Agatha Christie - Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

"Yes, yes — I tell you everything. I did not go near Alice. I am with friends — good friends. We are at the Seven Stars — and then we are at the Red Dog — "

He hurried on, his words tumbling over each other.

"Dick Willows — he was with me — and old Curdie — and George — and Platt and lots of the boys. I tell you I do not never go near Alice. Ach Gott, it is the truth I am telling you."

His voice rose to a scream. The inspector nodded to his underling.

"Take him away. Detained on suspicion."

"I don't know what to think," he said (я не знаю, что думать) as the unpleasant shaking old man with the malevolent (когда неприятный трясущийся человек со злобным), mouthing jaw was removed (раскрытым ртом был удален; mouth — рот; jaw — челюсть). "If it wasn't for the letter (если бы не письмо), I'd say he did it (я бы сказал, что это он сделал это)."

"What about the men he mentions (что насчет людей, /которых/ он упоминает)?"

"A bad crowd (плохая компания: «толпа») — not one of them would stick at perjury (не один из них /не будет/ упорно лжесвидетельствовать; to stick at — упорно продолжать). I've no doubt (я не имею сомнений) he was with them the greater part of the evening (он был с ними большую часть вечера). A lot depends on whether anyone saw him near the shop between half-past five and six (многое зависит от того, видел ли его кто-нибудь рядом с магазином между половиной шестого и шестью)."

malevolent [mǝˈlev(ǝ)lǝnt], jaw [ʤɔ:], perjury [ˈpǝ:ʤǝrɪ]

"I don't know what to think," he said as the unpleasant shaking old man with the malevolent, mouthing jaw was removed. "If it wasn't for the letter, I'd say he did it."

"What about the men he mentions?"

"A bad crowd — not one of them would stick at perjury. I've no doubt he was with them the greater part of the evening. A lot depends on whether anyone saw him near the shop between half-past five and six."

Poirot shook his head thoughtfully (Пуаро задумчиво покачал головой; thought — мысль). "You are sure nothing was taken from the shop (вы уверены, что ничего /не/ было украдено из магазина)?"

The inspector shrugged his shoulders (инспектор пожал плечами). "That depends (как сказать: «это зависит»). A packet or two of cigarettes might have been taken (пачка или две сигарет, возможно, были взяты) — but you'd hardly commit murder for that (но вы едва ли совершите убийство из-за этого)."

"And there was nothing (и не было ничего) — how shall I put it (как бы мне выразиться) — introduced into the shop (принесено в магазин). Nothing that was odd there (ничего, что могло быть необычным там) — incongruous (неуместным)?"

introduce [ɪntrǝˈdju:s], shoulder [ˈʃǝʋldǝ], incongruous [ɪnˈkɔŋɡrʋǝs]

Poirot shook his head thoughtfully. "You are sure nothing was taken from the shop?"

The inspector shrugged his shoulders. "That depends. A packet or two of cigarettes might have been taken — but you'd hardly commit murder for that."

"And there was nothing — how shall I put it — introduced into the shop. Nothing that was odd there — incongruous?"

"There was a railway guide," said the inspector (там был железнодорожный справочник, — сказал инспектор).

"A railway guide (железнодорожный справочник)?"

"Yes. It was open (он был открыт) and turned face downward on the counter (и повернут обложкой вверх на прилавке: «и повернут вниз лицом на прилавке»). Looked as though (выглядел так, будто) someone had been looking up the trains from Andover (кто-то искал поезда из Эндовера; to look up — искать /напр., слово в словаре/). Either the old woman (либо старая женщина) or a customer (либо покупатель)."

"Did she sell that type of thing (она продавала нечто похожее: «этот тип вещей»)?"

downward [ˈdaʋnwǝd], either [ˈaɪðǝ], customer [ˈkʌstǝmǝ]

"There was a railway guide," said the inspector.

"A railway guide?"

"Yes. It was open and turned face downward on the counter. Looked as though someone had been looking up the trains from Andover. Either the old woman or a customer."

"Did she sell that type of thing?"

The inspector shook his head (инспектор покачал головой).

"She sold penny timetables (она продавала грошовые расписания: «расписания за пенни»; to sell — продавать). This was a big one (это было большое) — kind of thing only Smith's[6] (такую вещь только «Смитс») or a big stationer would keep (или крупный торговец канцелярией будет держать)."

A light came into Poirot's eyes (огонек загорелся в глазах Пуаро: «огонек пришел в глаза Пуаро»). He leant forward (он наклонился вперед; to lean — наклоняться). "A railway guide, you say (железнодорожный справочник, вы говорите). A Bradshaw[7] ("Брадшо") — or an A.B.C. (или «Эй-би-си»/алфавитный)?"

A light came into the inspector's eyes also (огонек также загорелся в глазах инспектора).

"By the Lord," he said (Боже мой, — сказал он). "It was an A.B.C (это был «Эй-би-си»)."

stationer [ˈsteɪʃnǝ] forward [ˈfɔ:wǝd], also [ˈɔ:lsǝʋ]

The inspector shook his head.

