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The Shadow Line: A Confession
The Shadow Line: A Confession

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Shadow Line: A Confession
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And first I wondered at my state of mind.
Why was I not more surprised?
Why?
Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.
I ought to have been lost in astonishment.
0:00 / 0:00
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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 Shadow Line: A Confession

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And first I wondered at my state of mind.
Line 2
Why was I not more surprised?
Line 3
Why?
Line 4
Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.
Line 5
I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

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.

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “And first I wondered at my state of mind.”

All words in this reading · 39

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.

a

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

affairs

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

an

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

And

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

as

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

astonishment

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

at

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

been

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

but

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

by

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

command

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

common

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

course

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

enchantment

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

eye

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

first

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

have

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

Here

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

human

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

I

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

if

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

in

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

invested

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

lost

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

more

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

From this reading Why was I not more surprised?

my

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

not

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

From this reading Why was I not more surprised?

of

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

ought

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

state

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

surprised

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

From this reading Why was I not more surprised?

the

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

to

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

From this reading I ought to have been lost in astonishment.

twinkling

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

was

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

From this reading Why was I not more surprised?

Why

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

From this reading Why was I not more surprised?

with

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

From this reading Here I was, invested with a command in the twinkling of an eye, not in the common course of human affairs, but more as if by enchantment.

wondered

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

From this reading And first I wondered at my state of mind.

Chapter 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession contain?

Chapter 5 holds 220 sentences of The Shadow Line: A Confession, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 5 of The Shadow Line: A Confession?

Work through the 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 44 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 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 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 Shadow Line: A Confession

Common questions about reading The Shadow Line: A Confession by Joseph Conrad on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Shadow Line: A Confession?

Yes. All 3111 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #451 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Shadow Line: A Confession is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #451, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Shadow Line: A Confession take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 623 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Shadow Line: A Confession section by section

How to work through The Shadow Line: A Confession section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 14 chapters of The Shadow Line: A Confession 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 Shadow Line: A Confession

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Shadow Line: A Confession, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Borys
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Others
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Himself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crossed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Shadow Line: A Confession; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.