Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийство в Восточном Экспрессе

Christie Agatha

question ['kwestn] affirmative ['f:mtv] ascertain [aes'ten]

“Does question No. 6 deal with it?” asked the doctor. “To that question — Was the murder committed at that time, 1.15? — I answer No.”

“I agree,” said M. Bouc. “’Was it earlier?’ is the next question. I say — Yes! You, too, doctor?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, but the question ‘Was it later?’ can also be answered in the affirmative. I agree with your theory, M. Bouc, and so, I think, does M. Poirot, although he does not wish to commit himself. The First Murderer came earlier than 1. 15, but the Second Murderer came after 1.15. And as regards the question of left-handedness, ought we not to take steps to ascertain which of the passengers is left-handed?”

“I have not completely neglected that point (я

не /полностью/ упустил этот момент; to neglect — пренебрегать /чем-либо/; упускать, забывать),” said Poirot. “You may have noticed that I made each passenger write either a signature or an address (вы, наверное, заметили, что я заставил каждого пассажира либо поставить: «написать» подпись, либо /написать/ адрес). That is not conclusive (этого мало для окончательных заключений: «это не окончательно»; conclusive — заключительный; решающий, окончательный), because some people do certain actions with the right hand and others with the left (потому что некоторые люди выполняют определенные действия правой рукой, а другие — левой). Some write right-handed (некоторые пишут правой рукой), but play golf left-handed (но играют в гольф левой рукой). Still, it is something (и все же, это кое-что). Every person questioned took the pen in his or her right hand (каждый опрошенный /человек/ брал ручку в правую руку: «в его или ее правую руку») — with the exception of Princess Dragomiroff, who refused to write (за исключением княгини Драгомировой, которая отказалась писать).”

“Princess Dragomiroff — impossible (княгиня Драгомирова — /это/ невозможно),” said M. Bouc.

neglected [n'lektd] signature ['snt] conclusive [kn'klu:sv]

“I have not completely neglected that point,” said Poirot. “You may have noticed that I made each passenger write either a signature or an address. That is not conclusive, because some people do certain actions with the right hand and others with the left. Some write right-handed, but play golf left-handed. Still, it is something. Every person questioned took the pen in his or her right hand — with the exception of Princess Dragomiroff, who refused to write.”

“Princess Dragomiroff — impossible,” said M. Bouc.

“I doubt if she would have had the strength to inflict that left-handed blow (я сомневаюсь, чтобы у нее была такая сила, чтобы нанести тот удар левой рукой),” said Dr. Constantine dubiously (с сомнением сказал доктор Константин). ‘That particular wound had been inflicted with considerable force (именно та рана была нанесена со значительной силой; particular — особый, особенный).”

“More force than a woman could use (с большей силой, чем могла бы применить женщина)?”

“No, I would not say that (нет, этого я бы не сказал). But I think more force than an elderly woman could display (но я думаю, с большей силой, чем могла бы проявить пожилая женщина; to display — показывать, демонстрировать; проявлять), and Princess Dragomiroff’s physique is particularly frail (а телосложение княгини Драгомировой особенно хрупкое).”

“It might be a question (а, может быть, все дело; question — вопрос; проблема, дело, обсуждаемый вопрос) of the influence of mind over body (во влиянии души на тело; mind — ум, разум; дух, душа),” said Poirot. “Princess Dragomiroff has great personality (княгиня Драгомирова — выдающаяся личность; great —

большой, огромный; великий) and immense will-power (и обладает колоссальной силой воли; will — воля, сила воли; power — сила, мощь). But let us pass from that for the moment (но давайте перейдем /от этого/ в данный момент = пока; to pass — идти, проходить; отходить, уклоняться).”

dubiously ['dju:bsl] particular [p'tkjl] inflict [n'flkt] considerable [kn'sdrbl] physique [f'zi:k] influence ['nflns]

“I doubt if she would have had the strength to inflict that left-handed blow,” said Dr. Constantine dubiously. ‘That particular wound had been inflicted with considerable force.”

“More force than a woman could use?”

“No, I would not say that. But I think more force than an elderly woman could display, and Princess Dragomiroff’s physique is particularly frail.”

“It might be a question of the influence of mind over body,” said Poirot. “Princess Dragomiroff has great personality and immense will-power. But let us pass from that for the moment.”

“To questions Nos. 9 and 10 (к вопросам 9 и 10)? Can we be sure that Ratchett was stabbed by more than one person (можем ли мы быть уверены, что Рэтчетт был заколот более чем одним человеком = не одним, а несколькими людьми), and what other explanation of the wounds can there be (и как еще можно объяснить раны)? In my opinion, medically speaking (по моему мнению, говоря с медицинской точки зрения), there can be no other explanation of those wounds (не может быть никакого другого объяснения этих ранений). To suggest that one man struck first feebly (предположить, что один /и тот же/ человек сначала ударил слабо; to strike (struck; stricken) — ударять, бить) and then with violence (а затем с силой; violence — насилие, принуждение; сила, неистовство, ярость), first with the right hand and then with the left (сначала правой рукой, а затем левой), and after an interval of perhaps half an hour inflicted fresh wounds on a dead body (с интервалом, возможно, в полчаса наносил новые раны по мертвому телу) — well, it does not make sense (что ж, это лишено всякого смысла; to make sense — иметь смысл).”

“No,” said Poirot. “It does not make sense (лишено, — сказал Пуаро). And you think that two murderers do make sense (а вы думаете, что двое убийц имеют смысл)?”

wound [wu:nd] medically ['medkl] violence ['valns] interval ['ntvl]

“To questions Nos. 9 and 10? Can we be sure that Ratchett was stabbed by more than one person, and what other explanation of the wounds can there be? In my opinion, medically speaking, there can be no other explanation of those wounds. To suggest that one man struck first feebly and then with violence, first with the right hand and then with the left, and after an interval of perhaps half an hour inflicted fresh wounds on a dead body — well, it does not make sense.”

“No,” said Poirot. “It does not make sense. And you think that two murderers do make sense?”

“As you yourself have said, what other explanation can there be (как вы же сами сказали, какое еще объяснение может быть)?”

Poirot stared straight ahead of him (Пуаро уставился прямо перед собой). “That is what I ask myself (именно об этом я себя и спрашиваю),” he said. “That is what I never cease to ask myself (именно об этом я не перестаю себя спрашивать; never — никогда; to cease — прекращать, останавливать).”