"I know the kind of thing you mean — anonymous letters they call them — mostly full of words you'd blush to say out loud. Well, I don't know, I'm sure, if Franz Ascher ever took to writing those. Mrs. Ascher never let on to me if he did. What's that? A railway guide, an A.B.C.? No, I never saw such a thing about — and I'm sure if Mrs. Ascher had been sent one I'd have heard about it. I declare you could have knocked me down with a feather when I heard about this whole business.
It was my girl Edie what came to me. 'Mum,' she says, 'there's ever so many policemen next door.' Gave me quite a turn, it did. 'Well,' I said, when I heard about it, 'it does show that she ought never to have been alone in the house — that niece of hers ought to have been with her. A man in drink can be like a ravening wolf,' I said, 'and in my opinion a wild beast is neither more nor less than what that old devil of a husband of hers is.
I've warned her,' I said, 'many times and now my words have come true. He'll do for you,' I said. And he has done for her! You can't rightly estimate what a man will do when he's in drink and this murder's a proof of it."
She wound up with a deep gasp (она закончила с глубоким вздохом: «с глубоким удушьем»; to wind up — сматывать; заводить; кончаться).
"Nobody saw this man Ascher go into the shop, I believe?'' said Poirot (никто /не/ видел, как этот человек Эшер заходит в магазин, я полагаю; to believe — верить; полагать, считать).
Mrs. Fowler sniffed scornfully (миссис Фаулер презрительно фыркнула; scorn — презрение, пренебрежение; насмешка). "Naturally he wasn't going to show himself," she said (естественно, он не собирался показываться).
How Mr. Ascher had got there without showing himself (как мистер Эшер попал туда, не показавшись) she did not deign to explain (она не соизволила объяснить; to deign — снизойти; соблаговолить).
She agreed (она согласилась) that there was no back way into the house (что там не было черного хода в дом: «заднего хода в дом») and that Ascher was quite well known by sight in the district (и что мистер Эшер был довольно известен внешне в районе; sight — вид).
"But he didn't want to swing for it (ну, он не хотел, чтобы его за это повесили: «но он не хотел быть повешенным за это»; to swing — качаться; вешать, разг. быть повешенным) and he kept himself well hid (и он хорошо скрывался: «держал себя хорошо спрятанным»; to keep — держать; хранить; to hide — прятаться; укрываться)."
scornfully [ˈskɔ:nfʋlɪ], deign [deɪn], swing [swɪŋ]
She wound up with a deep gasp.
"Nobody saw this man Ascher go into the shop, I believe?'' said Poirot.
Mrs. Fowler sniffed scornfully. "Naturally he wasn't going to show himself," she said.
How Mr. Ascher had got there without showing himself she did not deign to explain.
She agreed that there was no back way into the house and that Ascher was quite well known by sight in the district.
"But he didn't want to swing for it and he kept himself well hid."
Poirot kept the conversational ball rolling some little time longer (Пуаро поддерживал нить разговора еще некоторое время: «мяч разговора катящимся немного время дольше») but when it seemed certain (но когда оказалось точным) that Mrs. Fowler had told all (что миссис Фаулер рассказала все; to tell — рассказывать) that she knew (что она знала) not once but many times over (не единожды, а на несколько раз), he terminated the interview (он закончил беседу; to terminate — ставить предел; завершать), first paying out the promised sum (сперва выплатив обещанную сумму).
"Rather a dear five pounds' worth, Poirot (пожалуй, переплатили пять фунтов: «пожалуй, дорого для пяти фунтовой стоимости», Пуаро)," I ventured to remark (я рискнул заметить; to venture — рисковать; осмелиться) when we were once more in the street (когда мы снова были на улице).
"So far, yes (пока, да)."
"You think (вы думаете) she knows more (она знает больше) than she has told (чем она рассказала; to tell)?"
longer [ˈlɔŋɡǝ], sum [sʌm], venture [ˈventʃǝ]
Poirot kept the conversational ball rolling some little time longer but when it seemed certain that Mrs. Fowler had told all that she knew not once but many times over, he terminated the interview, first paying out the promised sum.
"Rather a dear five pounds' worth, Poirot," I ventured to remark when we were once more in the street.
"So far, yes."
"You think she knows more than she has told?"
"My friend (друг мой), we are in the peculiar position (мы находимся с вами в особенном положении) of not knowing what questions to ask (не зная, какие вопросы задавать). We are like little children playing Cache Cache in the dark (мы как маленькие дети, играющие в салки в темноте). We stretch out our hands (мы вытягиваем руки) and grope about (и передвигаемся на ощупь). Mrs. Fowler has told us all (миссис Фаулер сказала нам все) that she thinks (что /как/ она думает) she knows (она знает) — and has thrown in several conjectures for good measure (и подкинула несколько предположений для хорошего счета; to throw — кидать, бросать; measure — мера)! In the future (в будущем), however (однако), her evidence may be useful (ее показания могут быть полезными). It is for the future that I have invested that sum of five pounds (это в будущее я вложил сумму в пять фунтов; to invest — инвестировать, вкладывать)."
