Chapter 1 of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
CHINESE STUDIO. STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO. TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL.
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) is here in full — 338 sentences across 68 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/67 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
past form of “annotate” — add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments
From this reading “TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.”
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading “CHINESE STUDIO.”
having to do with a consul or his office or duties
From this reading “TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.”
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading “TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.”
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading “STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.”
workplace for the teaching or practice of an art
From this reading “CHINESE STUDIO.”
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading “TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.”
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading “IN TWO VOLUMES.”
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.
In this reading “STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.”
In this reading “IN TWO VOLUMES.”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
past form of “annotate” — add explanatory notes to or supply with critical comments
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading CHINESE STUDIO.
having to do with a consul or his office or duties
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
United States musician and composer and conductor noted for his comic operas (1859-1924)
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN TWO VOLUMES.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.
workplace for the teaching or practice of an art
From this reading CHINESE STUDIO.
past form of “translate” — restate (words) from one language into another language
From this reading TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.’s Consular Service_.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading IN TWO VOLUMES.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading VOL.
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading IN TWO VOLUMES.
Chapter 1 of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Songling Pu holds 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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.
Chapter 1 holds 338 sentences of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2), unabridged, divided into 68 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Songling Pu exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 338 sentences, grouped into 68 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.
Work through the 68 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 68 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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.
Common questions about reading Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) by Songling Pu on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4571 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43627 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43627, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 380 minutes of reading across 915 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2) to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, Vol. 1 (of 2), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
