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Messer Marco Polo
Messer Marco Polo

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Messer Marco Polo is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Messer Marco Polo
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.
He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...
And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...
"You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.
Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Messer Marco Polo

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of Messer Marco Polo is here in full — 59 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.
Line 2
He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...
/hiː wɑːz ə fɪrs ˈræɡəd mæn wɪð ˈbɜːrnɪŋ aɪz/
Line 3
And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...
/ənd hiː toʊld hɜːr ʌv pɔːlz ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz tuː ˈwɪmən/
Line 4
"You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.
Line 5
Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.
/ˈoʊnli jɔːr vɔɪs kʌmz tuː miː nɑːt jɔːr aɪz/

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.

bitten verb US /ˈbɪtən/

inflected form of “bite” — to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

Paul's noun US /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading “And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...”

persecuted verb US /ˈpɜːrsəkjuːtɪd/

past form of “persecute” — cause to suffer

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

Polo noun US /ˈpoʊloʊ/

Venetian traveler who explored Asia in the 13th century and served Kublai Khan (1254-1324)

From this reading “"You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.”

preach verb US /priːtʃ/

deliver a sermon

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

preaching noun US /ˈpriːtʃɪŋ/

an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

survived verb US /sərˈvaɪvd/

past form of “survive” — continue to live and avoid dying

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

viper noun US /ˈvaɪpər/

venomous Old World snakes characterized by hollow venom-conducting fangs in the upper jaw

From this reading “And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.”

All words in this reading · 53

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 And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

bittenverbUS /ˈbɪtən/

inflected form of “bite” — to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

fierceadjectiveUS /fɪrs/

marked by extreme and violent energy

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/

destroyed or killed

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

instructionsnounUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/

a manual usually accompanying a technical device and explaining how to install or operate it

From this reading And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...

JesusnounUS /ˈdʒiːzəs/

a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

Marco

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

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

OnlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.

PaulnounUS /pɔːl/

United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

Paul'snounUS /pɔːlz/

possessive form of “paul” — United States feminist (1885-1977)

From this reading And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...

persecutedverbUS /ˈpɜːrsəkjuːtɪd/

past form of “persecute” — cause to suffer

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

PolonounUS /ˈpoʊloʊ/

Venetian traveler who explored Asia in the 13th century and served Kublai Khan (1254-1324)

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

preachverbUS /priːtʃ/

deliver a sermon

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

preachingnounUS /ˈpriːtʃɪŋ/

an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

raggedadjectiveUS /ˈræɡəd/

being or dressed in clothes that are worn or torn

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

shipwrecked

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

speakverbUS /spiːk/

express in speech

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

survivedverbUS /sərˈvaɪvd/

past form of “survive” — continue to live and avoid dying

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

vipernounUS /ˈvaɪpər/

venomous Old World snakes characterized by hollow venom-conducting fangs in the upper jaw

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

visionnounUS /ˈvɪʒən/

a vivid mental image

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

voicenounUS /vɔɪs/

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was a fierce, ragged man with burning eyes...

womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading And he told her of Paul's instructions to women...

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading And he told her of Paul, who had seen a vision and gone preaching through, the world, who was persecuted, who was shipwrecked, who was bitten by a viper, and who survived everything that he might preach the Lord Jesus.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "You do not look at me when you speak, Marco Polo.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Only your voice comes to me, not your eyes.

Chapter 16 of Messer Marco Polo by Donn Byrne holds 59 sentences, grouped into 12 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 16 of Messer Marco Polo contain?

Chapter 16 holds 59 sentences of Messer Marco Polo, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of Messer Marco Polo by Donn Byrne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 59 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 16 of Messer Marco Polo?

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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Messer Marco Polo

Common questions about reading Messer Marco Polo by Donn Byrne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Messer Marco Polo?

Yes. All 1263 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2058 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Messer Marco Polo is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2058, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Messer Marco Polo take to read?

About 105 minutes of reading across 253 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Messer Marco Polo section by section

How to work through Messer Marco Polo section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of Messer Marco Polo 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 Messer Marco Polo

Words and structures a reader meets early in Messer Marco Polo, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Nearing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Messer Marco Polo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Messer Marco Polo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Messer Marco Polo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spring
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Messer Marco Polo; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.