the silmarillion- 第97部分

　
Thus　the　Exiles　of　Númenor　established　their　realms　in　Arnor　and　in　Gondor；　but　ere　many　years　had　passed　it　　
became　manifest　that　their　enemy；　Sauron；　had　also　returned。　He　came　in　secret；　as　has　been　told；　to　his　ancient　kingdom　　
of　Mordor　beyond　the　Ephel　Dúath；　the　Mountains　of　Shadow；　and　that　country　marched　with　Gondor　upon　the　east。　　
There　above　the　valley　of　Gorgoroth　was　built　his　fortress　vast　and　strong；　Barad…d？r；　the　Dark　Tower；　and　there　was　a　　
fiery　mountain　in　that　land　that　the　Elves　named　Orodruin。　Indeed　for　that　reason　Sauron　had　set　there　his　dwelling　long　　
before；　for　he　used　the　fire　that　welled　there　from　the　heart　of　the　earth　in　his　sorceries　and　in　his　forging；　and　in　the　　
midst　of　the　Land　of　Mordor　he　had　fashioned　the　Ruling　Ring。　There　now　he　brooded　in　the　dark；　until　he　had　wrought　　
for　himself　a　new　shape；　and　it　was　terrible；　for　his　fair　semblance　had　departed　for　ever　when　he　was　cast　into　the　abyss　　
at　the　drowning　of　Númenor。　He　took　up　again　the　great　Ring　and　clothed　himself　in　power；　and　the　malice　of　the　Eye　of　　
Sauron　few　even　of　the　great　among　Elves　and　Men　could　endure。　
Now　Sauron　prepared　war　against　the　Eldar　and　the　Men　of　Westernesse；　and　the　fires　of　the　Mountain　were　　
wakened　again。　Wherefore　seeing　the　smoke　of　Orodruin　from　afar；　and　perceiving　that　Sauron　had　returned；　the　　
Númenóreans　named　that　mountain　anew　Amon　Amarth；　which　is　Mount　Doom。　And　Sauron　gathered　to　him　great　　
strength　of　his　servants　out　of　the　east　and　the　south；　and　among　them　were　not　a　few　of　the　high　race　of　Númenor。　For　　
in　the　days　of　the　sojourn　of　Sauron　in　that　land　the　hearts　of　well　nigh　all　its　people　had　been　turned　towards　darkness。　　
Therefore　many　of　those　who　sailed　east　in　that　time　and　made　fortresses　and　dwellings　upon　the　coasts　were　already　　
bent　to　his　will；　and　they　served　him　still　gladly　in　Middle…earth。　But　because　of　the　power　of　Gil…galad　these　renegades；　　
lords　both　mighty　and　evil；　for　the　most　part　took　up　their　abodes　in　the　southlands　far　away；　yet　two　there　were；　　
Herumor　and　Fuinur；　who　rose　to　power　among　the　Haradrim；　a　great　and　cruel　people　that　dwelt　in　the　wide　lands　south　　
of　Mordor　beyond　the　mouths　of　Anduin。　
When　therefore　Sauron　saw　his　time　he　came　with　great　force　against　the　new　realm　of　Gondor；　and　he　took　　
Minas　Ithil；　and　he　destroyed　the　White　Tree　of　Isildur　that　grew　there。　But　Isildur　escaped；　and　taking　with　him　a　　
seedling　of　the　Tree　he　went　with　his　wife　and　his　sons　by　ship　down　the　River；　and　they　sailed　from　the　mouths　of　　
Anduin　seeking　Elendil。　Meanwhile　Anárion　held　Osgiliath　against　the　Enemy；　and　for　that　time　drove　him　back　to　the　　
mountains；　but　Sauron　gathered　his　strength　again；　and　Anárion　knew　that　unless　help　should　e　his　kingdom　would　　
not　long　stand。　
Now　Elendil　and　Gil…galad　took　counsel　together；　for　they　perceived　that　Sauron　would　grow　too　strong　and　　
would　overe　all　his　enemies　one　by　one；　if　they　did　not　unite　against　him。　Therefore　they　made　that　League　which　is　　
called　the　Last　Alliance；　and　they　marched　east　into　Middle…earth　gathering　a　great　host　of　Elves　and　Men；　and　they　　
halted　for　a　while　at　Imladris。　It　is　said　that　the　host　that　was　there　assembled　was　fairer　and　more　splendid　in　arms　than　　
any　that　has　since　been　seen　in　Middle…earth；　and　none　greater　has　been　mustered　since　the　host　of　the　Valar　went　against　　
Thangorodrim。　
From　Imladris　they　crossed　the　Misty　Mountains　by　many　passes　and　marched　down　the　River　Anduin；　and　so　　
