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Seeing Things at Night
Seeing Things at Night

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Seeing Things at Night is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Seeing Things at Night
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
We pondered.
Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."
The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.
"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.
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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.

Seeing Things at Night

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Seeing Things at Night is here in full — 393 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
We pondered.
/wiː ˈpɑːndərd/
Line 2
Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.
Line 3
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."
Line 4
The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.
/ðə prəˈspektəs sed ðæt ɔːl ðɪs wʊd biː ˈiːzi ɪf juː bɑːt ðə bʊk/
Line 5
"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.
/ˌɪnˈsted ʌv ə ˈhɑːrdʃɪp ðə ædˈvɜːrtəzmənt sed tʃaɪld ˈtreɪnɪŋ bɪˈkʌmz ə ˈdʒenjəwən ˈpleʒər æz ðə ˈperənt ʃerz ˈevəri ˈkɑːnfədəns ˈevəri dʒɔɪ ənd ˈevəri ˈsɑːroʊ ʌv ðə tʃaɪld ənd æt ðə seɪm taɪm hæz ɪts ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd rɪˈspekt/

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.

advertisement noun US /ædˈvɜːrtəzmənt/

a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

hardship noun US /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

negative adjective US /ˈneɡətɪv/

characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features

From this reading “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."”

pondered verb US /ˈpɑːndərd/

past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading “We pondered.”

prospectus noun US /prəˈspektəs/

a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise

From this reading “The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.”

rejoinder noun US /rɪˈdʒɔɪndər/

a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

From this reading “Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.”

shares noun US /ʃerz/

plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

From this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

unqualified adjective US /ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd/

not limited or restricted

From this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

genuine pleasure adjective + noun

In this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

same time adjective + noun

In this reading “"Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.”

All words in this reading · 61

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.

1

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

2

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

3

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

4

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

5

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

6

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

7

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

8

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

9

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

advertisementnounUS /ædˈvɜːrtəzmənt/

a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

answerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/

third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

booknounUS /bʊk/

a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

boughtverbUS /bɑːt/

inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

childnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

confidencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfədəns/

freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

genuineadjectiveUS /ˈdʒenjəwən/

not fake or counterfeit

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

hardshipnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

a state of misfortune or affliction

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

InsteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

joynounUS /dʒɔɪ/

the emotion of great happiness

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

negativeadjectiveUS /ˈneɡətɪv/

characterized by or displaying negation or denial or opposition or resistance; having no positive features

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

NOS

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

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

ObviouslyadverbUS /ˈɑːbviəsli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

parentnounUS /ˈperənt/

a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

ponderedverbUS /ˈpɑːndərd/

past form of “ponder” — reflect deeply on a subject

From this reading We pondered.

prospectusnounUS /prəˈspektəs/

a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

rejoindernounUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪndər/

a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

replynounUS /rɪˈplaɪ/

a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

sharesnounUS /ʃerz/

plural of “share” — assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

sorrownounUS /ˈsɑːroʊ/

an emotion of great sadness associated with loss or bereavement

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 the answer is in the negative."

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Obviously, our rejoinder must be: "In reply to questions NOS.

trainingnounUS /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/

activity leading to skilled behavior

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

unqualifiedadjectiveUS /ənˈkwɑːlɪfaɪd/

not limited or restricted

From this reading "Instead of a hardship," the advertisement said, "child training becomes a genuine pleasure, as the parent shares every confidence, every joy and every sorrow of the child, and at the same time has its unqualified respect.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We pondered.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading The prospectus said that all this would be easy if you bought the book.

Chapter 4 of Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun holds 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of Seeing Things at Night contain?

Chapter 4 holds 393 sentences of Seeing Things at Night, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 393 sentences, grouped into 79 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 4 of Seeing Things at Night?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Seeing Things at Night

Common questions about reading Seeing Things at Night by Heywood Broun on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Seeing Things at Night?

Yes. All 3614 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #35793 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Seeing Things at Night is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #35793, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Seeing Things at Night take to read?

About 301 minutes of reading across 723 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Seeing Things at Night section by section

How to work through Seeing Things at Night section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Seeing Things at Night 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 Seeing Things at Night

Words and structures a reader meets early in Seeing Things at Night, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Difficulty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Title
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seeing
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Seeing Things at Night; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.