Chapter VIII
“I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.” “Ah, so you did. It is the name of the embalmer, I take it. A very conscientious worker he must have been. I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
“I
told
you
that
I
know
no
Eastern
tongue.”
“Ah,
so
you
did.
It
is
the
name
of
the
embalmer,
I
take
it.
A
very
conscientious
worker
he
must
have
been.
I
wonder
how
many
modern
works
will
survive
four
thousand
years?”
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
The Great Keinplatz Experiment and Other Tales of Twilight and the Unseen
Chapter VIII
Reading 1/86 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
Line 1
“I
told
you
that
I
know
no
Eastern
tongue.”
Line 2
“Ah,
so
you
did.
Line 3
It
is
the
name
of
the
embalmer,
I
take
it.
Line 4
A
very
conscientious
worker
he
must
have
been.
Line 5
I
wonder
how
many
modern
works
will
survive
four
thousand
years?”
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Been
auxiliary verb
US /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “A very conscientious worker he must have been.”
Have
auxiliary verb
US /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “A very conscientious worker he must have been.”
Know
noun
US /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.””
Must
modal verb
US /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “A very conscientious worker he must have been.”
Name
noun
US /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.”
Take
noun
US /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.”
Told
noun
US /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.””
Tongue
noun
US /tongue/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.””
All words in this reading · 36
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 A very conscientious worker he must have been.
Ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Ah, so you did.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
conscientious
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Ah, so you did.
Eastern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
embalmer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
four
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
modern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
namenounUS /name/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Ah, so you did.
survive
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
takenounUS /take/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is the name of the embalmer, I take it.
thousand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
toldnounUS /told/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
tonguenounUS /tongue/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
wonder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
worker
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A very conscientious worker he must have been.
works
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I wonder how many modern works will survive four thousand years?”
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I told you that I know no Eastern tongue.”