新概念英语第四册第9课-Royal espionage范本.docx

新概念英语第四册第9课:Royal espionageFirst listen and then answer the following question. 听录音，然后回答以下问题。 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 fighting 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. 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到处受欢迎，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。 While Alfred's little army slowly began to gather at Athelney, the king himself set out to penetrate the camp of Guthrum, the 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 neighbouring regions. There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft. 阿尔弗雷德人数不多的军队起先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打算过冬，阿尔弗雷便来到此地。 他立刻发觉丹麦军纪律松弛，他们以折服者自居，平安措施马马虎虎。他们靠掠夺旁边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懦弱无力。 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 for prolonged battle: and that their commissariat had no organization, but depended on irregular raids. 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乎其微的，然而，阿尔弗雷德断定，丹麦人已不再适应长久的斗争，他们的军需供应处于无组织状态，只是靠临时抢夺来维持。 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 assailed 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! 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，丹麦人就倒戈了。这一幕历史可以说是王室谍报活动中最精彩的篇章。 New words and expressions 生词和短语 espionage n. 间谍活动 Alfred 公元871-899 年间任英国国王 Danish adj. 丹麦的，丹麦人的，丹麦语的 minstrel n. 中世纪的吟游歌手 wandering adj. 漫游的 harp n. 坚琴 ballad n. 民歌 acrobatic adj. 杂技的 conjuring n. 魔术 Athelney n. 阿塞尔纳（英国一个小岛） Chippenham n. 切本哈姆（英国一个城市） thither adv. 向那里 Dane n. 丹麦人 slack adj. 涣散的 conqueror n. 折服者 casual adj. 马虎的，随意的 precaution n. 预防，警惕 proceeds n. 所得 assemble v. 集合 trivial adj. 微乎其微的 prolonged adj. 长久的 commissariat n. 军粮供应 episode n. 一个事务，片断 epic n. 史诗 harry v. 骚扰 assail v. 攻击 skirmish n. 小规模战斗 Notes on the text课文注释 1 srttle down,驻扎。 2 They lived well,on the proceeds of raids, 他们的生活舒适，靠攻击（四周地区）掠夺得到的财物为主。live on,靠为生。 3 be fit for,相宜于.Lesson 9 课后练习和答案Exercises and Answer