Lesson 9-1????? Royal espionage
Alfred the Great acted as 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.
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.
espionage? ?/?espi?nɑ??/??間諜活動(dòng)
Danish?/?de?n??/?丹麥的
disguise?/d?s?ɡa?z/?偽裝;掩飾;假扮
minstrel?/?m?nstr?l/?吟游詩(shī)人;
wandering?/?wɑ?nd?r??/?徘徊;游蕩;流浪;漫游;?流浪的;漂泊的
harp?/hɑ?rp/?豎琴
ballad?/?b?l?d/??民謠;民歌;
acrobatic?/??kr??b?t?k/?雜技;雜技的;
trick?/tr?k/?技巧;把戲;戲法
conjuring?/?k?nd??r??/?變魔術(shù)，變戲法
penetrate?/?pen?tre?t/?穿透;滲透，打入,洞察;看透;被領(lǐng)悟
commander?/k??m?nd?r/??指揮官
invader?/?n?ve?d?r/?侵略者;武裝入侵的軍隊(duì)
settle down? 駐扎
thither?/?e?e?r/??那里;到那里;向那里
slack?/sl?k/?松弛的;懈怠的;蕭條的;
Dane?/de?n/?丹麥人
conqueror?/?kɑ??k?r?r/?征服者;勝利者;占領(lǐng)者
precaution?/pr??k???n/?預(yù)防措施;預(yù)防
casual?/?k??u?l/? ?漫不經(jīng)心的;馬虎的;???隨便的;臨時(shí)的;偶然的;
proceeds /pro??si?dz/??收益,? 所得
raid? ?/re?d/??突襲;搶劫
live on 靠愧薛。川无。。為生
