Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

Франк Илья Михайлович

''The knife. Not a doubt of it. The dried blood's still on it."

"Good work, Crome," said the A.C. approvingly. "We only need one thing more now."

"What's that?"

"The man himself."

"We'll get him, sir. Never fear."

The inspector's tone was confident.

"What do you say, M. Poirot?"

Poirot started out of a reverie (Пуаро вышел из задумчивости; reverie — задумчивость, мечтательность).

"I beg your pardon (я прошу прощения)?"

"We were saying (мы говорили) that it was only a matter of time (что

это только дело времени) before we get our man (прежде чем мы возьмем нашего человека). Do you agree (вы согласны)?"

"Oh, that (о, это) — yes. Without a doubt (без сомнения)." His tone was so abstracted (его тон был таким рассеянным) that the others looked at him curiously (что остальные посмотрели на него с любопытством).

"Is there anything worrying you, M. Poirot (что-то беспокоит вас, мсье Пуаро)?"

"There is something that worries me very much (есть нечто, что беспокоит меня очень сильно). It is the why (это «почему»)? The motive (мотив)?"

"But, my dear fellow (но, дорогой мой друг), the man's crazy," said the Assistant Commissioner impatiently (этот человек — сумасшедший, — нетерпеливо сказал заместитель комиссара).

reverie ['revr], pardon ['p:dn], abstracted [aeb'straektd]

Poirot started out of a reverie.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We were saying that it was only a matter of time before we get our man. Do you agree?"

"Oh, that — yes. Without a doubt." His tone was so abstracted that the others looked at him curiously.

"Is there anything worrying you, M. Poirot?"

"There is something that worries me very much. It is the why? The motive?"

"But, my dear fellow, the man's crazy," said the Assistant Commissioner impatiently.

"I understand (я понимаю) what M. Poirot means," said Crome (что имеет в виду мсье Пуаро), coming graciously to the rescue (любезно приходя на помощь). "He's quite right (он совершенно прав). There's got to be some definite obsession (там должна быть некая определенная одержимость). I think (я думаю) we'll find the root of the matter in an intensified inferiority complex (мы найдем корни этого дела в усиленном комплексе неполноценности). There may be persecution mania, too (тут также может быть и мания преследования), and if so he may possibly associate M. Poirot with it (и если так, то он мог ассоциировать с этим мсье Пуаро). He may have the delusion (у него может быть ложное представление) that M. Poirot is a detective (что мсье Пуаро — это детектив) employed on purpose to hunt him down (нанятый специально, чтобы выследить его)."

graciously ['resl], root [ru:t], delusion [d'lu:n]

"I understand what M. Poirot means," said Crome, coming graciously to the rescue. "He's quite right. There's got to be some definite obsession. I think we'll find the root of the matter in an intensified inferiority complex. There may be persecution mania, too, and if so he may possibly associate M. Poirot with it. He may have the delusion that M. Poirot is a detective employed on purpose to hunt him down."

"Hm," said the A.C. (хм, —

сказал заместитель комиссара). "That's the jargon that's talked nowadays (это жаргон, на котором говорят в наши дни). In my day (в мое время: «в мои дни») if a man was mad (если человек был сумасшедшим) he was mad (он был сумасшедшим) and we didn't look about for scientific terms to soften it down (и мы не искали научных теминов, чтобы смягчить это). I suppose (я полагаю) a thoroughly up-to-date doctor would suggest (тщательный современный доктор предложил бы) putting a man like A.B.C. in a nursing home (поместить такого человека, как Эй-би-си, в частную лечебницу), telling him what a fine fellow he was for forty-five days on end (говоря ему, какой он хороший парень, в течение сорока пяти дней подряд) and then letting him out as a responsible member of society (а затем выпустить его достойным доверия членом общества: «как ответственного члена общества»)."

jargon [':n], scientific [san'tfk], society [s'sat]

"Hm," said the A.C.. "That's the jargon that's talked nowadays. In my day if a man was mad he was mad and we didn't look about for scientific terms to soften it down. I suppose a thoroughly up-to-date doctor would suggest putting a man like A.B.C. in a nursing home, telling him what a fine fellow he was for forty-five days on end and then letting him out as a responsible member of society."

Poirot smiled (Пуаро улыбнулся) but did not answer (но не ответил).

The conference broke up (совещание прервалось).

"Well," said the Assistant Commissioner (так, — сказал заместитель комиссара). "As you say, Crome (как вы говорите, Кроум), pulling him in is only a matter of time (арестовать его — это только дело времени; to pull in — разг. арестовывать)."

"We'd have had him before now," said the inspector (мы бы схватили его до настоящего момента), "if he wasn't so ordinary-looking (если бы он не был таким внешне обычным). We've worried enough perfectly inoffensive citizens as it is (мы достаточно побеспокоили совершенно безобидных граждан из-за этого: «как это есть»)."

"I wonder (мне интересно) where he is at this minute," said the Assistant Commissioner (где он в данную минуту).

inoffensive [n'fensv], citizen ['stzn], perfectly ['p:fktl]

Poirot smiled but did not answer.

The conference broke up.

"Well," said the Assistant Commissioner. "As you say, Crome, pulling him in is only a matter of time."

"We'd have had him before now," said the inspector, "if he wasn't so ordinary-looking. We've worried enough perfectly inoffensive citizens as it is."