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Toilers of the sea
Toilers of the sea

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Toilers of the sea is here in full — 1454 sentences across 291 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Victor Hugo • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Toilers of the sea
Context Illustration Reading 1/290 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.
He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.
He had the strength of a bull.
His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.
His memory was peculiarly retentive.
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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.

Toilers of the sea

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Toilers of the sea is here in full — 1454 sentences across 291 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/290 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.
Line 2
He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.
/hiː wɑːz ʃɔːrt ɪn ˈstætʃər ənd hɪz kəmˈplekʃən wɑːz ˈjeloʊ/
Line 3
He had the strength of a bull.
/hiː hæd ðə streŋkθ ʌv ə bʊl/
Line 4
His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.
Line 5
His memory was peculiarly retentive.

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.

complexion noun US /kəmˈplekʃən/

the coloring of a person's face

From this reading “He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
conversations noun US /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃənz/

plural of “conversation” — the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading “THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hue noun US /hjuː/

the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength

From this reading “His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peculiarly adverb US /pɪˈkjuːljərli/

uniquely or characteristically

From this reading “His memory was peculiarly retentive.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
revolver noun US /rɪˈvɑːlvər/

a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)

From this reading “THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stature noun US /ˈstætʃər/

high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement

From this reading “He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tanned adjective US /tænd/

(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun

From this reading “His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wax verb US /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading “His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

wax candle verb + noun

In this reading “His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.”

1,008 times in 225,867 chapters
in stature preposition + noun

In this reading “He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.”

1,193 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 48

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 THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AUBERGEnoun

a hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bided

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Pending verification
bullnounUS /bʊl/

uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle

From this reading He had the strength of a bull.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
candlenounUS /ˈkændəl/

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Clubin

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Pending verification
colouradjectiveUS /ˈkʌlər/

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
complexionnounUS /kəmˈplekʃən/

the coloring of a person's face

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CONVERSATIONSnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃənz/

plural of “conversation” — the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fleshnounUS /fleʃ/

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He had the strength of a bull.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
huenounUS /hjuː/

the quality of a color as determined by its dominant wavelength

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JEANnounUS /dʒiːn/

a coarse durable twill-weave cotton fabric

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lightadjectiveUS /laɪt/

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
memorynounUS /ˈmem.ər.i/

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading His memory was peculiarly retentive.

Velmora curated lexicon
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He had the strength of a bull.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
peculiarlyadverbUS /pɪˈkjuːljərli/

uniquely or characteristically

From this reading His memory was peculiarly retentive.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
retentiveadjective

good at remembering

From this reading His memory was peculiarly retentive.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
REVOLVERnounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/

a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sallowadjective

unhealthy looking

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Sieur

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Pending verification
skinnounUS /skɪn/

a natural protective body covering and site of the sense of touch

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
staturenounUS /ˈstætʃər/

high level of respect gained by impressive development or achievement

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
steadyverbUS /ˈstedi/

make steady

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading He had the strength of a bull.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tannedadjectiveUS /tænd/

(of skin) having a tan color from exposure to the sun

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
waxverbUS /wæks/

cover with wax

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading His sea life had not tanned his skin; his flesh had a sallow hue; it was the colour of a wax candle, of which his eyes, too, had something of the steady light.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE REVOLVER I CONVERSATIONS AT THE JEAN AUBERGE Sieur Clubin was a man who bided his time.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading He was short in stature, and his complexion was yellow.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 5 of Toilers of the sea by Victor Hugo holds 1454 sentences, grouped into 291 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 5 of Toilers of the sea contain?

Chapter 5 holds 1454 sentences of Toilers of the sea, unabridged, divided into 291 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Toilers of the sea by Victor Hugo exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 1454 sentences, grouped into 291 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 Toilers of the sea?

Work through the 291 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 291 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 Toilers of the sea

Common questions about reading Toilers of the sea by Victor Hugo on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Toilers of the sea?

Yes. All 9404 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32338 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Toilers of the sea is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32338, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Toilers of the sea take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1881 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Toilers of the sea section by section

How to work through Toilers of the sea section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Toilers of the sea

Words and structures a reader meets early in Toilers of the sea, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Dutton
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Toilers of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Victor
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Toilers of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Thinking
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Toilers of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Schylus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Toilers of the sea; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.