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Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)
Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Provided we could get something better in the place of it.
But that is not possible, perhaps.
Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.
And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....
Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Chapter XXVI · Chapter 26

Chapter 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is here in full — 162 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Provided we could get something better in the place of it.
/prəˈvaɪdɪd wiː kʊd ɡet ˈsʌmθɪŋ ˈbetər ɪn ðə pleɪs ʌv ɪt/
Line 2
But that is not possible, perhaps.
/bʌt ðæt ɪz nɑːt ˈpɑːsəbəl pərˈhæps/
Line 3
Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.
/puːr æz ɪt ɪz ɪt ɪz ˈbetər ðæn riːl ˈsævɪdʒeri ˈðerfɔːr wiː mʌst stænd baɪ ɪt ɪkˈstend ɪt ənd ɪn ˈpʌblɪk preɪz ɪt/
Line 4
And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....
/ənd soʊ wiː mʌst nɑːt ˈʌtər ˈeni ˈheɪtfəl wɜːrd əˈbaʊt ˈɪŋɡlənd ɪn ðiːz deɪz nɔːr feɪl tuː hoʊp ðæt ʃiː wɪl wɪn ɪn ðɪs wɔːr fɔːr hɜːr dɪˈfiːt ənd fɔːl wʊd biː æn ˌɪrɪˈmiːdiəbəl dɪˈzæstər fɔːr ðə ˈmeɪndʒi ˈhjuːmən reɪs/
Line 5
Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

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.

disaster noun US /dɪˈzæstər/

a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

From this reading “And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....”

extend verb US /ɪkˈstend/

extend in scope or range or area

From this reading “Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.”

hateful adjective US /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading “And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....”

instructed verb US /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading “Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.”

irremediable adjective US /ˌɪrɪˈmiːdiəbəl/

impossible to remedy or correct or redress

From this reading “And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....”

mangy adjective US /ˈmeɪndʒi/

having many worn or threadbare spots in the nap

From this reading “And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....”

profoundly adverb US /proʊˈfaʊndli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading “Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.”

savagery noun US /ˈsævɪdʒeri/

the property of being untamed and ferocious

From this reading “Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.”

All words in this reading · 71

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/

an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

disasternounUS /dɪˈzæstər/

a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

doubtsnounUS /daʊts/

plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

EnglishmannounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/

a man who is a native or inhabitant of England

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

extendverbUS /ɪkˈstend/

extend in scope or range or area

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

failverbUS /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

instructedverbUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌktəd/

past form of “instruct” — impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

irremediableadjectiveUS /ˌɪrɪˈmiːdiəbəl/

impossible to remedy or correct or redress

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

Joe

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

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

mangyadjectiveUS /ˈmeɪndʒi/

having many worn or threadbare spots in the nap

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

NaturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

PooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

praisenounUS /preɪz/

an expression of approval and commendation

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

profoundlyadverbUS /proʊˈfaʊndli/

to a great depth psychologically or emotionally

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

ProvidedverbUS /prəˈvaɪdɪd/

past form of “provide” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

racenounUS /reɪs/

any competition

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

savagerynounUS /ˈsævɪdʒeri/

the property of being untamed and ferocious

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But that is not possible, perhaps.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading Poor as it is, it is better than real savagery, therefore we must stand by it, extend it, and (in public) praise it.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/

articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

warnounUS /wɔːr/

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Provided we could get something better in the place of it.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

winverbUS /wɪn/

be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

wordnounUS /wɜːrd/

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading And so we must not utter any hateful word about England in these days, nor fail to hope that she will win in this war, for her defeat and fall would be an irremediable disaster for the mangy human race....

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Naturally, then, I am for England; but she is profoundly in the wrong, Joe, and no (instructed) Englishman doubts it.

Chapter 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain holds 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) contain?

Chapter 26 holds 162 sentences of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900), unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 162 sentences, grouped into 33 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 26 of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 26 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 26 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 Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Common questions about reading Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) by Mark Twain on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)?

Yes. All 4330 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3196 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3196, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) take to read?

About 360 minutes of reading across 866 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) section by section

How to work through Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letters
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clemens's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Romance
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Mark Twain's Letters — Volume 4 (1886-1900); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.