Everyone have probably heard of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, made more famous by Peter Jackson's Big screen interpretation of the two trilogies. One of the most striking aspects of the two Oscar winning trilogies is the beautiful scenery of the Middle Earth that was depicted, and it was no secret that all scenes were shot in New Zealand，one of the most beautiful countries on earth. While the natural landscape of rugged mountains, rolling rivers and vast plains shaped Frodo and Bilbo’s journey through the Middle Earth, it is their home, the picturesque Shire, that have captured many hearts. The Shire was shot in a set of private farmlands close to a town called Matamata, about 2 hours drive north from Rotorua. The farm, known officially as the Hobbiton Movie Set, is now a major tourist attraction that attracts J. R. R. Tolkien fans and LOTR movie buffs.
J.R.R.托尔金的史诗级巨作〈魔戒〉和〈霍比特人〉可以说是在像英国，澳洲，新西兰等英语国家中家传户晓的经典著作。而彼得杰克逊把这两部经典搬上银幕，更是把书中的意境演译得淋漓尽致。其中最让人震撼的莫过于银幕上的中土美景。这些美景都是取自新西兰这个美丽国家的不同角落。佛罗多(Frodo) 和 比尔博(Bilbo) 的中土旅程的确因为高耸的山脉，宽淌的河流和广大的平原等自然奇观变得多姿多彩。而他们的家园夏尔更是有种人间仙景的感觉。其实夏尔是在一个离Matamata小镇的私人农场，离罗托努阿大概两小时。这个私人农场的官方名字是霍比顿电影布景，现在已经成为一个非常有名的景点，吸引着托尔金铁粉和电影爱好者来参观。
Since it is a private farmland, you need to participate in one of the official guide tours in order to visit Hobbiton. The meeting place, called The Shire’s Rest, is about 10 minutes from the Matamata township, and is surrounded by beautiful farmlands. This place used to be a old woolshed. Now it is essentially the information centre and gift shop for the Hobbiton attraction, where you can buy tickets, visit the cafe or buy LOTR and The Hobbits themed souvenirs. This is also where the tour departs.
这是个私人农场，所以想进入霍比顿必须要参加他们的官方观光团。官方团的集合地点是夏尔小站，离Matamata小镇不到十分钟的车程，小站周边都是绿油油的漂亮牧场。夏尔小站的前身是牧场里的剪毛棚。现在它变成了个游客中心，这里有售票处，咖啡厅，还有〈魔戒〉和〈霍比特人〉的官方礼品店。官方观光团就在这里出发。
Big green tour buses took us and the rest of the tour group through the farm gates, and down the winding roads in-between rolling hills towards Hobbiton. On the bus they showed us a video from which we learnt that the farm was privately own by the Alexander Family, and was scouted by Peter Jackson as he was searching for a untouched paradise for the setting of the Shire. After shooting the LOTR the site was partially demolished, but it was attracting such a crowd even in that state that after the site was reconstructed for the Hobbit Trilogy, it was decided that the movie set to be left behind permanently, leaving a beautiful piece of fantasy in our world.
我们一个团大概二十多人，被带上了一辆绿色大旅游巴。旅游巴穿过了小站对面的农场栅栏门，沿着弯弯曲曲的泥泞小路往山谷底的霍比顿前进。在旅游巴上，导游给我们放了关于霍比顿的短片。从短片里我们了解到这里本来是阿历山大家族所拥有的私人农场。当时彼得杰克逊在寻找能够表现出夏尔这个净土的人间仙境作为魔戒的取景地。他相中了阿历山大家的农场，在那里建了霍比顿这个电影布景。魔戒三部曲杀青后，彼得杰克逊团队当时就把霍比顿的布景拆了。然而，这个已经拆得七七八八的仍然吸引了不少魔戒粉来朝圣。于是当彼得杰克逊决定要拍〈霍比特人〉时，他们就把霍比顿布景从新建此来，并把它变成一个永久性的建筑群，让这个中土仙景在现实世界里留了下来。
To be honest, I wouldn't call myself a true Tolkien Fan. I remember opening the Fellowship of the Ring book and being bored within the first page. I have not yet finished the Hobbit Trilogy. While I did watch the LOTR series are more than a couple of times, it was so long ago that only some of the places in the movie set would strike a chord of nostalgia. It was more the colourful Hobbit holes and the picturesque setting that really attracted me. The tour started at a crossroad with a big road sign saying Hobbiton. The weather was terrible, so we were each given an umbrella before we headed into the village. We walked past the ledge where Frodo greeted Gandalf as he pulled his cart into the Shire at the beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring, right into the village where we see the colourful Hobbit Holes. We noticed that some of the Hobbit Holes are tiny, whereas some are very big. The guide told us that this is because in order to emphasis the tiny size of Hobbits compared to Humans, scenes with Frodo and Sam would be shot in front of large houses, whereas scenes with Gandalf would be shot with the small houses.
