In case you don't live in New York, the Wicker Bar is in this sort of swanky hotel, the Seton Hotel. I used to go there quite a lot, but I don't any more. I gradually cut it out. It's one of those places that are supposed to be very sophisticated and all, and the phonies are coming in the window. They used to have these two French babes, Tina and Janine, come out and play the piano and sing about three times every night. One of them played the piano--strictly¹ lousy--and the other one sang, and most of the songs were either pretty dirty or in French. The one that sang, old Janine, was always whispering into the goddam microphone before she sang. She'd say, "And now we like to geeve you our impression of Vooly Voo Fransay. Eet ees the story of a leetle Fransh girl who comes to a beeg ceety, just like New York, and falls een love wees a leetle boy from Brookleen. We hope you like eet." Then, when she was all done whispering and being cute as hell, she'd sing some dopey song, half in English and half in French, and drive all the phonies in the place mad with joy. If you sat around there long enough and heard all the phonies applauding and all, you got to hate everybody in the world, I swear you did. The bartender was a louse, too. He was a big snob². He didn't talk to you at all hardly unless you were a big shot or a celebrity³ or something. If you were a big shot or a celebrity or something, then he was even more nauseating⁴. He'd go up to you and say, with this big charming smile, like he was a helluva swell⁵ guy if you knew him, "Well! How's Connecticut?" or "How's Florida?" It was a terrible place, I'm not kidding. I cut out going there entirely⁶, gradually.

It was pretty early when I got there. I sat down at the bar--it was pretty crowded--and had a couple of Scotch⁷ and sodas⁸ before old Luce even showed up. I stood up when I ordered them so they could see how tall I was and all and not think I was a goddam

点击收听单词发音  

1 strictly
adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地
参考例句：
His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。 The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

2 snob
n.势利小人，自以为高雅、有学问的人
参考例句：
Going to a private school had made her a snob.上私立学校后，她变得很势利。 If you think that way, you are a snob already.如果你那样想的话，你已经是势利小人了。

3 celebrity
n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望
参考例句：
Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。 He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

4 nauseating
adj.令人恶心的，使人厌恶的v.使恶心，作呕( nauseate的现在分词 )
参考例句：
I had to listen to the whole nauseating story. 我不得不从头到尾听那令人作呕的故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 There is a nauseating smell of rotten food. 有一股令人恶心的腐烂食物的气味。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 swell
vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强
参考例句：
The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。 His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

6 entirely
ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地
参考例句：
The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。 His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 scotch
n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的
参考例句：
Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。 Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

8 sodas
n.苏打( soda的名词复数 )；碱；苏打水；汽水
参考例句：
There are plenty of sodas in the refrigerator. 冰箱里有很多碳酸饮料。 来自辞典例句 Two whisky and sodas, please. 请来两杯威士忌苏打。 来自辞典例句

9 minor
adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修
参考例句：
The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。 I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

10 adviser
n.劝告者，顾问
参考例句：
They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。 Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

11 perverts
n.性变态者( pervert的名词复数 )v.滥用( pervert的第三人称单数 )；腐蚀；败坏；使堕落
参考例句：
A clever criminal perverts his talents. 一个聪明的犯罪者误用了他的才智。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》 Not all fondlers are sexual perverts. 并非所有的骚扰者都是性变态。 来自互联网

12 lining
n.衬里，衬料
参考例句：
The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。 Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

13 gangsters
匪徒，歹徒( gangster的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The gangsters offered him a sum equivalent to a whole year's earnings. 歹徒提出要给他一笔相当于他一年收入的钱。 One of the gangsters was caught by the police. 歹徒之一被警察逮捕。

14 groan
vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音
参考例句：
The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。 The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

15 stinking
adj.臭的，烂醉的，讨厌的v.散发出恶臭( stink的现在分词 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透
参考例句：
I was pushed into a filthy, stinking room. 我被推进一间又脏又臭的屋子里。 Those lousy, stinking ships. It was them that destroyed us. 是的！就是那些该死的蠢猪似的臭飞船！是它们毁了我们。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

16 dryer
n.干衣机，干燥剂
参考例句：
He bought a dryer yesterday.他昨天买了一台干燥机。 There is a washer and a dryer in the basement.地下室里有洗衣机和烘干机。

17 inane
adj.空虚的，愚蠢的，空洞的
参考例句：
She started asking me inane questions.她开始问我愚蠢的问题。 Such comments are inane because they don't help us solve our problem.这种评论纯属空洞之词，不能帮助我们解决问题。

18 artistic
adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的
参考例句：
The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。 These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

19 immature
adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的
参考例句：
Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。 The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。

20 stinks
v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透
参考例句：
The whole scheme stinks to high heaven—don't get involved in it. 整件事十分卑鄙龌龊——可别陷了进去。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The soup stinks of garlic. 这汤有大蒜气味。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 frankly
adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说
参考例句：
To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。 Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

22 ass
n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人
参考例句：
He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。 An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。