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The City of the Discreet
The City of the Discreet

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of The City of the Discreet is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The City of the Discreet
Context Illustration Reading 1/35 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.
His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.
María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.
Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.
In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.
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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 City of the Discreet

Chapter XXXII

Chapter 32 of The City of the Discreet is here in full — 178 sentences across 36 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/35 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.
Line 2
His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.
/hɪz striːk ʌv bæd lʌk æt ðə kəˈsiːnoʊ kənˈtɪnjuːd/
Line 3
María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.
Line 4
Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.
/ˈveri mʌtʃ bɔːrd hiː roʊz tuː hɪz fiːt wɪð ðə ˌɪnˈtentʃən ʌv ˈɡoʊɪŋ tuː bed/
Line 5
In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

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.

bored adjective US /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading “Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.”

Casino noun US /kəˈsiːnoʊ/

a public building for gambling and entertainment

From this reading “His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.”

ceiling noun US /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the overhead upper surface of a covered space

From this reading “María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.”

contemplating verb US /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought

From this reading “María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.”

evenings noun US /ˈiːvnɪŋz/

plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading “NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.”

Springer noun US /ˈsprɪŋər/

the lowest stone in an arch -- from which it springs

From this reading “María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.”

streak noun US /striːk/

an unbroken series of events

From this reading “His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.”

thoughtfully adverb US /ˈθɔːtfəli/

in a thoughtful manner

From this reading “María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.”

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.

bad luck adjective + noun

an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes

In this reading “His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.”

same direction adjective + noun

In this reading “In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.”

with the intention preposition + article + noun counted as “with … intention”

In this reading “Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.”

In the street preposition + article + noun counted as “in … street”

In this reading “In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.”

All words in this reading · 48

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.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

badadjectiveUS /bæd/

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

bednounUS /bed/

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

Café

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

CasinonounUS /kəˈsiːnoʊ/

a public building for gambling and entertainment

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

ceilingnounUS /ˈsiːlɪŋ/

the overhead upper surface of a covered space

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

clerknounUS /klɜːrk/

an employee who performs clerical work (e.g., keeps records or accounts)

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

contemplatingverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

continuedadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːd/

without stop or interruption

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

DAYnounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

del

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

Diego

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

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/

plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

feetnounUS /fiːt/

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

goingnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋ/

the act of departing

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

intentionnounUS /ˌɪnˈtentʃən/

an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

lateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

Lucena

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

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

lucknounUS /lʌk/

your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

María

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

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

NIGHTnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

Palomares

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

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

Quentin

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

Recreo

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

rosenounUS /roʊz/

any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

smokingnounUS /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/

the act of smoking tobacco or other substances

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

SpringernounUS /ˈsprɪŋər/

the lowest stone in an arch -- from which it springs

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

streaknounUS /striːk/

an unbroken series of events

From this reading His streak of bad luck at the Casino continued.

streetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

talkingnounUS /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/

an exchange of ideas via conversation

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

thoughtfullyadverbUS /ˈθɔːtfəli/

in a thoughtful manner

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading María Lucena was talking to Springer: Quentin was smoking, and thoughtfully contemplating the ceiling.

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

VeryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading NIGHT AND DAY Two evenings later, Quentin was in the Café del Recreo.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading In the street he met the clerk, Diego Palomares, who was going in the same direction.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Very much bored, he rose to his feet, with the intention of going to bed.

Chapter 32 of The City of the Discreet by Pío Baroja holds 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 32 of The City of the Discreet contain?

Chapter 32 holds 178 sentences of The City of the Discreet, unabridged, divided into 36 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 32 of The City of the Discreet by Pío Baroja exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 178 sentences, grouped into 36 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 32 of The City of the Discreet?

Work through the 36 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 36 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 32 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 32 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 City of the Discreet

Common questions about reading The City of the Discreet by Pío Baroja on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The City of the Discreet?

Yes. All 6657 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #56324 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The City of the Discreet is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #56324, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The City of the Discreet take to read?

About 554 minutes of reading across 1332 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The City of the Discreet section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The City of the Discreet 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 City of the Discreet

Words and structures a reader meets early in The City of the Discreet, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Translated
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City of the Discreet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spanish
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City of the Discreet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Jacob
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City of the Discreet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fassett
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The City of the Discreet; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.