Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
I know her.... Three years ago, in Puget Sound.... This here berth leaks, I tell you!... Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!... Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" is here in full — 449 sentences across 90 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 20/89 · 5 reading units · Lines 96–100
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.
in the past
From this reading “Three years ago, in Puget Sound....”
a job in an organization
From this reading “This here berth leaks, I tell you!...”
a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading “Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...”
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading “Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...”
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading “Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...”
plural of “leak” — an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
From this reading “This here berth leaks, I tell you!...”
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading “Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...”
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading “Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...”
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.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
in the past
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
a job in an organization
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
a glass or plastic vessel used for storing drinks or other liquids; typically cylindrical without handles and with a narrow neck that can be plugged or capped
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I know her....
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I know her....
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know her....
plural of “leak” — an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
express in words
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did you bring a bottle, any of you shore toffs?...
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Come on; give us a chance to swing that chest!...
a late time of life
From this reading Three years ago, in Puget Sound....
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading This here berth leaks, I tell you!...
Chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad holds 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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.
Chapter 1 holds 449 sentences of The nigger of the "Narcissus", unabridged, divided into 90 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 449 sentences, grouped into 90 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.
Work through the 90 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 90 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.
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.
Common questions about reading The nigger of the "Narcissus" by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3518 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #17731 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #17731, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 293 minutes of reading across 704 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The nigger of the "Narcissus" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The nigger of the "Narcissus" to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The nigger of the "Narcissus", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
