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The man with the broken ear
The man with the broken ear

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The man with the broken ear is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The man with the broken ear
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.
In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.
He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.
"Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'
Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The man with the broken ear

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The man with the broken ear is here in full — 154 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.
Line 2
In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.
Line 3
He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.
Line 4
"Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'
Line 5
Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

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.

campaign noun US /kæmˈpeɪn/

a race between candidates for elective office

From this reading “Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."”

embracing noun US /emˈbreɪsɪŋ/

the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection)

From this reading “In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.”

intimated verb US /ˈɪntəmeɪtɪd/

past form of “intimate” — give to understand

From this reading “He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.”

memorable adjective US /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading “THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.”

moustache noun US /ˈmʌstæʃ/

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading “In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.”

owner noun US /ˈoʊnər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading “He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.”

peal noun US /piːl/

a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells)

From this reading “He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.”

Russian noun US /ˈrʌʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Russia

From this reading “Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."”

All words in this reading · 64

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 He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

Ah

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

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

barouchenoun

a horse-drawn carriage having four wheels; has an outside seat for the driver and facing inside seats for two couples and a folding top

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

BETWEENprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

bigadjectiveUS /bɪɡ/

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

boynounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/

placed in a grave

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

burstverbUS /bɜːrst/

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

campaignnounUS /kæmˈpeɪn/

a race between candidates for elective office

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

ChildnounUS /tʃaɪld/

a young person of either sex

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

COLONELnounUS /ˈkɜːrnəl/

a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

embracingnounUS /emˈbreɪsɪŋ/

the act of clasping another person in the arms (as in greeting or affection)

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

EMPERORnounUS /ˈempərər/

the male ruler of an empire

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

facenounUS /feɪs/

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

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

FOUGAS

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

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

FRENCHnounUS /frentʃ/

the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

HISdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

INTERVIEWverbUS /ˈɪntərvjuː/

conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

intimatedverbUS /ˈɪntəmeɪtɪd/

past form of “intimate” — give to understand

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

it's

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

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

laughternounUS /ˈlæftər/

the sound of laughing

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

Leblanc

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

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

LookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

MAJESTYnounUS /ˈmædʒəsti/

impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

Massena

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

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

MEMORABLEadjectiveUS /ˈmemərəbəl/

worth remembering

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

moustachenounUS /ˈmʌstæʃ/

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

naturallyadverbUS /ˈnætʃərəli/

as might be expected

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

necknounUS /nek/

the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

ownernounUS /ˈoʊnər/

(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

pealnounUS /piːl/

a deep prolonged sound (as of thunder or large bells)

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

pooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

RussiannounUS /ˈrʌʃən/

a native or inhabitant of Russia

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

squareverbUS /skwer/

make square

From this reading Look me square in the face: I am Leblanc, of the Russian campaign."

supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/

required or under orders

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MEMORABLE INTERVIEW BETWEEN COLONEL FOUGAS AND HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

VictorynounUS /ˈvɪktəri/

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading "Ah, my poor old boy," said he, "it's a long time since we buried the 'Child of Victory!'

whereupon

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

From this reading He naturally intimated as much to him, whereupon the owner of the barouche burst into a great peal of laughter.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In falling upon the neck of the big man with the gray moustache, Fougas supposed he was embracing Massena.

Chapter 16 of The man with the broken ear by Edmond About holds 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 16 of The man with the broken ear contain?

Chapter 16 holds 154 sentences of The man with the broken ear, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The man with the broken ear by Edmond About exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 154 sentences, grouped into 31 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 16 of The man with the broken ear?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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.

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Is this the complete text of The man with the broken ear?

Yes. All 3541 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #20724 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The man with the broken ear is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #20724, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 295 minutes of reading across 709 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in The man with the broken ear

Words and structures a reader meets early in The man with the broken ear, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wherein
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The man with the broken ear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fatted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The man with the broken ear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Celebrate
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The man with the broken ear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Return
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The man with the broken ear; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.