Dinner was in the captain's galley¹, a mahogany-paneled dining room with walls adorned² with models of ancient clippers and gunboats and maps of the New World and the Far East and even a collection of antique muskets³ thrown in to give the impression that the King of Torts had been around for centuries. It was on the main deck behind the bridge, just down a narrow hallway from the kitchen, where a Vietnamese chef was hard at work. The formal dining area was around an oval marble table that seated a dozen and weighed at least a ton and made Ray ask himself how, exactly, the King of Torts stayed afloat.
The captain's table sat only two this evening, and above it was a small chandelier that rocked with the sea. Ray was at one end, French at the other. The first wine of the night was a white burgundy that, following the scalding by two iced vodkas, was tasteless to Ray. Not to his host. French had knocked back three of the vodkas, had in fact drained all three glasses, and his tongue was beginning to thicken slightly. But he tasted every hint of fruit in the wine, even got a whiff of the oak barrels, and, as all wine snobs⁵ do, had to pass this useful information along to Ray "Here's to Ryax," French said, reaching forward with his glass in a delayed toast. Ray touched his glass but said nothing. It was not a night for him to say much, and he knew it. He would just listen. His host would get drunk and say enough.
"Ryax saved me, Ray," French said as he swirled⁷ his wine and admired it.
"In what way?"
"In every way. It saved my soul. I worship money, and Ryax has made me rich." A small sip⁸, followed by the requisite⁹ smacking¹⁰ of the lips, a rolling of the eyes. "I missed the asbestos wave twenty years ago. Those shipyards over in Pascagoula used asbestos for years, and tens of thousands of men became ill. And I missed it. I was too busy suing doctors and insurance companies, and I was making good money but I just didn't see the potential in mass torts. You ready for some

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1 galley
n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇；
参考例句：
The stewardess will get you some water from the galley.空姐会从厨房给你拿些水来。 Visitors can also go through the large galley where crew members got their meals.游客还可以穿过船员们用餐的厨房。

2 adorned
[计]被修饰的
参考例句：
The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。 And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

3 muskets
n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The watch below, all hands to load muskets. 另一组人都来帮着给枪装火药。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛 Deep ditch, single drawbridge, massive stone walls, eight at towers, cannon, muskets, fire and smoke. 深深的壕堑，单吊桥，厚重的石壁，八座巨大的塔楼。大炮、毛瑟枪、火焰与烟雾。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

4 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。

5 snobs
（谄上傲下的）势利小人( snob的名词复数 )； 自高自大者，自命不凡者
参考例句：
She dislikes snobs intensely. 她极其厌恶势利小人。 Most of the people who worshipped her, who read every tidbit about her in the gossip press and hung up pictures of her in their rooms, were not social snobs. 崇敬她大多数的人不会放过每一篇报导她的八卦新闻，甚至在他们的房间中悬挂黛妃的画像，这些人并非都是傲慢成性。

6 swirl
v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形
参考例句：
The car raced roughly along in a swirl of pink dust.汽车在一股粉红色尘土的漩涡中颠簸着快速前进。 You could lie up there,watching the flakes swirl past.你可以躺在那儿，看着雪花飘飘。

7 swirled
v.旋转，打旋( swirl的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
The waves swirled and eddied around the rocks. 波浪翻滚着在岩石周围打旋。 The water swirled down the drain. 水打着旋流进了下水道。

8 sip
v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量
参考例句：
She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。 Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。

9 requisite
adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品
参考例句：
He hasn't got the requisite qualifications for the job.他不具备这工作所需的资格。 Food and air are requisite for life.食物和空气是生命的必需品。

10 smacking
活泼的，发出响声的，精力充沛的
参考例句：
He gave both of the children a good smacking. 他把两个孩子都狠揍了一顿。 She inclined her cheek,and John gave it a smacking kiss. 她把头低下，约翰在她的脸上响亮的一吻。

11 oysters
牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 )
参考例句：
We don't have oysters tonight, but the crayfish are very good. 我们今晚没有牡蛎供应。但小龙虾是非常好。 She carried a piping hot grill of oysters and bacon. 她端出一盘滚烫的烤牡蛎和咸肉。

