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The Waif of the "Cynthia"
The Waif of the "Cynthia"

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Waif of the "Cynthia" is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Waif of the "Cynthia"
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
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MR.
MALARIUS' FRIEND.
There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.
His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.
Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.
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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 Waif of the "Cynthia"

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Waif of the "Cynthia" is here in full — 152 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MR.
/ˈmɪstər/
Line 2
MALARIUS' FRIEND.
Line 3
There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.
Line 4
His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.
/hɪz ˈpɔːrtrət əˈpɪrz ɑːn ðə ˈmɪljənz ʌv ˈbɑːtəlz wɪð ɡriːn siːlz wɪtʃ ɑːr sent tuː ðə ˈkɑːnfaɪnz ʌv ðə ɡloʊb/
Line 5
Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

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.

centimes noun US /ˈsentaɪmz/

plural of “centime” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries: France and Algeria and Belgium and Burkina Faso and Burundi and Cameroon and Chad and the Congo and Gabon and Haiti and the Ivory Coast and Luxembourg and Mali and Morocco and Niger and Rwanda and Senegal and Switzerland and Togo

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

cod noun US /kɑːd/

the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

compels verb US /kəmˈpelz/

third-person singular of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

confines noun US /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/

a bounded scope

From this reading “His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.”

franc noun US /fræŋk/

the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

liver noun US /ˈlɪvər/

large and complicated reddish-brown glandular organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

Norway noun US /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading “Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.”

Stockholm noun US /ˈstɑːkhoʊlm/

the capital and largest city of Sweden; located in southern Sweden on the Baltic

From this reading “There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.”

All words in this reading · 65

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 There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

anywhereadverbUS /ˈeniwer/

at or in or to any place

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

appearsverbUS /əˈpɪrz/

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

bottlesnounUS /ˈbɑːtəlz/

plural of “bottle” — 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 His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

centimesnounUS /ˈsentaɪmz/

plural of “centime” — a fractional monetary unit of several countries: France and Algeria and Belgium and Burkina Faso and Burundi and Cameroon and Chad and the Congo and Gabon and Haiti and the Ivory Coast and Luxembourg and Mali and Morocco and Niger and Rwanda and Senegal and Switzerland and Togo

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

codnounUS /kɑːd/

the vessel that contains the seeds of a plant (not the seeds themselves)

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

compelsverbUS /kəmˈpelz/

third-person singular of “compel” — force somebody to do something

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

confinesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/

a bounded scope

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

containverbUS /kənˈteɪn/

include or contain; have as a component

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

couronnes

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

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

Dr

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

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

else

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

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

EuropenounUS /ˈjʊrəp/

the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

francnounUS /fræŋk/

the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading MALARIUS' FRIEND.

globenounUS /ɡloʊb/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

inhabitantsnounUS /ɪnˈhæbətənts/

plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

livernounUS /ˈlɪvər/

large and complicated reddish-brown glandular organ located in the upper right portion of the abdominal cavity

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

MALARIUS

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

From this reading MALARIUS' FRIEND.

medicinenounUS /ˈmedəsən/

the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

millionsnounUS /ˈmɪljənz/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

neitherdeterminerUS /ˈniːðər/

not one and not the other of two

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

NorwaynounUS /ˈnɔːrweɪ/

a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe on the western side of the Scandinavian Peninsula; achieved independence from Sweden in 1905

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

oilnounUS /ɔɪl/

A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

portraitnounUS /ˈpɔːrtrət/

a word picture of a person's appearance and character

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

probablyadverbUS /ˈprɑːbəbliː/

with considerable certainty; without much doubt

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

scholarnounUS /ˈskɒl.ər/

A specialist in a particular branch of study; a distinguished student.

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

Schwaryencrona

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

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

sealsnounUS /siːlz/

plural of “seal” — fastener consisting of a resinous composition that is plastic when warm; used for sealing documents and parcels and letters

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

sentnounUS /sent/

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

soldadjectiveUS /soʊld/

disposed of to a purchaser

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

statenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

StockholmnounUS /ˈstɑːkhoʊlm/

the capital and largest city of Sweden; located in southern Sweden on the Baltic

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

thirty-nineadjective

being nine more than thirty

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

TruthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

universallyadverbUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəli/

everywhere

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

usefuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːsfəl/

being of use or service

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading There is probably neither in Europe nor anywhere else a scholar whose face is more universally known than that of Dr. Schwaryencrona, of Stockholm.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading His portrait appears on the millions of bottles with green seals, which are sent to the confines of the globe.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading Truth compels us to state that these bottles only contain cod liver oil, a good and useful medicine; which is sold to the inhabitants of Norway for a "couronnes," which is worth one franc and thirty-nine centimes.

Chapter 1 of The Waif of the "Cynthia" by Jules Verne holds 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 of The Waif of the "Cynthia" contain?

Chapter 1 holds 152 sentences of The Waif of the "Cynthia", unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Waif of the "Cynthia" by Jules Verne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 152 sentences, grouped into 31 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 Waif of the "Cynthia"?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 Waif of the "Cynthia"

Common questions about reading The Waif of the "Cynthia" by Jules Verne on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Waif of the "Cynthia"?

Yes. All 3583 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #16344 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Waif of the "Cynthia" is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #16344, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 298 minutes of reading across 717 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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How to work through The Waif of the "Cynthia" section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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Vocabulary met early in The Waif of the "Cynthia"

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Waif of the "Cynthia", each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Malarius'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Waif of the "Cynthia"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Waif of the "Cynthia"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Probably
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Waif of the "Cynthia"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Neither
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Waif of the "Cynthia"; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.