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1、 新概念英语第四册Lesson9：Royal espionageRoyal espionage王室谍报活动What important thing did King Alfred learn when he penetrated the Danish camp of Guthrum?Alfred the Great acted his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel. In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere. They were not fi
2、ghting men, and their harp was their passport. Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth, and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.While Alfred”s little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the
3、commander of the Danish invaders. There had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went. He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual. They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbou
4、ring regions. There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft.Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney. The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde. But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit fo
5、r prolonged battle: and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on irregular raids.So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy. He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him. His patrols halted the raiding parties: hunger as
6、sailed the Danish army. Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes - and within a month the Danes had surrendered. The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage!BERNARD NEWMAN Spies in BritainNew words and expressions 生词和短语espionagen. 间谍活动Alfred公元871-899 年间任英国国王Danishadj.
7、丹麦的，丹麦人的，丹麦语的minstreln. 中世纪的吟游歌手wanderingadj. 漫游的harpn. 坚琴balladn. 民歌acrobaticadj. 杂技的conjuringn. 魔术Athelneyn. 阿塞尔纳(英国一个小岛)Chippenhamn. 切本哈姆(英国一个城市)thitheradv. 向那里Danen. 丹麦人slackadj. 松散的conquerorn. 制服者casualadj. 马虎的，任凭的precautionn. 预防，警觉proceedsn. 所得assemblev. 集合trivialadj. 微缺乏道的prolongedadj. 长久的com
8、missariatn. 军粮供给episoden. 一个大事，片断epicn. 史诗harryv. 骚扰assailv. 攻击skirmishn. 小规模战斗参考译文阿尔弗雷德大帝曾亲自充当间谍。他扮作吟游歌手到丹麦军队的营地里侦察。当时，浪迹天际的吟游歌手处处受欢送，他们不是作战人员，竖琴就是他们的通行证。阿尔弗德年轻时学过很多民歌，并能穿插演一些杂技和小魔术使自己的节目多样化。阿尔弗雷德人数不多的军队开头在阿塞尔纳渐渐集结时，他亲自潜入丹麦入侵司令官古瑟罗姆的营地。丹麦军已在切本哈姆扎下营预备过冬，阿尔弗雷便来到此地。他立刻发觉丹麦军纪律松弛，他们以制服者自居，安全措施马马虎虎。他们靠掠夺四周的地区的财物过着舒适的生活。他们不仅搜刮吃的喝的，而且抢掠妇女，安逸的生活已使丹麦军队变得脆弱无力。阿尔弗雷德在敌营呆了一个星期后，回到了阿塞尔纳。他集结在那里的军队和丹麦大军相比是微缺乏道的，然而，阿尔弗雷德断定，丹麦人已不再适应长久的战斗，他们的军需供给处于无组织状态，只是靠临时抢夺来维持。因此，面对丹麦人的进攻，阿尔弗雷德没有贸然同敌人作战，而是采纳骚扰敌人的战术。他的部队不停地移动，牵着敌人的鼻子，让他们跟着跑。他派出巡逻队阻挡敌人抢劫，因而饥饿威逼着丹麦军队。这时，阿尔弗雷德发起一连串小规模的进攻，结果不出一个月，丹麦人就投降了。这一幕历史可以说是王室谍报活动中最精彩的篇章。
