英语听力英语高级听力材料Genghis Khan.docx

英语听力英语高级听力材料Genghis Khan.docx

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英语听力英语高级听力材料GenghisKhan

In1162,deepintheheartofAsia,achildwasborn.Hewasclutchingabloodclot（血块）,asignfromheaventhathewasdestinedtobeagreatwarrior.Hislifewastobecomealegend,hisname---GenghisKhan.

Manybelievehisstoryissimple,thathewastheincarnationofevil,abrutalbarbarianwhobutcheredmillions.ButtherealcharacterofGenghisKhanisfarmoreintriguing.HowdidthisilliterateoutcastturnthefeudingtribesofMongoliaintoapowerfulnationandhowdidhetransformtheMongolhordesintoaruthlessanddisciplinedfightingmachine,anarmywithrevolutionarytacticsandingeniousweaponsthatultimatelystoodpoisedtoconquerEurope.Andwhyonhisdeathbed,didhebelievehisdivinemissionremainedunfulfilled?

SoonIwillknowdeath,butIwillneverknowmydestiny.

Shortlyafterhisdeath,hisheirsgatheredtheirmemoriesintoanepicaccountofhislife.TheycalledittheSecretHistoryoftheMongols（蒙古秘史）.EvidencefromChineseandPersiansources,theworkofleadingscholarsandtheSecretHistoryallowthistobethemostcompletetelevisionportraitofGenghisKhanevermade.ThecharactersareallrealhistoricalfiguresandthewordsofGenghisKhanarerootedinthegreatspeechesoftheSecretHistory.Thisisthestoryofhowthattinyfistturnedtoironandcametorulethelargestlandempireeverknowntoman.

In1215,theMongolwarriorGenghisKhanledhisarmytoBeijing,capitalofNorthernChina.AfterfightinghiswayacrossAsia,thecitystoodbeforehim.ButBeijingwasprotectedbyformidabledefenses.Surroundingitwasawall12metershighand30kilometerslong.Behindthewallwasoneoftheworld'smostadvancedarmies.First,GenghisKhanbesiegedthecity.Thenheorderedanaudaciousattack.Heforcedenemyprisonerstofillhisfrontlines.Hebuiltnewweaponstoattackthecity'sdefenses.Finally,havingenduredtheChinesearrowsandbombs,hecommandedhisMongolwarriorstoscalethewalls.GenghisKhansensedvictorywaswithinhisgrasp.Beijingwasfightingforitslife.

ApoornomadfromtheremoteMongolsteppe,GenghisKhanhadmadeanextraordinaryjourney.Theboy,whowouldbecomeGenghisKhan,wascalledTemujin（铁木真）.Hewasthesonofatribalwarriorchief.Whenhewasonlynineyearsold,hereceivednewsthatwastochangehislife.

Myfatherhadbeenpoisonedbyarivaltribe.Mymothertoldmemyfather'senemieswereforevertheenemiesofmyownheart.Fromthatday,Iwouldneverbeachildagain.

Astheeldestson,Temujin（铁木真）grewuptoleadwhatwaslittlemorethananextendedfamily.Andonthesteppes,asmalltribewasweakandvulnerable.Tosurvive,Temujinknewhemustforgelinkswithothertribesandtherewasonlyonewayhecoulddothat.

HernamewasBorte（孛儿帖）.Therewereonlytwothingstoknowaboutthemarriage.Shewasawomanofbeauty,andthesablefur（黑貂裘）theygaveuswasworthathousandoftheswiftesthorses.

ThegreattribesofMongoliawerelockedinaspiralofmurderousvendettas.Therewasonlyonelawonthesteppes.Ifamanwantedsomething,hetookit.NowTemujinhadsomethinganothermanwanted.TheMerkit（蔑儿乞惕）tribehadfeudedwithTemujin'sfather.NowTemujinhimselfwasindanger.Andespeciallyvulnerablewashisnewwife.TheSecretHistory（蒙古秘史）recallswhatTemujin,themanwhowouldonedaybeGenghisKhan,didnext.

