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A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 57 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.
The scene was just outside the walls of London.
A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.
The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.
There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Chapter XXXIV · Chapter 34

Chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is here in full — 57 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.
Line 2
The scene was just outside the walls of London.
/ðə siːn wɑːz dʒʌst ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ðə wɔːlz ʌv ˈlʌndən/
Line 3
A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.
/ə kuːl ˈkʌmfərtəbəl sʊˈpɜːrb deɪ wɪð ə ˈbrɪljənt sʌn ðə kaɪnd ʌv deɪ tuː meɪk wʌn wɑːnt tuː laɪv nɑːt daɪ/
Line 4
The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.
Line 5
There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

devils noun US /ˈdevəlz/

plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading “The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.”

knights noun US /naɪts/

plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading “SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.”

multitude noun US /ˈmʌltətuːd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading “The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.”

Nearing verb US /ˈnɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “near” — move towards

From this reading “SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.”

painful adjective US /ˈpeɪnfəl/

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading “There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.”

prodigious adjective US /prəˈdɪdʒəs/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading “The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.”

rescue verb US /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading “SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.”

superb adjective US /sʊˈpɜːrb/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading “A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.”

All words in this reading · 54

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

AdeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

brilliantadjectiveUS /ˈbrɪljənt/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

comfortableadjectiveUS /ˈkʌmfərtəbəl/

providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

cooladjectiveUS /kuːl/

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

devilsnounUS /ˈdevəlz/

plural of “devil” — (Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

dieverbUS /daɪ/

pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

far-reaching

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

fifteennounUS /fɪfˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

fournounUS /fɔːr/

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

hadn't

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

how

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

KNIGHTSnounUS /naɪts/

plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

LAUNCELOT

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

multitudenounUS /ˈmʌltətuːd/

a large indefinite number

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

NearingverbUS /ˈnɪrɪŋ/

-ing form of “near” — move towards

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

outsideadjectiveUS /ˈaʊtˈsaɪd/

relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

painfuladjectiveUS /ˈpeɪnfəl/

causing physical or psychological pain

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

prodigiousadjectiveUS /prəˈdɪdʒəs/

so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

RESCUEverbUS /ˈreskjuː/

free from harm or evil

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

scenenounUS /siːn/

the place where some action occurs

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

SIRnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

superbadjectiveUS /sʊˈpɜːrb/

of surpassing excellence

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading SIR LAUNCELOT AND KNIGHTS TO THE RESCUE Nearing four in the afternoon.

wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The scene was just outside the walls of London.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading A cool, comfortable, superb day, with a brilliant sun; the kind of day to make one want to live, not die.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading The multitude was prodigious and far-reaching; and yet we fifteen poor devils hadn't a friend in it.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading There was something painful in that thought, look at it how you might.

Chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain holds 57 sentences, grouped into 12 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court contain?

Chapter 34 holds 57 sentences of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 57 sentences, grouped into 12 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 34 of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 34 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 34 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Common questions about reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court?

Yes. All 5690 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #86 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #86, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court take to read?

About 474 minutes of reading across 1138 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court section by section

How to work through A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Camelot--camelot
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Myself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Don't
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Remember
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.