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Thais
Thais

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Thais is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thais
Context Illustration Reading 1/74 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.
Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.
No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.
I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.
I am more powerful than the masters of the world.
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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.

Thais

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Thais is here in full — 370 sentences across 74 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/74 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.
/juː ɑːr ˈveri boʊld ˈstreɪndʒər tuː əˈfend jɔːr ˈhoʊstəs/
Line 2
Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.
/lʊk æt miː ənd seɪ ɪf aɪ rɪˈzembəl ə ˈkriːtʃər krʌʃt daʊn wɪð ʃeɪm/
Line 3
No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.
Line 4
I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.
/aɪ hæv soʊn ˈpleʒər ɪn maɪ ˈfʊtsteps ənd aɪ æm ˈseləbreɪtɪd fɔːr ðæt ɔːl ˈoʊvər ðə wɜːrld/
Line 5
I am more powerful than the masters of the world.
/aɪ æm mɔːr ˈpaʊərfəl ðæn ðə ˈmæstərz ʌv ðə wɜːrld/

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.

celebrated adjective US /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading “I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.”

crushed adjective US /krʌʃt/

treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance

From this reading “Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.”

footsteps noun US /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading “I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.”

hostess noun US /ˈhoʊstəs/

a woman host

From this reading ““You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.”

masters noun US /ˈmæstərz/

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading “I am more powerful than the masters of the world.”

offend verb US /əˈfend/

cause to feel resentment or indignation

From this reading ““You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.”

resemble verb US /rɪˈzembəl/

appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading “Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.”

sown adjective US /soʊn/

sprinkled with seed

From this reading “I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.”

All words in this reading · 57

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 Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

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 No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

ashamedadjectiveUS /əˈʃeɪmd/

feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/

widely known and esteemed

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

creaturenounUS /ˈkriːtʃər/

a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

crushedadjectiveUS /krʌʃt/

treated so as to have a permanently wrinkled appearance

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

footstepsnounUS /ˈfʊtsteps/

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

hostessnounUS /ˈhoʊstəs/

a woman host

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

mastersnounUS /ˈmæstərz/

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading I am more powerful than the masters of the world.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading I am more powerful than the masters of the world.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I am more powerful than the masters of the world.

offendverbUS /əˈfend/

cause to feel resentment or indignation

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

others

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

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

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

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

powerfuladjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərfəl/

having great power or force or potency or effect

From this reading I am more powerful than the masters of the world.

resembleverbUS /rɪˈzembəl/

appear like; be similar or bear a likeness to

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

richadjectiveUS /rɪtʃ/

possessing material wealth

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

shamenounUS /ʃeɪm/

a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

sownadjectiveUS /soʊn/

sprinkled with seed

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

strangernounUS /ˈstreɪndʒər/

anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I am more powerful than the masters of the world.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading No, I am not ashamed, and all others who live like me are not ashamed either, although they are not so beautiful or so rich as I am.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Look at me, and say if I resemble a creature crushed down with shame.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I have sown pleasure in my footsteps, and I am celebrated for that all over the world.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “You are very bold, stranger, to offend your hostess.

Chapter 4 of Thais by Anatole France holds 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 4 of Thais contain?

Chapter 4 holds 370 sentences of Thais, unabridged, divided into 74 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Thais by Anatole France exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 370 sentences, grouped into 74 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 Thais?

Work through the 74 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 74 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 Thais

Common questions about reading Thais by Anatole France on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thais?

Yes. All 2923 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2078 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thais is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2078, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thais take to read?

About 243 minutes of reading across 585 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thais section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 8 chapters of Thais 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 Thais

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

Banquet
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thais; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Papyrus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thais; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Resumed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thais; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thais
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thais; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.