The mother of our particular hobbit (мать нашего этого хоббита; particular — особый, специфический) — what is a hobbit (а что такое хоббит)? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays (я полагаю, что хоббитам необходимо /дать/ небольшое описание в наши дни), since they have become rare (так как они стали редкостью) and shy of the Big People (и стесняются Высокого Народа; big — большой, крупный), as they call us (как они называют нас). They are (они /есть/) (or were (или были)) a little people (приземистым народом; little — маленький, небольшой, короткий), about half our height (где-то вполовину нашего роста), and smaller than the bearded Dwarves (и меньше, чем бородатые Гномы). Hobbits have no beards (у хоббитов нет бороды). There is little or no magic about them (в них мало, а то и совсем нет никакой магии), except the ordinary everyday sort (за исключением обычной, повседневной разновидности /волшебства/; sort — вид, род, сорт) which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly (которое помогает им исчезать тихо и быстро) when large stupid folk like you and me (когда большие глупые люди, вроде тебя и меня) come blundering along (идут ощупью; blunder — грубая ошибка; промах; to blunder (along) — двигаться ощупью; спотыкаться), making a noise like elephants (и делают столько же шума, сколько слоны) which they can hear a mile off (и который они могут слышать за целую милю).

description [ds'krp n] height [hat] bearded ['bdd] dwarf [dw: f]

The mother of our particular hobbit — what is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off.

They are inclined to be fat in the stomach (они имеют склонность быть толстенькими в брюшке); they dress in bright colours (они одеваются в одежду ярких цветов) (chiefly green and yellow (большей частью зеленого и желтого)); wear no shoes (не носят обувь), because their feet (потому что на их ступнях) grow natural leathery soles (растут от природы кожистые подошвы) and thick warm brown hair (и густой теплый бурый мех: «каштановые волосы»; thick — толстый, жирный) like the stuff on their heads (как и мех: «волосы» на их головах; stuff — материал, вещество) (which is curly (который /еще и/ кудрявый); have long clever brown fingers (у них: «/они/ имеют» длинные ловкие смуглые пальцы; clever — умный, талантливый, умелый), good-natured faces (добродушные лица), and laugh deep fruity laughs (и смеются /они/ глубоким сочным смехом; fruity — фруктовый) (especially after dinner (особенно после обеда), which they have twice a day (который у них два раза в день) when they can get it (когда они могут его добыть)). Now you know enough (теперь вы знаете достаточно) to go on with (чтобы продолжать).

stomach ['stmk] leathery ['led r] good-natured [d'netd]

They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can get it). Now you know enough to go on with.

As I was saying (как я говорил), the mother of this hobbit (мать этого самого хоббита) — of Bilbo Baggins, that is (Бильбо Бэггинса, то есть) — was the fabulous Belladonna Took (была легендарная Белладонна Тук), one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took (одна из трех замечательных дочерей Старого Тука), head of the hobbits (главы хоббитов) who lived across The Water (которые жили по ту сторону Воды), the small river (маленькой речки) that ran at the foot of The Hill (которая текла у подножия Холма; to run (ran, run) — бежать, гнать; foot (feet) — нога, ступня, основание). It was often said (часто поговаривали) (in other families (в других семьях)) that long ago (что давным-давно) one of the Took ancestors (один из предков семейства Туков) must have taken a fairy wife (должно быть, взял в жены волшебницу). That was, of course, absurd (это было, конечно же, нелепо), but certainly there was still (но, несомненно, было все-таки) something not entirely hobbit-like about them (что-то не совсем хоббитовское: «похожее на хоббитов» в них), — and once in a while (и, время от времени) members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures (члены клана Туков отправлялись и искали: «имели» приключения). They discreetly disappeared (они незаметно: «обдуманно, осмотрительно» исчезали), and the family hushed it up (и /их/ семья заминала этот /факт/; to hush — водворять тишину, успокаивать); but the fact remained (но факт оставался фактом) that the Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses (что семейство Туков не было таким же почтенным, как семейство Бэггинсов), though they were undoubtedly richer (хотя они были, вне всякого сомнения, богаче).

fabulous ['faebjls] ancestor ['aensst, 'aensest] undoubtedly [n'datdl]

As I was saying, the mother of this hobbit — of Bilbo Baggins, that is — was the fabulous Belladonna Took, one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took, head of the hobbits who lived across The Water, the small river that ran at the foot of The Hill. It was often said (in other families) that long ago one of the Took ancestors must have taken a fairy wife. That was, of course, absurd, but certainly there was still something not entirely hobbit-like about them, — and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures. They discreetly disappeared, and the family hushed it up; but the fact remained that the Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses, though they were undoubtedly richer.

Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures (не то чтобы у Белладонны Тук случились какие-нибудь приключения) after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins (после того, как она стала миссис Банго Бэггинс). Bungo, that was Bilbo’s father (Банго, который был отцом Бильбо), built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for her (построил самую что ни на есть роскошную хоббитовскую нору для нее) (and partly with her money (и частично на ее деньги)) that was to be found (которую можно было обнаружить) either under The Hill (либо под Холмом) or over The Hill (или за Холмом) or across The Water (или по ту сторону Воды), and there they remained to the end of their days (и там они оставались до конца своих дней). Still it is probable (однако, возможно) that Bilbo, her only son (что Бильбо, ее единственный сын), although he looked and behaved (хотя он выглядел и вел себя) exactly like a second edition (совсем как точная копия: «второе издание») of his solid and comfortable father (его солидного и спокойного отца; comfortable—удобный, довольный; спокойный), got something a bit queer (получил что-то чуть-чуть странное) in his makeup (во внешности и характере; make-up — состав, конституция) from the Took side (со стороны семейства Туков), something that only waited for a chance to come out (что-то, что только и ждало шанса, чтобы выйти наружу). The chance never arrived (шанс так никогда и не представился; to arrive — прибывать, приезжать, приходить), until Bilbo Baggins was grown up (до тех пор, пока Бильбо Бэггинс не вырос), being about fifty years old or so (/ему/ было почти пятьдесят лет или около того), and living in the beautiful hobbit-hole (и жил /он/ в прекрасной хоббитовской норе) built by his father (построенной его отцом), which I have just described for you (которую я только что описал для вас), until he had in fact apparently settled down immovably (до тех самых пор, когда он, на самом деле, явно не остепенился: «осел» недвижимо/непоколебимо; to move — двигать).

luxurious [l'zj rs, — ' rs] queer [kw] apparently ['paerntl]

Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Bungo, that was Bilbo’s father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for her (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across The Water, and there they remained to the end of their days. Still it is probable that Bilbo, her only son, although he looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father, got something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something that only waited for a chance to come out. The chance never arrived, until Bilbo Baggins was grown up, being about fifty years old or so, and living in the beautiful hobbit-hole built by his father, which I have just described for you, until he had in fact apparently settled down immovably.