🔊 The mountains he had ever known were the three volcanoes, which came up to his knees. And he used the extinct volcano as a footstool. "From a mountain as high as this," he said to himself, "I shall be able to see the whole planet at one glance, and all the people ..."

Milima aliyokuwa akiyajua ilikuwa volkeno tatu tu, zilizofika hadi magotini mwake. Na alitumia volkeno iliyozimika kama kibao cha kukanyagia. "Kutoka mlima mrefu kama huu," alijisemea, "nitaweza kuona sayari nzima kwa mtazamo mmoja, na watu wote..."

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volcanoes /vɒlˈkeɪnəʊz/

n. Milima yenye uwezo wa kutokwa kwa lava, moshi na mabaki ya mwamba kutoka ndani ya dunia.

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extinct /ɪkˈstɪŋkt/

adj. Kukoma kabisa kuwepo; kuhusu volkano, kukoma kwa shughuli zake.

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footstool /ˈfʊtstuːl/

n. Kiti kidogo cha kuwekea miguu wakati unapokaa ili kupumzika.

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glance /ɡlɑːns/

n. Kuanguka kwa haraka na kwa muda mfupi.

🔊 But he saw nothing, save peaks of rock that were sharpened like needles. "Good morning," he said courteously.

Lakini hakukuona chochote, isipokuwa vilele vya miamba iliyochongoka kama sindano. "Habari za asubuhi," alisema kwa adabu.

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peaks /piːks/

n. Sehemu za juu kabisa za milima.

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sharpened /ˈʃɑːpənd/

adj. Iliyofanywa kuwa na makali; iliyokolea.

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courteously /ˈkɜːtiəsli/

adv. Kwa adabu na heshima; kwa ustaarabu.

🔊 "Good morning—Good morning—Good morning," answered the echo.

"Habari za asubuhi—Habari za asubuhi—Habari za asubuhi," mwangwi ulijibu.

🔊

echo /ˈekəʊ/

n. Sauti inayorudishwa, kama vile inavyopiga ukuta wa bonde au pangoni.

🔊 "Who are you—Who are you—Who are you?" answered the echo.

"Ninyi ni nani—Ninyi ni nani—Ninyi ni nani?" mwangwi ulijibu.

🔊 "Be my friends. I am all alone," he said.

"Kuwa marafiki zangu. Niko peke yangu kabisa," alisema.

🔊 "I am all alone—all alone—all alone," answered the echo.

"Niko peke yangu kabisa—peke yangu kabisa—peke yangu kabisa," mwangwi ulijibu.

🔊 "What a queer planet!" he thought. "It is altogether dry, and altogether pointed, and altogether harsh and forbidding. And the people have no imagination. They repeat whatever one says to them..."

"Sayari ya ajabu hii!" alifikiria. "Ni kavu kabisa, na iliyochongoka kabisa, na kali na isiyokubalika kabisa. Na watu hawana mawazo ya ubunifu. Wanarudia chochote unachowaambia..."

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queer /kwɪə(r)/

adj. Isiyo ya kawaida; ya kushangaza; ya ajabu.

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altogether /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðə(r)/

adv. Kabisa; kwa ujumla.

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harsh /hɑːʃ/

adj. Kali, gumu, au isiyo ya kirafiki; isiyo na huruma.

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forbidding /fəˈbɪdɪŋ/

adj. Inayoonekana kuwa hatari, ya kutisha, au isiyo karibisho.

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imagination /ɪˌmædʒɪˈneɪʃn/

n. Uwezo wa akili wa kuunda picha au mawazo ambayo hayapo halisi.

Chapter XIX (Sura ya Kumi na Tisa)