But Alfred had deduced that the Danes were no longer fit for prolonged battle:

然而，阿尔弗雷德断定，丹麦人已不再适应持久的战争，

small at first, narrowly contained within its banks,

开始很小，被紧紧地夹在两岸中间，

And why only snakes? Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits -- just a bite and no more effort needed.

为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如说，如果猫有毒液，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。

probably vertical, cliffs, and gentle sediment-covered terraces,

乃至垂直的峭壁和沉积物覆盖的缓和的阶梯地带，

in France in 1806, and in England in 1876,

在法国是在1806年，在英国是在1876年。

the ongoing signatures of infinity.

无限的一种不间断的标志。