"Yes — I can understand that from your point of view. There doesn't seem to be any reason to believe that the man ever came up against you in any way?"
"None whatever."
"I might make a suggestion. Your name!"
"My name?"
"Yes. Cust is saddled apparently by the whim of his mother — (Oedipus complex there, I shouldn't wonder!) — with two extremely bombastic Christian names: Alexander and Bonaparte. You see the implications? Alexander — the popularly supposed undefeatable who sighed for more worlds to conquer. Bonaparte — the great Emperor of the French. He wants an adversary — an adversary, one might say in his class. Well — there you are — Hercules the strong."
"Your words are very suggestive, doctor (ваши слова очень наводят на мысли, доктор). They foster ideas (они питают представления) — "
"Oh, it's only a suggestion (это только предположение). Well, I must be off (мне нужно идти; to be off — уходить)."
Dr. Thompson went out (доктор Томпсон вышел). Japp remained (Джепп остался).
"Does this alibi worry you?" Poirot asked (это алиби беспокоит вас?).
"It does a little," admitted the inspector (/беспокоит/ немного, — признался инспектор). "Mind you (имейте в виду), I don't believe in it (я не верю в него), because I know it isn't true (потому что я знаю, что это не правда). But it is going to be the deuce to break it (но только дьявол разобьет его: «но это собирается дьявол разбить его»). This man Strange is a tough character (этот человек Стрейндж — крепкий орешек: «тип с крутым /нравом/»)."
"Describe him to me (опишите его мне)."
foster [ˈfɔ:stǝ], deuce [dju:s], tough [tʌf]
"Your words are very suggestive, doctor. They foster ideas —"
"Oh, it's only a suggestion. Well, I must be off."
Dr. Thompson went out. Japp remained.
"Does this alibi worry you?" Poirot asked.
"It does a little," admitted the inspector. "Mind you, I don't believe in it, because I know it isn't true. But it is going to be the deuce to break it. This man Strange is a tough character."
"Describe him to me."
"He's a man of forty (он мужчина лет сорока). A tough (твердый), confident (уверенный), self-opinionated (имеющий собственное мнение) mining engineer (горный инженер). It's my opinion (по-моему: «это мое мнение») that it was he (что это был он) who insisted on his evidence being taken now (кто настоял, чтобы его свидетельство было принято сейчас). He wants to get off to Chile (он хочет уехать в Чили). He hoped (он надеялся) the thing might be settled out of hand (что все может уладиться немедленно; of hand — немедленно)."
"He's one of the most positive people I've ever seen," I said (он один из самых самоуверенных людей, которых я когда-либо видел; positive — позитивный; самоуверенный).
"The type of man (тип человека) who would not like to admit (который не захочет признать) he was mistaken (что он ошибался)," said Poirot thoughtfully (сказал Пуаро задумчиво; to mistake — делать ошибку).
Chile [tʃaɪl], engineer [ˌenʤɪˈnɪǝ], positive [ˈpɔzɪtɪv]
"He's a man of forty. A tough, confident, self-opinionated mining engineer. It's my opinion that it was he who insisted on his evidence being taken now. He wants to get off to Chile. He hoped the thing might be settled out of hand."
"He's one of the most positive people I've ever seen," I said.
"The type of man who would not like to admit he was mistaken," said Poirot thoughtfully.
"He sticks to his story (он придерживается своей истории/настаивает на своей истории; to stick — липнуть) and he's not one to be heckled (и он не такой, /кого/ можно закидать вопросами; to heckle — трепать, чесать лен; прерывать, забрасывать вопросами /исполнителя, оратора/). He swears by all that's blue (он клянется всеми чертями; by all that's blue! — черт побери!; blue — голубой, синий; непристойный) that he picked up Cust in the Whitecross Hotel at Eastbourne on the evening of July 24th (что он познакомился с Кастом в отеле «Белый крест» в Истборне вечером двадцать четвертого июня; to pick up — подбирать; знакомиться). He was lonely (ему было одиноко) and wanted someone to talk to (и /он/ хотел с кем-нибудь поговорить). As far as I can see (насколько я могу понять), Cust made an ideal listener (Каст оказался идеальным слушателем). He didn't interrupt (он не прерывал)! After dinner he and Cust played dominoes (после обеда он и Каст играли в домино). It appears (оказывается) Strange was a whale on dominoes (Стрейндж был настоящий мастер в игре домино; whale — кит; знаток, мастак) and to his surprise (и к его удивлению) Cust was pretty hot stuff too (Каст был тоже был не промах: «Каст был довольно горячей штучкой тоже»). Queer game, dominoes (странная игра домино). People go mad about it (люди с ума по ней сходят). They'll play for hours (они играют часами). That's what Strange and Cust did apparently (это то, что, по-видимому, делали Стрейндж и Каст).
