Agatha Christie - Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

ensure [ɪnˈʃʋǝ], discernible [dɪˈsǝ:nǝbl], anti-foreign [ˈæntɪˈfɔrɪn]

"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 [ˈfɔlǝʋ], stir [stǝ:], unaltered [ˈʌnˈɔ:ltǝd]

"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 [rɪˈkǝ:rɪŋ], craving [ˈkreɪvɪŋ], incur [ɪnˈkǝ:]

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 [ˈʌnˈeɪbl], proof [pru:f], compulsion [kǝmˈpʌlʃ(ǝ)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) ?"