There were six buildings containing the bedrooms of The Tiara and they were named after jewels. Bond was on the ground floor of 'The Turquoise3'. Its motif4 was egg-shell blue with furnishing materials of dark blue and white. His room was extremely comfortable and equipped with expensive and well-designed modern furniture of a silvery wood that might have been birch. There was a radio beside his bed and a television set with a seventeen-inch screen beside the broad window. Outside the window there was a small enclosed breakfast patio5. It was very quiet and there was no sound from the thermostat-controlled air-conditioning and Bond was almost instantly asleep.
He slept for four hours, and during this time the wire-recorder, concealed6 in the base of the bedside table, wasted several hundred feet of wire on dead silence.
When he awoke it was seven. The wire-recorder noted7 that he picked up the telephone and asked for Miss Tiffany Case and after a pause said, "Would you please tell her that Mr James Bond called" and put back the receiver. It then picked up the noise of Bond moving about the room, the hiss8 of the shower and, at 7.30, the click of his key in the lock as he went out and shut the door.
Half an hour later the recorder heard a knock on his door and then, after a pause, the noise of the door opening. A man dressed like a waiter, with a basket of fruit bearing a note saying, 'With the Compliments of the Management', came into the room and walked quickly over to the bedside table. He undid9 two screws, removed the reel o? fine wire on the recorder's turntable, replaced it with a fresh reel, put the basket of fruit on the dressing10 table and went out and closed the door.
And then for several hours the recorder whirred silently on, recording11 nothing.
Bond sat at the long bar of the Tiara and sipped12 a Vodka Martini and examined the great gambling13 room with a professional eye.
The first thing he noticed was that Las Vegas seemed to have invented a new school of functional14 architecture, 'The Gilded15
Mousetrap School' he thought it might be called, whose main
purpose was to channel the customer-mouse into the central gambling trap whether he wanted the cheese or not.
There were only two entrances, one from the street outside, and one from the bedroom buildings and the swimming pool. Once you had come in through either of these, whether you wanted to buy a paper or cigarettes at the news stand, have a drink or a meal in one of the two restaurants, get your hair cut or have a. massage16 in the 'Health Club', or just visit the lavatories17, there was no way of reaching your objective without passing between the banks of slot machines and gambling tables. And when you were trapped in the vortex of the whirring machines, amongst which there sounded always, from somewhere, the intoxicating18 silvery cascade19 of coins into a metal cup, or occasionally the golden cry of "Jackpot!" from one of the change-girls, you were lost. Beseiged by the excited back-chat from the three big crap tables, the seductive whirl of the two roulette wheels, and the clank of silver dollars across the green pools of the blackjack tables, it would be a mouse of steel who could get through without a tentative nibble20 at this delicious chunk21 of lucky cheese.
But, reflected Bond, it could only be a trap for peculiarly insensitive mice-mice who would be tempted22 by the coarsest cheese. It was an inelegant trap, obvious and vulgar, and the noise of the machines had a horrible mechanical ugliness which beat at the brain. It was like the steady clanking of the engines of some old iron freighter on its way to the knacker's yard, un-oiled, uncared for, condemned23.
And the gamblers stood and tore at the handles of the machines as if they hated what they were doing. And, once they had seen their fate in the small glass window, they didn't wait for the wheels to stop spinning but rammed24 in another coin and reached up a right arm that knew exactly where to go. Crank-clatter-ting. Crank-clatter-ting.
And, when there was the occasional silvery waterfall, the metal cup would overflow25 with coins and the gambler would have to go down on her knees to scrabble about under the machines for a rolling coin. For, as Leiter had said, they were mostly women, elderly women of the prosperous housewife class, and the droves of them stood at the banks of machines like hens in an egg battery, conditioned by the delicious coolness of the room and the music of the spinning wheels, to go on laying it on the line until their wad was gone.
Then, as Bond watched, a change-girl's voice bawled26 "Jackpot!" and some of the women raised their heads and the picture changed. Now they reminded Bond of Dr Pavlov's dogs, the saliva27 drooling down from their jaws28 at the treacherous29 bell that brought no dinner, and he shuddered30 at the thought of the empty eyes of these women and their skins and their wet half-open mouths and their bruised31 hands.
Bond turned his back on the scene and sipped at his Martini, listening with half his mind to the music from the famous-name-band at the end of the room next to the half-dozen shops. Over one of the shops there was a pale blue neon sign which said 'The House of Diamonds'. Bond beckoned32 to the barman. "Mr Spang been around tonight?"
"Ain't seen him," said the barman. "Mostly comes in after the first show. Around eleven. You know him?"
"Not personally."
Bond paid his check and drifted over to the blackjack tables. He stopped at the centre one. This one would be his. At exactly five minutes past ten. He glanced at his watch. Eight-thirty.
The table was a small, flat kidney of green baize. Eight players sat on high stools facing the dealer33, who stood with his stomach against the edge of the table and dealt two cards into the eight numbered spaces on the cloth in front of the stakes. The stakes were mostly five or- ten silver dollars, or counters worth twenty. The dealer was a man of about forty. He had a pleasant half-smile on his face. He wore the dealer's uniform-white shirt buttoned at the wrists, a thin black Western gambler's tie, a green eyeshade, black trousers. The front of the trousers was protected from rubbing against the table by a small green baize apron34. 'Jake' was embroidered35 in one corner.
