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The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History
The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History
Context Illustration Reading 1/80 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
OMITI.
Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.
The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.
In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.
The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.
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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 Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History is here in full — 401 sentences across 81 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/80 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
OMITI.
Line 2
Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.
/ˈwɪntər hæd kʌm deɪz ʌv ˈbɜːrnɪŋ hiːt hæd ˈɡɪvən pleɪs tuː deɪz ʌv frɔːst ənd aɪs/
Line 3
The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.
Line 4
In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.
Line 5
The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.
/ðə weɪvz rɪˈflektɪŋ ðə dʌl ɡreɪ ˈhevənz lʊkt laɪk ɪŋk/

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.

frost noun US /frɔːst/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading “Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.”

ink noun US /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading “The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.”

intact adjective US /ˌɪnˈtækt/

constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged

From this reading “In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.”

leaden adjective US /ˈledən/

darkened with overcast

From this reading “The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.”

Osaka noun US /oʊˈsɑːkə/

port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay; a commercial and industrial center of Japan

From this reading “In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.”

outskirts noun US /ˈaʊtskɜːrts/

outlying areas (as of a city or town)

From this reading “In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.”

reflecting adjective US /rɪˈflektɪŋ/

causing reflection or having a device that reflects

From this reading “The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.”

robes noun US /roʊbz/

plural of “robe” — any loose flowing garment

From this reading “The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

leaden sky adjective + noun

In this reading “The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.”

white robes noun + noun counted as “white robe”

In this reading “The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.”

burning heat noun + noun

In this reading “Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.”

dull gray adjective + noun

In this reading “The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.”

thick coat adjective + noun

In this reading “In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.”

dropped from verb + particle counted as “drop from”

In this reading “In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.”

All words in this reading · 51

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

burningnounUS /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/

the act of burning something

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

changedadjectiveUS /tʃeɪndʒd/

made or become different in nature or form

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

cloudsnounUS /klaʊdz/

plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

coatnounUS /koʊt/

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

dazzlinglyadverb

in a manner or to a degree that dazzles the beholder

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

desertedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

dulladjectiveUS /dʌl/

lacking in liveliness or animation

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

frostnounUS /frɔːst/

ice crystals forming a white deposit (especially on objects outside)

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/

acknowledged as a supposition

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

graynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

heatnounUS /hiːt/

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

heavensnounUS /ˈhevənz/

the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

icenounUS /aɪs/

water frozen in the solid state

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

inknounUS /ɪŋk/

a liquid used for printing or writing or drawing

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

intactadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtækt/

constituting the undiminished entirety; lacking nothing essential especially not damaged

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

leadenadjectiveUS /ˈledən/

darkened with overcast

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

OMITI

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

From this reading OMITI.

OsakanounUS /oʊˈsɑːkə/

port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay; a commercial and industrial center of Japan

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

outskirtsnounUS /ˈaʊtskɜːrts/

outlying areas (as of a city or town)

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

placesnounUS /ˈpleɪsəz/

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

preservedadjectiveUS /prəˈzɜːrvd/

prevented from decaying or spoiling and prepared for future use

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

reflectingadjectiveUS /rɪˈflektɪŋ/

causing reflection or having a device that reflects

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

robesnounUS /roʊbz/

plural of “robe” — any loose flowing garment

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

seemedverbUS /siːmd/

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

shorenounUS /ʃɔːr/

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

skynounUS /skaɪ/

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

snownounUS /snoʊ/

precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

thickadjectiveUS /θɪk/

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

waddingnoun

any material used especially to protect something

From this reading In the outskirts of Osaka the deserted shore had preserved intact the thick coat of wadding dropped from the clouds.

wavesnounUS /weɪvz/

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading The waves, reflecting the dull gray heavens, looked like ink.

whitenounUS /waɪt/

a Caucasian

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

WinternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading Winter had come; days of burning heat had given place to days of frost and ice.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The leaden sky seemed to have changed places with the earth, now dazzlingly bright in its white robes of snow.

Chapter 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History by Judith Gautier holds 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History contain?

Chapter 27 holds 401 sentences of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History, unabridged, divided into 81 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History by Judith Gautier exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 401 sentences, grouped into 81 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 27 of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History?

Work through the 81 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 81 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History

Common questions about reading The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History by Judith Gautier on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History?

Yes. All 6385 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47002 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47002, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History take to read?

About 532 minutes of reading across 1277 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History section by section

How to work through The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History 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 Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Lemon
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Grove
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Night
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nearly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Usurper: An Episode in Japanese History; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.