Английский язык с Агатой Кристи. Убийства по алфавиту

"You have heard of your aunt's death, of course?"

The girl nodded, tears coming once more into her eyes. "This morning, sir. The police came over. Oh! it's terrible! Poor auntie! Such a hard life as she'd had, too. And now this — it's too awful.''

"The police did not suggest your returning to Andover?"

"They said I must come to the inquest — that's on Monday, sir. But I've nowhere to go there — I couldn't fancy being over the shop — now — and what with the housemaid being away. I didn't want to put the mistress out more than may be."

"You were fond of your aunt, Mary?" said Poirot gently.

"Indeed I was, sir (да, на самом деле /любила/, сэр). Very good she's been to me always (и она всегда была очень добра ко мне), auntie has (/моя/ тетушка). I went to her in London (я ездила к ней в Лондон)

when I was eleven years old (когда мне было одиннадцать лет), after mother died (после того, как мама умерла). I started in service (я пошла в служанки) when I was sixteen (когда мне было шестнадцать), but I usually went along to auntie's on my day out (но я обычно ездила к тетушке на выходной; day out/off — выходной). A lot of trouble she went through with that German fellow (она прошла через много проблем с тем немецким супругом; fellow — приятель; товарищ; супруг). 'My old devil (мой старый дьявол),' she used to call him (она, бывало, называла его). He'd never let her be in peace anywhere (он никогда нигде не оставлял ее в покое). Sponging (пьющее; sponge — губка; тампон; разг. пьяница)

, cadging old beast (попрошайничающее старое животное; to cadge — клянчить, попрошайничать)."

sponging [ˈspɔnʤɪŋ], cadging [ˈkæʤɪŋ], beast [bi:st]

"Indeed I was, sir. Very good she's been to me always, auntie has. I went to her in London when I was eleven years old, after mother died. I started in service when I was sixteen, but I usually went along to auntie's on my day out. A lot of trouble she went through with that German fellow. 'My old devil,' she used to call him. He'd never let her be in peace anywhere. Sponging, cadging old beast."

The girl spoke with vehemence (девушка говорила горячо: «с горячностью»).

"Your aunt never thought of freeing herself by legal means from this persecution (ваша тетя никогда не думала о том, /чтобы/ освободить себя от подобного преследования законными методами; to persecute — преследовать)?"

"Well, you see, he was her husband, sir (но, видите ли, это был ее муж, сэр), you couldn't get away from that (вы не смогли бы от этого избавиться)

."

The girl spoke simply but with finality (девушка говорила просто, но тоном, не допускавшим дальнейшего обсуждения; finality — законченность, завершенность).

"Tell me, Mary (скажите мне, Мэри), he threatened her, did he not (он угрожал ей, не так ли)?"

legal [ˈli:ɡǝl], persecution [ˌpǝ:sɪˈkju:ʃ(ǝ)n], threaten [ˈƟret(ǝ)n]

The girl spoke with vehemence.

"Your aunt never thought of freeing herself by legal means from this persecution?"

"Well, you see, he was her husband, sir, you couldn't get away from that."

The girl spoke simply but with finality.

"Tell me, Mary, he threatened her, did he not?"

"Oh, yes, sir, it was awful the things he used to say (это было ужасно, вещи /которые/ он, бывало, говорил). That he'd cut her throat, and suchlike (что он перережет ей горло и подобное). Cursing and swearing too (проклиная и ругаясь к тому же) — both in German and in English (и на немецком, и на английском). And yet auntie says (и все-таки тетушка говорила) he was a fine handsome figure of a man (он был великолепно сложен: «прекрасная красивая фигура мужчины») when she married him (когда она вышла за него). It's dreadful to think, sir (это страшно подумать, сэр), what people come to (до чего могут дойти люди)."