Red Sea Sharks: What does "Coke en Stock" mean?

I was just wondering what coke en stock actually meant?

It doesn't seem to be the French equivalent of Red Sea Sharks, as that would seem to need the word rouge in it somewhere...

I do remember coke being the code-word used for slaves in the English translation.

Anyone help me out?

Rik

Think of it as being something like coal on board, with coke meaning the stuff you set fire to in a furnace, not the drink or the drug, used in reference to the colour of the pilgrims.

MT & LL-C said the title, like others, was changed in translation to make it more appealing and exciting to children; I think they were probably correct.

It would appear that the title is a translation of Coke en Stock in most languages - it is in Swedish at least (Koks i Lasten).

-Gustav

Cheers for the info, I thought it'd be something like that. Still seems like a rather dull titles for a Tintin Adventure and i see why they changed it

Rik

Cheers for the info, I thought it'd be something like that. Still seems like a rather dull titles for a Tintin Adventure and i see why they changed it

I think both the French and English titles leave something to be desired. The French title (and title in most languages, as pointed out) doesn't make any sense unless you've already read the book. Coke on board? What, like the drink? (Although it is kinda funny that in the French title, two of the three words are English).

And the English title picks something quite irrelevant to the story... it's not about sharks, certainly, and none show up until the last couple pages.

I would have called it something like "Uprising on the Gulf" or "Trade on the Red Sea" or something.

I think the word "coke" was far more commonly used in the "type of fuel" sense when the book was named, not "cola" - it's how I think of it too, so maybe I'm just old.

For all its faults, the English title is at least exciting, in a way (without meaning to be rude) that neither Uprising on the Gulf or Trade on the Red Sea are!

Red Sea Sharks was the first Tintin book I ever bought for myself, and I'm sure the title swung it; as a ten year old with 30p of holiday money in my hot sweaty paw, I wanted high adventure on the Red Sea, not trade! I'm sure the sharks weren't just meant to be the literal finny things; I've always assumed it included the slavers - sharks who prey on people.

Yes, sharks could refer to slavers and nasty people in general, who take advantage of others. Even as a child I understood this.
I think the English title is an improvement on the original.

Yeah, I definitely think we have the best name, and also I bought my first ever Tintin book (Red Rackham's Treasure) because there was a shark on the cover, so interesting titles are definitely the way forward.

Rik

And the English title picks something quite irrelevant to the story

What about the case, in seemingly every language, of "Flight 714" ? Its relevance to the story is minor (the plane Tintin & co. should have boarded) - it's mentioned a handful of times at the beginning, and once on the last page. Still, it seems a good title all the same.

But if it was called anything else, it would give the plot away.