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

wispy [ˈwɪspɪ], boom [bu:m], despair [dɪˈspɛǝ]

Miss Merrion was a very thin woman of forty with wispy orange hair (indeed she was astonishingly like a ginger cat herself). She played nervously with various fichus and frills that were part of her official costume.

"You'll have a boom," said Inspector Kelsey encouragingly. "You'll see! You won't be able to serve teas fast enough!"

"Disgusting," said Miss Merrion. "Truly disgusting. It makes one despair of human nature."

But her eye brightened nevertheless (но ее глаза тем не менее заблестели; bright — яркий, блестящий).

"What can you tell me about the dead girl, Miss Merrion (что вы можете мне рассказать об убитой: «мертвой девушке», мисс Меррион)?"

"Nothing," said Miss Merrion positively (ничего, — уверенно сказала мисс Меррион). "Absolutely nothing (абсолютно ничего)!"

"How long had she been working here (как долго она здесь работала)?"

"This was the second summer (это было второе лето)."

"You were satisfied with her (вы были довольны ею)?"

"She was a good waitress (она была хорошей официанткой) — quick and obliging (быстрой и любезной; to oblige — обязывать; делать одолжение, угождать)."

"She was pretty, yes?" inquired Poirot (она была хорошенькой, да? — поинтересовался Пуаро).

brighten [ˈbraɪt(ǝ)n], waitress [ˈweɪtrɪs], positively [ˈpɔzɪtɪvlɪ]

But her eye brightened nevertheless.

"What can you tell me about the dead girl, Miss Merrion?"

"Nothing," said Miss Merrion positively. "Absolutely nothing!"

"How long had she been working here?"

"This was the second summer."

"You were satisfied with her?"

"She was a good waitress — quick and obliging."

"She was pretty, yes?" inquired Poirot.

Miss Merrion, in her turn (в свою очередь), gave him an "Oh, these foreigners" look (обратила на него взгляд /говорящий/ «ох, эти иностранцы»). "She was a nice (она была милой), clean-looking girl," she said distantly (чистоплотной: «чисто выглядящей» девушкой, — сказала она сдержанно; distant — дальний; отдаленный; сдержанный).

"Eight o'clock (/в/ восемь часов). We close at eight (мы закрываемся в восемь). We do not serve dinners (мы не подаем обеды). There is no demand for them (на них нет спроса). Scrambled eggs and tea (яичница-болтунья и чай) (Poirot shuddered) (Пуаро содрогнулся). People come in for up to seven o'clock (люди заходят почти до семи часов) and sometimes after (и иногда позже), but our rush is over by 6:30 (но горячее время заканчивается около шести тридцати; rush — спешка, суета; натиск; to be over — заканчиваться)."

"Did she mention to you (она вам упоминала = говорила вам) how she proposed to spend her evening (как она намеревалась провести вечер; to propose — предлагать; намереваться)?"

"Certainly not," said Miss Merrion emphatically (конечно, нет, — выразительно сказала мисс Меррион). "We were not on those terms (мы не были в таких отношениях)."

"No one came in and called for her (никто не заходил и /не/ спрашивал ее)? Anything like that (что-нибудь подобное)?"

"No."

distantly [ˈdɪstǝntlɪ], propose [prǝˈpǝʋz], emphatically [ɪmˈfætɪkǝlɪ]

Miss Merrion, in her turn, gave him an "Oh, these foreigners" look. "She was a nice, clean-looking girl," she said distantly.

"What time did she go off duty last night?" asked Crome.

"Eight o'clock. We close at eight. We do not serve dinners. There is no demand for them. Scrambled eggs and tea (Poirot shuddered). People come in for up to seven o'clock and sometimes after, but our rush is over by 6:30."

"Did she mention to you how she proposed to spend her evening?"

"Certainly not," said Miss Merrion emphatically. "We were not on those terms."

"No one came in and called for her? Anything like that?"

"No."

"What time did she go off duty last night?" asked Crome (в какое время она ушла с работы вчера вечером?; duty — служебные обязанности; дежурство).

"Did she seem quite her ordinary self (она казалась такой, какой обычно она была)? Not excited (не взволнованной) or depressed (или расстроенной)?"

"Really I could not say," said Miss Merrion aloofly (я действительно не знаю: «на самом деле я не могла бы» сказать, — безучастно сказала мисс Меррион; aloof — сторонящийся; отчужденный; равнодушный).

"How many waitresses do you employ (сколько официанток вы нанимаете = сколько официанток работает у вас)?"

"Two normally (обычно две), and an extra two after the 20th of July until the end of August (и две дополнительно после двадцатого июля до конца августа)."

"But Elizabeth Barnard was not one of the extras (но Элизабет Барнард не была одной из дополнительных)?"

"Miss Barnard was one of the regulars (мисс Барнард была одной из постоянных)."

"What about the other one (а как насчет еще одной)?"

"Miss Higley (мисс Хигли)? She is a very nice young lady (она очень милая молодая леди)."

aloofly [ǝˈlu:flɪ], extra [ˈekstrǝ], regular [ˈreɡju:lǝ]

"Did she seem quite her ordinary self? Not excited or depressed?"

