Espionage 1（谍报活动）

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，浪迹天涯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许多民歌，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.
阿尔弗雷德人数不多的军队开始在阿塞尔纳慢慢集结时，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准备过冬，阿尔弗雷便来到此地。他马上发现丹麦军纪律松弛，他们以征服者自居，安全措施马马虎虎。他们靠掠夺附近的地区的财物过着舒适的生活。

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. 征服者
casual
adj. 马虎的，随便的
precaution
n. 预防，警惕
proceeds
n. 所得