deduction [dI'dVkS(@)n], intuition [,Intju(:)IS(@)n], obviate ['ObvIeIt]
"Yes. But there, at the very start, I made a grave error. I permitted my feeling — my very strong feeling about the letter to remain a mere impression. I treated it as though it had been an intuition. In a well-balanced, reasoning mind them is no such thing as an intuition — an inspired guess! You can guess, of course — and a guess is either right or wrong. If it is right you call it an intuition. If it is wrong you usually do not speak of it again.
But what is often called an intuition is really impression based on logical deduction or experience. When an expert feels that there is something wrong about a picture or a piece of furniture or the signature on a cheque he is really basing that feeling on a host of small signs and details. He has no need to go into them minutely — his experience obviates that — the net result is the definite impression that something is wrong. But it is not a guess, it is an impression based on experience."
"Eh bien (ну, так), I admit (я признаю) that I did not regard that first letter (что не рассматривал то первое письмо) in the way I should (тем образом, которым мне следовало). It just made me extremely uneasy (это просто меня крайне обеспокоило: «это просто сделало меня крайне неспокойным»). The police regarded it as a hoax (полиция рассматривала это как розыгрыш). I myself took it seriously (я сам принимал это серьезно). I was convinced (я был убежден) that a murder would take place in Andover (что убийство произойдет в Эндовере) as stated (как утверждалось). As you know (как вы знаете), a murder did take place (убийство действительно произошло)."
"There was no means at that point (не было ни единой возможности на том этапе), as I well realized (как я хорошо осознавал), of knowing who the person was (узнать, кто был этот человек) who had done the deed (который совершил этот поступок). The only course open to me was to try and understand (единственный открытый для меня путь был попытаться понять) just what kind of a person had done it (просто какого типа человек = что за человек сделал это)."
"I had certain indications (у меня были некоторые указания/знаки). The letter (письмо) — the manner of the crime (способ убийства) — the person murdered (/сам/ убитый человек). What I had to discover was (что мне нужно было выяснить, было): the motive of the crime (мотив преступления), the motive of the letter (мотив письма)."
"Publicity," suggested Clarke (известность, — предложил Кларк).
"Surely an inferiority complex covers that," added Thora Gray (несомненно, комплекс неполноценности покрывает = объясняет это, — добавила Тора Грей).
means [mi:nz], course [kO:s], indication [,IndI'keIS(@)n]
"Eh bien, I admit that I did not regard that first letter in the way I should. It just made me extremely uneasy. The police regarded it as a hoax. I myself took it seriously. I was convinced that a murder would take place in Andover as stated. As you know, a murder did take place."
"There was no means at that point, as I well realized, of knowing who the person was who had done the deed. The only course open to me was to try and understand just what kind of a person had done it."
"I had certain indications. The letter — the manner of the crime — the person murdered. What I had to discover was: the motive of the crime, the motive of the letter."
"Publicity," suggested Clarke.
"Surely an inferiority complex covers that," added Thora Gray.
"That was (это был), of course (конечно), the obvious line to take (очевидный путь, /чтобы его/ придерживаться). But why me (но почему я)? Why Hercule Poirot? Greater publicity could be ensured by sending the letters to Scotland Yard (если отправить письма в Скотланд-Ярд, можно было бы добиться большей известности: «бóльшая известность могла быть обеспечена отправлением писем в Скотланд-Ярд»). More again by sending them to a newspaper (еще бóльшая, если отправить их в газету). A newspaper might not print the first letter (газета, вероятно, не напечатала бы первое письмо), but by the time the second crime took place (но к тому моменту, когда произошло второе преступление), A.B.C. could have been assured of all the publicity (Эй-би-си мог бы быть уверен во всей известности) the press could give (которую пресса могла дать). Why, then, Hercule Poirot? Was it for some personal reason (было это по какой-то личной причине)? There was (было), discernible in the letter (заметное в письме), a slight anti-foreign bias (легкое предубеждение против иностранцев; bias — наклон; предубеждение) — but not enough to explain the matter to my satisfaction (но недостаточное, чтобы объяснить дело, /чтобы/ я был удовлетворен: «до моего удовлетворения» = удовлетворительно в моих глазах)."
ensure [In' [email protected]], discernible [dI' [email protected]: [email protected]], anti-foreign ['&ntI'fOrIn]
"That was, of course, the obvious line to take. But why me? Why Hercule Poirot? Greater publicity could be ensured by sending the letters to Scotland Yard. More again by sending them to a newspaper. A newspaper might not print the first letter, but by the time the second crime took place, A.B.C. could have been assured of all the publicity the press could give. Why, then, Hercule Poirot? Was it for some personal reason? There was, discernible in the letter, a slight anti-foreign bias — but not enough to explain the matter to my satisfaction."
