄戰友。來吧!我們即刻出發,把所有不必要的行李都丟掉,我們日夜兼程趕路!”
   他們將最後一艘小舟拖上岸,藏在樹林中。他們將所有非必要的行李藏在船上,然後離開了帕斯加蘭。當他們回到波羅莫戰死的草地時,天已經快黑了,他們仔細地搜尋半獸人撤退的方向。由於半獸人嚮來做事草率粗魯,要找到這些痕跡並不睏難。“世界上沒有其它的種族會造成這樣子的足跡,”勒苟拉斯說:“他們喜歡破壞甚至不在他們道路上的一切動物和植物。”
   “即使是這樣,他們的速度還是迅速無比,”亞拉岡說:“而且他們好象永遠不會疲倦似地。不久之後,我們可能必須在寸草不生的硬地上追蹤他們的足跡。”
   “不管怎麽樣,趕快動身吧!”金靂不耐煩地說:“矮人的腳程也很快,而且我們的耐力並不會比半獸人絲毫遜色。這次我們可能要耗費很長的時間,他們已經領先很多了。”
   “是的,”亞拉岡說:“我們都會需要矮人般的耐力。來吧!即使衹有一綫希望,我們也會緊追敵人到天涯海角。如果我們的速度能比他們快,他們就會嘗到我們的怒火了!我們將會替人類、精靈和矮人,創造出前所未有的傳說來。出發吧,三名復仇的戰士!”
   他如同麋鹿一般輕盈地拔腿狂奔,穿越濃密的樹林。他領着衆人馬不停蹄、不眠不休地趕路,很快的,湖邊的森林就被他們拋在腦後。他們急如星火地在陡峭的山坡上飛奔,黑色的身影襯托着血紅的落日,構成了一幅壯麗詭異的景象。暮色漸漸降臨,他們化身成模糊的影子,消逝在群山中。
首頁>> >> 魔奇侠玄>> 約翰·羅納德·瑞爾·托爾金 John Ronald Reuel Tolkien   英國 United Kingdom   溫莎王朝   (1892年元月3日1973年九月2日)