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

increase [ɪnˈkri:z], cynical [ˈsɪnɪkǝl], jump [ʤʌmp]

Nevertheless, there was a very real danger that on the death of your sister-in-law he might, in his loneliness, turn to this beautiful girl for sympathy and comfort and it might end — as so often happens with elderly men — in his marrying her. Your fear was increased by your knowledge of Miss Grey. You are, I fancy, an excellent, if somewhat cynical judge of character. You judged, whether correctly or not, that Miss Grey was a type of young woman 'on the make.' You had no doubt that she would jump at the chance of becoming Lady Clarke."

"Your brother was an extremely healthy and vigorous man (ваш брат был крайне здоровым и энергичным человеком). There might be children (могли бы быть дети) and your chance of inheriting your brother's wealth would vanish (и ваш шанс унаследовать богатство вашего брата испарился бы)."

"You have been (вы были), I fancy (/как/ я представляю), in essence a disappointed man all your life (по сути, разочарованным человеком всю вашу жизнь). You have been the rolling stone (вы были перекати-поле: «катящимся камнем») — and you have gathered very little moss (и вы собрали очень мало мха = не обросли деньгами/состоянием). You were particularly jealous of your brother's wealth (вы особенно завидовали богатству вашего брата)."

vigorous [ˈvɪɡǝrǝs], essence [ˈesǝns], wealth [welƟ]

"Your brother was an extremely healthy and vigorous man. There might be children and your chance of inheriting your brother's wealth would vanish."

"You have been, I fancy, in essence a disappointed man all your life. You have been the rolling stone — and you have gathered very little moss. You were particularly jealous of your brother's wealth."

"I repeat then (я повторяю затем) that, turning over various schemes in your mind (что /в тот момент, когда вы/ проворачивали различные схемы в вашем уме), your meeting with Mr. Cust gave you an idea (ваша встреча с мистером Кастом натолкнула вас на мысль: «дала вам идею»). His bombastic Christian names (его помпезные имена), his account of his epileptic seizures (его рассказ об эпилептических припадках) and of his headaches (и его головных болях), his whole shrinking and insignificant personality (его вся пугливая и незначительная личность; to shrink — уменьшаться, сокращаться; сжиматься, съеживаться; отскочить; отпрянуть, отшатнуться), struck you (поразила вас) as fitting him for the tool you wanted (как подгонка = возможностью подогнать его под инструмент, в котором вы нуждались). The whole alphabetical plan sprang into your mind (целая алфавитная схема появилась в вашем уме) — Cust's initials (инициалы Каста) — the fact (тот факт) that your brother's name began with a C (что имя вашего брата начиналось с /буквы/ «си») and that he lived at Churston (и что он жил в Черстоне) were the nucleus of the scheme (были ядром схемы). You even went so far (вы даже пошли так далеко) as to hint to Cust at his possible end (что намекнули Касту на его возможный конец) — though you could hardly hope (хотя вы едва ли могли надеяться) that that suggestion would bear the rich fruit that it did (что это предположение принесет /столь/ богатые плоды, как оно сделало)."

seizure [ˈsi:ʒǝ], nucleus [ˈnju:klɪǝs], fruit [fru:t]

"I repeat then that, turning over various schemes in your mind, your meeting with Mr. Cust gave you an idea. His bombastic Christian names, his account of his epileptic seizures and of his headaches, his whole shrinking and insignificant personality, struck you as fitting him for the tool you wanted. The whole alphabetical plan sprang into your mind — Cust's initials — the fact that your brother's name began with a C and that he lived at Churston were the nucleus of the scheme. You even went so far as to hint to Cust at his possible end — though you could hardly hope that that suggestion would bear the rich fruit that it did."

"Your arrangements were excellent (ваши приготовления были отличными). In Cust's name (от имени Каста) you wrote for a large consignment of hosiery to be sent to him (вы написали, чтобы ему прислали большую партию чулочных изделий: «чтобы большая партия чулочных изделий была прислана ему»; consignment — партия отправленного/прибывшего товара). You yourself sent a number of A.B.C.'s (вы сами послали некоторое количество железнодорожных справочников «Эй-би-си») looking like a similar parcel (выглядящих, как похожие свертки). You wrote to him (вы написали ему) — a typed letter (напечатанное письмо) purporting (/которое, как/ подразумевалось) to be from the same firm (было из той же фирмы) offering him a good salary and commission (предлагающее ему хорошее жалование и коммисию). Your plans were so well laid beforehand (ваши планы столь хорошо были размечены: «положены» заранее) that you typed all the letters (что вы напечатали все письма) that were sent subsequently (которые были отправлены впоследствии), and then presented him with the machine (а затем подарили ему машинку) on which they had been typed (на которой они были напечатаны)."

consignment [kǝnˈsaɪnmǝnt], purport v. [pǝ:ˈpɔ:t], subsequently [ˈsʌbsɪkwǝntlɪ]

"You had now to look about for two victims whose names began with A and B respectively and who lived at places also beginning with those same letters."