They'retakingmywife.IknewwhatIhadtodo.

WhatTemujinhadtodowastoescape.

Onlyafoolfightsabattleheknowshecannotwin.

Wifestealingwascommononthesteppes.Borteknewshehadnochoicebuttosubmit.

IhadjustonefriendthatIcouldtrust,Jamuqa（扎木合）.Aschildren,wehaveswornavowofanda（安答,意为义兄弟）.Itwasthemostsacredvowofall.Wewerebloodbrothers,abondthatjoinedourlivesasone.Withmyswornbrother,Jamuqa,mypowerhadbeenincreasedbyHeavenandEarth.

extendedfamily:

socialunitconsistingofparentsandtheirchildrenalongwithotherrelatives

sable:

smallcarnivorousmammalnativetonorthernEuropeandAsia（huntedforitsdarkbrownvaluablesoftfur）

vendetta:

anoftenprolongedseriesofretaliatory,vengeful,orhostileactsorexchangeofsuchacts

AttheMerkit（蔑儿乞惕）campinthemountainsofnorthernMongolia,Temujin（铁木真）wentlookingforhiswife.

"WemadetheMerkitspayfortheirdeed.Wedestroyedtheirfamiliesandemptiedtheirbreasts."

Temujin,themanwhowastobecomeGenghisKhan,wasbarely20andhe'dalreadyeliminatedoneofMongolia'sgreattribes.

Inthoseearlydays,TemujinandJamuqa（扎木合）sharedtheleadershipofthetribe.Yet,evenastheycelebratedthevictoryovertheMerkits,therewasahiddentensionbetweenthem.Attherootwasafundamentalquestion---howtomeasureaman'sworth?

BothTemujinandJamuqawerethesonsoftriballeaders,Mongolianaristocrats.ButonlyTemujinhadexperiencedachildhoodofrealadversityandlearnedfromit.

"NowIcaredonlyforthestrengthinaman'sheart.Awarriordoesnotwinabattlebyvirtueofhisbirth."

Temujinrewardedabilityandloyaltyalone.OneofhismostpromisingwarriorswasSubedei（速不台）,thesonofahumbleherdsman.ButthisattitudeflewinthefaceofMongoltradition.Jamuqa'snoblebirthledhimtobelievethathighrankshouldbereservedonlyforMongolaristocrats.Butnow,hisbloodbrotherwasthrowingouttheoldways.ThegulfbetweenTemujinandJamuqawidenedstillfurtheruntilaprophecyoftheMongolholymanbroughttheirrelationshiptoacrisis.

"Theshaman（萨满）saidhehadascendedintoheaveninaholytrancewheretheSupremeGodtoldhimthathewouldgivetomeandtomysonsthewholesurfaceoftheworld."

ForthetribeandforJamuqa（扎木合）itwasadecisivemoment.

"Menwhowereswornbrothersshareonelife.ButIbegantoquestionwhetherJamuqawastrulymybloodbrotherforalleternity."

"Itwasnotrightthatourdifferencesshouldforceafeudbutmywifestoppedmefromgoingafterhim.Shewarnedthatonedaymybloodbrotherwouldrideagainstme."

ForTemujin（铁木真）,thisfeudbroughtbackthedarkestmemoryofhischildhood.

