text_original: The ships were in line of battle before the town, their flying bridges swung to the levee, and they loomed above us like towering fortresses. It was dark, Monsieur, such as this afternoon, and we poor French colonists stood huddled in the open space below, waiting for we knew not what."
text_transcription: THE SHIPS WERE IN LINE OF BATTLE BEFORE THE TOWN THEIR FLYING BRIDGES SWUNG TO THE LEVEE AND THEY LOOMED ABOVE US LIKE TOWERING FORTRESSES IT WAS DARK MONSIEUR SUCH AS THIS AFTERNOON AND WE POOR FRENCH COLONISTS STOOD HUDDLED IN THE OPEN SPACE BELOW WAITING FOR WE KNEW NOT WHAT
phonemes: ðə ʃˈɪps wɜːɹ ɪn lˈaɪn ʌv bˈæɾəl bᵻfˌɔːɹ ðə tˈaʊn, ðɛɹ flˈaɪɪŋ bɹˈɪdʒᵻz swˈʌŋ tə ðə lˈɛviː, ænd ðeɪ lˈuːmd əbˌʌv ˌʌs lˈaɪk tˈaʊɚɹɪŋ fˈɔːɹtɹəsᵻz. ɪt wʌz dˈɑːɹk, məsjˈɜː, sˈʌtʃ ɐz ðɪs ˌæftɚnˈuːn, ænd wiː pˈʊɹ fɹˈɛntʃ kˈɑːlənˌɪsts stˈʊd hˈʌdəld ɪnðɪ ˈoʊpən spˈeɪs bᵻlˈoʊ, wˈeɪɾɪŋ fɔːɹ wiː nˈuː nˌɑːt wˈʌt."