"Then the second letter arrived (затем прибыло второе письмо) — and was followed by the murder of Betty Barnard at Bexhill (и /за ним/ последовало убийство Бетти Барнард в Бексхилле). It became clear now (тут стало ясным) (what I had already suspected (что я уже подозревал)) that the murders were to proceed in an alphabetical plan (что убийства должны были следовать в алфавитном порядке), but that fact (но тот факт), which seemed final to most people (который казался окончательным для большинства людей), left the main question unaltered (оставлял главный вопрос неизменным; to alter — изменять) to my mind (для моего ума). Why did A.B.C. need to commit these murders (зачем Эй-би-си было необходимо совершать эти преступления)?"
Megan Barnard stirred in her chair (Меган Барнард заерзала на своем стуле; to stir — шевелиться; двигаться). "Isn't there such a thing as (нет ли такой вещи как) — as a blood lust?" she said (как жажда крови?).
follow [' [email protected]], stir [ [email protected]:], unaltered ['Vn'O: [email protected]]
"Then the second letter arrived — and was followed by the murder of Betty Barnard at Bexhill. It became clear now (what I had already suspected) that the murders were to proceed in an alphabetical plan, but that fact, which seemed final to most people, left the main question unaltered to my mind. Why did A.B.C. need to commit these murders?"
Megan Barnard stirred in her chair. "Isn't them such a thing as — as a blood lust?" she said.
Poirot turned to her (Пуаро повернулся к ней). "You are quite right, mademoiselle (вы совершенно правы, мадемуазель). There is such a thing (такое существует). The lust to kill (жажда убивать). But that did not quite fit the facts of the case (но это не совсем подходит под обстоятельства дела). A homicidal maniac (маньяк-убийца) who desires to kill (который желает убивать) usually desires to kill as many victims as possible (обычно желает убить как можно больше жертв: «так много жертв, как возможно»). It is a recurring craving (это повторяющееся стремление; craving — страстное желание, стремление; to crave — страстно желать, жаждать; to recur — снова приходить на ум; повторяться). The great idea of such a killer is to hide his tracks (главная мысль такого убийцы — это спрятать свои следы) — not to advertise them (не рекламировать их). When we consider (когда мы считаем) the four victims selected (что четыре жертвы выбраны) — or at any rate three of them (или, по крайней мере, три из них) (for I know very little of Mr. Downes or Mr. Earlsfield (так как я знаю очень мало о мистере Даунсе или мистере Эрлсфильде)), we realize (мы понимаем) that if he had chosen (что если он выбрал), the murderer could have done away with them without incurring any suspicion (убийца мог бы покончить с ними, не навлекая на себя какое-либо подозрение: «без навлечения на себя какого-либо подозрения»; to incur — подвергаться; навлекать на себя)."
recurring [rI' [email protected]:rIN], craving ['kreIvIN], incur [In' [email protected]:]
Poirot turned to her. "You are quite right, mademoiselle. There is such a thing. The lust to kill. But that did not quite fit the facts of the case. A homicidal maniac who desires to kill usually desires to kill as many victims as possible. It is a recurring craving. The great idea of such a killer is to hide his tracks — not to advertise them. When we consider the four victims selected — or at any rate three of them (for I know very little of Mr. Downes or Mr. Earlsfield), we realize that if he had chosen, the murderer could have done away with them without incurring any suspicion."
"Franz Ascher (Франц Эшер), Donald Fraser (Дональд Фрейзер) or Megan Barnard (или Меган Баранрд), possibly Mr. Clarke (возможно, мистер Кларк) — those are the people (это те люди) the police would have suspected (которых заподозрила бы полиция) even if they had been unable to get direct proof (даже если бы она /полиция/ была не в состоянии получить прямые доказательства). An unknown homicidal murderer would not have been thought of (о неизвестном маньяке-убийце не подумали бы = никто бы и не подумал)! Why, then (почему же тогда), did the murderer feel it necessary to call attention to himself (убийца чувствует необходимым привлечь внимание к себе)? Was it the necessity of leaving on each body a copy of an A.B.C. railway guide (было ли необходимо оставлять на каждом теле копию железнодорожного справочника «Эй-би-си»)? Was that the compulsion (было ли это принуждением; compulsion — принуждение, насилие)?"
unable ['Vn'eIbl], proof [pru:f], compulsion [ [email protected]'pVlS(@)n]
"Franz Ascher, Donald Fraser or Megan Barnard, possibly Mr. Clarke — those are the people the police would have suspected even if they had been unable to get direct proof. An unknown homicidal murderer would not have been thought of! Why, then, did the murderer feel it necessary to call attention to himself? Was it the necessity of leaving on each body a copy of an A.B.C. railway guide? Was that the compulsion?"
"Was there some complex connected with the railway guide (был ли тут комплекс, связанный с железнодорожным справочником)?"
"I found it quite inconceivable at this point to enter into the mind of the murderer (я нахожу совершенно немыслимым на этом этапе проникнуть в ход мыслей убийцы: «зайти в ум убийцы»; conceivable — мыслимый, постижимый; вероятный, возможный, потенциальный; to conceive — полагать, размышлять; постигать; представлять себе). Surely it could not be magnanimity (конечно, это не могло быть великодушие = не могло же это быть великодушие)? A horror of responsibility for the crime being fastened on an innocent person (ужас ответственности за убийство, возложенный на невиновного человека)?"