"Iknewwhereawarbetweenbrotherswouldlead.Evenwhenwewerestarving,mybrotherBekhter（别克帖儿）betrayedus,herefusedtosharethespoilsofahunt.Hediedofhiswounds."

swornbrothers:

peoplewhohavesworntotheirfraternity,peoplewhohavetakenanoathofbrotherhood

bloodbrother:

oneoftwomenpledgedtomutualloyaltybyaceremonialuseofeachother'sblood

Jamuqa（扎木和）splitthetribe.Twoyearswouldpassbeforetheywouldhearfromhim.HighontheplateauofcentralMongoliaisaplaceknownasDalanBalzhut.ItwasherethatBorte's（孛儿帖）prophecywouldbefulfilled.JamuqaambushedTemujin's（铁木真）tribe.Temujin,themanwhowouldbeGenghisKhan,ledanarmythatwasunprepared,outnumbered,andoutwitted.It'dbeenacatastrophicdefeat.Buttherewasworsetofollow.Jamuqatookthegeneralshehadcapturedandsubjectedthemtothecruelestofpunishments.Heboiledthemalive.

WhenTemujinlearntoftheatrocity,hemadethisvow:

"BythepowerofHeaven,Isworetogainmyvengeance.NeveragainwouldIbedefeated,normyloyalwarriorssodishonored."

ItwasnowthatTemujinstartedarevolution.

"TheysaythattheMongolsweredescendedfromthewolf.Likethewolf,wewerefamousforourferocityandcourage.Buttowinabattle,wehavetofightfiercely,notasindividualwarriors,butaspartsofawhole."

Temujinformedaneliteofficertrainingcorps,theKeshik（蒙古骑射手）.Hewasbuildingaprofessionalfightingmachine,fromtoptobottom.TheMongol'suniversalinstrumentofbattlewasthebow.Madefromwoodandanimalbone,ithadashootingrangeof500meters.Traininginarcheryandhorsemanshipwasmadecompulsoryforall,evenchildren.Theylearnttoreleasetheirarrowsattheexactmomentthehorses'hoofswereoffthegroundformaximumaccuracy.Temujinhadthrownouttheoldtribaldivisions.Thiswasameritocracy.Thiswasamodernarmy.Nowhewasready.

Inthesummerof1204,Temujin（铁木真）rodewesttoconfronthisbloodbrother.TheoutcomewouldbedecisiveforthefutureoftheMongolpeople.

InthefoothillsoftheKhangaiMountains（杭爱山脉）,ontheeveofbattle,Temujincalledhisgeneralstohim.

"Itoldthem,onetribewaslikeasinglearrow,easilybroken.Butmanytribestogetherwouldbestrong.Theycouldneverbebroken."

ButTemujindidn'tjustrelyoninspirationalspeeches.Hepracticedpsychologicalwarfare.

"IknewJamuqa's（扎木和）scoutswouldbewatchingasmymenpreparedforbattle.Iorderedeachmantolightnotone,butfivefires."

Jamuqa'sscoutsreportedthatTemujin'sarmywassolarge;theyhadmorefiresthantherewerestarsinthesky.

Atdaybreak,JamuqaledhisarmyontotheheightsofChakirma'ut,andthiswasthesightthatconfrontedhim.

"Isawthemanwhohadbeenmyfriend,whohadswornthesacredvowofanda（安答,意为义兄弟）,buthehadbrokenthatvow."

Jamuqawasabouttobecomethefirstcommandertofaceanarmythatwouldeventuallyconquertwelvemillionsquaremiles

"Weadvancedinsilence,savingourbattlecriestothelast.Whentheenemycamewithinreach,myarchersreleasedastormofarrows,andmycavalryattackedwithoutmercy."

AccordingtotheSecretHistory（蒙古秘史）,eachtacticwasmeticulouslyplannedandingenious.Temujin（铁木真）heldsquadronsandweaponsinreserve.Thenwiththeenemyindisarray,theyregroupedandcharged.OneofTemujin'scavalrysquadronssuddenlyfledthebattlefield.Jemuqa's（扎木和）menchasedthemdown.Buttheywerebeingluredintoatrap.Intheheartofthebattle,Jemuqasawhisarmydestroyedandheran.

"Acrossthebattlefield,IsawthebodiesofJamuqa's（扎木和）menlyingtogetherlikefelledlogsintheforest."

Followingthedef