VOA · American Stories
Advanced · C1learner speed10:322017-05-09public domain
American Stories presents adapted works of American literature — Twain, Poe, O. Henry and more — read slowly and clearly. Narrative English is harder than news English: longer sentences, richer vocabulary, and dialogue, which makes these episodes excellent advanced dictation practice.
Hit "Start dictation practice" — all 11 minutes are already sliced into sentences, so practice starts immediately. No wait.
Expect longer sentences and richer vocabulary — replay freely, and slow the speed if a sentence runs away from you.
Switch to Dictation mode, type each sentence, and get a word-by-word diff with your accuracy score.
01The Blue Hotel, Part 3 The men prepared to go out.
02The Easterner was so nervous that he had great difficulty putting on his new leather coat.
03As the cowboy pulled his fur cap down over his ears, his hands trembled.
04In fact, Johnny and old Scully were the only ones who displayed no emotion.
05No words were spoken during these proceedings.
06Scully threw open the door.
07Instantly, a wild wind caused the flame of the lamp to struggle for its life.
08The men lowered their heads and pushed out into the cold.
09No snow was falling, but great clouds of it swept up from the ground by the fierce winds were streaming all around.
10The covered land was a deep blue, and there was no other color except one light shining from the low, black railroad station.
11It looked like a tiny jewel.
12The Swede was calling out something.
13Scully went to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and indicated an ear.
14What did you say?
15I said...
16screamed the Swede again.
17I won't have a chance against this crowd.
18I know you'll all jump on me.
19No!
20No!
21No, man!
22called Scully.
23But the wind tore the words from his lips and scattered them far.
24The Swede shouted a curse, but the storm also seized the remainder of the sentence.
25The men turned their backs upon the wind and walked to the shelter side of the hotel.
26Here a V-shaped piece of icy grass had not been covered by the snow.
27When they reached the spot, it was heard that the Swede was still screaming.
28Oh, I know what kind of a thing this is.
29I know you'll jump on me.
30I can't beat you all.
31Scully turned on him angrily.
32You won't have to beat all of us.
33You'll have to beat my son Johnny.
34And the man that troubled you during that time will have to deal with me.
35The arrangements were quickly made.
36The two men faced each other, obeying the short commands of Scully.
37The Easterner was already cold and he was jumping up and down.
38The cowboys stood rock-like.
39The fighters had not removed any clothing.
40Their hands were ready and they eyed each other in a calm way that had the elements of fierce cruelty in it.
41Now!
42said Scully.
43The two leaped forward and struck together like oxen.
44There was heard the dull sound of blows and of a curse pressed out between the tight teeth of one.
45As for the watchers, the Easterners held in breath burst from him in relief, pure relief after the anxious waiting.
46The cowboy leaped into the air with a scream.
47Scully stood unmoving, as if in complete surprise and fear at the fierceness of the fight which he himself had permitted and arranged.
48For a time, the fight in the darkness was such a scene of flying arms that it showed no more detail than a moving wheel.
49Sometimes a face would shine out, frightful and marked with pink spots.
50A moment later, the men would be only shadows.
51Suddenly, the cowboy was caught by war-like desires and he leaped forward with the speed of a wild horse.
52Hit him, Johnny!
53Hit him!
54Kill him!
55Kill him!
56Keep still!
57said Scully, icily.
58Then there was a sudden loud sound, dulled, incomplete, cut short.
59Johnny's body fell away from the swede with sickening heaviness to the grass.
60The cowboy hardly had time to prevent the mad swede from throwing himself upon the fallen body.
61Scully was at his son's side.
62Johnny!
63Johnny, my boy!
64His voice had a quality of sad tenderness.
65Johnny, can you fight some more?
66He looked anxiously down into the bloody, beaten face of his son.
67There was a moment of silence.
68And then Johnny answered in his ordinary voice, Yes, I...
69it...
70yes...
71Helped by his father, he struggled to his feet.
72Wait a minute now till you get your breath, said the old man.
73A few steps away, the cowboy was telling the swede.
74No, you don't.
75Wait a second.
76The Easterner was pulling at Scully's arm.
77Oh, this is enough!
78He begged.
79This is enough!
80Let it go as it is!
81This is enough!
82Bill!
83said Scully.
84Get out of the way!
85The cowboy stepped aside.
86Now!
87The fighters advanced toward each other.
88Then the swede aimed a lightning blow that carried with it his entire weight.
89Johnny, though faint from weakness, luckily stepped aside, and the unbalanced swede fell to the ground.
90The cowboy, Scully, and the Easterner cheered.
91But before its finish, the swede was up and attacking his enemy madly.
92There were more wildly moving arms, and Johnny's body again fell away like a stone.
93The swede quickly struggled to a little tree and leaned upon it, breathing hard while his fierce and flame-lit eyes wandered from face to face as the men bent over Johnny.
94Can you still fight, Johnny?
95asked Scully in a voice of despair.
96After a moment, the son answered.
97No, I can't fight anymore.
98Then, from shame and bodily ill, he began to weep, the tears pouring down through the blood on his face.
99He was too, too, too heavy for me.
100Scully straightened and spoke to the waiting figure.
101Stranger, he said calmly.
102We're finished.
103Then his voice changed into that deep and quiet tone, which is the tone of the most simple and deadly announcements.
104Johnny is beaten.
105Without replying, the winner moved away to the door of the hotel.
106The others raised Johnny from the ground.
107And as soon as he was on his feet, he refused all attempts at help.
108When the group came around the corner, they were almost blinded by the blowing snow.
109It burned their faces like fire.
110The cowboy carried Johnny through the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows and the cows how much do I owe you?
111he was dressed to go and he had his bag in his hand you don't owe me anything repeated Scully in the same unmoved way I guess you're right I guess the truth would be that you would owe me something that's what I guess he turned to the cowboy kill him kill him kill him he repeated in the tone the cowboy had used then he laughed but he might have been laughing at the dead the three men did not move or speak just stared with glassy eyes at the stove the Swede opened the door and passed into the storm giving one last glance at the still group the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede the swede
// transcribed with Whisper AI — reading it is easy; catching it by ear is the skill
Practice it by ear
