Chapter 30 of Fire-Tongue is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XXX
Chapter 30 of Fire-Tongue is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you. However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it. And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate. What I can’t prove you must take my word for. But I warn you that the story is tough.
Chapter 30 of Fire-Tongue is here in full — 79 sentences across 16 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/15 · 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.
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading ““The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.”
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.”
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading “And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.”
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading ““The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.”
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
From this reading “And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.”
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading “But I warn you that the story is tough.”
recorded for broadcast
From this reading “However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.”
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading “But I warn you that the story is tough.”
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 And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But I warn you that the story is tough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
the act of departing
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But I warn you that the story is tough.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
engage in
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
express in words
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading But I warn you that the story is tough.
establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
carry out
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
in or at that place or location
From this reading And I am going to say here and now that there are points in the narrative which I am in a position to substantiate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading But I warn you that the story is tough.
recorded for broadcast
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading But I warn you that the story is tough.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
at the time that
From this reading However, when it has been transcribed I will sign it.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading What I can’t prove you must take my word for.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “The statement which I have to make, gentlemen, will almost certainly appear incredible to you.
Chapter 30 of Fire-Tongue by Sax Rohmer holds 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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.
Chapter 30 holds 79 sentences of Fire-Tongue, unabridged, divided into 16 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 30 of Fire-Tongue by Sax Rohmer exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 79 sentences, grouped into 16 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 16 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 16 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 30 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 Fire-Tongue by Sax Rohmer on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4350 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1159 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1159, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 362 minutes of reading across 870 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Fire-Tongue section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of Fire-Tongue 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 Fire-Tongue, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
