Genghis Khan 成吉思汗 - 10

The Chinese could afford to employ people to fight for it. In the borderlands, the Mongols met a force of heavily armed mercenaries, who were loyal as only mercenaries could be.

Reinforced by the mercenary troops, they marched into the fertile plains of Northern China. Few of the Chinese villagers had seen a Mongol warrior¹ before, and few of the Mongols would have journeyed this far into China. It was the clash of two alien cultures. There was only one certainty: the Chinese would never forget them.

The Mongols plundered² without mercy. And from each conquest, Genghis Khan took his own reward: a highborn wife from the vanquished³.

"The greatest fortune a man can have is to conquer his enemy, steal his riches, ride his horses and enjoy his women. "

Further east lay an even greater prize. With a population of 350,000, 13th century Beijing was one of the most sophisticated cities on Earth, capital of the Northern Chinese Empire, famous for its grand palaces, gilded⁴ temples and markets overflowing⁵ with silks and spices. In his quest to take these riches for himself, Genghis Khan faced one huge problem: Standing⁶ between him and the conquest of the city was a wall.

borderland: a district near the border between two countries or areas

mercenary: a professional soldier hired to serve in a foreign army

highborn: wellborn, of good family, of noble birth

gilded: covered with a thin layer of gold

1 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

2 plundered   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Many of our cultural treasures have been plundered by imperialists. 我国许多珍贵文物被帝国主义掠走了。
• The imperialists plundered many valuable works of art. 帝国主义列强掠夺了许多珍贵的艺术品。

3 vanquished   

v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制

参考例句：

• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I vanquished her coldness with my assiduity. 我对她关心照顾从而消除了她的冷淡。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 gilded   

a.镀金的，富有的

参考例句：

• The golden light gilded the sea. 金色的阳光使大海如金子般闪闪发光。
• "Friends, they are only gilded disks of lead!" "朋友们，这只不过是些镀金的铅饼！ 来自英汉文学 - 败坏赫德莱堡

5 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。