text_original: The "Metropolitan Fire Brigade," as it then existed under the control of the Metropolitan Board of Works, had been carried by its chief, Captain Eyre Massey Shaw, to a condition of efficiency little if at all short of perfection, its only fault being (if we may humbly venture a remark) that it was too small both in numbers of engines and men.
text_transcription: THE METROPOLITAN FIRE BRIGADE AS IT THEN EXISTED UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS HAD BEEN CARRIED BY ITS CHIEF CAPTAIN IER MASSEY SHAW TO A CONDITION OF EFFICIENCY LITTLE IF AT ALL SHORT OF PERFECTION ITS ONLY FAULT BEING IF WE MAY HUMBLY VENTURE A REMARK THAT IT WAS TOO SMALL BOTH IN NUMBERS OF ENGINES AND MEN
phonemes: ðə "mˌɛtɹəpˈɑːlɪtən fˈaɪɚ bɹɪɡˈeɪd," æz ɪt ðˈɛn ɛɡzˈɪstᵻd ˌʌndɚ ðə kəntɹˈoʊl ʌvðə mˌɛtɹəpˈɑːlɪtən bˈɔːɹd ʌv wˈɜːks, hɐdbɪn kˈæɹid baɪ ɪts tʃˈiːf, kˈæptɪn ˈaɪɚ mˈæsi ʃˈɔː, tʊ ɐ kəndˈɪʃən ʌv ɪfˈɪʃənsi lˈɪɾəl ɪf æɾ ˈɔːl ʃˈɔːɹt ʌv pɚfˈɛkʃən, ɪts ˈoʊnli fˈɔlt bˈiːɪŋ (ɪf wiː mˈeɪ hˈʌmbli vˈɛntʃɚɹ ɐ ɹᵻmˈɑːɹk) ðˌɐɾɪt wʌz tˈuː smˈɔːl bˈoʊθ ɪn nˈʌmbɚz ʌv ˈɛndʒɪnz ænd mˈɛn.