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The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories
The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."
"Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.
"That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.
Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."
Again there was silence.
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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 Horse-Stealers and Other Stories

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories is here in full — 422 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."
Line 2
"Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.
Line 3
"That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.
Line 4
Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."
Line 5
Again there was silence.
/əˈɡen ðer wɑːz ˈsaɪ.ləns/

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.

apathetic adjective US /ˌæpəˈθetɪk/

showing little or no emotion or animation

From this reading “Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."”

department noun US /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading “"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."”

medical adjective US /ˈmedəkəl/

relating to the study or practice of medicine

From this reading “"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."”

steal verb US /stiːl/

take without the owner's consent

From this reading “"Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.”

submitting verb US /səbˈmɪtɪŋ/

inflected form of “submit” — refer for judgment or consideration

From this reading “"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."”

supervision noun US /ˌsuːpərˈvɪʒən/

management by overseeing the performance or operation of a person or group

From this reading “"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."”

transfer verb US /trænˈsfɜːr/

transfer somebody to a different position or location of work

From this reading “"Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.”

transferred verb US /trænˈsfɜːrd/

inflected form of “transfer” — transfer somebody to a different position or location of work

From this reading “"I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

AgainadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading Again there was silence.

alreadyadverbUS /ɔːlˈredi/

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

Andrey

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

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

apatheticadjectiveUS /ˌæpəˈθetɪk/

showing little or no emotion or animation

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

assented

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

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

councilnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

departmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/

a specialized division of a large organization

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

fair-hairedadjective

favorite

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/

the state of being honored

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

laughedverbUS /læft/

past form of “laugh” — produce laughter

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

lustrelessadjective

lacking brilliance or vitality

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

medicaladjectiveUS /ˈmedəkəl/

relating to the study or practice of medicine

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

membernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

moneynounUS /ˈmʌni/

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading Again there was silence.

stealverbUS /stiːl/

take without the owner's consent

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

submittingverbUS /səbˈmɪtɪŋ/

inflected form of “submit” — refer for judgment or consideration

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

supervisionnounUS /ˌsuːpərˈvɪʒən/

management by overseeing the performance or operation of a person or group

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

That's

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

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Again there was silence.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

transferverbUS /trænˈsfɜːr/

transfer somebody to a different position or location of work

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

transferredverbUS /trænˈsfɜːrd/

inflected form of “transfer” — transfer somebody to a different position or location of work

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Again there was silence.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "That's what it always comes to," the member of the council assented, and he also laughed.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

Yefimitch

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

From this reading Andrey Yefimitch looked with apathetic, lustreless eyes at the fair-haired doctor and said: "One should be just."

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading "Yes, transfer the money to the Zemstvo and they will steal it," laughed the fair-haired doctor.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

Zemstvo

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

From this reading "I have already had the honour of submitting to you that the medical department should be transferred to the supervision of the Zemstvo."

Chapter 4 of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov holds 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Horse-Stealers and Other Stories contain?

Chapter 4 holds 422 sentences of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 422 sentences, grouped into 85 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 Horse-Stealers and Other Stories?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 Horse-Stealers and Other Stories

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

Is this the complete text of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories?

Yes. All 5611 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #13409 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #13409, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories take to read?

About 467 minutes of reading across 1123 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories section by section

How to work through The Horse-Stealers 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 Horse-Stealers 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 Horse-Stealers and Other Stories

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

Hospital
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Assistant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Called
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Yergunov
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.