Poirot interrupted (Пуаро прервал /его/). "You are quite wrong (вы совершенно неправы). He admits the fact (он признает этот факт)."
"What (что)?" Clarke looked really startled (Кларк выглядел действительно пораженным).
"Oh, yes," said Poirot gently (о, да, — мягко сказал Пуаро). "I had no sooner spoken to him than I was aware (как только я поговорил с ним, я осознал: «я не так скоро поговорил с ним, как я осознал») that Cust believed himself to be guilty (что Каст считает себя виновным)."
"And even that didn't satisfy M. Poirot?" said Clarke (и даже это не удовлетворило мсье Пуаро?).
red-handed ['red'h&ndId], burst [[email protected]:st], startled ['stA:tld]
Clarke suddenly burst out laughing. "Very ingenious! And what about our friend Cust, caught red-handed?"
"What about the blood on his coat? And the knife he hid in his lodgings? He may deny he committed the crimes — "
Poirot interrupted. "You are quite wrong. He admits the fact."
"What?" Clarke looked really startled.
"Oh, yes," said Poirot gently. "I had no sooner spoken to him than I was aware that Cust believed himself to be guilty."
"And even that didn't satisfy M. Poirot?" said Clarke.
"No. Because as soon as I saw him (потому что как только я увидел его: «так скоро как я увидел его») I also knew (я также понял) that he could not be guilty (что он не может быть виновным)! He has neither the nerve nor the daring (он не имеет ни нервов = выдержки, ни дерзости) — nor (ни), I may add (я могу добавить = я бы добавил), the brains to plan (мозгов, /чтобы/ планировать)! All along I have been aware of the dual personality of the murderer (все время я осознавал двойственную личность убийцы). Now I see wherein it consisted (теперь я понимаю, в чем она состояла). Two people were involved (два человека были вовлечены) — the real murderer (настоящий убийца), cunning (хитрый), resourceful (находчивый) and calculating (и расчетливый) — and the pseudo murderer (и псевдоубийца), stupid (тупой), vacillating (нерешительный; to vacillate — колебаться; проявлять нерешительность) and suggestible (и поддающийся внушению)."
"Suggestible (поддающийся внушению) — it is in that word (это в этом слове) that the mystery of Mr. Cust consists (в котором состоит загадка мистера Каста)!"
"It was not enough for you, Mr. Clarke (это не было достаточным для вас, мистер Кларк), to devise this plan of a series (разработать этот план из серии /убийств/) to distract attention from a single crime (чтобы отвести внимание от единственного преступления). You had also to have a stalking horse[52] (вам так же пришлось заполучить подставное лицо: «заслонную лошадь»)
dual ['dju:@l], pseudo [(p)'sju:[email protected]], vacillating ['v&sIleItIN]
"No. Because as soon as I saw him I also knew that he could not be guilty! He has neither the nerve nor the daring — nor, I may add, the brains to plan! All along I have been aware of the dual personality of the murderer. Now I see wherein it consisted. Two people were involved — the real murderer, cunning, resourceful and calculating — and the pseudo murderer, stupid, vacillating and suggestible."
"Suggestible — it is in that word that the mystery of Mr. Cust consists!"
"It was not enough for you, Mr. Clarke, to devise this plan of a series to distract attention from a single crime. You had also to have a stalking horse."
"I think (я думаю) the idea first originated in your mind (эта идея впервые родилась в вашем уме) as the result of a chance encounter in a city coffee den (в результате случайного знакомства в маленькой городской кофейне; den —логово; маленькая, тесная комнатка) with this odd personality with his bombastic Christian names (с этой странной личностью с его напыщенными именами). You were at that time turning over in your mind various plans for the murder of your brother (вы были в это время проворачивали в своей голове различные планы убийства вашего брата)."
"Really (действительно)? And why (а почему)?"
"Because you were seriously alarmed for the future (потому что вы были сильно обеспокоены будущим). I do not know (я не знаю) whether you realize it, Mr. Clarke (осознаете ли вы это, мистер Кларк), but you played into my hands (но вы сыграли мне на руку) when you showed me a certain letter (когда показали мне определенное письмо) written to you by your brother (написанное вам вашим братом). In it he displayed very clearly his affection and absorption in Miss Thora Grey (в нем он очень отчетливо выражал свою привязанность и поглощенность мисс Торой Грей). His regard may have been a paternal one (его забота могла быть отцовской; regard — внимание; забота) — or he may have preferred to think it so (или он, возможно, предпочитал так думать).
alarm [@'lA:m], absorption [@b'sO:pS(@)n], paternal [[email protected]'[email protected]:[email protected]]
"I think the idea first originated in your mind as the result of a chance encounter in a city coffee den with this odd personality with his bombastic Christian names. You were at that time turning over in your mind various plans for the murder of your brother."
"Really? And why?"
