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Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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
There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.
Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.
And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- You have seen somebody up there?
Have you?”
No, I have not seen him.”
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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.

Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard is here in full — 242 sentences across 49 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.
/ðer ɪz noʊ mɔːr ˌevəˈnesənt ˈkwɑːləti ɪn æn əˈkɑːmplɪʃt fækt ðæn ɪts ˈwʌndərfəlnəs/
Line 2
Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.
/səˈlɪsɪtɪd ˌɪnˈsesəntli baɪ ðə kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz əˈfektɪŋ ɪts fɪrz ənd dɪˈzaɪərz ðə ˈhjuːmən maɪnd tɜːrnz ˈnætʃərəli əˈweɪ frʌm ðə ˈmɑːrvələs saɪd ʌv ɪˈvents/
Line 3
And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?
/ənd ɪt wɑːz ɪn ðə moʊst ˈnætʃərəl weɪ ˈpɑːsəbəl ðæt ðə ˈdɑːktər æskt ðɪs mæn huːm ˈoʊnli tuː ˈmɪnəts bɪˈfɔːr hiː bɪˈliːvd tuː hæv bɪn draʊnd ɪn ðə ɡʌlf juː hæv siːn ˈsʌmbɑːdi ʌp ðer/
Line 4
Have you?”
/hæv juː/
Line 5
No, I have not seen him.”
/noʊ aɪ hæv nɑːt siːn hɪm/

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.

affecting adjective US /əˈfektɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading “Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.”

considerations noun US /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “consideration” — the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading “Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.”

evanescent adjective US /ˌevəˈnesənt/

tending to vanish like vapor

From this reading “There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.”

gulf noun US /ɡʌlf/

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading “And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?”

incessantly adverb US /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/

with unflagging resolve

From this reading “Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.”

marvellous adjective US /ˈmɑːrvələs/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading “Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.”

Solicited verb US /səˈlɪsɪtɪd/

past form of “solicit” — make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently

From this reading “Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.”

wonderfulness noun US /ˈwʌndərfəlnəs/

admirable excellence

From this reading “There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

accomplishedadjectiveUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃt/

highly skilled

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

affectingadjectiveUS /əˈfektɪŋ/

arousing affect

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

askedverbUS /æskt/

past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/

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

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

believedverbUS /bɪˈliːvd/

past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

considerationsnounUS /kənˌsɪdərˈeɪʃənz/

plural of “consideration” — the process of giving careful thought to something

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/

plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

drownedverbUS /draʊnd/

past form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

evanescentadjectiveUS /ˌevəˈnesənt/

tending to vanish like vapor

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

fearsnounUS /fɪrz/

plural of “fear” — an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

gulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading “No, I have not seen him.”

humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading “No, I have not seen him.”

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

incessantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/

with unflagging resolve

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

marvellousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

minutesnounUS /ˈmɪnəts/

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “No, I have not seen him.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

qualitynounUS /ˈkwɑːləti/

an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

seenverbUS /siːn/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

sidenounUS /saɪd/

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

SolicitedverbUS /səˈlɪsɪtɪd/

past form of “solicit” — make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

somebodypronounUS /ˈsʌmbɑːdi/

a person, without saying who

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

turnsnounUS /tɜːrnz/

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading Solicited incessantly by the considerations affecting its fears and desires, the human mind turns naturally away from the marvellous side of events.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

waynounUS /weɪ/

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

wonderfulnessnounUS /ˈwʌndərfəlnəs/

admirable excellence

From this reading There is no more evanescent quality in an accomplished fact than its wonderfulness.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading And it was in the most natural way possible that the doctor asked this man whom only two minutes before he believed to have been drowned in the gulf-- “You have seen somebody up there?

Chapter 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard by Joseph Conrad holds 242 sentences, grouped into 49 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard contain?

Chapter 28 holds 242 sentences of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard, unabridged, divided into 49 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 242 sentences, grouped into 49 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 28 of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard?

Work through the 49 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 49 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #2021, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 600 minutes of reading across 1944 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard

Words and structures a reader meets early in Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Clears
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Without
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Storm
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Shakespeare
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.