The man with the broken ear

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Edmond About • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The man with the broken ear

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

The nephew of the illustrious physiologist, after brewing a great deal of beer from a very little hops, and prematurely appropriating the legacy intended for Fougas, had amassed, by various operations, a fortune of from eight to ten millions.

"In what kind of operations?"

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter XVII Reading 1/70

The man with the broken ear Edmond About

Chapter XVII

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT. The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good. I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition. The nephew of the illustrious physiologist, after brewing a great deal of beer from a very little hops, and prematurely appropriating the legacy intended for Fougas, had amassed, by various operations, a fortune of from eight to ten millions. "In what kind of operations?"

The man with the broken ear

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear is here in full — 353 sentences across 71 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/70 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

Line 2

The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

Line 3

I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

Line 4

Line 5

"In what kind of operations?"

/ɪn wʌt kaɪnd ʌv ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/

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.

amassed verb US /əˈmæst/

past form of “amass” — collect or gather

From this reading “The nephew of the illustrious physiologist, after brewing a great deal of beer from a very little hops, and prematurely appropriating the legacy intended for Fougas, had amassed, by various operations, a fortune of from eight to ten millions.”

appropriating verb US /əˈproʊprieɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

brewing noun US /ˈbruːɪŋ/

the production of malt beverages (as beer or ale) from malt and hops by grinding and boiling them and fermenting the result with yeast

gains noun US /ɡeɪnz/

plural of “gain” — a quantity that is added

From this reading “The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.”

hops noun US /hɑːps/

twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike spikes; the dried flowers of this plant are used in brewing to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer

physiologist noun US /ˌfɪziˈɑːlədʒɪst/

a biologist specializing in physiology

prematurely adverb US /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

unwelcome adjective US /ənˈwelkəm/

not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure

From this reading “WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.”

All words in this reading · 69

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 The nephew of the illustrious physiologist, after brewing a great deal of beer from a very little hops, and prematurely appropriating the legacy intended for Fougas, had amassed, by various operations, a fortune of from eight to ten millions.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

amassedverbUS /əˈmæst/

past form of “amass” — collect or gather

ANdeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

appropriatingverbUS /əˈproʊprieɪtɪŋ/

-ing form of “appropriate” — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

argumentnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjəmənt/

a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

beernounUS /bɪr/

a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops

brewingnounUS /ˈbruːɪŋ/

the production of malt beverages (as beer or ale) from malt and hops by grinding and boiling them and fermenting the result with yeast

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

DANTZIC

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

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

declaresverbUS /dɪˈklerz/

third-person singular of “declare” — state emphatically and authoritatively

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

Fougas

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

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

gainsnounUS /ɡeɪnz/

plural of “gain” — a quantity that is added

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

HERRnounUS /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

hopsnounUS /hɑːps/

twining perennials having cordate leaves and flowers arranged in conelike spikes; the dried flowers of this plant are used in brewing to add the characteristic bitter taste to beer

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

ill-gottenadjective

obtained illegally or by improper means

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

illustriousadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/

widely known and esteemed

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading "In what kind of operations?"

legacynounUS /ˈleɡəsi/

(law) a gift of personal property by will

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

maintainverbUS /meɪnˈteɪn/

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

mankindnounUS /ˈmænˈkaɪnd/

all of the living human inhabitants of the earth

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

MEISER

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

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

MENnounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

millionsnounUS /ˈmɪljənz/

plural of “million” — the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

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 maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

nephewnounUS /ˈnefjuː/

a son of your brother or sister

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

NICHOLASnounUS /ˈnɪkələs/

a bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century)

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

operationsnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/

financial transactions at a brokerage; having to do with the execution of trades and keeping customer records

physiologistnounUS /ˌfɪziˈɑːlədʒɪst/

a biologist specializing in physiology

prematurelyadverbUS /ˌpriːməˈtʃʊrli/

(of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation

propositionnounUS /ˌprɑːpəˈzɪʃən/

(logic) a statement that affirms or denies something and is either true or false

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

RECEIVESverbUS /rəˈsiːvz/

third-person singular of “receive” — get something; come into possession of

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

robbedverbUS /rɑːbd/

inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

robbersnounUS /ˈrɒb.ərz/

Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

SOLIDadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

supportnounUS /səˈpɔːrt/

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading I maintain that they do the robbers more good than the robbed, and the good fortune of Herr Nicholas Meiser is an argument in support of my proposition.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

UNWELCOMEadjectiveUS /ənˈwelkəm/

not welcome; not giving pleasure or received with pleasure

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

VISITverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "In what kind of operations?"

WHEREIN

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

From this reading WHEREIN HERR NICHOLAS MEISER, ONE OF THE SOLID MEN OF DANTZIC, RECEIVES AN UNWELCOME VISIT.

wisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading The wisdom of mankind declares that ill-gotten gains never do any good.

Chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear by Edmond About holds 353 sentences, grouped into 71 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 17 of The man with the broken ear contain?

Chapter 17 holds 353 sentences of The man with the broken ear, unabridged, divided into 71 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear by Edmond About exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 353 sentences, grouped into 71 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 17 of The man with the broken ear?

Work through the 71 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 71 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 man with the broken ear

Common questions about reading The man with the broken ear by Edmond About on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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.

How long does The man with the broken ear take to read?

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

How to read The man with the broken ear section by section

How to work through The man with the broken ear section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 20 chapters of The man with the broken ear to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

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.

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

What does chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear contain?

How do I study chapter 17 of The man with the broken ear?

Can chapter 17 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The man with the broken ear

How to read The man with the broken ear section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The man with the broken ear