The World of Tolkien and Lewis Discussion Group discussion

On a site that discusses grammar, the following excerpt from The Hobbit was posted as part of a question:

"The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill - The Hill, as all the people for many miles around called it - and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another."

Th poster goes on to say, "To me, it reads like it refers to the "tunnel". Also later in the same paragraph, it's obvious that the tunnel had doors on both sides.

The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows.

But the translations do not agree.

The Japanese translation says it's the hill.

... この山のここかしこにたくさん小さな丸いドアがあいています

The German translation says the Tunnel.

... runde Türen öffneten sich zu diesem Tunnel, zunächst auf der enen Seite und auch auf der anderen.

To my question about the nature of the tunnels, the poster wrote

It's a tunnel in a Hobbit hole (Bag End), more like a corridor for them. The doors open to separate rooms, and the rooms on the left side are the only ones to have windows. I think "not quite straight into the side of hills" means oblique, that's how one side of the tunnel is closer to the side of the hill. I'm not sure whether it goes through. * But of course this is all based on my understanding that the doors are in the tunnel. "

Can anyone shed any light on the tunnels in a Hobbit hole? Has anyone seen a Tolkien illustration of tunnels running through a Hobbit hole?

That's interesting!
Well, I've always thought of the tunnels as being sort of like modern day hallways. But I admit, I haven't thought much about it.

Elisabeth wrote: "That's interesting!
Well, I've always thought of the tunnels as being sort of like modern day hallways. But I admit, I haven't thought much about it."

It's been awhile since I read the novel, so I can't remember how I once envisioned it--if I ever did.