其实说实话我不算是个托尔金的真粉丝。我记得我尝试过看魔戒第一部〈护戒使者〉，翻不到两页就打哈欠。〈霍比特人〉三部电影我也只看了一部。〈魔戒〉三部电影我的确看了好几次，那是很久以前的事了，所以来到霍比顿也没有很多似曾相识的感觉。比较吸引我的是霍比顿里七彩的霍比特人建筑和如画的风景。我们的导游带我们在霍比顿村口一个写着〈霍比顿〉的路牌底下开始了我们的观光团。因为天气很差，所以导游给了我们一人一把伞才出发。我们首先经过了霍比顿狭窄的入口，这里是在〈护戒使者〉第一幕里甘道夫拉着马车进入夏尔时佛罗多迎接他的地方。进了霍比顿后，最震撼的就时满山红红蓝蓝的霍比特洞，就是霍比特人的居所。近距离观察这些霍比特洞时会发现，有些霍比特洞只有一个小孩那么高，而有些霍比特洞比大人还要高。这是因为霍比特人在书里是个矮人族。所以拍电影时为了这个身高效果，在拍霍比特人时会用正常高度的霍比特洞去拍，拍像甘道夫的人类时会用小孩高度的霍比特洞去拍。
The set was built in a way such that it looked like a real, vibrant village. There were veggie patches with fresh pumpkins and cabbages in front of the Hobbit holes; There were cloth lines with tiny Hobbit clothes hanging above some of the dwellings; there were jars of honeys and piles of snacks; there was even an artist’s house with paint and brushes in the front yard.
这电影片场就像一个真正的农场一样。在这里可以看见绿油油的菜田，和菜田旁的新鲜南瓜和卷心菜。也可以看见迷你的霍比特人衣服晾在房子边上。有些霍比特洞前放了看上去很美味的蜂蜜和饼干。还有一个霍比特画家的洞，洞前放了五颜六色的画笔和颜料呢！
As we walked along the winding path towards the top of the hill, we got a much clearer view of the Beautiful Shire. We could see the little colourful Hobbit holes perched on the hillside, and the beautiful green fields of Hobbiton and the farmland beyond. A big tree stands nice and tall in the middle of the Shire. This is the Party Tree, so named because of its location by the “Party Field”, where the Hobbits have their festive parties. Across the river stood the Green Dragon, the great inn where Frodo hangs out with Sam, Merry and Pippin, and where Bilbo met up with Gandalf and the Dwarfs.
我们沿着小径上山，一路上都是美景。山腰上都是色彩斑斓的霍比特洞，十分艳丽可爱。在这里可以远晀霍比顿内外翠绿的草原和田野，让人感觉特别舒畅。在夏尔的中央有一棵孤独的大树。这棵树叫做派对树，因为它生长在霍比特人的户外聚会场所派对田的正中央。在这里还可以看到佛罗多和他的好朋友常常光顾的绿龙客栈，这客栈也是在〈霍比特人〉中比尔博和甘道夫和矮人战士商量屠龙策略的地方。
At the top of the hill, we reached the highest Hobbit hole in the whole of Hobbiton and the most important one: the Bag End, Home of Frodo Baggins and his uncle Bilbo Baggins. This is where both of the Trilogy started, and where both ends. It does look more extravagant than most of the Hobbit holes that we have seen, covering a larger area and very well decorated. The little stone step leading up to the doorway made it even more special. It even have the “No admittance except for party business” sign that was put up for Bilbo’s 110th birthday at the start of the Fellowship of the Rings. Unfortunately, even the door looked like it was open, visitors do not get a chance to have a look inside. I guess we were not here for party business.
在山顶上是霍比顿里最高也是最重要的霍比特洞:袋底洞（Bag End)。这是〈魔戒〉里的主人公佛罗多•巴金斯，和他的叔叔，〈霍比特人〉的主人公比尔博•巴金斯的家。托尔金的两个三部曲都是在这里开始。看上去这座有名的霍比特洞的确比其他的看上去华丽，面积比较大，布置也比较精致。还有一道看上去挺可爱的小石阶。在洞外的铁门上有写了”非派对人士勿入”的牌。这是〈护戒使者〉开场时比尔博举办110岁生日派对时所放。虽然看上去袋底洞的大门半开着，其实游客是不能进去参观的，十分可惜。
Further downhill, after passing a beautiful Hobbit hole with many colourful flowers, we arrived at the second most important dwelling in Hobbiton. This yellow Hobbit Hole is Samwise Gamgee’s home, and featured in the famous last scene at the end of Return of the Kings where Samwise returned to home after seeing Frodo off to the Undying Lands and was greeted by his daughter, his wife, and his newborn son, closing the chapter on Middle Earth. Here, the guide told us a bit of a nugget for the scene. Apparently the girl is indeed Samwise’ actor, Sean Austin’s real daughter, and the boy is indeed Rosie’s Actor, Sarah McLeod’s baby son. That’s because the idea of having the kids there was sudden, and it just so happens that their respective kids were on site. But it is that fact that made the reunion scene much more real and emotional. From here, you can also get a good view of the Bag’s End, and the tree on top of it where Bilbo spent his days. Another interesting movie trivia - that tree is fake. The leaves were in fact put on one by one to give it a real feel and to make sure that it looks the way that it does. You can image why this films had such a big budget. A little bit past Sam’s house is the party field. This was where Bilbo had his birthday party and where he put the Ring on and disappeared in front of everyone. From here we can get a beautiful view of the Green Dragon Inn across the river.
