Chapter 5 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter V
Chapter 5 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
It was Grief's turn to bow. “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.” “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down. “Go ahead with your meal. Don't let me interrupt.”
Chapter 5 of A Son of the Sun is here in full — 427 sentences across 86 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/85 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
of or relating to or characteristic of or inhabiting a colony
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
plural of “empire” — the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
the act of enforcing; ensuring observance of or obedience to
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
make a break in
From this reading “Don't let me interrupt.””
the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading ““Go ahead with your meal.”
inflected form of “scrap” — dispose of (something useless or old)
From this reading ““As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.””
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
in the past
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
at or in the front
From this reading “Go ahead with your meal.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
of or relating to or characteristic of or inhabiting a colony
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
characterized by great determination
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Don't let me interrupt.”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
remove the dust from
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
plural of “empire” — the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
the act of enforcing; ensuring observance of or obedience to
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Go ahead with your meal.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
ten 10s
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
make a break in
From this reading Don't let me interrupt.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Don't let me interrupt.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Don't let me interrupt.”
the food served and eaten at one time
From this reading “Go ahead with your meal.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
by chance
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
past form of “remark” — make mention of
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
inflected form of “scrap” — dispose of (something useless or old)
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading “It all comes to dust,” Raoul remarked sen-tentiously, sitting down.
in a sordid or squalid way
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was Grief's turn to bow.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
belonging to which person
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading “Go ahead with your meal.
a late time of life
From this reading “As it is, we are squalidly scrapping over the enforcement of the colonial laws of those empires whose destinies we might possibly have determined a hundred years ago.”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Go ahead with your meal.
Chapter 5 of A Son of the Sun by Jack London holds 427 sentences, grouped into 86 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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.
Chapter 5 holds 427 sentences of A Son of the Sun, unabridged, divided into 86 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 5 of A Son of the Sun by Jack London exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 427 sentences, grouped into 86 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.
Work through the 86 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 86 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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.
Common questions about reading A Son of the Sun by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4662 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21971 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21971, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 388 minutes of reading across 933 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Son of the Sun section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of A Son of the Sun to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Son of the Sun, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
