Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Two Brothers
The Two Brothers

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Two Brothers is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Two Brothers
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.
Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.
Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.
But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.
Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, He is not pleasant to deal with.”
0:00 / 0:00
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.

The Two Brothers

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Two Brothers is here in full — 185 sentences across 37 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.
Line 2
Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.
/wɜːr wiː tuː bɪˈliːv ˈsɜːrtən boʊld tʌŋz hiː meɪd hɪz waɪf ekˈstriːmli ənˈhæpi ˌɔːlˈðoʊ ʃiː wɑːz ðə moʊst ˈbjuːtəfəl ˈwʊmən ʌv ðə ˈneɪbərhʊd/
Line 3
Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.
/pərˈhæps ˌɪnˈdiːd ʃiː wɑːz ˈræðər ˈsɪli/
Line 4
But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.
/bʌt ðə ˈpraɪɪŋ ʌv frendz ðə ˈslændər ʌv ˈenəmiz ənd ðə ˈɡɑːsəp ʌv əˈkweɪntənsɪz hæd ˈnevər səkˈsiːdɪd ɪn ˈleɪɪŋ ber ðə ˌɪnˈtɪriər ʌv ðæt ˈhaʊshoʊld/
Line 5
Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

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.

acquaintances noun US /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/

plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading “But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.”

consummate verb US /ˈkɑːnsəmət/

fulfill sexually

From this reading “In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.”

gossip noun US /ˈɡɑːsəp/

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading “But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.”

parlance noun US /ˈpɑːrləns/

a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language

From this reading “Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.””

prying noun US /ˈpraɪɪŋ/

offensive inquisitiveness

From this reading “But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.”

slander noun US /ˈslændər/

words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another

From this reading “But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.”

tongues noun US /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading “Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.”

townspeople noun US /ˈtaʊnzpiːpəl/

the people living in a municipality smaller than a city

From this reading “In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.”

All words in this reading · 68

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.

1792

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

acquaintancesnounUS /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/

plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

althoughconjunctionUS /ˌɔːlˈðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

bareadjectiveUS /ber/

completely unclothed

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

consummateverbUS /ˈkɑːnsəmət/

fulfill sexually

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

enemiesnounUS /ˈenəmiz/

plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

friendsnounUS /frendz/

plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

gossipnounUS /ˈɡɑːsəp/

light informal conversation for social occasions

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

heldadjectiveUS /held/

occupied or in the control of; often used in combination

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

householdnounUS /ˈhaʊshoʊld/

a social unit living together

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.

interioradjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɪriər/

situated within or suitable for inside a building

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

Issoudun

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

layingnounUS /ˈleɪɪŋ/

the production of eggs (especially in birds)

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

malignitynoun

wishing evil to others

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

namedverbUS /neɪmd/

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

neighborhoodnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊd/

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

parlancenounUS /ˈpɑːrləns/

a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a language

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

PerhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/

by chance

From this reading Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.

physiciannounUS /fəˈzɪʃən/

a licensed medical practitioner

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

pleasantadjectiveUS /ˈplezənt/

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

pryingnounUS /ˈpraɪɪŋ/

offensive inquisitiveness

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.

Rouget

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

servicesnounUS /ˈsɜːrvəsəz/

performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

sillyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪli/

ludicrous, foolish

From this reading Perhaps, indeed, she was rather silly.

slandernounUS /ˈslændər/

words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

succeededverbUS /səkˈsiːdɪd/

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But the prying of friends, the slander of enemies, and the gossip of acquaintances, had never succeeded in laying bare the interior of that household.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

tonguesnounUS /tʌŋz/

plural of “tongue” — a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

townspeoplenounUS /ˈtaʊnzpiːpəl/

the people living in a municipality smaller than a city

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

unhappyadjectiveUS /ənˈhæpi/

experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

Wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading In 1792 the townspeople of Issoudun enjoyed the services of a physician named Rouget, whom they held to be a man of consummate malignity.

wifenounUS /waɪf/

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Doctor Rouget was a man of whom we say in common parlance, “He is not pleasant to deal with.”

womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Were we to believe certain bold tongues, he made his wife extremely unhappy, although she was the most beautiful woman of the neighborhood.

Chapter 1 of The Two Brothers by Honoré de Balzac holds 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 1 of The Two Brothers contain?

Chapter 1 holds 185 sentences of The Two Brothers, unabridged, divided into 37 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Two Brothers by Honoré de Balzac exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 185 sentences, grouped into 37 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 1 of The Two Brothers?

Work through the 37 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 37 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Two Brothers

Common questions about reading The Two Brothers by Honoré de Balzac on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Two Brothers?

Yes. All 4837 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Two Brothers is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1380, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Two Brothers take to read?

About 403 minutes of reading across 968 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Two Brothers section by section

How to work through The Two Brothers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Two Brothers 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 Two Brothers

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Two Brothers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Townspeople
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Brothers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Issoudun
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Brothers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Enjoyed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Brothers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Services
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Two Brothers; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.