◉IV.1 The Taming of Sméagol
He found two places, all the same, where he had to trust wholly to it: smooth surfaces where there was no hold even for his strong hobbit fingers and the ledges were far apart.
尽管如此,他还是发现有两处地方不得不完全依靠它。一处是光滑的石壁,连他那有力的霍比特手指都找不到可抓握之处;另一处是那些突岩,它们相距太远。
当译作“两处都是光滑的石壁,连他那有力的霍比特手指都找不到可抓握之处,而那些突岩则距离太远。”
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If we kill him, we must kill him outright. But we can’t do that, not as things are.
如果我们要杀他,那就必须立刻动手。但是这种情况下,我们不能杀他,不能。
这里意思是只能在正当防卫情况下杀他,投降后不能杀。可译作“那只能是在打斗时当场杀死。”
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◉IV.3 The Black Gate Is Closed
‘Is it not guarded?’ Frodo repeated. ‘Yes, yes, perhaps. No safe places in this country,’
“没人看守它吗?”弗罗多重复道。“没有,没有,大概。这个地方没有哪里是安全的。”
当译作“是啊,是啊,大概有吧。”
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But ‘hark!’ he said. ‘What is that?’
“啊!那是什么?”
当译作“听!”前文出现过hark和harken。后文“他们听见了歌声和沙哑的吼声”可证。
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◉IV.4 Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
The moon was now three nights from the full, but it did not climb over the mountains until nearly midnight, and the early night was very dark.
现在是月圆过后三天,月亮要到将近午夜时才会爬上山顶,因此刚入夜时大地漆黑一片。
当译作“离月圆还有三天”。月圆时间表也证实了这点。
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◉IV.5 The Window on the West
round platters, bowls and dishes of glazed brown clay or turned box-wood, smooth and clean.
有圆形的大托盘,碗碟有用上过釉的褐陶烧制成的,还有用黄杨木削制成的,光滑又干净。
wood turning即车床加工木头,古代的车床像钻木取火一样,以绳和弓为动力。正因为是车床而非手工加工,才能加工得“光滑又干净”。可译作“用黄杨木车削成的”。

◉IV.7 Journey to the Cross-roads
伊姆拉德魔古尔(Imlad Morgul),辛达语,意为“黑暗妖术的深谷”。“活死人山谷”应是法拉米尔的解释。—译者注
Morgul确实是黑魔法的意思,不过托尔金在未发表索引中写道:
'Imlad Morgul = Morgul Vale', 'Imlad narrow valley with steep sides but a flat habitable bottom', and 'Morgul "necromancy".
可知黑魔法指的就是死灵术。
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For the most part it was covered with a thick growth of gorse and whortleberry,
地上几乎覆满了茂盛浓密的金雀花和越橘
gorse当译作荆豆。
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◉IV.8 The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
but the topmost course of the tower revolved slowly, first one way and then another, a huge ghostly head leering into the night.
而塔楼顶部盘旋着缓缓而上,先见一侧,再见另一侧,幽灵似的庞大塔顶睥睨着直刺入暗夜中。
当译作“塔楼最顶层缓缓旋转着,幽灵似的庞大塔顶像颗首级般扫视着暗夜,先看向一侧,再看向另一侧。”
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◉IV.10 The Choices of Master Samwise
Shelob was gone; and whether she lay long in her lair, nursing her malice and her misery, and in slow years of darkness healed herself from within, rebuilding her clustered eyes, until with hunger like death she spun once more her dreadful snares in the glens of the Mountains of Shadow, this tale does not tell.
希洛布逃走了。此后她久久窝在巢穴里,怀着怨毒与痛苦,在漫长的黑暗年岁中从内部调养她的伤,重新养好她的那簇眼睛,直到饿得要死时才再次出洞,在阴影山脉的山谷中布下可怕的罗网。但那一切,这个故事都不再提及。
当译作“此后她会不会久久窝在巢穴里,怀着怨毒与痛苦,在漫长的黑暗年岁中从内部调养她的伤,重新养好她的那簇眼睛,直到饿得要死时才再次出洞,在阴影山脉的山谷中布下可怕的罗网呢?这个故事未曾提及。”
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He loosened the sword in its sheath. In a minute he would draw it, and then—
他松开剑鞘中的剑,下一刻他就会拔剑,然后—
有歧义会让人以为是松手。可译作“他把剑从鞘中拔松一点”。