Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

"And did she pay any attention to your advice?"

"Probably not," said Megan cynically.

"Will you, mademoiselle, be precise."

The girl hesitated for a minute or two.

Poirot said with a slight smile (Пуаро сказал с легкой улыбкой): "I will help you (я помогу вам). I heard what you said to Hastings (я слышал, что вы сказали Гастингсу). That your sister was a bright, happy girl with no men friends (что ваша сестра была умной, счастливой девушкой без друзей-мужчин). It was (это было) — un peu (фр. немного) — the opposite that was true (противоположным тому, что было правдой), was it not, (разве нет)?"

Megan said slowly (Меган медленно сказала): "There wasn't any harm in Betty (Бетти была безвредна: «в Бетти не было вреда»). I want you to understand that (я хочу, чтобы вы это поняли). She'd always go straight (она всегда шла прямо). She's not the week-ending kind (она не была /девушкой/ на выходные). Nothing of that sort (ничего подобного). But she liked being taken out and dancing and (она любила, когда ее выводили и /с ней/ танцевали, и) — oh, cheap flattery (о, дешевую лесть; to flatter — льстить) and compliments (и комплименты) and all that sort of thing (и все такое)."

"And she was pretty (а она была хорошенькой) — yes?"

This question (этот вопрос), the third time I had heard it (в третий раз я слышал его), met this time with a practical response (в этот раз получил конкретный ответ: «встретил в этот раз практический ответ»).

harm [h:m], straight [stret], response [rs'pns]

Poirot said with a slight smile: "I will help you. I heard what you said to Hastings. That your sister was a bright, happy girl with no men friends. It was — un peu — the opposite that was true, was it not?"

Megan said slowly: "There wasn't any harm in Betty. I want you to understand that. She'd always go straight. She's not the week-ending kind. Nothing of that sort. But she liked being taken out and dancing and — oh, cheap flattery and compliments and all that sort of thing."

"And she was pretty — yes?"

This question, the third time I had heard it, met this time with a practical response.

Megan slipped off the table (Меган соскользнула со стола), went to her suitcase (подошла к чемодану), snapped it open (щелчком открыла его; to snap — щелкать, лязгать, хлопать) and extracted something (и вытянула нечто) which she handed to Poirot (что она протянула Пуаро).

In a leather frame was a head and shoulders of a fair-haired (в кожаной рамке был бюст светловолосой: «были голова и плечи светловолосой»), smiling girl (улыбающейся девушки). Her hair had evidently recently been permed (ее волосы явно были недавно завиты; perm — химическая завивка); it stood out from her head in mass of rather frizzy curls (они поднимались на ее голове массой вьющихся завитков). The smile was arch and artificial (улыбка была игривая и искусственная; arch — дуга; свод; arch — игривый, лукавый).

It was certainly not a face (это, конечно, не было лицо) that you could call beautiful (которое вы могли бы назвать красивым), but it had an obvious and cheap prettiness (но оно имело явную и дешевую привлекательность).

Poirot handed it back (Пуаро протянул его назад), saying (говоря): "You and she do not resemble each other, mademoiselle (вы и она не похожи друг на друга, мадемуазель)."

perm [p:m], frizzy ['frz], resemble [r'zembl]

Megan slipped off the table, went to her suitcase, snapped it open and extracted something which she handed to Poirot.

In a leather frame was a head and shoulders of a fair-haired, smiling girl. Her hair had evidently recently been permed; it stood out from her head in mass of rather frizzy curls. The smile was arch and artificial.

It was certainly not a face that you could call beautiful, but it had an obvious and cheap prettiness.

Poirot handed it back, saying: "You and she do not resemble each other, mademoiselle."

"Oh, I'm the plain one of the family (о, я в семье дурнушка: «я некрасивая из семьи»). I've always known that (я всегда знала это)." She seemed to brush aside the fact as unimportant (она, казалось, отмела этот факт, как незначительный; important — важный).

"So, in what way exactly do you consider (так, каким точно образом вы считаете) your sister was behaving foolishly (что ваша сестра вела себя глупо)? Do you mean, perhaps (вы, вероятно, имеете в виду), in relation to Mr. Donald Fraser (в отношениях с мистером Дональдом Фрейзером)?"

"That's it (именно так), exactly (точно). Don's a very quiet sort of person (Дон очень тихий человек: «Дон очень тихий тип человека») — but he (но он) — well, naturally he'd resent certain things (ну, он, естественно, возмущается некоторым вещам) — and then (и потом) —"

"And then what, mademoiselle (и что потом, мадемуазель)?"

His eyes were on her very steadily (его глаза неотрывно смотрели на нее: «его глаза были на ней твердо»; steady — устойчивый; твердый).

plain [plen], resent [r'zent], steadily ['stedl]

"Oh, I'm the plain one of the family. I've always known that." She seemed to brush aside the fact as unimportant.

"So, in what way exactly do you consider your sister was behaving foolishly? Do you mean, perhaps, in relation to Mr. Donald Fraser?"

"That's it, exactly. Don's a very quiet sort of person — but he — well, naturally he'd resent certain things — and then —"

"And then what, mademoiselle?"

His eyes were on her very steadily.

It may have been my fancy (это, возможно, было мое воображение) but it seemed to me (но мне показалось) that she hesitated a second before answering (что она колебалась секунду перед /тем, как/ ответить).