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Sacrifice
Sacrifice

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Sacrifice is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:
"He is still sitting there alone?"
"In the same position," the subordinate assented.
"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."
The subordinate shrugged his shoulders, and retorted:
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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.

Sacrifice

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Sacrifice is here in full — 70 sentences across 14 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:
Line 2
"He is still sitting there alone?"
/hiː ɪz stɪl ˈsɪtɪŋ ðer əˈloʊn/
Line 3
"In the same position," the subordinate assented.
Line 4
"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."
Line 5
The subordinate shrugged his shoulders, and retorted:
/ðə səˈbɔːrdəneɪt ʃrʌɡd hɪz ˈʃoʊldərz ənd riˈtɔːrtɪd/

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.

collector noun US /kəˈlektər/

a person who collects things

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

flaccid adjective US /ˈflæksɪd/

drooping without elasticity; wanting in stiffness

From this reading “The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:”

outposts noun US /ˈaʊtpoʊsts/

plural of “outpost” — a station in a remote or sparsely populated location

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

postmaster noun US /ˈpoʊstmæstər/

the person in charge of a post office

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

prematurely adverb US /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

prickly adjective US /ˈprɪkli/

very irritable

From this reading “The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:”

receiver noun US /rəˈsiːvər/

set that receives radio or tv signals

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

revenues noun US /ˈrevənuːz/

plural of “revenue” — the entire amount of income before any deductions are made

From this reading “"I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."”

All words in this reading · 78

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 The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

AfricanadjectiveUS /ˈæfrəkən/

of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/

Having no one else present.

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

anaemianoun

a lack of vitality

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

assented

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

From this reading "In the same position," the subordinate assented.

balloonnounUS /bəˈluːn/

large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

chiefnounUS /tʃiːf/

a person who is in charge

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

civilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/

a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

collectornounUS /kəˈlektər/

a person who collects things

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

commandantnounUS /ˌkɑːmənˈdɑːnt/

an officer in command of a military unit

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

d'Anhaya

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

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

districtnounUS /ˈdɪstrɪkt/

a region marked off for administrative or other purposes

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/

the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

exileverbUS /ˈeɡzaɪl/

expel from a country

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

flaccidadjectiveUS /ˈflæksɪd/

drooping without elasticity; wanting in stiffness

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

FortnounUS /fɔːrt/

a fortified military post where troops are stationed

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

hadn't

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

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

half-deflated

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

heronounUS /ˈhɪroʊ/

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

inquireverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/

address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

martyrnounUS /ˈmɑːrtər/

one who suffers for the sake of principle

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

melancholynounUS /ˈmelənkɑːli/

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

monotonynounUS /məˈnɑːtəni/

the quality of wearisome constancy, routine, and lack of variety

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

movingadjectiveUS /ˈmuːvɪŋ/

in motion

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

outpostsnounUS /ˈaʊtpoʊsts/

plural of “outpost” — a station in a remote or sparsely populated location

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

peeredverbUS /pɪrd/

past form of “peer” — look searchingly

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

Pero

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

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading "In the same position," the subordinate assented.

postmasternounUS /ˈpoʊstmæstər/

the person in charge of a post office

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

prematurelyadverbUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

pricklyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪkli/

very irritable

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

punkahnoun

a large fan consisting of a frame covered with canvas that is suspended from the ceiling; used in India for circulating air in a room

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

receivernounUS /rəˈsiːvər/

set that receives radio or tv signals

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

retortedverbUS /riˈtɔːrtɪd/

past form of “retort” — answer back

From this reading The subordinate shrugged his shoulders, and retorted:

revenuesnounUS /ˈrevənuːz/

plural of “revenue” — the entire amount of income before any deductions are made

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

saffron-colored

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading "In the same position," the subordinate assented.

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The subordinate shrugged his shoulders, and retorted:

shownverbUS /ʃoʊn/

inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

shruggedverbUS /ʃrʌɡd/

inflected form of “shrug” — raise one's shoulders to indicate indifference or resignation

From this reading The subordinate shrugged his shoulders, and retorted:

sittingnounUS /ˈsɪtɪŋ/

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/

not in physical motion

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

subordinateadjectiveUS /səˈbɔːrdəneɪt/

lower in rank or importance

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

taxesnounUS /ˈtæksəz/

plural of “tax” — charge against a citizen's person or property or activity for the support of government

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading "He is still sitting there alone?"

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

visagenounUS /ˈvɪzədʒ/

the human face (“kisser” and “smiler” and “mug” are informal terms for “face” and “phiz” is British)

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

wishverbUS /wɪʃ/

hope for; have a wish

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The commandant of the district, a melancholy, flaccid man with a saffron-colored visage that looked like a half-deflated balloon, a martyr to prickly heat, anaemia, and monotony, peered up from under the moving punkah, to inquire of his subordinate in the doorway:

worksnounUS /wɜːrks/

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading "I wish now that I hadn't shown it to him," said the commandant of Fort Pero d'Anhaya, the district judge, the chief of the public works, the receiver of taxes, the collector of revenues, the postmaster, the poor exile prematurely aged by the African sun, the sorry "hero on the outposts of civilization."

Chapter 23 of Sacrifice by Stephen French Whitman holds 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 23 of Sacrifice contain?

Chapter 23 holds 70 sentences of Sacrifice, unabridged, divided into 14 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Sacrifice by Stephen French Whitman exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 70 sentences, grouped into 14 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 23 of Sacrifice?

Work through the 14 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 14 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Sacrifice

Common questions about reading Sacrifice by Stephen French Whitman on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Sacrifice?

Yes. All 3767 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #22928 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Sacrifice is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #22928, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Sacrifice take to read?

About 313 minutes of reading across 754 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Sacrifice section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Sacrifice 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 Sacrifice

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

Balbian's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sacrifice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
House
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sacrifice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Provided
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sacrifice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Appropriate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Sacrifice; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.