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Germinal
Germinal

Chapter XIII

Cover illustration for Germinal
Context Illustration Reading 1/41 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.
He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.
Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.
It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.
And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.
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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.

Germinal

Chapter XIII

Reading 1/41 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.
Line 2
He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.
Line 3
Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.
Line 4
It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.
Line 5
And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Body noun US /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

Continued noun US /ˈcontinued/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.”

First noun US /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.”

Interrupted noun US /ˈinterrupted/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

Next noun US /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

Passage noun US /ˈpassage/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

Pit noun US /pɪt/

A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.

From this reading “On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.”

Seemed noun US /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.”

These determiner US /ðiːz/

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

From this reading “He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.”

Through noun US /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

Until preposition US /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading “And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.”

All words in this reading · 82

Every word is available to listen to. 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 Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

accustomed

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

aching

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

apprenticeship

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

became

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

bed

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

bodynounUS /body/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

continuednounUS /ˈcontinued/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

day

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

days

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

dreaming

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

episode

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

excess

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

exhaustion

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

existence

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

fatigue

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

fever

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

firstnounUS /first/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

followed

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

fortnight

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

forty-eight

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

grew

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

habits

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

hard

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

HepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

head

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

hours

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

interruptednounUS /ˈinterrupted/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

kept

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

labour

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

limbs

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

monotony

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

months

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

From this reading And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.

narrow

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

new

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

nextnounUS /next/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

Only

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

pass

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

passagenounUS /ˈpassage/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

pitnounUS /pɪt/

A large hole in the ground, or an abyss of darkness and peril.

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

pushing

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

quickly

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

recovered

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

regulated

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

seemednounUS /seemed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

semi-delirium

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

simply

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

From this reading It was simply the exhaustion of his apprenticeship, an excess of fatigue from which he quickly recovered.

slight

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

slipped

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

From this reading And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

state

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

throbbing

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

throughnounUS /ˈthrough/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

tram

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

weeks

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

From this reading And days followed days, until weeks and months had slipped by.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading He grew accustomed to it; his existence became regulated by this labour and to these new habits which had seemed so hard to him at first.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

work

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Only one episode interrupted the monotony of the first fortnight: a slight fever which kept him in bed for forty-eight hours with aching limbs and throbbing head, dreaming in a state of semi-delirium that he was pushing his tram in a passage that was so narrow that his body would not pass through.

Étienne

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

From this reading On the next day, and the days that followed, Étienne continued his work at the pit.