Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

"You selected Doncaster for the scene of operations."

"Your plan was very simple (ваш план был очень прост). You yourself would be on the scene in the nature of things (по сути вещей, вы сами были бы на месте /преступления/). Mr. Cust would be ordered to Doncaster by his firm (мистер Каст будет направлен в Донкастер его фирмой). Your plan was to follow him round (ваш план был проследить его) and trust to opportunity (и положиться на удобный случай; opportunity — благоприятный случай, стечение обстоятельств, возможность). Everything fell out well (все сложилось хорошо; to fall out — выпадать; случаться). Mr. Cust went to a cinema (мистер Каст пошел в кино). That was simplicity itself (это была сама простота). You sat a few seats away from him (вы сели на отдалении нескольких сидений от него). When he got up to go (когда он поднялся, чтобы уйти), you did the same (вы сделали тоже). You pretended to stumble (вы притворились, что споткнулись), leaned over (перегнулись) and stabbed a dozing man in the row in front (и закололи спящего человека в ряду впереди), slid the A.B.C. on to his knees (незаметно бросили /железнодорожный справочник/ «Эй-би-си» ему на колени; to slide — скользить; незаметно сунуть) and managed to collide heavily with Mr. Cust in the darkened doorway (и /вам/ удалось тяжело столкнуться с Кастом в затемненном проходе), wiping the knife on his sleeve (вытерев нож об его рукав) and slipping it into his pocket (и сунув его ему в карман; to slip — скользить; незаметно сунуть)."

simplicity [sm'plst], collide [k'lad], sleeve [sli:v]

"Your plan was very simple. You yourself would be on the scene in the nature of things. Mr. Cust would be ordered to Doncaster by his firm. Your plan was to follow him round and trust to opportunity. Everything fell out well. Mr. Cust went to a cinema. That was simplicity itself. You sat a few seats away from him. When he got up to go, you did the same. You pretended to stumble, leaned over and stabbed a dozing man in the row in front, slid the A.B.C. on to his knees and managed to collide heavily with Mr. Cust in the darkened doorway, wiping the knife on his sleeve and slipping it into his pocket."

"You were not in the least at pains to choose a victim (вы не прилагали ни малейших усилий, чтобы выбрать жертву; to be at pains — очень стараться, прилагать усилия; pains — муки; усилия) whose name began with D (чье имя начиналось с /буквы/ «ди»). Anyone would do (любой подошел бы)! You assumed (вы допустили) — and quite rightly (и совершенно правильно) — that it would be considered to be a mistake (что это посчитают за ошибку). There was sure to be someone (там наверняка был кто-то) whose name began with D not far off in the audience (недалеко среди публики, чье имя начиналось с /буквы/ «ди»). It would be assumed (допустят) that he had been intended to be the victim (что он предназначался в жертвы)."

"And now, my friends (а теперь, друзья мои), let us consider the matter from the point of view of the false A.B.C. (давайте рассмотрим это дело с точки зрения фальшивого Эй-би-си) — from the point of view of Mr. Cust (с точки зрения мистера Каста)."

pains [penz], intend [n'tend], point [pnt]

"You were not in the least at pains to choose a victim whose name began with D. Anyone would do! You assumed — and quite rightly — that it would be considered to be a mistake. There was sure to be someone whose name began with D not far off in the audience. It would be assumed that he had been intended to be the victim."

"And now, my friends, let us consider the matter from the point of view of the false A.B.C. — from the point of view of Mr. Cust."

"The Andover crime means nothing to him (эндоверское преступление ничего не значило для него). He is shocked and surprised by the Bexhill crime (он был шокирован и удивлен бексхиллским преступлением) — why, he himself was there about the time (как же так, он сам был там в это время)! Then comes the Churston crime (затем происходит черстонское преступление) and the headlines in the newspapers (и /появляются/ заголовки в газетах)."

