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The great amulet
The great amulet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The great amulet is here in full — 485 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The great amulet
Context Illustration Reading 24/97 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.
You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.
I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.
Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."
"I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.
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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 great amulet

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The great amulet is here in full — 485 sentences across 97 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 24/97 · 5 reading units · Lines 116–120

Line 1
"That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.
Line 2
You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.
/juː ɑːr sperd ðə ˈɑːrtəsts ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃən ʌv ə ˈduːəl ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti ʌv tuː soʊlz ˌɪmˈprɪzənd ɪn wʌn ˈbɑːdi ðə wʌn huː ˌenˈdʒɔɪz ənd lʌvz ənd ˈsʌfərz ənd ðə wʌn huː lʊks ɑːn ənd pɪks ˈevəri ɪˈmoʊʃən tuː ˈpiːsəz/
Line 3
I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.
/aɪ æm əˈfreɪd ðə wʌn juː ˌdɪsəˈpruːv ʌv hæz hæd ðə ˈʌpər hænd ɪn miː soʊ fɑːr/
Line 4
Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."
/pərˈhæps ɪt ɪz jɔːr ˈmɪʃən tuː dɪˈveləp ðə ˈʌðər ˈɪntuː ə ˈhelθiər steɪt ʌv ækˈtɪvəti/
Line 5
"I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.
/aɪ hoʊp tuː ˈhevən ɪt meɪ biː hɜːr ˈhʌzbənd ˈænsərd ˈfɜːrvəntli/

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.

artist's noun US /ˈɑːrtəsts/

possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading “You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.”

complication noun US /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃən/

the act or process of complicating

From this reading “You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.”

disapprove verb US /ˌdɪsəˈpruːv/

consider bad or wrong

From this reading “I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.”

dual adjective US /ˈduːəl/

consisting of or involving two parts or components usually in pairs

From this reading “You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.”

enjoys verb US /ˌenˈdʒɔɪz/

third-person singular of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading “You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.”

healthier adjective US /ˈhelθiər/

improved in health or physical condition

From this reading “Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."”

picks noun US /pɪks/

plural of “pick” — the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading “You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.”

translate verb US /trænzˈleɪt/

restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading “"That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/

any specific behavior

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

artist'snounUS /ˈɑːrtəsts/

possessive form of “artist” — a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

cher

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

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

climbverbUS /klaɪm/

go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

complicationnounUS /ˌkɑːmpləˈkeɪʃən/

the act or process of complicating

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

developverbUS /dɪˈveləp/

make something new, such as a product or a mental or artistic creation

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

disapproveverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpruːv/

consider bad or wrong

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

dualadjectiveUS /ˈduːəl/

consisting of or involving two parts or components usually in pairs

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

enjoysverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪz/

third-person singular of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

ferventlyadverbUS /ˈfɜːrvəntli/

with passionate fervor

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/

be in charge of, act on, or dispose of

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

healthieradjectiveUS /ˈhelθiər/

improved in health or physical condition

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

HeavennounUS /ˈhevən/

any place of complete bliss and delight and peace

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

husbandnounUS /ˈhʌzbənd/

a married man; a woman's partner in marriage

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

imprisonedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈprɪzənd/

being in captivity

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

insteadadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsted/

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

looksnounUS /lʊks/

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

lovesnounUS /lʌvz/

plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading "I hope to Heaven it may be," her husband answered fervently.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

missionnounUS /ˈmɪʃən/

an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

monnounUS /moʊn/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

mountainsnounUS /ˈmaʊntənz/

plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

paintverbUS /peɪnt/

make a painting

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/

the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

picksnounUS /pɪks/

plural of “pick” — the person or thing chosen or selected

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

sparedverbUS /sperd/

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

suffersverbUS /ˈsʌfərz/

third-person singular of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

translateverbUS /trænzˈleɪt/

restate (words) from one language into another language

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

tryingadjectiveUS /ˈtraɪɪŋ/

hard to endure

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

upperadjectiveUS /ˈʌpər/

the topmost one of two

From this reading I am afraid the one you disapprove of has had the upper hand in me so far.

versenounUS /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading You are spared the artist's complication of a dual personality; of two souls imprisoned in one body; the one who enjoys, and loves, and suffers; and the one who looks on, and picks every emotion to pieces.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "That is because you only climb mountains and handle men, _mon cher_, instead of trying to paint them, or translate them into verse.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Perhaps it is your mission to develop the other into a healthier state of activity."

Chapter 1 of The great amulet by Maud Diver holds 485 sentences, grouped into 97 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 1 of The great amulet contain?

Chapter 1 holds 485 sentences of The great amulet, unabridged, divided into 97 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The great amulet by Maud Diver exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 485 sentences, grouped into 97 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 1 of The great amulet?

Work through the 97 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 97 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The great amulet

Common questions about reading The great amulet by Maud Diver on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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

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Vocabulary met early in The great amulet

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

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of The great amulet, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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