Chapter XXI
“Quien sabe?” said Kate. “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good. So I make a fool of myself. They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them. Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
The Plumed Serpent
Chapter XXI
English subtitles · tap any word to listen
1 / 5
“Quien
sabe?”
said
Kate.
“One
wants
to
be
good,
and
the
other
is
sure
he
is
good.
So
I
make
a
fool
of
myself.
They
are
sure
they
are
always
good,
so
that
makes
monkeys
of
them.
Oh,
if
only
the
world
would
blow
up
like
a
bomb!”
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Line 1
“Quien
sabe?”
said
Kate.
Line 2
“One
wants
to
be
good,
and
the
other
is
sure
he
is
good.
Line 3
So
I
make
a
fool
of
myself.
/soʊ aɪ make ə fool ʌv ˌmaɪˈself/
Line 4
They
are
sure
they
are
always
good,
so
that
makes
monkeys
of
them.
Line 5
Oh,
if
only
the
world
would
blow
up
like
a
bomb!”
Learner Dictionary
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
Fool
noun
US /fool/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “So I make a fool of myself.”
Good
noun
US /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.”
Make
noun
US /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “So I make a fool of myself.”
Myself
pronoun
US /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “So I make a fool of myself.”
One
pronoun
US /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading ““One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.”
Sure
noun
US /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading ““One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.”
Would
modal verb
US /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading “Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!””
All words in this reading · 38
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 So I make a fool of myself.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
blow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
bomb
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
foolnounUS /fool/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
Kate
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Quien sabe?” said Kate.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
makes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
monkeys
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
Oh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
Quien
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Quien sabe?” said Kate.
sabe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Quien sabe?” said Kate.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Quien sabe?” said Kate.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So I make a fool of myself.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are sure they are always good, so that makes monkeys of them.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
wants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “One wants to be good, and the other is sure he is good.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Oh, if only the world would blow up like a bomb!”