He just glanced at the railway guide on the table and then left the room, suitcase in hand.
Setting it down in the hall, he put on his hat and overcoat. As he did so he sighed deeply, so deeply that the girl who came out from a room at the side looked at him in concern.
"Anything the matter, Mr. Cust (что-нибудь случилось, мистер Каст)?"
"Nothing, Miss Lily (ничего, мисс Лили)."
"You were sighing so (вы так вздыхали)!"
Mr. Cust said abruptly (мистер Каст резко сказал): "Are you at all subject to premonitions, Miss Lily (вы вообще подвержены предчувствиям, мисс Лили; subject — зависимый, подвластный; подверженный /чему-л./)?''
"Well (ну), I don't know that I am (я не знаю, что я), really (действительно) … Of course (конечно), there are days (там есть дни) when you just feel everything's going wrong (когда вы чувствуете, что все идет неправильно), and days (и дни) when you feel everything's going right (когда вы чувствуете, что все идет хорошо)."
"Quite," said Mr. Cust (точно). He sighed again (он опять вздохнул).
"Well, goodbye, Miss Lily (так, прощайте, мисс Лили). Goodbye (прощайте). I'm sure you've been very kind to me always here (я уверен = определенно, вы всегда были добры ко мне здесь)."
sighing [ˈsaɪɪŋ], premonition [ˌpri:mǝˈnɪʃn], goodbye [ɡʋdˈbaɪ]
"Anything the matter, Mr. Cust?"
"Nothing, Miss Lily."
"You were sighing so!"
Mr. Cust said abruptly: "Are you at all subject to premonitions, Miss Lily? To presentiments?''
"Well, I don't know that I am, really … Of course, there are days when you just feel everything's going wrong, and days when you feel everything's going right."
"Quite," said Mr. Cust. He sighed again.
"Well, goodbye, Miss Lily. Goodbye. I'm sure you've been very kind to me always here."
"Well, don't say goodbye (ну, не говорите «прощайте») as though you were going away for ever," laughed Lily (как будто вы уезжаете навсегда, — засмеялась Лили).
"No, no, of course not (конечно, нет)."
"See you Friday," laughed the girl (увидимся /в/ пятницу, — засмеялась девушка). "Where are you going this time (куда вы едите в этот раз)? Seaside again (снова на побережье)?"
"No, no — er — Cheltenham."
"Well, that's nice, too (ну, это тоже хорошо). But not quite as nice as Torquay (но не такое хорошее, как Торки). That must have been lovely (это, должно быть, было чудесно). I want to go there for my holiday next year (я хочу поехать туда на каникулы на будущий год). By the way (кстати), you must have been quite near (вы, должно быть, были совсем рядом) where the murder was (где было убийство) — the A.B.C. murder (убийство /совершенное/ Эй-би-си). It happened while you were down there (это случилось, пока вы были там), didn't it (не так ли)?"
Friday [ˈfraɪdɪ], seaside [ˈsi:saɪd], lovely [ˈlʌvlɪ]
"Well, don't say goodbye as though you were going away for ever," laughed Lily.
"No, no, of course not."
"See you Friday," laughed the girl. "Where are you going this time? Seaside again?"
"No, no — er — Cheltenham."
"Well, that's nice, too. But not quite as nice as Torquay. That must have been lovely. I want to go there for my holiday next year. By the way, you must have been quite near where the murder was — the A.B.C. murder. It happened while you were down there, didn't it?"
"Er — yes. But Churston's six or seven miles away (но Черстон в шести или семи милях оттуда)."
"All the same (все равно), it must have been exciting (это, должно быть, было волнующе)! Why, you may have passed the murderer in the street (ведь вы, возможно, прошли мимо убийцы на улице)! You may have been quite near to him (вы, возможно, были совсем рядом с ним)!"
"Yes, I may (да, я, возможно /был/), of course (конечно)," said Mr. Cust with such a ghastly and contorted smile (с такой жуткой и перекошенной улыбкой; to contort — скручивать, сгибать; перекашивать) that Lily Marbury noticed it (что Лили Марбери заметила это).
"Oh, Mr. Cust, you don't look well (о, мистер Каст, вы не очень хорошо выглядите)."
"I'm quite all right (я вполне в порядке), quite all right. Goodbye, Miss Marbury (прощайте, мисс Марбери)."
smile [smaɪl], contort [kǝnˈtɔ:t], right [raɪt]
"Er — yes. But Churston's six or seven miles away."
"All the same, it must have been exciting! Why, you may have passed the murderer in the street! You may have been quite near to him!"
"Yes, I may, of course," said Mr. Cust with such a ghastly and contorted smile that Lily Marbury noticed it.
"Oh, Mr. Cust, you don't look well."
"I'm quite all right, quite all right. Goodbye, Miss Marbury."
He fumbled to raise his hat (он повозился, чтобы приподнять шляпу; to fumble — нащупывать; теребить), caught up his suitcase (подхватил свой чемодан) and fairly hastened out of the front door (и прямо поспешил к парадной двери; fairly — четко, ясно, отчетливо, явно).
"Funny old thing," said Lily Marbury indulgently (смешной старик: «смешная старая вещь», — сказала Лили Марбери снисходительно). "Looks half batty to my mind (по-моему, выглядит полусумасшедшим; bat — летучая мышь)."
