Capítulo 5 de 14 · 2'45"
On the surface, it is a gambling scene: passengers betting on how far Titanic will run. Underneath, the ship is a business concern — an officer refuses a drink because he is 'on duty,' and a steward is warned quietly: "Get the ship a bad name. Get you a bad name too."
The Officer Refuses to Bet on the Run
Warn the Gamblers, Save the Ship's Name
Aboard Titanic, passengers pass the evening gambling, and some have started a sweep on the ship's daily run, hoping the captain will push her speed. One officer politely refuses a drink because he is on duty. Later a steward is quietly told to warn the gamblers about the men they are up against, so no guest complains and the ship keeps its good name.
The gambling is played for laughs, but it is also a small machine of status and money. The passengers are rich enough to 'afford to lose', and one of them is a professional at cards using a different name each voyage — 'It was Yates last time.' Against that world, the officer keeps a line: "Thank you, no, sir, I'm on duty." The scene's real business comes at the end, when a steward is told how to manage the gamblers without insulting them — "try and drop them a hint about what they're up against" — because the company cares less about cheating than about reputation: "Get the ship a bad name. Get you a bad name too." Everything is polite; everything is calculated.
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
“Get the ship a bad name. Get you a bad name too.”
The parallel structure ties the ship's reputation to the steward's own, turning a warning into a threat.
Informal
“Well, wouldn't you feel worried about betting on a certainty?”
A rhetorical question that admits the outcome is certain while refusing to confirm it.
Neutral
“If you get a chance tomorrow, try and drop them a hint about what they're up against.”
The soft if-clause and try and make an order sound like friendly advice.
Neutral
“Can they afford to lose?”
One question sizes up both the stakes and the gamblers without naming either.
Informal
Siguiente · 06making waterLa escena: Titanic Strikes the IcebergIt is a popular game at sea: passengers guess how many miles the ship will cover in a day. They have heard the captain may test Titanic's speed, so the sweep becomes more exciting.
Because one of them is a professional card player using different names, and the others may not know what they are up against. The crew wants to avoid complaints that would damage the ship's name.
It means betting on something that is sure to happen. The officer says a sure thing takes the fun out of the sweep, which is his polite way of refusing to reveal how far the ship will run.
A card sharp the crew has seen before. He has registered under the name Rogers this voyage, but the steward remembers him as "Yates last time," so the crew knows he plays cards for a living.
The company wants no complaints from its wealthy first-class guests. The steward is told to warn them gently about the player they are up against, because a scandal would "get the ship a bad name" and cost him his own reputation.