"An A.B.C. crime at Andover (преступление Эй-би-си в Эндовере) when he was there (когда он там был), an A.B.C. crime at Bexhill (преступление Эй-би-си в Бексхилле), and now another close by (и теперь еще /одно/ рядом) … Three crimes (три преступления) and he has been at the scene of each of them (и он был на месте каждого из них). Persons suffering from epilepsy often have blanks (люди, страдающие эпилепсией, часто имеют провалы /в памяти/) when they cannot remember (когда они не могут вспомнить) what they have done (что они делали) … Remember (помните) that Cust was a nervous (что Каст был нервный), highly neurotic subject (высоко невротичный субъект) and extremely suggestible (и крайне внушаемый)."

"Then he receives the order to go to Doncaster (затем он получает приказ ехать в Донкастер)."

nervous ['n:vs], highly ['hal], neurotic [nj'rtk]

"The Andover crime means nothing to him. He is shocked and surprised by the Bexhill crime — why, he himself was there about the time! Then comes the Churston crime and the headlines in the newspapers."

"An A.B.C. crime at Andover when he was there, an A.B.C. crime at Bexhill, and now another close by … Three crimes and he has been at the scene of each of them. Persons suffering from epilepsy often have blanks when they cannot remember what they have done … Remember that Cust was a nervous, highly neurotic subject and extremely suggestible."

"Then he receives the order to go to Doncaster."

"Doncaster! And the next A.B.C. crime is to be in Doncaster (а следующее преступление Эй-би-си должно быть в Донкастере). He must have felt (он, должно быть, чувствовал) as though it was fate (словно это была судьба). He loses his nerve (он теряет самообладание), fancies (воображает) his landlady is looking at him suspiciously (что его домовладелица смотрит на него подозрительно = с подозрением), and tells her (и говорит ей) he is going to Cheltenham (что он едет в Челтнем)."

"He goes to Doncaster (он едет в Донкастер) because it is his duty (потому что это его обязанность). In the afternoon he goes to a cinema (днем он идет в кино). Possibly (возможно) he dozes off for a minute or two (он дремлет там минуту или две)."

"Imagine his feelings (представьте себе его чувства) when on his return to his inn he discovers (когда по возвращении в свою гостиницу он обнаруживает) that there is blood on his coat sleeve (что на его рукаве пальто — кровь) and a bloodstained knife in his pocket (и нож с пятнами крови в его кармане). All his vague forebodings leap into certainty (все его смутные подозрения резко меняются на определенные: «прыгают = делают скачок в определенность»)."

duty ['dju:t], doze [dz], foreboding [f:'bd]

"Doncaster! And the next A.B.C. crime is to be in Doncaster. He must have felt as though it was fate. He loses his nerve, fancies his landlady is looking at him suspiciously, and tells her he is going to Cheltenham."

"He goes to Doncaster because it is his duty. In the afternoon he goes to a cinema. Possibly he dozes off for a minute or two."

"Imagine his feelings when on his return to his inn he discovers that there is blood on his coat sleeve and a bloodstained knife in his pocket. All his vague forebodings leap into certainty."

"He — he himself (он сам) — is the killer (/и/ есть убийца). He remembers his headaches (он вспоминает свои головные боли) — his lapses of memory (свои провалы памяти). He is quite sure of the truth (он совершенно уверен в правде) — he, Alexander Bonaparte Cust, is a homicidal lunatic (помешанный убийца)."

"His conduct after that is the conduct of a hunted animal (его поведение после этого — это поведение преследуемого животного). He gets back to his lodgings in London (он добирается до своего жилища в Лондоне). He is safe there (он в безопасности там) — known (его /там/ знают). They think (они думают) he has been in Cheltenham (что он был в Челтнеме). He has the knife with him still (у него все еще с собой нож) — a thoroughly stupid thing to do (совершенно глупо так делать), of course (конечно). He hides it behind the hall stand (он трячет его за вешалкой в холле)."