练习材料：
Lesson 9-1 Royal espionage
ˈlɛsn 9-1 ˈrɔɪəl ˌɛspɪəˈnɑːʒ
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.
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.
ˈælfrəd ðə greɪt ˈæktɪd hɪz əʊn spaɪ, ˈvɪzɪtɪŋ ˈdeɪnɪʃ kæmps dɪsˈgaɪzd æz ə ˈmɪnstrəl. ɪn ðəʊz deɪz ˈwɒndərɪŋ ˈmɪnstrəlz wɜː ˈwɛlkəm ˈɛvrɪweə. ðeɪ wɜː nɒt ˈfaɪtɪŋ mɛn, ænd ðeə hɑːp wɒz ðeə ˈpɑːspɔːt. ˈælfrəd hæd lɜːnt ˈmɛni ɒv ðeə ˈbælədz ɪn hɪz juːθ, ænd kʊd ˈveəri hɪz ˈprəʊgræm wɪð ˌækrəʊˈbætɪk trɪks ænd ˈsɪmpl ˈkʌnʤərɪŋ.
waɪl ˈælfrədz ˈlɪtl ˈɑːmi ˈsləʊli bɪˈgæn tuː ˈgæðər æt Athelney, ðə kɪŋ hɪmˈsɛlf sɛt aʊt tuː ˈpɛnɪtreɪt ðə kæmp ɒv Guthrum, ðə kəˈmɑːndər ɒv ðə ˈdeɪnɪʃ ɪnˈveɪdəz. ðeə hæd ˈsɛtld daʊn fɔː ðə ˈwɪntər æt Chippenham: ˈðɪðər ˈælfrəd wɛnt. hiː ˈnəʊtɪst æt wʌns ðæt ˈdɪsɪplɪn wɒz slæk: ðə deɪnz hæd ðə sɛlf-ˈkɒnfɪdəns ɒv ˈkɒŋkərəz, ænd ðeə sɪˈkjʊərɪti prɪˈkɔːʃənz wɜː ˈkæʒjʊəl. ðeɪ lɪvd wɛl, ɒn ðə ˈprəʊsiːdz ɒv reɪdz ɒn ˈneɪbərɪŋ ˈriːʤənz. ðeə ðeɪ kəˈlɛktɪd ˈwɪmɪn æz wɛl æz fuːd ænd drɪŋk, ænd ə laɪf ɒv iːz hæd meɪd ðɛm sɒft.
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。
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。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软弱无力。
任务配置：L0、L3、L4
知识笔记：
单词与短语
disguise/dɪsˈgaɪz/1.to change the appearance or guise of so as to conceal identity or mislead, as by means of deceptive garb;2.to conceal or cover up the truth or actual character of by a counterfeit form or appearance; misrepresent.
in one's youth某人年轻时
vary /ˈveəri/1.to change or alter, as in form, appearance, character, or substance;2.to cause to be different from something else:
thither / ˈðɪðər /to or toward that place or point; there.
security precautions安全措施
casual/ˈkæʒjʊəl/without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand; passing:
on the proceeds of依靠
a life of ease安逸的生活
练习感悟：重拾完成任务的认真感。
