Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту
Шрифт:
"You were fond of your aunt, Mary?" said Poirot gently (вы любили вашу тетю, Мэри? — мягко сказал Пуаро; to be fond of — любить, нравиться; увлекаться).
aunt [:nt], inquest ['nkwst], awful [':fl]
She opened the door of a small morning room. We entered and Poirot, seating himself on a chair by the window, looked up keenly into the girl's face.
"You have heard of your aunt's death, of course?"
The girl nodded, tears coming once more into her eyes. "This morning, sir. The police came over. Oh! it's terrible! Poor auntie! Such a hard life as she'd had, too. And now this — it's too awful.''
"The police did not suggest your returning to Andover?"
"They said I must come to the inquest — that's on Monday, sir. But I've nowhere to go there — I couldn't fancy being over the shop — now — and what with the housemaid being away. I didn't want to put the mistress out more than may be."
"You were fond of your aunt, Mary?" said Poirot gently.
"Indeed I was, sir (да,
sponging ['spn], cadging ['kae], beast [bi:st]
"Indeed I was, sir. Very good she's been to me always, auntie has. I went to her in London when I was eleven years old, after mother died. I started in service when I was sixteen, but I usually went along to auntie's on my day out. A lot of trouble she went through with that German fellow. 'My old devil,' she used to call him. He'd never let her be in peace anywhere. Sponging, cadging old beast."
The girl spoke with vehemence (девушка говорила горячо: «с горячностью»).
"Your aunt never thought of freeing herself by legal means from this persecution (ваша тетя никогда не думала о том, /чтобы/ освободить себя от подобного преследования законными методами; to persecute — преследовать)?"
"Well, you see, he was her husband, sir (но, видите ли, это был ее муж, сэр), you couldn't get away from that (вы не смогли бы от этого избавиться)."
The girl spoke simply but with finality (девушка говорила просто, но тоном, не допускавшим дальнейшего обсуждения; finality — законченность, завершенность).
"Tell me, Mary (скажите мне, Мэри), he threatened her, did he not (он угрожал ей, не так ли)?"
legal ['li:l], persecution [p:s'kju:n], threaten ['retn]
The girl spoke with vehemence.
"Your aunt never thought of freeing herself by legal means from this persecution?"
"Well, you see, he was her husband, sir, you couldn't get away from that."
The girl spoke simply but with finality.
"Tell me, Mary, he threatened her, did he not?"
"Oh, yes, sir, it was awful the things he used to say (это
"Yes, indeed (да, в самом деле). And so, I suppose, Mary (и так, я полагаю, Мэри), having actually heard the threats (действительно, услышав эти угрозы), you were not so very surprised (вы не очень удивились) when you learnt what had happened (когда вы узнали, что случилось)?"
throat [rt], swear [sw], dreadful ['dredfl]
"Oh, yes, sir, it was awful the things he used to say. That he'd cut her throat, and suchlike. Cursing and swearing too — both in German and in English. And yet auntie says he was a fine handsome figure of a man when she married him. It's dreadful to think, sir, what people come to."
"Yes, indeed. And so, I suppose, Mary, having actually heard the threats, you were not so very surprised when you learnt what had happened?"
"Oh, but I was, sir (но я была /удивлена/, сэр). You see, sir (видите ли, сэр), I never thought for one moment (я ни на минуту не думала) that he meant it (что он имел это в виду = что он говорил это всерьез; to mean — иметь в виду, подразумевать). I thought (я думала) it was just nasty talk and nothing more to it (это была просто злая болтовня и ничего больше; talk — разговор; обсуждение; болтовня). And it isn't as though auntie was afraid of him (и будто бы тетушка не боялась его). Why, I've seen him slip away like a dog with its tail between its legs (да, я видела, /как/ он убегал как собака, поджав хвост: «с хвостом между ног») when she turned on him (когда она обращала /свой гнев/ на него; to turn on — нацеливать, направлять). He was afraid of her if you like (он ее боялся, если угодно)."
"And yet she gave him money (и все же она давала ему деньги)?"
"Well, he was her husband, you see, sir (так, он был ее мужем, понимаете, сэр)."
"Yes, so you said before (да, вы уже это говорили)." He paused for a minute or two (он прервался на минуту или две). Then he said (затем он сказал). "Suppose that (представьте что), after all (в конце концов), he did not kill her (он не убивал ее)."
"Didn't kill her?" She stared (не убивал ее? — она уставилась /на него/).
nasty ['n:st], tail [tel], suppose [s'pz]
"Oh, but I was, sir. You see, sir, I never thought for one moment that he meant it. I thought it was just nasty talk and nothing more to it. And it isn't as though auntie was afraid of him. Why, I've seen him slip away like a dog with its tail between its legs when she turned on him. He was afraid of her if you like."