"You hit on Andover as quite a likely spot and your preliminary reconnaissance there led you to select Mrs. Ascher's shop as the scene of the first crime. Her name was written clearly over the door, and you found by experiment that she was usually alone in the shop. Her murder needed nerve, daring and reasonable luck."

"You had now to look about for two victims (вам теперь пришлось искать две жертвы) whose names began with A and B respectively (чьи имена начинались на /буквы/ «эй» и «би» соответственно) and who lived at places also beginning with those same letters (и которые так же жили в местах /с названиями/, тоже начинающимися с тех самых букв)."

"You hit on Andover (вы случайно наткнулись на Эндовер) as quite a likely spot (как достаточно подходящее место) and your preliminary reconnaissance there led you to select Mrs. Ascher's shop (и ваша первоначальная разведка там заставила вас выбрать магазин миссис Эшер) as the scene of the first crime (как место первого преступления). Her name was written clearly over the door (ее имя было четко написано над дверью), and you found by experiment (и вы обнаружили в /ходе/ эксперимента) that she was usually alone in the shop (что обычно она была одна в магазине). Her murder needed nerve (ее убийство требовало хладнокровия: «нервов»), daring (дерзости) and reasonable luck (и сносной = некоторой удачи)."

respectively [rɪˈspektɪvlɪ], preliminary [prǝˈlɪmɪnǝrɪ], reconnaissance [rɪˈkɔnɪs(ǝ)ns]

"Your arrangements were excellent. In Cust's name you wrote for a large consignment of hosiery to be sent to him. You yourself sent a number of A.B.C.'s looking like a similar parcel. You wrote to him — a typed letter purporting to be from the same firm offering him a good salary and commission. Your plans were so well laid beforehand that you typed all the letters that were sent subsequently, and then presented him with the machine on which they had been typed."

"For the letter B you had to vary your tactics (для буквы «би» вам пришлось изменить вашу тактику). Lonely women in shops might conceivably have been warned (одинокие женщины в магазинах могли, предположительно, быть предупреждены). I should imagine (я вполне представляю = думаю) that you frequented a few cafés and teashops (что вы зачастили в несколько кафе и закусочных), laughing and joking with the girls there (смеясь и шутя с девушками там) and finding out (и выясняя) whose name began with the right letter (чье имя начиналось с правильной буквы) and who would be suitable for your purpose (и кто был бы подходящим для вашей цели)."

"In Betty Barnard you found just the type of girl (в Бетти Барнард вы обнаружили как раз тот тип девушки) you were looking for (/который/ вы искали). You took her out once or twice (вы вывели ее /в свет/ раз или два), explaining to her (объяснив ей) that you were a married man (что вы были женатым человеком), and that outings must therefore take place in a somewhat hole-and-corner manner (и что выходы должны поэтому проходить отчасти тайно: «в секретной манере»; hole-and-corner — тайный, секретный: «нора и угол»)."

conceivably [kǝnˈsi:vǝblɪ], frequent [fri:ˈkwǝnt], hole-and-corner [ˌhǝʋlǝndˈkɔ:nǝ]

"For the letter B you had to vary your tactics. Lonely women in shops might conceivably have been warned. I should imagine that you frequented a few cafés and teashops, laughing and joking with the girls there and finding out whose name began with the right letter and who would be suitable for your purpose."

"In Betty Barnard you found just the type of girl you were looking for. You took her out once or twice, explaining to her that you were a married man, and that outings must therefore take place in a somewhat hole-and-corner manner."

"Then (затем), your preliminary plans completed (когда ваши первоначальные планы завершились), you set to work (вы принялись за работу)! You sent the Andover list to Cust (вы отправили эндоверский список Касту), directing him to go there on a certain date (направляя его туда в определенный день) and you sent off the first A.B.C. letter to me (и вы послали первое письмо Эй-би-си мне)."

"On the appointed day (в назначенный день), you went to Andover (вы поехали в Эндовер) — and killed Mrs. Ascher (и убили миссис Эшер) — without anything occurring to damage your plans (и вашим планам при этом ничто не помешало: «без того, чтобы что-нибудь случилось, что повредило вашим планам»)."

"Murder No. 1 was successfully accomplished (убийство номер один было успешно доведено до конца; to accomplish — совершать, выполнять; доводить до конца, завершать)."

"For the second murder (что касается второго убийства), you took the precaution of committing it (вы были осторожны = проявили осторожность, совершив его), in reality (в действительности), the day before (днем раньше). I am fairly certain (я совершенно уверен) that Betty Barnard was killed well before midnight on the 24th July (что Бетти Барнард была убита гораздо раньше полуночи двадцать четвертого июля)."

complete [kǝmˈpli:t], damage [ˈdæmɪʤ], accomplish [ǝˈkɔmplɪʃ]

"Then, your preliminary plans completed, you set to work! You sent the Andover list to Cust, directing him to go there on a certain date and you sent off the first A.B.C. letter to me."