12 oyster
n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人
参考例句：
I enjoy eating oyster; it's really delicious.我喜欢吃牡蛎，它味道真美。 I find I fairly like eating when he finally persuades me to taste the oyster.当他最后说服我尝尝牡蛎时，我发现我相当喜欢吃。

13 steward
n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员
参考例句：
He's the steward of the club.他是这家俱乐部的管理员。 He went around the world as a ship's steward.他当客船服务员，到过世界各地。

14 cocktail
n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物
参考例句：
We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。 At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

15 swirling
v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )
参考例句：
Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

16 dice
n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险
参考例句：
They were playing dice.他们在玩掷骰子游戏。 A dice is a cube.骰子是立方体。

17 bucks
n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句：
They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。 They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 bribe
n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通
参考例句：
He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。 He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

19 rumors
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷
参考例句：
Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 defective
adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的
参考例句：
The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。 If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

21 gulped
v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住
参考例句：
He gulped down the rest of his tea and went out. 他把剩下的茶一饮而尽便出去了。 She gulped nervously, as if the question bothered her. 她紧张地咽了一下，似乎那问题把她难住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 pint
n.品脱
参考例句：
I'll have a pint of beer and a packet of crisps, please.我要一品脱啤酒和一袋炸马铃薯片。 In the old days you could get a pint of beer for a shilling.从前，花一先令就可以买到一品脱啤酒。

23 cholesterol
n.（U）胆固醇
参考例句：
There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。 They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

24 bout
n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛
参考例句：
I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。 That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

25 synthetic
adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品
参考例句：
We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。 It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

26 forum
n.论坛，讨论会
参考例句：
They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。 The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

27 crumbled
（把…）弄碎， （使）碎成细屑( crumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 衰落； 坍塌； 损坏
参考例句：
He crumbled the bread in his fingers. 他用手指把面包捻碎。 Our hopes crumbled when the business went bankrupt. 商行破产了，我们的希望也破灭了。

28 arrogant
adj.傲慢的，自大的
参考例句：
You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。 People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

29 clout
n.用手猛击；权力，影响力
参考例句：
The queen may have privilege but she has no real political clout.女王有特权，但无真正的政治影响力。 He gave the little boy a clout on the head.他在那小男孩的头部打了一下。

30 afterward
adv.后来；以后
参考例句：
Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。 Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

31 contingency
n.意外事件，可能性
参考例句：
We should be prepared for any contingency.我们应该对任何应急情况有所准备。 A fire in our warehouse was a contingency that we had not expected.库房的一场大火是我们始料未及的。

32 iceberg
n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人
参考例句：
The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。 The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

33 leftovers
n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜
参考例句：
He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers.他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。 She made supper from leftovers she had thrown together.她用吃剩的食物拼凑成一顿晚饭。

34 guts
v.狼吞虎咽，贪婪地吃，飞碟游戏（比赛双方每组5人，相距15码，互相掷接飞碟）；毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的第三人称单数 )；取出…的内脏n.勇气( gut的名词复数 )；内脏；消化道的下段；肠
参考例句：
I'll only cook fish if the guts have been removed. 鱼若已收拾干净，我只需烧一下即可。 Barbara hasn't got the guts to leave her mother. 巴巴拉没有勇气离开她妈妈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

35 timing
n.时间安排，时间选择
参考例句：
The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。 The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

36 bribed
v.贿赂( bribe的过去式和过去分词 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂
参考例句：
They bribed him with costly presents. 他们用贵重的礼物贿赂他。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He bribed himself onto the committee. 他暗通关节，钻营投机挤进了委员会。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

37 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。

38 intimidated
v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的
参考例句：
We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。 The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

39 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

40 corrupt
v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的
参考例句：
The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。 This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

41 dime
n.（指美国、加拿大的钱币）一角
参考例句：
A dime is a tenth of a dollar.一角银币是十分之一美元。 The liberty torch is on the back of the dime.自由火炬在一角硬币的反面。