Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Chapter XIX

Cover illustration for Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Context Illustration Reading 1/48 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Chapter XIX

Reading 1/48 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.
Line 2
It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.
Line 3
Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.
Line 4
Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.
Line 5
Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.”

Between preposition US /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading “Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.”

Dead noun US /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.”

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Excited adjective US /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Hands plural noun US /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading “Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Let auxiliary verb US /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading “The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.”

Remained noun US /ˈremained/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Same noun US /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.”

Shadow noun US /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.”

Stand noun US /stand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.”

Time noun US /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.”

Upon preposition US /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading “It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

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

From this reading “Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.”

All words in this reading · 90

Every word is available to listen to. 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 It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

absurdly

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

anxious

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

any

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

appeared

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

bridge

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

certainty

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

childlike

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

coaxings

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

colonel

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

commander

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

darkness

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

deadnounUS /dead/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

deeper

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

Distracted

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

doubt

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

drinking

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

enter

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

EvernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

excitedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/

very enthusiastic or eager

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

exercise

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

extremely

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

foolhardy

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

group

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

gulf

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

handsplural nounUS /hændz/

members of a ship’s crew

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

heart

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

heavily

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

impatience

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

kept

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

laying

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

made

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

Mala

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

man

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

menaces

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

miserable

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

moving

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

much

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

object

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

officers

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

planned

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

prospect

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

prudence

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

Punta

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

remainednounUS /ˈremained/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

rounded

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

samenounUS /same/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

set

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

shadownounUS /ˈʃæd.oʊ/

A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

Some

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

sort

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

Sotillo

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

Staff

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

stand

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

steamer

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

From this reading Ever since the steamer had rounded Punta Mala, to enter the deeper shadow of the gulf, he had remained on the bridge in a group of officers as excited as himself.

surprise

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.

timenounUS /time/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

ungovernable

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

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

way

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

From this reading The colonel was not the man to let any sort of darkness stand in the way of the planned surprise.

wealth

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

From this reading Some of them had been drinking heavily, no doubt; but the prospect of laying hands on so much wealth made them absurdly foolhardy, and, at the same time, extremely anxious.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It appeared to him a dead certainty; his heart was set upon his object with an ungovernable, childlike impatience.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading Distracted between the coaxings and menaces of Sotillo and his Staff, the miserable commander of the steamer kept her moving with as much prudence as they would let him exercise.