came　at　last　upon　the　host　of　Sauron　on　Dagorlad；　the　Battle　Plain；　which　lies　before　the　gate　of　the　Black　Land。　All　　
living　things　were　divided　in　that　day；　and　some　of　every　kind；　even　of　beasts　and　birds；　were　found　in　either　host；　save　　
the　Elves　only。　They　alone　were　undivided　and　followed　Gil…galad。　Of　the　Dwarves　few　fought　upon　either　side；　but　the　　
kindred　of　Durin　of　Moria　fought　against　Sauron。　
The　host　of　Gil…galad　and　Elendil　had　the　victory；　for　the　might　of　the　Elves　was　still　great　in　those　days；　and　the　　
Númenóreans　were　strong　and　tall；　and　terrible　in　their　wrath。　Against　Aeglos　the　spear　of　Gil…galad　none　could　stand；　　
and　the　sword　of　Elendil　filled　Orcs　and　Men　with　fear；　for　it　shone　with　the　light　of　the　sun　and　of　the　moon；　and　it　was　　
named　Narsil。　
Then　Gil…galad　and　Elendil　passed　into　Mordor　and　enpassed　the　stronghold　of　Sauron；　and　they　laid　siege　to　　
it　for　seven　years；　and　suffered　grievous　loss　by　fire　and　by　the　darts　and　bolts　of　the　Enemy；　and　Sauron　sent　many　　
sorties　against　them。　There　in　the　valley　of　Gorgoroth　Anárion　son　of　Elendil　was　slain；　and　many　others。　But　at　the　last　　
the　siege　was　so　strait　that　Sauron　himself　came　forth；　and　he　wrestled　with　Gil…galad　and　Elendil；　and　they　both　were　　
slain；　and　the　sword　of　Elendil　broke　under　him　as　he　fell。　But　Sauron　also　was　thrown　down；　and　with　the　hilt…shard　of　　
Narsil　Isildur　cut　the　Ruling　Ring　from　the　hand　of　Sauron　and　took　it　for　his　own。　Then　Sauron　was　for　that　time　　
vanquished；　and　he　forsook　his　body；　and　his　spirit　fled　far　away　and　hid　in　waste　places；　and　he　took　no　visible　shape　　
again　for　many　long　years。　
　
Thus　began　the　Third　Age　of　the　World；　after　the　Eldest　Days　and　the　Black　Years；　and　there　was　still　hope　in　that　　
time　and　the　memory　of　mirth；　and　for　long　the　White　Tree　of　the　Eldar　flowered　in　the　courts　of　the　Kings　of　Men；　for　　
the　seedling　which　he　had　saved　Isildur　planted　in　the　citadel　of　Anor　in　memory　of　his　brother；　ere　he　departed　from　　
Gondor。　The　servants　of　Sauron　were　routed　and　dispersed；　yet　they　were　not　wholly　destroyed；　and　though　many　Men　　
turned　now　from　evil　and　became　subject　to　the　heirs　of　Elendil；　yet　many　more　remembered　Sauron　in　their　hearts　and　　
hated　the　kingdoms　of　the　West。　The　Dark　Tower　was　levelled　to　the　ground；　yet　its　foundations　remained；　and　it　was　not　　
forgotten。　The　Númenóreans　indeed　set　a　guard　upon　the　land　of　Mordor；　but　none　dared　dwell　there　because　of　the　　
terror　of　the　memory　of　Sauron；　and　because　of　the　Mountain　of　Fire　that　stood　nigh　to　Barad…d？r；　and　the　valley　of　　
Gorgoroth　was　filled　with　ash。　Many　of　the　Elves　and　many　of　the　Númenóreans　and　of　Men　who　were　their　allies　had　　
perished　in　the　Battle　and　the　Siege；　and　Elendil　the　Tall　and　Gil…galad　the　High　King　were　no　more。　Never　again　was　　
such　a　host　assembled；　nor　was　there　any　such　league　of　Elves　and　Men；　for　after　Elendil's　day　the　two　kindreds　became　　
estranged。　
The　Ruling　Ring　passed　out　of　the　knowledge　even　of　the　Wise　in　that　age；　yet　it　was　not　unmade。　For　Isildur　　
would　not　surrender　it　to　Elrond　and　Círdan　who　stood　by。　They　counselled　him　to　cast　it　into　the　fire　of　Orodruin　nigh　　
at　hand；　in　which　it　had　been　forged；　so　that　it　should　perish；　and　the　power　of　Sauron　be　for　ever　diminished；　and　he　　
should　remain　only　as　a　shadow　of　malice　in　the　wilderness。　But　Isildur　refused　this　counsel；　saying：　'This　I　will　have　as　　
were…gild　for　my　father's　death；　and　my　brothers。　Was　it　not　I　that　dealt　the　Enemy　his　death…blow？'　And　the　Ring　that　he　　
held　seemed　to　him　exceedingly　fair　to　look　on；　and　he　would　no