BBC媒体英语:在泰坦尼克号上排队

Background: 好莱坞经典电影《泰坦尼克号》讲述了在 1912 年与冰山相撞而沉船的超级豪华客轮的故事。据最近来自一个澳大利亚大学的研究报告称，当年船上英国乘客的生存率低于美国乘客，是因为英国乘客们在上救生船时遵守了排队的礼貌规则。

The story of the Titanic continues togripus. The Hollywoodblockbusterstarring Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslet brought the horror and romance of the tragedy to a new generation.

But when the'unsinkable' luxury linerwent down after hitting anicebergon hermaiden voyagemore than 1,500 peopleperishedin the icy waters of the north Atlantic.

Now David Savage, a Behavioural Economist from Queensland University of Technology, hasconcludedthat more British passengers died than Americans because they stood in line.

But his study also destroys anotherenduring myth. He found no evidence that poorer passengers werelocked down belowand unable to reach thedeckto escape. And his work also suggests thatgallantry withstoodthe rising waters. Mostly, he says,the women and children first rulewas followed.

But if he's right about the rest then Leonardo diCaprio, who played an American in the movie, would have cheated to survive and Kate Winslet would have got a seat in alifeboatmuch sooner, whilst the Brits would havegone downnot to the sound of the band playing, but to the sound of a politechorusof "After you", "No, after you"...

GLOSSARY 词汇表

grip 吸引

blockbuster 大片

'unsinkable' luxury liner ‘永不沉没的’超级豪华客轮

iceberg 冰山

maiden voyage 初次航行

perished 死了

concluded 总结

enduring myth 长期以来的一个说法

locked down below 被锁在（甲板层）下面

deck 甲板

gallantry 绅士风度

withstood 挡住了

the women and children first rule 女士孩子优先的常规

lifeboat 救生船

gone down 沉下去

chorus 合唱