Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water. Germanus covers his food with ashes. Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water. Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth. Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
Chapter 1 of The Dream is here in full — 231 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 25/46 · 5 reading units · Lines 121–125
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.
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading “Germanus covers his food with ashes.”
French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)
From this reading “Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.”
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading “Germanus covers his food with ashes.”
plural of “delight” — a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
From this reading “Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.”
plural of “fast” — abstaining from food
From this reading “Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.”
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading “Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.”
a small smooth rounded rock
From this reading “Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.”
remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation
From this reading “Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.”
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 Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
later than; following
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
French physiologist noted for research on secretions of the alimentary canal and the glycogenic function of the liver (1813-1878)
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
plural of “cover” — a covering that serves to conceal or shelter something
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
plural of “delight” — a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
take in solid food
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
plural of “fast” — abstaining from food
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
plural of “keep” — the financial means whereby one lives
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
and nothing more
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
a small smooth rounded rock
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
estrangement from god
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
To perceive flavor through the mouth.
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Bernard cares not to eat, but delights only in the taste of fresh water.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Mortifications of the flesh and fasts purify, not oil or water.
which person or people
From this reading Augustinus is in despair for the sin he has committed in turning to look after a dog who was running.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Germanus covers his food with ashes.
a late time of life
From this reading Agatha keeps for three years a pebble in her mouth.
Chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola holds 231 sentences, grouped into 47 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 231 sentences of The Dream, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Dream by Émile Zola exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 231 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.
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.
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 The Dream by Émile Zola on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4020 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9499 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #9499, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 335 minutes of reading across 804 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Dream section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 16 chapters of The Dream 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 The Dream, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