Cust wanted to go to bed (Каст хотел пойти спать) but Strange wouldn't hear of it (но Стрейндж и слышать не хотел об этом) — swore (клялся; to swear — клясться) they'd keep it up until midnight at least (что они продолжали по крайней мере до полуночи). And that's what they did do (и это то, что они действительно делали). They separated at ten minutes past midnight (они расстались в десять минут первого: «в десять минут после полуночи»). And if Cust was in the Whitecross Hotel at Eastbourne (и если Каст был в отеле «Белый крест» в Истборне) at ten minutes past midnight on the morning of the 25th (в десять минут первого утром двадцать пятого) he couldn't very well be strangling Betty Barnard on the beach at Bexhill (он совершенно не мог душить Бетти Барнард на пляже в Бексхилле) between midnight and one o'clock (между полуночью и часом)."
domino [ˈdɔmɪnǝʋ], whale [weɪl], separate [ˈsepǝreɪt]
"He sticks to his story and he's not one to be heckled. He swears by all that's blue that he picked up Cust in the Whitecross Hotel at Eastbourne on the evening of July 24th. He was lonely and wanted someone to talk to. As far as I can see, Cust made an ideal listener. He didn't interrupt! After dinner he and Cust played dominoes. It appears Strange was a whale on dominoes and to his surprise Cust was pretty hot stuff too. Queer game, dominoes. People go mad about it. They'll play for hours. That's what Strange and Cust did apparently.
Cust wanted to go to bed but Strange wouldn't hear of it — swore they'd keep it up until midnight at least. And that's what they did do. They separated at ten minutes past midnight. And if Cust was in the Whitecross Hotel at Eastbourne at ten minutes past midnight on the morning of the 25th he couldn't very well be strangling Betty Barnard on the beach at Bexhill between midnight and one o'clock."
"The problem certainly seems insuperable," said Poirot thoughtfully (эта проблема, разумеется, кажется непреодолимой, — задумчиво сказал Пуаро; insuperable — неодолимый, непреодолимый). "Decidedly (решительно; to decide — решать), it gives one to think (это заставляет думать: «это дает /основания/ человеку/тебе подумать»)."
"It's given Crome something to think about," said Japp (Кроуму теперь есть о чем подумать: «это дало Кроуму о чем подумать», — сказал Джепп).
"This man Strange is very positive (этот человек, Стрейндж, очень уверен)?"
"Yes. He's an obstinate devil (он упрямый дьявол). And it's difficult to see just where the flaw is (и как раз трудно понять, где изъян). Supposing (предположим) Strange is making a mistake (что Стрейндж совершает ошибку) and the man wasn't Cust (и тот человек не был Кастом) — why on earth (какого черта: «почему на земле») should he say his name is Cust (следует ему говорить, что его имя было Каст)? And the writing in the hotel register is his all right (и почерк в регистрационной книге отеля точно его). You can't say he's an accomplice (вы не можете сказать, что он соучастник) — homicidal lunatics don't have accomplices (у помешанных убийц не бывает соучастников)! Did the girl die later (умерла ли девушка позднее)? The doctor was quite firm in his evidence (доктор был достаточно тверд в своих свидетельствах), and anyway (и в любом случае) it would take some time for Cust to get out of the hotel at Eastbourne (это бы заняло Касту некоторое время, чтобы выбраться из отеля в Истборне) without being seen (без того, /чтобы/ быть замеченным) and get over to Bexhill (и добраться до Бексхилла) — fourteen miles away (в четырнадцати милях оттуда) — "
insuperable [ɪnˈsju:pǝrǝbl], obstinate [ˈɔbstɪnɪt], flaw [flɔ:]
"The problem certainly seems insuperable," said Poirot thoughtfully. "Decidedly, it gives one to think."
"It's given Crome something to think about," said Japp.
"This man Strange is very positive?"
"Yes. He's an obstinate devil. And it's difficult to see just where the flaw is. Supposing Strange is making a mistake and the man wasn't Cust — why on earth should he say his name is Cust? And the writing in the hotel register is his all right. You can't say he's an accomplice — homicidal lunatics don't have accomplices! Did the girl die later? The doctor was quite firm in his evidence, and anyway it would take some time for Cust to get out of the hotel at Eastbourne without being seen and get over to Bexhill — fourteen miles away — "
"It is a problem (это проблема) — yes," said Poirot.
"Of course (конечно), strictly speaking (строго говоря), it oughtn't to matter (это не должно иметь значения). We've got Cust on the Doncaster murder (мы поймали Каста на донкастерском убийстве) — the bloodstained coat (запятнанное кровью пальто), the knife (нож) — not a loophole there (тут ни одной лазейки). You couldn't bounce any jury into acquitting him (вам не удасться склонить ни один суд присяжных оправдать его). But it spoils a pretty case (но это портит хорошее дело). He did the Doncaster murder (он совершил донкастерское убийство). He did the Churston murder (он совершил черстонское убийство). He did the Andover murder (он совершил эндоверское убийство). Then (тогда), by hell (черт возьми; hell — ад), he must have done the Bexhill murder (он должен бы совершить бексхиллское убийство). But I don't see how (но я не понимаю как)!"
He shook his head (он покачал головой) and got up (и встал). "Now's your chance, M. Poirot," he said (теперь ваш шанс, мсье Пуаро). "Crome's in a fog (Кроум в замешательстве: «/как/ в тумане»). Exert those cellular arrangements of yours (приведите в действие эти ваши клеточные механизмы) I used to hear so much about (о которых я так много, бывало, слышал). Show us the way he did it (покажите нам, как он это сделал)."
