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In Vain
In Vain

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of In Vain is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for In Vain
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.
"I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.
And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.
From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.
Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

In Vain

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of In Vain is here in full — 130 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.
Line 2
"I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.
Line 3
And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.
/ənd hiːr ɪt mʌst biː kənˈfest ðæt ðə ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti raʊzd hɪm ɪn noʊ ˈkɑːmən ˈmænər/
Line 4
From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.
Line 5
Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

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.

confessed verb US /kənˈfest/

past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading “And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.”

journeyed verb US /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading “From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.”

meditate verb US /ˈmedəteɪt/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “"I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.”

roused verb US /raʊzd/

past form of “rouse” — become active

From this reading “And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.”

satisfy verb US /ˈsætəsfaɪ/

meet the requirements or expectations of

From this reading “Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.”

thirst noun US /θɜːrst/

a physiological need to drink

From this reading “Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.”

thither adverb US /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading “From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.”

University noun US /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti/

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading “And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

journeyed thither verb + particle counted as “journey thither”

In this reading “From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.”

various points adjective + noun counted as “various point”

In this reading “From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.”

All words in this reading · 60

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.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

choicenounUS /tʃɔɪs/

the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

confessedverbUS /kənˈfest/

past form of “confess” — confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

enteringnounUS /ˈentərɪŋ/

a movement into or inward

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

hereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

honornounUS /ˈɑːnər/

a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

journeyedverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrnid/

past form of “journey” — undertake a journey or trip

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

linesnounUS /laɪnz/

plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

mannernounUS /ˈmænər/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

meditateverbUS /ˈmedəteɪt/

reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

meditated

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

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

mentaladjectiveUS /ˈmentəl/

involving the mind or an intellectual process

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

others

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

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

pointsnounUS /pɔɪnts/

plural of “point” — a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

rousedverbUS /raʊzd/

past form of “rouse” — become active

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/

meet the requirements or expectations of

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

storks

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

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

thirstnounUS /θɜːrst/

a physiological need to drink

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

thitheradverbUS /ˈðɪθɜːr/

an old word meaning “to that place”

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

UniversitynounUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəti/

the body of faculty and students at a university

From this reading And here it must be confessed that the University roused him in no common manner.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

Vasilkevich

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

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

wastenounUS /weɪst/

any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Some were entering to satisfy their mental thirst, others were going away.

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading "I have given my clear word of honor not to waste myself in life, therefore I meditate," said he to Vasilkevich.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

Yosef

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

From this reading Yosef meditated long over the choice of his course.

youthnounUS /juːθ/

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading From various points of the world youth journeyed thither, like lines of storks.

Chapter 3 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz holds 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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.

What does chapter 3 of In Vain contain?

Chapter 3 holds 130 sentences of In Vain, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 130 sentences, grouped into 26 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 3 of In Vain?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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 In Vain

Common questions about reading In Vain by Henryk Sienkiewicz on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of In Vain?

Yes. All 3217 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #46454 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of In Vain is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #46454, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does In Vain take to read?

About 268 minutes of reading across 644 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read In Vain section by section

How to work through In Vain section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of In Vain to begin.

  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 In Vain

Words and structures a reader meets early in In Vain, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Surrounded
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Original
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Different
A word that appears in the opening chapter of In Vain; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.