stow [[email protected]], incontestably [,[email protected]'tenstIblI], cavalier [,k&[email protected]'[email protected]]
"Well," said Clarke, stowing away the letter, "I'm glad I showed it to you anyway. Here come the girls. We'd better be off."
As we left the room, Poirot called me back. "You are determined to accompany the expedition, Hastings?"
"Oh, yes. I shouldn't be happy staying here inactive."
"There is activity of mind as well as body, Hastings."
"Well, you're better at it than I am," I said.
"You are incontestably right, Hastings. Am I correct in supposing that you intend to be a cavalier to one of the ladies?"
"That was the idea (так я и планировал)."
"And which lady did you propose to honour with your company (и которой из дам вы предложите честь вашей компании)?"
"Well — I — er — hadn't considered yet (еще не решил)."
"What about Miss Barnard (как насчет мисс Барнард)?"
"She's rather the independent type," I demurred (она достаточно независимый тип, — возразил я).
"Miss Grey (мисс Грей)?"
"Yes. She's better (она лучше)."
honour ['O:[email protected]], independent [,[email protected]'[email protected]], propose [[email protected]'[email protected]]
"That was the idea."
"And which lady did you propose to honour with your company?"
"Well — I — er — hadn't considered yet."
"What about Miss Barnard?"
"She's rather the independent type," I demurred.
"Miss Grey?"
"Yes. She's better."
"I find you, Hastings (я нахожу, что вы, Гастингс), singularly though transparently honest (необычайно, хотя и прозрачно честны; singularly — особенно, необычно; transparent — прозрачный, просвечивающий)! All along you had made up your mind to spend the day with your blonde angel (с самого начала вы решили провести день с вашим белокурым ангелом; to make up one's mind — принять решение, решить)!"
"Oh, really, Poirot (о, действительно, Пуаро)!"
"I am sorry to upset your plans (мне жаль расстраивать ваши планы), but I must request you to give your escort elsewhere (но я должен попросить вас предложить сопровождение кому-то еще)."
"Oh, all right (о, хорошо). I think you've got a weakness for that Dutch doll of a girl (я думаю, у вас есть слабость к этой девушке, /похожей на/ голландскую куклу)."
"The person you are to escort is Mary Drower (человек, которого вы должны сопровождать, это Мэри Дроуер) — and I must request you not to leave her (и я должен просить вас не покидать ее)."
"But, Poirot, why (но, Пуаро, почему)?"
"Because, my dear friend (потому, мой дорогой друг), her name begins with a D (что ее имя начинается с /буквы/ «ди»). We must take no chances (мы не должны рисковать)."
singularly ['[email protected]], transparently [tr&ns'[email protected]@nt], request [rI'kwest]
"I find you, Hastings, singularly though transparently honest! All along you had made up your mind to spend the day with your blonde angel!"
"Oh, really, Poirot!"
"I am sorry to upset your plans, but I must request you to give your escort elsewhere."
"Oh, all right. I think you've got a weakness for that Dutch doll of a girl."
"The person you are to escort is Mary Drower — and I must request you not to leave her."
"But, Poirot, why?"
"Because, my dear friend, her name begins with a D. We must take no chances."
I saw the justice of his remark (я понял справедливость его замечания). At first it seemed far-fetched (сначала оно показалось надуманным; far-fetched — привезенный издалека; натянутый, неестественный). But then I realized (но затем я понял) that if A.B.C. had a fanatical hatred of Poirot (что если у Эй-би-си была фанатическая ненависть к Пуаро), he might very well be keeping himself informed of Poirot's movements (он, вполне вероятно, держит себя в курсе передвижений Пуаро). And in that case (и в этом случае) the elimination of Mary Drower might strike him (уничтожение Мэри Дроуер может поразить его) as a very neat fourth stroke (как очень ловкий четвертый удар; neat — аккуратный; ловкий).
I promised to be faithful to my trust (я пообещал быть верным моей опеке = пристально следить за тем, что мне доверили).
I went out (я вышел) leaving Poirot sitting in a chair near the window (оставив Пуаро сидеть в кресле у окна). In front of him was a little roulette wheel (перед ним было маленькое колесо рулетки). He spun it (он повернул его; to spin — прясть, сучить /шерсть/; плести /о пауке/; крутить/ся/, вертеть/ся/) as I went out of the door (когда я выходил из двери) and called after me (и крикнул мне вслед): "Rouge (красное) — that is a good omen, Hastings (это хороший знак, Гастингс). The luck (удача/фортуна), it turns (она изменяется; omen — знак, знамение, предзнаменование, примета)!"
far-fetched [,fA:'fetSt], fanatical [[email protected]'n&[email protected]], omen ['@[email protected]]
I saw the justice of his remark. At first it seemed far-fetched. But then I realized that if A.B.C. had a fanatical hatred of Poirot, he might very well be keeping himself informed of Poirot's movements. And in that case the elimination of Mary Drower might strike him as a very neat fourth stroke.
I promised to be faithful to my trust.
I went out leaving Poirot sitting in a chair near the window. In front of him was a little roulette wheel. He spun it as I went out of the door and called after me: "Rouge — that is a good omen, Hastings. The luck, it turns!"
