“You need a little bit of life in you.”
Por qué es buena
It never says you look awful; it offers a bit of life instead, which is warmer.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
You need a little bit of rest in you before the trip.
00:00 / 02:11
00:00 / 02:11
A Constable Voids the Club's Licence, Explained
Night and the City · 1950
Capítulo 19 de 19 · 2'11"
A late-night police visit turns friendly until the constable reads the license. "I'm afraid this is not in order," he says, then asks where it came from and takes it away to Bow Street, leaving the club's opening in doubt.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:02–0:55
Figler Looks After Exhausted Harry
53s - 1:01–2:05
The Police Take the License
63s
A Constable Voids the Club's Licence, explained
What happens
Harry arrives late at Figler's place, worn out, and Figler tells him to rest and puts the kettle on. Then a young constable appears at the door. He checks the license, finds the serial number does not match, and says he must take it to the authorities at Bow Street.
What's really going on
The scene looks like two unrelated halves, but the friendly opening sets up the blow. Figler's care for Harry is plain—"You need a little bit of life in you"—and the shop talk about Bert mistreating the piano is ordinary. Then the constable arrives, and the same polite manners cut the other way. He is new, just out of training school, and that is the danger: he follows the rules exactly. The license, which everyone had treated as settled, turns out not to be. "I'm afraid this is not in order," he says, and the evening's small talk is suddenly a police matter. The friendly offer of a ginger ale cannot fix a serial number, and the club that was about to open is now waiting on a court.
Key lines & what they mean
- “You need a little bit of life in you.”
- Figler's way of fussing over Harry, noticing he is worn out and offering tea and rest before the night turns bad.
- “I hope so, ma'am. Just finished training school last month.”
- The constable's answer that marks him as a beginner, which is exactly why he enforces the rules instead of letting them slide.
- “Where did you obtain this license, ma'am?”
- The polite question that turns small talk into an investigation: the license's origin is now a problem, not a formality.
- “You can't be breaking many rules with a little ginger ale.”
- The attempt to make the visit social and harmless, which fails because the problem is the paperwork, not the drink.
Theme
- Ambition — Harry's club, built on a license he counted on, is stopped by one routine police check the night before it is due to open.
- Deception — The license everyone treated as valid is not in order, exposing how much of the plan rested on a document nobody had checked.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel4/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“I hope so, ma'am. Just finished training school last month.”
Por qué es buena
A single line of background shows both his inexperience and his eagerness to do well.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
Just finished my course last month, so I'm still learning.
“Where did you obtain this license, ma'am?”
Por qué es buena
The formal wording makes the question sound official, and that is the pressure.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
Where did you obtain this permit, sir?
“You can't be breaking many rules with a little ginger ale.”
Por qué es buena
A glass of ginger ale used to talk around the rulebook, cheeky and disarming at once.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
You can't be breaking many rules with a little five-minute delay.
Ideas clave
Lo que te llevas- Kindness and inspection share the same room.
- A serial number ends the charm offensive.
- Harry's refuge is as shaky as his plans.
- The constable is polite but unmoved.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy does the constable take the license?
He checks the serial number and finds it does not match. He says it is not in order and that he must deliver it to the authorities at Bow Street.
Why does it matter that the constable is new?
He has just finished training school, so he follows the rules exactly. A more experienced officer might have let the matter wait; he does not.
What does the club want from the constable?
They want him to treat the visit as friendly. They offer him a drink and ask him to wish them luck for the Saturday opening, but the license problem stands.
What does 'struck off' mean here?
It means the establishment's registration has been cancelled, or struck off the list. The constable says he had the place listed as being struck off for another year.
Who is Figler?
He is the man Harry visits late at night, who gives him tea and a place to rest and calls himself glad to help a friend.