"Awful (ужасно) … do you think (вы думаете) it was anything to do with the Chinese (это имело какое-то отношение к китайцам)? Wasn't the waitress in a Chinese café (не была /ли/ официантка в китайском ресторане)?"
hurriedly ['[email protected]], fro [[email protected]], Chinese ['tSaI'ni:z]
"Sometimes I hardly know what I'm doing …"
"Really? Well, I must be getting along," said the young man and removed himself hurriedly. He knew what people were once they began to talk about their health.
Mr. Cust remained with his paper.
He read and reread …
People passed to and fro in front of him. Most of them were talking of the murder.
"Awful … do you think it was anything to do with the Chinese? Wasn't the waitress in a Chinese café?"
"Actually on the golf links (действительно на поле для гольфа) …"
"I heard (я слышал) it was on the beach (это было на пляже)."
" — but, darling (но, дорогая), we took out tea to Elbury only yesterday (мы выезжали /пить/ чай в Элбери только вчера; to take out — выносить; выезжать) …"
" — police are sure to get him (полиция, наверняка, поймает его) …"
" — say he may be arrested any minute now (говорят, что его могут арестовать в любую минуту) …"
" — quite likely he's in Torquay (вполне вероятно, что он в Торки) … that other woman was who murdered (другая женщина, которая была убита) the what do you call 'ems (как вы называете их)…"
darling ['dA:lIN], actually ['&[email protected]], sure [[email protected]]
"Actually on the golf links …"
"I heard it was on the beach …"
" — but, darling, we took out tea to Elbury only yesterday …"
" — police are sure to get him …"
" — say he may be arrested any minute now …"
" — quite likely he's in Torquay … that other woman was who murdered the what do you call 'ems …"
Mr. Cust folded up the paper very neatly (мистер Каст очень аккуратно свернул газету) and laid it on the seat (и положил ее на сиденье). Then he rose and walked sedately along towards the town (затем он поднялся и спокойно пошел по направлению в город; sedately — степенно, спокойно, уравновешенно).
Girls passed him (девушки шли мимо него), girls in white (девушки в белом) and pink (в розовом) and blue (и голубом), in summery frocks (в летних платьях) and pyjamas (и пижамах) and shorts (и шортах). They laughed and giggled (они смеялись и хихикали). Their eyes appraised the men (их глаза оценивали мужчин) they passed (мимо /которых/ они проходили).
Not once did their eyes linger for a second on Mr. Cust (ни разу их глаза не задержались на мистере Касте; to linger — засиживаться; задерживаться).
He sat down at a little table (он сел за маленький столик) and ordered tea (и заказал чай) and Devonshire cream[31] (и девонширские сливки) …
sedately [sI'deItlI], giggle ['gIgl], linger ['[email protected]]
Mr. Cust folded up the paper very neatly and laid it on the seat. Then he rose and walked sedately along towards the town.
Girls passed him, girls in white and pink and blue, in summery frocks and pyjamas and shorts. They laughed and giggled. Their eyes appraised the men they passed.
Not once did their eyes linger for a second on Mr. Cust …
He sat down at a little table and ordered tea and Devonshire cream …
XVII. Marking Time
(шаг на месте; to mark time — отмечать время; топтаться на месте; тянуть время)
With the murder of Sir Carmichael Clarke (с убийством сэра Кармайкла Кларка) the A.B.C. mystery leaped into the fullest prominence (загадка Эй-би-си достигла своей полной известности; to leap — прыгать, скакать; prominence — выступ, выдающаяся часть; a rocky prominence — скалистый выступ; выдающееся положение; известность).
The newspapers were full of nothing else (газеты были полны только этим: «ничего больше»). All sorts of "clues" were reported to have been discovered (печатали, что обнаружены разнообразные улики). Arrests were announced to be imminent (объявлялось, что аресты будут неминуемы).
There were photographs of every person (были фотографии каждого человека) or place remotely connected with the murder (или места, отдаленно связанного с убийством). There were interviews with anyone (были интервью с каждым) who would give interviews (кто мог дать интервью). There were questions asked in Parliament (были вопросы, задаваемые парламенту).
The Andover murder was not bracketed with the other two (эндоверское убийство не было поставлено в один ряд с другими двумя; to bracket — заключать в скобки; упоминать, ставить в один ряд).
prominence ['[email protected]], imminent ['[email protected]], bracketed ['br&kItId]
With the murder of Sir Carmichael Clarke the A.B.C. mystery leaped into the fullest prominence.
The newspapers were full of nothing else. All sorts of "clues" were reported to have been discovered. Arrests were announced to be imminent.
There were photographs of every person or place remotely connected with the murder. There were interviews with anyone who would give interviews. There were questions asked in Parliament.
The Andover murder was not bracketed with the other two.
