练习材料：

Lesson 9-2                      Royal espionage

ˈlɛsn 9-2 rɔɪəl ˌɛspɪəˈnɑːʒ

    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.

    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!

ˈælfrəd steɪd ɪn ðə kæmp ə wiːk bɪˈfɔː hiː rɪˈtɜːnd tuː Athelney. ðə fɔːs ðeər əˈsɛmbld wɒz ˈtrɪvɪəl kəmˈpeəd wɪð ðə ˈdeɪnɪʃ hɔːd. bʌt ˈælfrəd hæd dɪˈdjuːst ðæt ðə deɪnz wɜː nəʊ ˈlɒŋgə fɪt fɔː prəʊˈlɒŋd ˈbætl: ænd ðæt ðeə ˌkɒmɪˈseərɪət hæd nəʊ ˌɔːgənaɪˈzeɪʃən, bʌt dɪˈpɛndɪd ɒn ɪˈrɛgjʊlə reɪdz.

səʊ, feɪst wɪð ðə ˈdeɪnɪʃ ədˈvɑːns, ˈælfrəd dɪd nɒt rɪsk ˈəʊpən ˈbætl bʌt ˈhærid ði ˈɛnɪmi. hiː wɒz ˈkɒnstəntli ɒn ðə muːv, ˈdrɔːɪŋ ðə deɪnz ˈɑːftə hɪm. hɪz pəˈtrəʊlz ˈhɔːltɪd ðə ˈreɪdɪŋ ˈpɑːtiz: ˈhʌŋgər əˈseɪld ðə ˈdeɪnɪʃ ˈɑːmi. naʊ ˈælfrəd bɪˈgæn ə lɒŋ ˈsɪəriːz ɒv ˈskɜːmɪʃɪz -- ænd wɪˈðɪn ə mʌnθ ðə deɪnz hæd səˈrɛndəd. ði ˈɛpɪsəʊd kʊd ˈriːznəbli sɜːv æz ə juːˈniːk ˈɛpɪk ɒv ˈrɔɪəl ˌɛspɪəˈnɑːʒ!

    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不足道的，然而，阿尔弗雷德断定，丹麦人已不再适应持久的战争，他们的军需供应处于无组织状态，只是靠临时抢夺来维持。

    因此，面对丹麦人的进攻，阿尔弗雷德没有贸然同敌人作战，而是采用骚扰敌人的战术。他的部队不停地移动，牵着敌人的鼻子，让他们跟着跑。他派出巡逻队阻止敌人抢劫，因而饥饿威胁着丹麦军队。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。.

任务配置：L0、L3、L4

知识笔记：

单词与短语

trivial / ˈtrɪvɪəl/of very little importance or value; insignificant:

deduce/ dɪˈdjuːs/to derive as a conclusion from something known or assumed; infer:

advance/ədˈvɑːns/a forward movement; progress in space:

halt/ˈhɔːlt/to cause to stop temporarily or permanently; bring to a stop:

a long series of一连串

skirmishes/ˈskɜːmɪʃɪz /Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.

练习感悟：开始用学到的生词编成一个英语故事。