The dealer dealt and handled the stakes with unruffled smoothness. There was no talk at the table except when a player ordered a 'courtesy' drink or cigarettes from one of the waitresses in black silk pyjamas36 who circulated in the central space inside the ring of tables. From this central space, the run of the play was watched over by two tough lynx-eyed pit-bosses with guns at their waists.
The game was quick and efficient and dull. It was as dull and mechanical as the slot machines. Bond watched for a while and then moved away towards the doors marked 'Smoking Room" and 'Powder Room' on the far side of the Casino. On his way he passed four 'Sheriffs' in smart grey Western uniform. The legs of their trousers were tucked into half-Wellingtons. These men were standing37 about unobtrusively, looking at nothing but seeing everything. At each hip38 they carried a gun in an open holster and the polished brass39 of fifty cartridges40 shone at their belts.
Plenty of protection around, thought Bond, as he pushed his way through the swing door of the 'Smoking Room'. Inside, on the tiled wall, was a notice which said, 'Stand up Closer. It's Shorter than you Think'. Western humour! Bond wondered if he dared include it in his next written report to M. He decided it would not appeal. He went out and walked back through the tables to the door beneath a neon sign which said 'The Opal Room'.
The low circular restaurant in pink and white and grey was half full. The 'Hostess' swept over and piloted him to a corner table. She bent41 over to arrange the flowers in the middle of the table and to show him that her fine bosom42 was at least half real, gave him a gracious smile and went away. After ten minutes, a waitress with a tray appeared and put a roll on his plate and a square of butter. She also set down a dish containing olives and some celery lined with orange cheese. Then a second and older waitress bustled43 over and gave him the menu and said "Be right with you".
Twenty minutes after he had sat down, Bond was able to order a dozen cherrystone clams44 and a steak, and, since he expected a further long pause, a second Vodka dry Martini. "The wine waiter will be right over," said the waitress primly45 and disappeared in the direction of the kitchen.
'Long on courtesy and short on service', reflected Bond, and resigned himself to the gracious ritual.
"During the excellent dinner that finally materialized, Bond wondered about the evening ahead and about how he could force the pace of his assignment. He was thoroughly46 bored with his role as a probationary47 crook48 who was about to be paid off for his first trial job and might then, if he found favour in the eyes of Mr Spang, be given regular work with the rest-of the teenage adults who made up the gang. It irked him not to have the initiative-to be ordered to Saratoga and then to this hideous49 sucker-trap at the say-so of a handful of big-time hoodlums. Here he was, eating their dinner and sleeping in their bed, while they watched him, James Bond, and weighed him up and debated whether his hand was steady enough, his appearance trustworthy enough and his health adequate to some sleazy job in one of their rackets.
Bond munched50 his steak as if it was Mr Seraffimo Spang's fingers and cursed the day he had taken on this idiotic51 role. But then he paused and went on eating more calmly. What the hell was he worrying about? This was a big assignment which so far had gone well. And now he had penetrated52 right to the end of the pipeline53, right into the parlour of Mr Seraffimo Spang who, with his brother in London, and with the mysterious ABC, ran the biggest smuggling54 operation in the world. What did Bond's feelings matter? It was only a moment of self-disgust, a touch of nausea55 brought on by being a stranger who had spent too many days too close to these sordidly56 powerful American gangs, too close to the gunpowder-scented 'gracious life' of gangland aristocracy.
The truth of the matter, Bond decided over coffee, was that he felt homesick for his real identity. He shrugged57 his shoulders. To hell with the Spangs and the hood-ridden town of Las Vegas. He looked at his watch. It was just ten o'clock. He lit a cigarette and got to his feet and walked slowly across the room and out into the Casino.
There were two ways of playing the rest of the game, by lying low and waiting for something to happen-or by forcing the pace so that something had to happen.
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1
scoured
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| 走遍（某地）搜寻（人或物）( scour的过去式和过去分词 )； （用力）刷； 擦净； 擦亮 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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3
turquoise
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| n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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4
motif
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| n.(图案的)基本花纹，(衣服的)花边；主题 | |
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patio
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| n.庭院，平台 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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Undid
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| v. 解开, 复原 | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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12
sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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14
functional
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| adj.为实用而设计的，具备功能的，起作用的 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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16
massage
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| n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据 | |
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17
lavatories
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| n.厕所( lavatory的名词复数 )；抽水马桶；公共厕所（或卫生间、洗手间、盥洗室）；浴室水池 | |
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18
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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19
cascade
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| n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下 | |
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20
nibble
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| n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵 | |
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21
chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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22
tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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23
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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24
rammed
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| v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输 | |
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25
overflow
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| v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出 | |
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26
bawled
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的过去式和过去分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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27
saliva
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| n.唾液，口水 | |
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28
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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29
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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30
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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31
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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32
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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34
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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35
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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36
pyjamas
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| n.（宽大的）睡衣裤 | |
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37
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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38
hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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39
brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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40
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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41
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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42
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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43
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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44
clams
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| n.蛤；蚌，蛤( clam的名词复数 )v.（在沙滩上）挖蛤( clam的第三人称单数 ) | |
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45
primly
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| adv.循规蹈矩地，整洁地 | |
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46
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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47
probationary
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| 试用的，缓刑的 | |
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48
crook
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| v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处) | |
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49
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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50
munched
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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52
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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53
pipeline
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| n.管道，管线 | |
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54
smuggling
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| n.走私 | |
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55
nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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56
sordidly
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| adv.肮脏地；污秽地；不洁地 | |
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57
shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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