"What's that (что это)?"
humble [hVmbl], volume ['vOljum], puff [pVf]
The girl sat down on the edge of the kitchen table. She felt in her bag for a cigarette. She placed it between her lips, lighted it, and then said in between two puffs of smoke: "Somehow, I don't see what M. Hercule Poirot is doing in our humble little crime."
"Mademoiselle," said Poirot, "what you do not see and what I do not see would probably fill a volume. But all that is of no practical importance. What is of practical importance is something that will not be easy to find."
"What's that?"
"Death, mademoiselle (смерть, мадемуазель), unfortunately creates a prejudice (к сожалению, создает предубеждение). A prejudice in favour of the deceased (предубеждение в пользу покойного). I heard what you said just now to my friend Hastings (я слышал, что вы сказали прямо сейчас моему другу Гастингсу). 'A nice bright girl with no men friends (милая, умная девушка без друзей-мужчин).' You said that in mockery of the newspapers (вы сказали это в насмешку газетам; to mock — насмехаться; издеваться), And it is very true (и это настоящая правда) — when a young girl is dead (когда молодая девушка мертва), that is the kind of thing that is said (это то, что обычно говорят: «это тип вещи, который говорят»). She was bright (она была умной). She was happy (она была счастливой). She was sweet-tempered (у нее был славный характер). She had not a care in the world (у нее не было никаких забот: «забот в мире»). She had no undesirable acquaintances (у нее не было нежелательных знакомств; to desire — желать).
There is a great charity always to the dead (это всегда большая милость к умершим; charity — милость; благотворительность). Do you know what I should like this minute (вы знаете, чего бы мне хотелась в данную минуту)? I should like to find someone who knew Elizabeth Barnard (я хотел бы найти кого-нибудь, кто знал Элизабет Барнард) and who does not know she is dead (и кто не знает, что она мертва). Then, perhaps (тогда, возможно), I should hear what is useful to me (я услышу /то/, что полезно для меня) — the truth (правду)."
Megan Barnard looked at him for a few minutes in silence (Меган Барнард смотрела на него несколько минут в молчании) whilst she smoked (пока она курила). Then, at last, she spoke (затем, в конце концов, она заговорила). Her words made me jump (ее слова заставили меня подскочить).
"Betty," she said, "was an unmitigated little ass (была полной дурой: «была абсолютным маленьким ослом»; unmitigated — несмягченный; абсолютный, явный; to mitigate — уменьшать, ослабевать)!"
charity ['tS&rItI], prejudice ['predZUdIs], unmitigated [Vn'mItIgeItId]
"Death, mademoiselle, unfortunately creates a prejudice. A prejudice in favour of the deceased. I heard what you said just now to my friend Hastings. 'A nice bright girl with no men friends.' You said that in mockery of the newspapers, And it is very true — when a young girl is dead, that is the kind of thing that is said. She was bright. She was happy. She was sweet-tempered. She had not a care in the world. She had no undesirable acquaintances.
There is a great charity always to the dead. Do you know what I should like this minute? I should like to find someone who knew Elizabeth Barnard and who does not know she is dead. Then, perhaps, I should hear what is useful to me — the truth."
Megan Barnard looked at him for a few minutes in silence whilst she smoked. Then, at last, she spoke. Her words made me jump.
"Betty," she said, "was an unmitigated little ass!"
As I said (как я сказал), Megan Barnard's words (слова Меган Барнард), and still more the crisp businesslike tone (и более того, твердый деловой тон; crisp — завитой; жесткий; резкий) in which they were uttered (которым они были произнесены), made me jump (заставили меня подскочить).
Poirot, however (Пуаро, однако), merely bowed his head gravely (просто серьезно склонил голову). "A la bonne heure," he said (фр. вот и прекрасно: «в добрый час»). "You are intelligent, mademoiselle (вы умны, мадемуазель)."
Megan Barnard said, still in the same detached tone (все еще тем же отстраненным тоном): "I was extremely fond of Betty (я чрезвычайно любила Бетти). But my fondness didn't blind me (но моя любовь не ослепляла меня) from seeing exactly the kind of silly little fool she was (от того, чтобы отлично видеть, какой глупой маленькой дурочкой она была: «от отличного видения, /какого/ типа глупой маленькой дурочкой она была») — and even telling her so upon occasion (и даже говорила ей это по случаю)! Sisters are like that (сестры таковы)."
intelligent [In' [email protected]], detached [dI't&tSt], fondness [' [email protected]]
As I said, Megan Barnard's words, and still more the crisp businesslike tone in which they were uttered, made me jump.
Poirot, however, merely bowed his head gravely. "A la bonne heure," he said. "You are intelligent, mademoiselle."
Megan Barnard said, still in the same detached tone: "I was extremely fond of Betty. But my fondness didn't blind me from seeing exactly the kind of silly little fool she was — and even telling her so upon occasion! Sisters are like that."