"She sold penny timetables. This was a big one — kind of thing only Smith's or a big stationer would keep."

A light came into Poirot's eyes. He leant forward. "A railway guide, you say. A Bradshaw — or an A.B.C.?"

A light came into the inspector's eyes also.

"By the Lord," he said. "It was an A.B.C."

V. Mary Drower

(Мэри Дроуер)

I think (я думаю) that I can date my interest in the case from the first mention of the A.B.C. railway guide (что я могу исчислять мой интерес к этому делу с первого упоминания алфавитного железнодорожного справочника). Up till then I had not been able to raise much enthusiasm (до этого я был не в состоянии проявить много энтузиазма; to raise — поднимать; будить; стимулировать). This sordid murder of an old woman in a back street shop was so like the usual type of crime (это жалкое убийство старой женщины в магазине на задворках было так похоже на обычное преступление: «обычный тип преступления»; back street — глухая улица, закоулок) reported in the newspapers (/о котором/ сообщается в газетах) that it failed to strike a significant note (что ему не удалось прогреметь значительной нотой; to strike — ударять; извлекать звук). In my own mind (в своем собственном уме) I had put down the anonymous letter with its mention of the 21st (я соотнес анонимное письмо с упоминанием двадцать первого /числа/) as a mere coincidence (как простое совпадение).

raise [reɪz], enthusiasm [ɪnˈƟju:zɪæz(ǝ)m], significant [sɪɡˈnɪfɪkǝnt]

I think that I can date my interest in the case from the first mention of the A.B.C. railway guide. Up till then I had not been able to raise much enthusiasm. This sordid murder of an old woman in a back street shop was so like the usual type of crime reported in the newspapers that it failed to strike a significant note. In my own mind I had put down the anonymous letter with its mention of the 21st as a mere coincidence.

Mrs. Ascher (миссис Эшер), I felt reasonably sure (я чувствовал достаточно уверенно; to feel), had been the victim of her drunken brute of a husband (была жертвой /этого/ пьяного животного — ее мужа; brute — животное; «скотина»). But now the mention of the railway guide (но теперь упоминание железнодорожного справочника) (so familiarly known by its abbreviation of A.B.C. (столь привычно знакомого из-за своей аббревиатуры Эй-би-си; familiar — привычный; знакомый; to know — знать), listing as it did all railway stations in their alphabetical order (перечисляющего, как он делал, все железнодорожные станции в их алфавитном порядке)) sent a quiver of excitement through me (послало волну возбуждения сквозь меня; to send — посылать, отправлять). Surely (конечно/несомненно) — surely (конечно) this could not be a second coincidence (это не могло быть вторым совпадением)?

The sordid crime took on a new aspect (жалкое убийство приобретало новый аспект; to take on — принимать на службу; приобретать /качество/).

Who was the mysterious individual (кто была эта загадочная личность) who had killed Mrs. Ascher (которая убила миссис Эшер) and left an A.B.C. railway guide behind him (и оставила после себя железнодорожный справочник «Эй-би-си»)?

familiarly [fǝˈmɪlɪǝlɪ], quiver [ˈkwɪvǝ], mysterious [mɪsˈtɪǝrɪǝs]

Mrs. Ascher, I felt reasonably sure, had been the victim of her drunken brute of a husband. But now the mention of the railway guide (so familiarly known by its abbreviation of A.B.C., listing as it did all railway stations in their alphabetical order) sent a quiver of excitement through me. Surely — surely this could not be a second coincidence?

The sordid crime took on a new aspect.

Who was the mysterious individual who had killed Mrs. Ascher and left an A.B.C. railway guide behind him?

When we left the police station (когда мы вышли из полицейского участка) our first visit was to the mortuary (наш первый визит был в морг) to see the body of the dead woman (/чтобы/ увидеть тело мертвой женщины). A strange feeling came over me (странное чувство охватило меня) as I gazed down on that wrinkled old face (когда я разглядывал это морщинистое лицо) with the scanty grey hair (с редкими седыми волосами) drawn back tightly from the temples (гладко стянутыми назад с висков; to draw — тащить; стягивать). It looked so peaceful (оно выглядело таким мирным; peace — мир), so incredibly remote from violence (таким невероятно отдаленным от насилия; credible — вероятный, правдоподобный).

"Never knew who or what struck her," observed the sergeant (никогда = так и не узнала, кто или что ударило ее, — заметил сержант; to know).

"That's what Dr. Kerr says (доктор Керр именно так и говорит: «это то, что говорит Доктор Керр»). I'm glad it was that way (я рад, что это было так), poor old soul (бедняжка: «бедная старая душа»). A decent woman she was (славной женщиной она была; decent — приличный; пристойный; разг. славный, хороший)."

mortuary [ˈmɔ:tʃu(ǝ)rɪ], violence [ˈvaɪǝlǝns], decent [ˈdi:sǝnt]

When we left the police station our first visit was to the mortuary to see the body of the dead woman. A strange feeling came over me as I gazed down on that wrinkled old face with the scanty grey hair drawn back tightly from the temples. It looked so peaceful, so incredibly remote from violence.