"Really I could not say," said Miss Merrion aloofly.

"How many waitresses do you employ?"

"Two normally, and an extra two after the 20th of July until the end of August."

"But Elizabeth Barnard was not one of the extras?"

"Miss Barnard was one of the regulars."

"What about the other one?"

"Miss Higley? She is a very nice young lady."

"Were she and Miss Barnard friends (были /ли/ она и мисс Барнард друзьями)?"

"Really I could not say (я, право, не знаю)."

"Perhaps we'd better have a word with her (возможно, мы бы могли переговорить с ней)."

"Now (сейчас)?"

"If you please (если вы не против: «если вам угодно»)."

"I will send her to you," said Miss Merrion (я пришлю ее к вам), rising (вставая). "Please keep her as short a time as possible (пожалуйста, не задерживайте ее надолго: «задержите ее так мало времени, как это возможно»). This is the morning coffee rush hour (это горячее время утреннего кофе)."

The feline and gingery Miss Merrion left the room (напоминающая кошку, рыжая мисс Меррион покинула комнату; feline — животное из семейства кошачьих).

coffee [ˈkɔfɪ], possible [ˈpɔsɪbl], feline [ˈfi:laɪn]

"Were she and Miss Barnard friends?"

"Really I could not say."

"Perhaps we'd better have a word with her."

"Now?"

"If you please."

"I will send her to you," said Miss Merrion, rising. "Please keep her as short a time as possible. This is the morning coffee rush hour."

The feline and gingery Miss Merrion left the room.

"Very refined," remarked Inspector Kelsey (очень утонченная, — отметил инспектор Келси). He mimicked the lady's mincing tone (он изобразил жеманный тон женщины). "Really I could not say (я, право, не знаю)."

A plump girl (пухлая девушка), slightly out of breath (слегка запыхавшаяся: «/выбившаяся/ из дыхания»), with dark hair (с темными волосами), rosy cheeks (румяными щеками) and dark eyes goggling with excitement (и темными глазами, вытаращенными от волнения; to goggle — таращить глаза), bounced in (влетела в /комнату/; to bounce — подпрыгивать; отскакивать; вламываться).

"Miss Merrion sent me," she announced breathlessly (меня прислала мисс Меррион, — объявила она, запыхавшись; to send).

"Miss Higley (мисс Хигли)?"

"Yes, that's me (да, это я)."

"You knew Elizabeth Barnard (вы знали Элизабет Барнард)?"

mimic [ˈmɪmɪk], mincing [ˈmɪnsɪŋ], bounce [baʋns]

"Very refined," remarked Inspector Kelsey. He mimicked the lady's mincing tone. "Really I could not say."

A plump girl, slightly out of breath, with dark hair, rosy cheeks and dark eyes goggling with excitement, bounced in.

"Miss Merrion sent me," she announced breathlessly.

"Miss Higley?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You knew Elizabeth Barnard?"

"Oh, yes (о, да), I knew Betty (я знала Бетти). Isn't it awful (/разве/ это не ужасно)? It's just too awful (это просто очень: «слишком» ужасно)! I can't believe it's true (я не могу поверить, что это правда). I've been saying to the girls all the morning (я все утро говорю девочкам) I just can't believe it (что я не могу поверить в это)! 'You know, girls (вы знаете, девочки),' I said, 'it just doesn't seem real (это кажется нереальным).' Betty! I mean (я имею в виду), Betty Barnard, who's been here all along (которая была здесь все время), murdered (убита)! 'I just can't believe it,' I said. Five or six times I've pinched myself (пять или шесть раз я щипала себя) just to see (просто, чтобы понять) if I wouldn't wake up (не сплю ли я: «если я не проснулась»). Betty murdered (Бетти убита). It's (это) — well (ну), you know what I mean (вы знаете, что я имею в виду) — it doesn't seem real (это кажется нереальным)."

"You knew the dead girl well (вы хорошо знали убитую)?" asked Crome.

along [ǝˈlɔŋ], pinch [pɪntʃ], real [rɪǝl]

"Oh, yes, I knew Betty. Isn't it awful? It's just too awful! I can't believe it's true. I've been saying to the girls all the morning I just can't believe it! 'You know, girls,' I said, 'it just doesn't seem real.' Betty! I mean, Betty Barnard, who's been here all along, murdered! 'I just can't believe it,' I said. Five or six times I've pinched myself just to see if I wouldn't wake up. Betty murdered. It's — well, you know what I mean — it doesn't seem real."

"You knew the dead girl well?" asked Crome.

"Well, she's worked here longer than I have (ну, она работала здесь дольше, чем я). I only came this March (я пришла только в этом марте). She was here last year (она была здесь в прошлом году). She was rather quiet (она была достаточно тихой), if you know what I mean (если вы знаете, что я имею в виду). She wasn't one to joke or laugh a lot (она была не та, /кто/ шутит или смеется много). I don't mean that she was exactly quiet (я не имею в виду, что она была совсем тихой) — she'd plenty of fun in her and all that (в ней было много веселого и все такое) — but she didn't (но она не) — well, she was quiet (она была тихой) and she wasn't quiet (и она не была тихой), if you know what I mean."