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The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Ambassadors
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.
Not without a very high ideal of conduct.
But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.
And how, for that matter,” he mused, does his going to America diminish the particular strain?
Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”
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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.

The Ambassadors

Chapter XX · Chapter 20

Chapter 20 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 223 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.
Line 2
Not without a very high ideal of conduct.
Line 3
But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.
Line 4
And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?
Line 5
Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”

All words in this reading · 47

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.

a

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

add

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

From this reading Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”

already

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

America

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

And

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

answer

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

as

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

attributing

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

But

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

Chad

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

conduct

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

diminish

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

does

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

for

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

going

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

had

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

he

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

high

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

himself

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

his

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

how

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

ideal

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

if

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

it

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

just

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

matter

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

mused

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

Not

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

of

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

out

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

particular

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

prompt

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

rather

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

From this reading Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”

seem

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

From this reading Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”

strain

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

Strether's

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

that

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

that's

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

the

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

From this reading And how, for that matter,” he mused, “does his going to America diminish the particular strain?

to

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

very

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

was

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

we're

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

what

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

From this reading But that’s just what we’re attributing to Chad.

without

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

From this reading “Not without a very high ideal of conduct.

worked

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

From this reading Strether’s answer was as prompt as if he had already, for himself, worked it out.

Wouldn't

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

From this reading Wouldn’t it seem rather to add to it?”

Chapter 20 of The Ambassadors by Henry James holds 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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 20 of The Ambassadors contain?

Chapter 20 holds 223 sentences of The Ambassadors, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Ambassadors by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 223 sentences, grouped into 45 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 20 of The Ambassadors?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 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 The Ambassadors

Common questions about reading The Ambassadors by Henry James on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Ambassadors?

Yes. All 9031 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #432 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Ambassadors is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #432, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Ambassadors take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1807 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Ambassadors section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Ambassadors 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 The Ambassadors

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

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ambassadors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
First
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ambassadors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Second
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ambassadors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Ambassadors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.