I did not quite understand the point (я не совсем понял смысл), but at this moment (но в этот момент) we ran into Inspector Glen (мы натолкнулись на инспектора Глена; to run into — налетать, наталкиваться).
сache [kæʃ], measure [ˈmeʒǝ], evidence [ˈevɪdǝns]
"My friend, we are in the peculiar position of not knowing what questions to ask. We are like little children playing Cache Cache in the dark. We stretch out our hands and grope about. Mrs. Fowler has told us all that she thinks she knows — and has thrown in several conjectures for good measure! In the future, however, her evidence may be useful. It is for the future that I have invested that sum of five pounds."
I did not quite understand the point, but at this moment we ran into Inspector Glen.
VII. Mr. Partridge and Mr. Riddell
(мистер Партридж и мистер Риддел)
Inspector Glen was looking rather gloomy (инспектор Глен выглядел довольно мрачным). He had, I gathered (он, как я понял; to gather — собираться; делать вывод), spent the afternoon (провел день; to spend — проводить) trying to get a complete list of persons (пытаясь получить полный список лиц) who had been noticed entering the tobacco shop (которые были замечены входящими в табачный магазин).
"And nobody has seen anyone?" Poirot inquired (и никто никого /не/ видел? — осведомился Пуаро).
"Oh, yes (о, да), they have (они /видели/). Three tall men with furtive expressions (трех высоких людей с вороватым выражением /лица/; furtive — хитрый; вороватый) four short men with black moustaches (четырех невысоких мужчин с черными усами) — two beards (двух бородатых: «две бороды») — three fat men (трех толстых людей) — all strangers (все незнакомцы) — and all (и все), if I'm to believe witnesses (если я должен верить свидетелям), with sinister expressions (со зловещими выражениями /лиц/)! I wonder (мне интересно, /почему/) somebody didn't see a gang of masked men with revolvers (кто-нибудь не увидел банду людей в масках с револьверами) while they were about it (пока они были поблизости; to be about)!"
Poirot smiled sympathetically (Пуаро сочувственно улыбнулся; sympathy — сочувствие; симпатия). "Does anybody claim to have seen the man Ascher (кто-нибудь заявил, что видел этого человека, Эшера)?"
furtive [ˈfǝ:tɪv], sinister [ˈsɪnɪstǝ], sympathetically [ˌsɪmpǝˈƟetɪkǝlɪ]
Inspector Glen was looking rather gloomy. He had, I gathered, spent the afternoon trying to get a complete list of persons who had been noticed entering the tobacco shop.
"And nobody has seen anyone?" Poirot inquired.
"Oh, yes, they have. Three tall men with furtive expressions four short men with black moustaches — two beards — three fat men — all strangers — and all, if I'm to believe witnesses, with sinister expressions! I wonder somebody didn't see a gang of masked men with revolvers while they were about it!"
Poirot smiled sympathetically. "Does anybody claim to have seen the man Ascher?"
"No, they don't (нет, никто). And that's another point in his favour (и это еще одно очко в его пользу). I've just told the Chief Constable (я только что сказал начальнику полиции: «главному констеблю») that I think (что я думаю) this is a job for Scotland Yard (это работа для Скотланд-Ярда). I don't believe (я не верю) it's a local crime (что это преступление местного /значения/)."
Poirot said gravely (Пуаро серьезно сказал): "I agree with you (я согласен с вами)."
The inspector said: "You know, Monsieur Poirot (вы знаете, мсье Пуаро), it's a nasty business (это отвратительное дело) — a nasty business). I don't like it (мне оно не нравится)."
We had two more interviews (мы провели еще две беседы) before returning to London (прежде чем вернулись в Лондон).
The first was with Mr. James Partridge (первая была с мистером Партриджем). Mr. Partridge was the last person known (мистер Партридж был последним человеком /кто, как/ известно) to have seen Mrs. Ascher alive (видел миссис Эшер живой). He had made a purchase from her at 5:30 (он сделал у нее покупку в половине шестого).
constable [ˈkʌnstǝbl], job [ʤɔb], alive [ǝˈlaɪv]
"No, they don't. And that's another point in his favour. I've just told the Chief Constable that I think this is a job for Scotland Yard. I don't believe it's a local crime."
Poirot said gravely: "I agree with you."
The inspector said: "You know, Monsieur Poirot, it's a nasty business — a nasty business. I don't like it."
We had two more interviews before returning to London.
The first was with Mr. James Partridge. Mr. Partridge was the last person known to have seen Mrs. Ascher alive. He had made a purchase from her at 5:30.
Mr. Partridge was a small (мистер Партридж был маленький), spare man (скромный человек; spare — запасной; скромный; худощавый), a bank clerk by profession (банковский клерк по профессии). He wore pince-nez (он носил пенсне), was very dry (был очень сухощавый; dry — сухой; сдержанный) and spare-looking (и худощавый) and extremely precise in all his utterances (и крайне точный в своих выражениях). He lived in a small house (он жил в маленьком доме) as neat and trim as himself (таком же опрятном и аккуратном, как он сам).