"Because you were seriously alarmed for the future. I do not know whether you realize it, Mr. Clarke, but you played into my hands when you showed me a certain letter written to you by your brother. In it he displayed very clearly his affection and absorption in Miss Thora Grey. His regard may have been a paternal one — or he may have preferred to think it so.
Nevertheless (тем не менее), there was a very real danger (была очень реальная опасность) that on the death of your sister-in-law (что после смерти вашей невестки) he might (он мог), in his loneliness (в своем одиночестве), turn to this beautiful girl for sympathy and comfort (обратиться к этой красивой девушке за сочувствием и успокоением) and it might end (и это могло закончиться) — as so often happens with elderly men (как так часто случается с пожилыми мужчинами) — in his marrying her (его женитьбой на ней). Your fear was increased by your knowledge of Miss Grey (ваш страх увеличился при вашем знакомстве с мисс Грей). You are (вы являетесь), I fancy (/как/ я представляю), an excellent (отличным), if somewhat cynical judge of character (хотя и несколько циничным знатоком характеров). You judged (вы вынесли суждение), whether correctly or not (правильно или нет), that Miss Grey was a type of young woman 'on the make' (что мисс Грей была типом молодой женщины, стремящейся к наживе; on the make — амер. стремящийся к наживе). You had no doubt (вы не имели сомнения) that she would jump at the chance of becoming Lady Clarke (что она ухватится за шанс стать леди Кларк; to jump — прыгать; захватывать)."
increase [In'kri:z], cynical ['[email protected]], jump [dZVmp]
Nevertheless, there was a very real danger that on the death of your sister-in-law he might, in his loneliness, turn to this beautiful girl for sympathy and comfort and it might end — as so often happens with elderly men — in his marrying her. Your fear was increased by your knowledge of Miss Grey. You are, I fancy, an excellent, if somewhat cynical judge of character. You judged, whether correctly or not, that Miss Grey was a type of young woman 'on the make.' You had no doubt that she would jump at the chance of becoming Lady Clarke."
"Your brother was an extremely healthy and vigorous man (ваш брат был крайне здоровым и энергичным человеком). There might be children (могли бы быть дети) and your chance of inheriting your brother's wealth would vanish (и ваш шанс унаследовать богатство вашего брата испарился бы)."
"You have been (вы были), I fancy (/как/ я представляю), in essence a disappointed man all your life (по сути, разочарованным человеком всю вашу жизнь). You have been the rolling stone (вы были перекати-поле: «катящимся камнем») — and you have gathered very little moss (и вы собрали очень мало мха = не обросли деньгами/состоянием). You were particularly jealous of your brother's wealth (вы особенно завидовали богатству вашего брата)."
vigorous ['[email protected]@s], essence ['[email protected]], wealth [welT]
"Your brother was an extremely healthy and vigorous man. There might be children and your chance of inheriting your brother's wealth would vanish."
"You have been, I fancy, in essence a disappointed man all your life. You have been the rolling stone — and you have gathered very little moss. You were particularly jealous of your brother's wealth."
"I repeat then (я повторяю затем) that, turning over various schemes in your mind (что /в тот момент, когда вы/ проворачивали различные схемы в вашем уме), your meeting with Mr. Cust gave you an idea (ваша встреча с мистером Кастом натолкнула вас на мысль: «дала вам идею»). His bombastic Christian names (его помпезные имена), his account of his epileptic seizures (его рассказ об эпилептических припадках) and of his headaches (и его головных болях), his whole shrinking and insignificant personality (его вся пугливая и незначительная личность; to shrink — уменьшаться, сокращаться; сжиматься, съеживаться; отскочить; отпрянуть, отшатнуться), struck you (поразила вас) as fitting him for the tool you wanted (как подгонка = возможностью подогнать его под инструмент, в котором вы нуждались). The whole alphabetical plan sprang into your mind (целая алфавитная схема появилась в вашем уме) — Cust's initials (инициалы Каста) — the fact (тот факт) that your brother's name began with a C (что имя вашего брата начиналось с /буквы/ «си») and that he lived at Churston (и что он жил в Черстоне) were the nucleus of the scheme (были ядром схемы). You even went so far (вы даже пошли так далеко) as to hint to Cust at his possible end (что намекнули Касту на его возможный конец) — though you could hardly hope (хотя вы едва ли могли надеяться) that that suggestion would bear the rich fruit that it did (что это предположение принесет /столь/ богатые плоды, как оно сделало)."
seizure ['si:[email protected]], nucleus ['nju:[email protected]], fruit [fru:t]
"I repeat then that, turning over various schemes in your mind, your meeting with Mr. Cust gave you an idea. His bombastic Christian names, his account of his epileptic seizures and of his headaches, his whole shrinking and insignificant personality, struck you as fitting him for the tool you wanted. The whole alphabetical plan sprang into your mind — Cust's initials — the fact that your brother's name began with a C and that he lived at Churston were the nucleus of the scheme. You even went so far as to hint to Cust at his possible end — though you could hardly hope that that suggestion would bear the rich fruit that it did."