从山顶往山谷的另一边走，经过了一个有很多漂亮花朵的霍比特洞，我们就到了整个山谷里第二重要的霍比特洞。这个黄色的洞就是陪着佛罗多去魔多把魔戒掉进末日火山的山姆衛斯·詹吉的家。〈魔戒〉最后一部电影〈王者归来〉的结尾就是在这里取景。在这著名和感人的一幕里，山姆从送别前往不死之地的佛罗多后回到夏尔，还没走到家他的女儿就跑了出来给他一个大拥抱，之后他妻子抱着小儿子来迎接他，是个大团圆结局。导游告诉我们原来这个在大团圆结局里，那小女孩真的是演山姆的辛·艾斯丁的女儿，而小男孩也真的是山姆妻子的扮演者刚刚出生不久的儿子。也是因为这么才能拍出这么感人的一幕。在山姆的霍比特洞外，可以清楚地看见对面山上的袋底洞，还有洞上比尔博常去的那棵树。导游告诉我们这棵树十分特别，树上的叶子竟然都是一片片粘贴上去的！怪不得这电影的预算这么高！过了山姆的房子就是派对田，就是在这里比尔博当着所有生日派对的客人带上魔戒消失。在这里也可以一睹绿龙客栈的风貌。
Green Dragon Inn was in fact our last stop. While it looked close by, we had to walk around to get the bridge to cross the other side. We walked along the path through messy little bushes and picturesque green fields till we reached a stone bridge and a mill. From here, we got a magnificent view of Hobbiton Village on the other side, especially in the rain.
绿龙客栈是观光团的最后一站。虽然看上去很近，我们还是要绕一大圈才能找到过河的石桥。我们要经过一个乱乱的树林和一片草原才能到达。石桥的旁边是个磨坊，从桥这里可以看到河对面的霍比顿。乌云透出的阳光把对面的霍比特洞照得一片金黄，在微雨中显得十分唯美。
From the outside, the Green Dragon Inn looked like a medieval Inn, complete with Stables and even a weapon forge right outside the Inn. The inside is also medieval looking as expected, but at the same time decorated with Middle Earth Artefacts such as the map of the Shire and its surrounds, and Ads for selling eggs and teaching fiddles. We were each given a free drink, which can be either Pale Ale, Dark ale, Cider or ginger beer. While the taste of the drinks wasn't too spectacular, it was nice to sit down for a free drink and imagine yourselves mingling with hobbits and dwarfs in this cosy little Inn. Some tours even offer lunch here, but for our tour, the time was pretty limited and we didn’t get lunch.
绿龙客栈看上去像个中世纪的欧式客栈，客栈旁还有马厩和铸铁工坊！客栈里面的布置都十分中世纪，还有很多的中土布置，例如夏尔地区的纸地图，还有霍比特人卖鸡蛋和教乐器的广告。在这里每个团员都可以免费得到一杯饮料，可以选择淡啤，黑啤，苹果酒，或没有酒精的姜汁。虽然饮料没有说特别好喝，可是这里的环境让人仿佛在跟霍比特人和矮人一齐豪饮，感觉很棒很惬意。有些团还可以在这里吃午饭，不过我们团是没有的。
When the time is up, we were escorted out on the tour bus back the the Shire’s Rest. All in all it was a good tour. Although it is quite pricey for such a short tour, and it would be nice to be given more chance to soak in the scenery, the movie set is indeed very beautiful. So if you are in the area and have half a day to spare, visiting Hobbiton may be a good option, especially if you are a movie buff or a big fan of the trilogies!
在绿龙客栈喝完饮料，导游就送我们上旅游巴回去夏尔小站，观光团就结束了。总结来说，这个观光团还是挺不错的。虽然观光团的票价偏高，时间也有点紧迫，可是这里的风景的确是非常的美，值得一看。所以如果你有半天的时间，又是个电影迷，可以来霍比顿看看哦！
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://stabilowl.vornix.blog/2018/10/08/travelling-with-stabilo-30-hobbiton-%e7%bb%8f%e7%ba%ac%e6%b8%b8%e8%b8%aa-30-%e9%9c%8d%e6%af%94%e9%a1%bf/