Inspector Crome said to his subordinate (инспектор Кроум сказал своему подчиненному): "Get me out a list of all stocking manufacturing firms (достаньте мне список всех фирм чулочных производителей) and circularise them (и разошлите им циркуляры). I want a list of all their agents (мне нужен список всех их агентов), you know (вы знаете), fellows who sell on commission (парней, которые торгуют по комиссии) and tout for orders (и докучают с заказами; to tout — разг. навязывать товар; докучать)."
"This the A.B.C. case, sir (это случай Эй-би-си, сэр)?"
hasten [ˈheɪs(ǝ)n], indulgently [ɪnˈdʌlʤentlɪ], circularise [ˈsǝ:kjǝl(ǝ)raɪz]
He fumbled to raise his hat, caught up his suitcase and fairly hastened out of the front door.
"Funny old thing," said Lily Marbury indulgently. "Looks half batty to my mind."
Inspector Crome said to his subordinate: "Get me out a list of all stocking manufacturing firms and circularise them. I want a list of all their agents, you know, fellows who sell on commission and tout for orders."
"This the A.B.C. case, sir?"
"Yes. One of Mr. Hercule Poirot's ideas (одна из идей мистера Эркюля Пуаро)." The inspector's tone was disdainful (тон инспектора был пренебрежительным; disdain — презрение, пренебрежение). "Probably nothing in it (вероятно, ничего в этом /нет/), but it doesn't do to neglect any chance (но не годится пренебрегать каким-либо шансом), however faint (каким бы слабым /он ни был/)."
"Right, sir (точно, сэр). Mr. Poirot done some good stuff in his time (мистер Пуаро сделал много хорошего в свое время; stuff — нечто, относящееся к чему-л.), but I think (но я думаю) he's a bit gaga now, sir (теперь он немного того, сэр; gaga — бессмысленный, глупый; слабоумный)."
"He's a mountebank," said Inspector Crome (он фигляр; mountebank — фигляр; шут). "Always posing (всегда выставляется /напоказ/). Takes in some people (некоторые люди верят: «/это/ обманывает некоторых людей»). It doesn't take in me (я не верю: «это не обманывает меня»). Now then (так, теперь), about the arrangement for Doncaster (о приготовлениях в Донкастере) …"
Tom Hartigan said to Lily Marbury (Том Хартиган сказал Лили Марбери): "Saw your old dugout this morning (видел вашего старого ископаемого утром; to dig — копать; dug out — выкопанный)."
"Who (кого)? Mr. Cust (мистера Каста)?"
gaga [ˈɡɑ:ɡɑ:], mountebank [ˈmaʋntɪbæŋk], dugout [ˈdʌɡaʋt]
"Yes. One of Mr. Hercule Poirot's ideas." The inspector's tone was disdainful. "Probably nothing in it, but it doesn't do to neglect any chance, however faint."
"Right, sir. Mr. Poirot done some good stuff in his time, but I think he's a bit gaga now, sir."
"He's a mountebank," said Inspector Crome. "Always posing. Takes in some people. It doesn't take in me. Now then, about the arrangement for Doncaster …"
Tom Hartigan said to Lily Marbury: "Saw your old dugout this morning."
"Who? Mr. Cust?"
"Cust it was (это был Каст). At Euston (в Юстоне). Looking like a lost hen (выглядел, как потерянная курица), as usual (как обычно). I think (я думаю) the fellow's half a loony (что этот парень наполовину сумасшедший). He needs someone to look after him (ему нужен кто-то, /чтобы/ присматривать за ним). First he dropped his paper (сначала уронил газету) and then he dropped his ticket (затем уронил свой билет). I picked that up (я его подобрал) — he hadn't the faintest idea (он не имел /ни/ малейшего представления) he'd lost it (что он его потерял). Thanked me in an agitated sort of manner (поблагодарил меня как-то взволнованно: «в как бы взволнованной манере»), but I don't think he recognized me (но я не думаю, что он узнал меня)."
"Oh, well," said Lily. "He's only seen you passing in the hall (он только видел, как ты шел через холл), and not very often at that (и не очень часто к тому же)."
They danced once round the floor (они протанцевали круг по полу).
"You dance something beautiful," said Tom (ты танцуешь нечто прекрасно = ну и прекрасно же ты танцуешь).
"Go on," said Lily (продолжай) and wriggled yet a little closer (и прижалась еще немного ближе; to wriggle — извиваться; изгибаться).
drop [drɔp], faintest [ˈfeɪntɪst], wriggle [rɪɡl]
"Cust it was. At Euston. Looking like a lost hen, as usual. I think the fellow's half a loony. He needs someone to look after him. First he dropped his paper and then he dropped his ticket. I picked that up — he hadn't the faintest idea he'd lost it. Thanked me in an agitated sort of manner, but I don't think he recognized me."
"Oh, well," said Lily. "He's only seen you passing in the hall, and not very often at that."
They danced once round the floor.
"You dance something beautiful," said Tom.
"Go on," said Lily and wriggled yet a little closer.
They danced round again (они протанцевали еще круг).
"Did you say Euston or Paddington?" asked Lily abruptly (ты сказал Юстон или Пэддингтон? — резко спросила Лили). "Where you saw old Cust (где ты видел старого Каста), I mean (я имею в виду)?"