Lesson 9

Royal espionage

Alfred the Great acted as his own spy, visiting Danish camps disguised as a minstrel.
阿尔弗雷德大帝充当了他自己的间谍，在访问丹麦营地时伪装成了一名吟游诗人。
In those days wandering minstrels were welcome everywhere.
在那些日子里，流浪的吟游诗人在到处都受到欢迎。
They were not fighting men, and their harp was their passport.
他们不是战斗人员，而他们的竖琴就是他们的通行证。
Alfred had learned many of their ballads in his youth, and could vary his programme with acrobatic tricks and simple conjuring.
阿尔弗雷德在他年轻时就已经学会了他们的许多民谣，并且能够用杂技技巧和简单的魔术来改变他的节目。
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.
当阿尔弗雷德的小军队在阿塞尔尼缓慢开始集结时，国王本人出发去渗透丹麦入侵者指挥官古斯伦的营地。
These had settled down for the winter at Chippenham: thither Alfred went.
这些已经在冬天期间在奇彭纳姆定居：阿尔弗雷德去了那里。
He noticed at once that discipline was slack: the Danes had the self-confidence of conquerors, and their security precautions were casual.
他立刻注意到纪律很松懈：丹麦人拥有征服者的自信，且他们的安全防范措施很随意。
They lived well, on the proceeds of raids on neighbouring regions.
他们生活得很好，依靠的是对邻近地区袭击的收益。
There they collected women as well as food and drink, and a life of ease had made them soft.
在那里他们收集了妇女以及食物和饮料，而一种舒适的生活已经使他们变得软弱。
Alfred stayed in the camp a week before he returned to Athelney.
阿尔弗雷德在返回阿塞尔尼之前在营地待了一周。
The force there assembled was trivial compared with the Danish horde.
在那里集结的那支力量与丹麦部落相比是微不足道的。
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.
但是阿尔弗雷德已经推断出，丹麦人不再适合持久战：并且他们的后勤部没有组织，而是依赖于非正规的突袭。
So, faced with the Danish advance, Alfred did not risk open battle but harried the enemy.
因此，面对丹麦人的推进，阿尔弗雷德没有冒险进行公开战斗，而是骚扰敌人。
He was constantly on the move, drawing the Danes after him.
他不断地在移动，吸引丹麦人跟随他。
His patrols halted the raiding parties: hunger assailed the Danish army.
他的巡逻队阻止了突袭队伍：饥饿袭击了丹麦军队。
Now Alfred began a long series of skirmishes—and within a month the Danes had surrendered.
现在阿尔弗雷德开始了一系列漫长的小规模冲突——并且在一个月内丹麦人已经投降了。
The episode could reasonably serve as a unique epic of royal espionage!
这一集完全可以作为一部独特的皇家间谍活动史诗！