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The Duel and Other Stories
The Duel and Other Stories

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Duel and Other Stories is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Duel and Other Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/83 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.
"Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.
I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.
You can set your mind at rest about that.
I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."
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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 Duel and Other Stories

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Duel and Other Stories is here in full — 419 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/83 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.
Line 2
"Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.
Line 3
I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.
/aɪ wɪl send ɪt frʌm ˈpiːtərzbərɡ æz suːn æz aɪ ɡet ðer/
Line 4
You can set your mind at rest about that.
/juː kæn set jɔːr maɪnd æt rest əˈbaʊt ðæt/
Line 5
I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

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.

animated adjective US /ˈænəmeɪtɪd/

having life or vigor or spirit

From this reading “I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."”

Borrow verb US /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading “"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.”

God's noun US /ɡɑːdz/

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading “"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.”

growing noun US /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading “I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."”

lend verb US /lend/

bestow a quality on

From this reading “"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.”

Petersburg noun US /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/

a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War

From this reading “I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.”

sake noun US /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading “"Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.”

wine noun US /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading “I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."”

All words in this reading · 54

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.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

animatedadjectiveUS /ˈænəmeɪtɪd/

having life or vigor or spirit

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

backadverbUS /bæk/

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

BorrowverbUS /ˈbɑːroʊ/

get temporarily

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

God'snounUS /ɡɑːdz/

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

growingnounUS /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/

(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

I'll

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

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

Laevsky

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

lendverbUS /lend/

bestow a quality on

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

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'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

PetersburgnounUS /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/

a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

sakenounUS /seɪk/

a reason for wanting something done

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

Samoylenko's

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

Sasha

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

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

setverbUS /set/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading I will send it from Petersburg as soon as I get there.

winenounUS /waɪn/

fermented juice (of grapes especially)

From this reading I'll tell you what, Sasha," he said, growing more animated; "let us have some wine."

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "Borrow it, for God's sake!" said Laevsky, seeing from Samoylenko's face that he wanted to lend him the money and certainly would lend it.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Borrow it, and I'll be sure to pay you back.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading You can set your mind at rest about that.

Chapter 4 of The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov holds 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 4 of The Duel and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 4 holds 419 sentences of The Duel and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 419 sentences, grouped into 84 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 The Duel and Other Stories?

Work through the 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 84 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 The Duel and Other Stories

Common questions about reading The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Duel and Other Stories?

Yes. All 5870 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13505 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Duel and Other Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13505, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Duel and Other Stories take to read?

About 489 minutes of reading across 1174 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Duel and Other Stories section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Duel and Other Stories 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 Duel and Other Stories

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

Eight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duel and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
O'clock
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duel and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Morning--the
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duel and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Officers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Duel and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.