text_original: As, however, it was always hard for Gibbie to stand still, and especially hard on a midnight so cold that his feet threatened to grow indistinguishable from the slabs of the pavement, he was driven, in order not to lose sight of it, to practise the art, already cultivated by him to a crab like perfection, of running first backwards, then forwards with scarcely superior speed.
text_transcription: AS HOWEVER IT WAS ALWAYS HARD FOR GIBBEY TO STAND STILL AND ESPECIALLY HARD ON A MIDNIGHT SO COLD THAT HIS FEET THREATENED TO GROW INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THE SLABS OF THE PAVEMENT HE WAS DRIVEN IN ORDER NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OF IT TO PRACTISE THE ART ALREADY CULTIVATED BY HIM TO A CRAB LIKE PERFECTION OF RUNNING FIRST BACKWARDS THEN FORWARDS WITH SCARCELY SUPERIOR SPEED
phonemes: æz, haʊˈɛvɚ, ɪt wʌz ˈɔːlweɪz hˈɑːɹd fɔːɹ ɡˈɪbi tə stˈænd stˈɪl, ænd ɪspˈɛʃəli hˈɑːɹd ˌɔn ɐ mˈɪdnaɪt sˌoʊ kˈoʊld ðæt hɪz fˈiːt θɹˈɛʔn̩d tə ɡɹˈoʊ ˌɪndɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl fɹʌmðə slˈæbz ʌvðə pˈeɪvmənt, hiː wʌz dɹˈɪvən, ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ nˌɑːt tə lˈuːz sˈaɪt ʌv ɪt, tə pɹˈæktɪs ðɪ ˈɑːɹt, ɔːlɹˌɛdi kˈʌltᵻvˌeɪɾᵻd baɪ hˌɪm tʊ ɐ kɹˈæb lˈaɪk pɚfˈɛkʃən, ʌv ɹˈʌnɪŋ fˈɜːst bˈækwɚdz, ðˈɛn fˈɔːɹwɚdz wɪð skˈɛɹsli suːpˈiəɹɪɚ spˈiːd.