It was the belief of Scotland Yard (это было убеждение Скотланд-Ярда) that the fullest publicity was the best chance (что полная гласность была лучшей возможностью) of laying the murderer by the heels (арестовать убийцу). The population of Great Britain turned itself into an army of amateur sleuths (население Великобритании превратилось в армию ищеек-любителей).
The Daily Flicker had the grand inspiration of using the caption («Дейли Фликер» в величайшем вдохновении использовал заголовок: «имел величайшее вдохновение в использовании заголовка): He may be in your town! (он может быть в вашем городе)
Poirot, of course (Пуаро, конечно), was in the thick of things (был в гуще событий). The letters sent to him (письма, посланные ему) were published (были публиковались) and facsimiled[32] (и факсимилировались). He was abused wholesale (его огульно обвиняли; wholesale — оптом; в больших размерах) for not having prevented the crimes (за /то, что он/ не предотвратил преступления) and defended on the ground (и защищали на основании /того/) that he was on the point of naming the murderer (что он собирался назвать убийцу).
amateur ['&[email protected]@(:)], facsimile [f&k'sIm(@)lI], wholesale ['[email protected]]
It was the belief of Scotland Yard that the fullest publicity was the best chance of laying the murderer by the heels. The population of Great Britain turned itself into an army of amateur sleuths.
The Daily Flicker had the grand inspiration of using the caption: He may be in your town!
Poirot, of course, was in the thick of things. The letters sent to him were published and facsimiled. He was abused wholesale for not having prevented the crimes and defended on the ground that he was on the point of naming the murderer.
Reporters incessantly badgered him for interviews (репортеры непрерывно выпрашивали у него интервью; to badger — изводить; выклянчивать; badger — барсук).
What M. Poirot Says Today (что мсье Пуаро говорит сегодня).
Which was usually followed by a half-column of imbecilities (за которым следовало полколонки глупостей).
M. Poirot Takes Grave View of Situation (мсье Пуаро серьезно относится к ситуации) .
M. Poirot on the Eve of Success (мсье Пуаро накануне успеха).
Captain Hastings (капитан Гастингс), the great friend of M. Poirot (большой друг мсье Пуаро), told our Special Representative (рассказал нашему специальному представителю).
"Poirot," I would cry (Пуаро, — кричал я). "Pray believe me (умоляю, поверьте мне). I never said anything of the kind (я никогда не говорил ничего подобного)."
incessantly [In'[email protected]], imbecility [,[email protected]'[email protected]], representative [,reprI'[email protected]]
Reporters incessantly badgered him for interviews.
What M. Poirot Says Today.
Which was usually followed by a half-column of imbecilities.
M. Poirot Takes Grave View of Situation.
M. Poirot on the Eve of Success.
Captain Hastings, the great friend of M. Poirot, told our Special Representative .
"Poirot," I would cry. "Pray believe me. I never said anything of the kind."
My friend would reply kindly (мой друг мягко отвечал): "I know, Hastings (я знаю, Гастингс) — I know. The spoken word and the written (слово сказанное и написанное) — there is an astonishing gulf between them (там поразительная пропасть между ними). There is a way of turning sentences (существует способ переворачивать предложения) that completely reverses the original meaning (который полностью изменяет на противоположное /их/ первоначальное значение)."
"I wouldn't like you to think (мне бы не хотелось, чтобы вы думали) I'd said (что я сказал) —"
"But do not worry yourself (не беспокойтесь). All this is of no importance (все это /не/ имеет никакого значения). These imbecilities, even, may help (эти глупости даже могут помочь)."
"How (как)?"
gulf [gVlf], astonishing [@s'tOnISIN], reverse [rI'[email protected]:s]
My friend would reply kindly: "I know, Hastings — I know. The spoken word and the written — there is an astonishing gulf between them. There is a way of turning sentences that completely reverses the original meaning."
"I wouldn't like you to think I'd said — "
"But do not worry yourself. All this is of no importance. These imbecilities, even, may help."
"How?"
"Eh bien," said Poirot grimly (ну, так, — сказал Пуаро мрачно). "If our madman reads (если наш сумасшедший прочтет) what I am supposed to have said to the Daily Flicker today (что я, предположительно, сказал сегодня «Дейли Фликер»), he will lose all respect for me as an opponent (он потеряет все уважение ко мне как к противнику)!"
I am, perhaps (я, вероятно), giving the impression (создаю впечатление) that nothing practical was being done in the way of investigations (что ничего практического не делается в области расследования). On the contrary (напротив), Scotland Yard and the local police of the various counties were indefatigable (Скотланд-Ярд и местная полиция разных графств были неутомимы; fatigue — усталость) in following up the smallest clues (следуя даже за самыми мелкими уликами).
