text_original: The duty is so prohibitive  being half as much again as that levied on French brandy  that it would pay nobody but said Customs Department to import it into England; and yet the amount of alcohol contained in cassis is infinitesimal. Strange to say nobody has ever started a cassis still on this side. One would imagine that the process would be simplicity itself; as the liquor is nothing but cold black currant tea, with a suspicion of alcohol in it.
text_transcription: THE DUTY IS SO PROHIBITIVE BEING HALF AS MUCH AGAIN AS THAT LEVIED ON FRENCH BRANDY THAT IT WOULD PAY NOBODY BUT SAID CUSTOMS DEPARTMENT TO IMPORT IT INTO ENGLAND AND YET THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL CONTAINED IN CASSIS IS INFINITESIMAL STRANGE TO SAY NOBODY HAS EVER STARTED A CASSIZ STEEL ON THIS SIDE ONE WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE PROCESS WOULD BE SIMPLICITY ITSELF AS THE LIQUOR IS NOTHING BUT COLD BLACK CURRANTY WITH A SUSPICION OF ALCOHOL IN IT
phonemes: ðə dˈuːɾi ɪz sˌoʊ pɹəhˈɪbᵻtˌɪv bˌiːɪŋ hˈæf æz mˈʌtʃ ɐɡˈɛn æz ðæt lˈɛvid ˌɔn fɹˈɛntʃ bɹˈændi ðˌɐɾɪt wʊd pˈeɪ nˈoʊbɑːdi bˌʌt sˈɛd kˈʌstəmz dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt tʊ ɪmpˈɔːɹt ɪɾ ˌɪntʊ ˈɪŋɡlənd; ænd jˈɛt ðɪ ɐmˈaʊnt ʌv ˈælkəhˌɑːl kəntˈeɪnd ɪn kˈæsɪs ɪz ˈɪnfɪnətˌɛsɪməl. stɹˈeɪndʒ tə sˈeɪ nˈoʊbɑːdi hɐz ˈɛvɚ stˈɑːɹɾᵻd ɐ kˈæsɪs stˈɪl ˌɔn ðɪs sˈaɪd. wˈʌn wʊd ɪmˈædʒɪn ðætðə pɹˈɑːsɛs wʊd biː sɪmplˈɪsᵻɾi ɪtsˈɛlf; æz ðə lˈɪkɚɹ ɪz nˈʌθɪŋ bˌʌt kˈoʊld blˈæk kˈɜːɹənt tˈiː, wɪð ɐ səspˈɪʃən ʌv ˈælkəhˌɑːl ɪn ɪt.