XXIV. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
(Не из личного повествования капитана Гастингса)
Below his breath (шепотом) Mr. Leadbetter uttered a grunt of impatience (мистер Ледбеттер издал нетерпеливое ворчание; to grunt — ворчать; хрюкать; издать неопределенный звук) as his next-door neighbour got up (когда его ближайший сосед встал) and stumbled clumsily past him (и неловко спотыкнулся рядом с ним: «/проходя/ мимо него»; to stumble — спотыкаться; идти спотыкаясь), dropping his hat over the seat in front (роняя свою шляпу через сидение впереди), and leaning over to retrieve it (и наклоняясь, чтобы достать ее; to retrieve — доставать, вынимать).
All this at the culminating moment of Not a Sparrow (все это в кульминационный момент /фильма/ «Ни воробушек»), that all-star (той с /участием/ звезд: «той всезвездной»), thrilling drama of pathos and beauty (захватывающей драмы пафоса и красоты) that Mr. Leadbetter had been looking forward to seeing for a whole week (просмотра которой мистер Ледбеттер ждал с нетерпением целую неделю; to look forward to — ждать с нетерпением).
The golden-haired heroine (золотоволосая героиня), played by Katherine Royal[40] (/которую/ играла Катрин Ройал) (in Mr. Leadbetter's opinion (по мнению мистера Ледбеттера) the leading film actress in the world (ведущая киноактриса в мире)), was just giving vent to a hoarse cry of indignation (давала выход хриплому крику негодования; vent — отдушина):
next-door ['neks(t)'dO:], retrieve [rI'tri:v], heroine ['[email protected]]
Below his breath Mr. Leadbetter uttered a grunt of impatience as his next-door neighbour got up and stumbled clumsily past him, dropping his hat over the seat in front, and leaning over to retrieve it.
All this at the culminating moment of Not a Sparrow, that all-star, thrilling drama of pathos and beauty that Mr. Leadbetter had been looking forward to seeing for a whole week.
The golden-haired heroine, played by Katherine Royal (in Mr. Leadbetter's opinion the leading film actress in the world), was just giving vent to a hoarse cry of indignation:
"Never (никогда). I would sooner starve (я скорее умру от голода; to starve — умирать от голода, голодать). But I shan't starve (но я не умру /от голода/). Remember those words (запомните эти слова): not a sparrow falls (ни воробушек /не/ падет) — "
Mr. Leadbetter moved his head irritably from right to left (мистер Ледбеттер раздраженно покачал головой: «повернул головой справа налево»). People (люди)! Why on earth (с какой стати/какого дьявола: «почему на земле») people couldn't wait till the end of a film (люди не могут подождать до конца фильма) … And to leave at this soul-stirring moment (а уходить в этот душераздирающий момент: «волнующий душу момент»).
Ah, that was better (а, это было лучше). The annoying gentleman had passed on and out (досаждающий джентльмен прошел мимо и наружу). Mr. Leadbetter had a full view of the screen (у мистера Ледбеттера был полный обзор экрана) and of Katherine Royal standing by the window in the Van Schreiner Mansion in New York (и Катрин Ройал, стоящей у окна в Ван-Шрайнер Мэншэн в Нью-Йорке).
starve [stA:v], soul-stirring ['[email protected]'[email protected]:rIN], screen [skri:n]
"Never. I would sooner starve. But I shan't starve. Remember those words: not a sparrow falls — "
Mr. Leadbetter moved his head irritably from right to left. People! Why on earth people couldn't wait till the end of a film … And to leave at this soul-stirring moment.
Ah, that was better. The annoying gentleman had passed on and out. Mr. Leadbetter had a full view of the screen and of Katherine Royal standing by the window in the Van Schreiner Mansion in New York.
And now she was boarding the train (а теперь она садилась на поезд; to board — садиться в поезд, трамвай /и любой другой вид транспорта/) — the child in her arms (/с/ ребенком на руках) … What curious trains they had in America (какие необычные: «любопытные» у них поезда в Америке) — not at all like English trains (совсем непохожие на английские поезда).
Ah, there was Steve again in his shack in the mountains (а, там снова был Стив в своей хижине в горах; shack — лачуга, хижина) …
The film pursued its course to its emotional and semi-religious end (фильм следовал своим курсом до своего эмоционального и полурелигиозного конца). Mr. Leadbetter breathed a sigh of satisfaction (мистер Ледбеттер с удовлетворением вздохнул: «дохнул вздох удовлетворения») as the lights went up (когда зажглись огни; to go up — всходить; зажигаться).
He rose slowly to his feet (он медленно поднялся на ноги), blinking a little (слегка моргая).
board [bO:d], shack [S&k], semi-religious ['semIrI'[email protected]]
And now she was boarding the train — the child in her arms … What curious trains they had in America — not at all like English trains.
Ah, there was Steve again in his shack in the mountains …
The film pursued its course to its emotional and semi-religious end. Mr. Leadbetter breathed a sigh of satisfaction as the lights went up.
He rose slowly to his feet, blinking a little.
