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The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Ambassadors
Context Illustration Reading 1/47 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
She wondered.
But for what in particular?”
For the answer to his cable.”
And what was his cable?”
I don’t know,” Strether replied; it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.
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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 XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Ambassadors is here in full — 235 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/47 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
She wondered.
Line 2
But for what in particular?”
Line 3
For the answer to his cable.”
Line 4
And what was his cable?”
Line 5
I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

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.

Taste verb US /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading ““I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.”

All words in this reading · 28

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.

according

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

And

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

From this reading “And what was his cable?”

answer

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

From this reading “For the answer to his cable.”

be

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

But

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

From this reading “But for what in particular?”

cable

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

From this reading “For the answer to his cable.”

don't

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

for

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

From this reading “But for what in particular?”

he

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

his

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

From this reading “For the answer to his cable.”

I

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

in

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

From this reading “But for what in particular?”

it

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

know

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

left

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

me

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

own

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

particular

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

From this reading “But for what in particular?”

replied

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

She

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

From this reading She wondered.

Strether

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

tasteverbUS /teɪst/

To perceive flavor through the mouth.

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

the

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

From this reading “For the answer to his cable.”

to

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

From this reading “For the answer to his cable.”

was

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

From this reading “And what was his cable?”

what

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

From this reading “But for what in particular?”

when

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

From this reading “I don’t know,” Strether replied; “it was to be, when he left me, according to his own taste.

wondered

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

From this reading She wondered.

Chapter 23 of The Ambassadors by Henry James holds 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 23 of The Ambassadors contain?

Chapter 23 holds 235 sentences of The Ambassadors, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Ambassadors by Henry James exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 235 sentences, grouped into 47 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 The Ambassadors?

Work through the 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 47 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 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.