"And did she pay any attention to your advice (а она обращала какое-нибудь внимание на ваши советы)?"
"Probably not," said Megan cynically (вероятно, нет, — сказала Меган цинично).
"Will you, mademoiselle, be precise (вы, мадемуазель, /не/ будете ли /более/ точны)."
The girl hesitated for a minute or two (девушка колебалась минуту или две).
advice [@d'vaIs], cynically [' [email protected]], hesitate ['hezIteIt]
"And did she pay any attention to your advice?"
"Probably not," said Megan cynically.
"Will you, mademoiselle, be precise."
The girl hesitated for a minute or two.
Poirot said with a slight smile (Пуаро сказал с легкой улыбкой): "I will help you (я помогу вам). I heard what you said to Hastings (я слышал, что вы сказали Гастингсу). That your sister was a bright, happy girl with no men friends (что ваша сестра была умной, счастливой девушкой без друзей-мужчин). It was (это было) — un peu (фр. немного) — the opposite that was true (противоположным тому, что было правдой), was it not, (разве нет)?"
Megan said slowly (Меган медленно сказала): "There wasn't any harm in Betty (Бетти была безвредна: «в Бетти не было вреда»). I want you to understand that (я хочу, чтобы вы это поняли). She'd always go straight (она всегда шла прямо). She's not the week-ending kind (она не была /девушкой/ на выходные). Nothing of that sort (ничего подобного). But she liked being taken out and dancing and (она любила, когда ее выводили и /с ней/ танцевали, и) — oh, cheap flattery (о, дешевую лесть; to flatter — льстить) and compliments (и комплименты) and all that sort of thing (и все такое)."
"And she was pretty (а она была хорошенькой) — yes?"
This question (этот вопрос), the third time I had heard it (в третий раз я слышал его), met this time with a practical response (в этот раз получил конкретный ответ: «встретил в этот раз практический ответ»).
harm [hA:m], straight [streIt], response [rIs'pOns]
Poirot said with a slight smile: "I will help you. I heard what you said to Hastings. That your sister was a bright, happy girl with no men friends. It was — un peu — the opposite that was true, was it not?"
Megan said slowly: "There wasn't any harm in Betty. I want you to understand that. She'd always go straight. She's not the week-ending kind. Nothing of that sort. But she liked being taken out and dancing and — oh, cheap flattery and compliments and all that sort of thing."
"And she was pretty — yes?"
This question, the third time I had heard it, met this time with a practical response.
Megan slipped off the table (Меган соскользнула со стола), went to her suitcase (подошла к чемодану), snapped it open (щелчком открыла его; to snap — щелкать, лязгать, хлопать) and extracted something (и вытянула нечто) which she handed to Poirot (что она протянула Пуаро).
In a leather frame was a head and shoulders of a fair-haired (в кожаной рамке был бюст светловолосой: «были голова и плечи светловолосой»), smiling girl (улыбающейся девушки). Her hair had evidently recently been permed (ее волосы явно были недавно завиты; perm — химическая завивка); it stood out from her head in mass of rather frizzy curls (они поднимались на ее голове массой вьющихся завитков). The smile was arch and artificial (улыбка была игривая и искусственная; arch — дуга; свод; arch — игривый, лукавый).
It was certainly not a face (это, конечно, не было лицо) that you could call beautiful (которое вы могли бы назвать красивым), but it had an obvious and cheap prettiness (но оно имело явную и дешевую привлекательность).
Poirot handed it back (Пуаро протянул его назад), saying (говоря): "You and she do not resemble each other, mademoiselle (вы и она не похожи друг на друга, мадемуазель)."
perm [ [email protected]:m], frizzy ['frIzI], resemble [rI'zembl]
Megan slipped off the table, went to her suitcase, snapped it open and extracted something which she handed to Poirot.
In a leather frame was a head and shoulders of a fair-haired, smiling girl. Her hair had evidently recently been permed; it stood out from her head in mass of rather frizzy curls. The smile was arch and artificial.
It was certainly not a face that you could call beautiful, but it had an obvious and cheap prettiness.
Poirot handed it back, saying: "You and she do not resemble each other, mademoiselle."
"Oh, I'm the plain one of the family (о, я в семье дурнушка: «я некрасивая из семьи»). I've always known that (я всегда знала это)." She seemed to brush aside the fact as unimportant (она, казалось, отмела этот факт, как незначительный; important — важный).
"So, in what way exactly do you consider (так, каким точно образом вы считаете) your sister was behaving foolishly (что ваша сестра вела себя глупо)? Do you mean, perhaps (вы, вероятно, имеете в виду), in relation to Mr. Donald Fraser (в отношениях с мистером Дональдом Фрейзером)?"
"That's it (именно так), exactly (точно). Don's a very quiet sort of person (Дон очень тихий человек: «Дон очень тихий тип человека») — but he (но он) — well, naturally he'd resent certain things (ну, он, естественно, возмущается некоторым вещам) — and then (и потом) —"
