Agatha Christie - Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту (ASCII-IPA)

solicitor [s@'lIsIt@], abstraction [&b'str&kS(@)n], superciliousness [,sju:p@'sIlI@snIs]

The other shook his head. "No — no — I can't say I do. Unless you are Mr. Lucas's — what do they call it? — junior. Or perhaps you come from Mr. Maynard?"

(Maynard & Cole were the defending solicitors.)

His tone was polite but not very interested. He seemed absorbed in some inner abstraction.

"I am Hercule Poirot …"

Poirot said the words very gently … and watched for the effect.

Mr. Cust raised his head a little. "Oh, yes?"

He said it as naturally as Inspector Crome might have said it — but without the superciliousness.

Then (затем) , a minute later (минутой спустя) , he repeated his remark (он повторил свое замечание) . "Oh, yes?" he said (о, да?) , and this time his tone was different (и на этот раз его тон был другим) — it held an awakened interest (он содержал пробудившийся интерес) . He raised his head and looked at Poirot (он поднял голову и посмотрел на Пуаро) .

Hercule Poirot met his gaze (Эркюль Пуаро встретил его взгляд) and nodded his own head gently once or twice (и кивнул головой один или два раза) .

"Yes," he said. "I am the man (я тот человек) to whom you wrote the letters (которому вы писали ваши письма) ."

At once the contact was broken (неожиданно контакт нарушился) . Mr. Cust dropped his eyes (мистер Каст опустил глаза) and spoke irritably and fretfully (и заговорил раздраженно и нетерпеливо; fretful — капризный, раздражительный, нетерпеливый) .

"I never wrote to you (я никогда не писал вам) . Those letters weren't written by me (те письма не были написаны мною) . I've said so again and again (я уже говорил так снова и снова) ."

"I know," said Poirot (я знаю) . "But if you did not write them (но если не вы написали их) , who did (кто же написал) ?"

interest ['Int@r@st], gaze [geIz], fretfully ['fretfUlI]

Then, a minute later, he repeated his remark. "Oh, yes?" he said, and this time his tone was different — it held an awakened interest. He raised his head and looked at Poirot.

Hercule Poirot met his gaze and nodded his own head gently once or twice.

"Yes," he said. "I am the man to whom you wrote the letters."

At once the contact was broken. Mr. Cust dropped his eyes and spoke irritably and fretfully.

"I never wrote to you. Those letters weren't written by me. I've said so again and again."

"I know," said Poirot. "But if you did not write them, who did?"

"An enemy (враг) . I must have an enemy (у меня, должно быть, есть враг) . They are all against me (они все против меня) . The police (полиция) — everyone (каждый) — all against me (все против меня) . It's a gigantic conspiracy (это гигантский заговор; conspiracy — секретность; тайный сговор) ."

Poirot did not reply (Пуаро не ответил) .

Mr. Cust said (мистер Каст сказал) : "Everyone's hand has been against me (все были против меня: «рука каждого против меня») — always (всегда) ."

"Even when you were a child (даже когда вы были ребенком) ?"

Mr. Cust seemed to consider (мистер Каст, казалось, раздумывал) . "No — no — not exactly then (не совсем тогда; exactly — точно) . My mother was very fond of me (моя мать очень любила меня) . But she was ambitious (но она была честолюбива) — terribly ambitious (ужасно честолюбива) . That's why she gave me those ridiculous names (поэтому он дала мне эти нелепые имена) . She had some absurd idea (у нее была некая абсурдная идея) that I'd cut a figure in the world (что я стану значительной мировой фигурой; to cut a /fine/ figure — производить /хорошее/ впечатление; to cut — вырезать; кроить) . She was always urging me to assert myself (она всегда торопила меня утвердиться) — talking about will power (говорила о силе воли) … saying anyone could be master of his fate (говорила, что каждый может быть хозяином своей судьбы) … she said I could do anything (она говорила, что я смогу сделать что угодно) !"

gigantic [dZaI'g&ntIk], conspiracy [k@n'spaI@r@sI], ambitious [&m'bIS@s]

"An enemy. I must have an enemy. They are all against me. The police — everyone — all against me. It's a gigantic conspiracy."

Poirot did not reply.

Mr. Cust said: "Everyone's hand has been against me — always."

"Even when you were a child?"

Mr. Cust seemed to consider. "No — no — not exactly then. My mother was very fond of me. But she was ambitious — terribly ambitious. That's why she gave me those ridiculous names. She had some absurd idea that I'd cut a figure in the world. She was always urging me to assert myself — talking about will power … saying anyone could be master of his fate … she said I could do anything!"

He was silent for a minute (он молчал: «был молчалив» с минуту) .

"She was quite wrong, of course (она была совершенно неправа, конечно) . I realized that myself quite soon (я достаточно скоро это осознал сам) . I wasn't the sort of person to get on in life (я был не тем человеком, чтобы преуспевать в жизни) . I was always doing foolish things (я всегда делал глупости: «глупые вещи») — making myself look ridiculous (заставляя себя выглядеть нелепо) . And I was timid (и я был застенчив) — afraid of people (боялся людей) . I had a bad time at school (мне плохо приходилось в школе) — the boys found out my Christian names (мальчишки узнали мои имена) — they used to tease me about them (они, бывало, дразнили меня из-за них) . I did very badly at school (я очень плохо успевал в школе) — in games (в играх) and work (и работе) and everything (и во всем) ."

He shook his head (он покачал головой) . "Just as well poor mother died (как раз тогда моя бедная мать умерла) . She'd have been disappointed (она была разочарована) … Even when I was at the Commercial College (даже когда я был в колледже коммерции) I was stupid (я был туп) — it took me longer to learn typing and shorthand (у меня занимало дольше, чтобы научиться печатать и стенографировать; shorthand — стенография) than anyone else (чем у кого-либо еще) . And yet I didn't feel stupid (и все же я не чувствовал себя тупым) — if you know what I mean (если вы знаете, что я имею в виду) ."