Раз, два, пряжка держится едва

He was a man who was accustomed to have a good opinion of himself. He was Hercule Poirot, superior in most ways to other men.	Он во многом был выше других!
But in this moment he was unable to feel superior in any way whatever.	Однако этого превосходства сейчас он не ощущал вовсе.
His morale was down to zero. He was just that ordinary, that craven figure, a man afraid of the dentist's chair.	И самомнение, и самообладание - все утекло как вода сквозь пальцы.
Mr. Morley had finished his professional ablutions.	Морли же тем временем покончил со своими приготовлениями.
He was speaking now in his encouraging professional manner. Hardly as warm as it should be, was it, for the time of year? Gently he led the way to the appointed spot - to The Chair! Deftly he played with its headrest, running it up and down.	- А не очень-то сегодня летняя погодка! -профессионально бодрым голосом проговорил он, медленно и осторожно подводя Пуаро к креслу.
Hercule Poirot took a deep breath, stepped up, sat down, and relaxed his head to Mr. Morley's professional fiddlings.	Тот глубоко вздохнул, уселся и постарался расслабиться.
"There," said Mr. Morley with hideous cheerfulness.	- Так, отлично, - с отвратительной бодростью промолвил доктор.
"That quite comfortable?	- Вам удобно?
Sure?"	Вы уверены?
In sepulchral tones Poirot said that it was quite comfortable. Mr. Morley swung his little table nearer, picked up his little mirror, seized an instrument and prepared to get on with the job. Hercule Poirot grasped the arms of the chair, shut his eyes and opened his mouth.	Пуаро сжал подлокотники, зажмурился и открыл рот.
"Any special trouble?" Mr. Morley inquired.	- Что-нибудь побаливает?
Slightly indistinctly, owing to the difficulty of forming consonants while keeping the mouth open, Hercule Poirot was understood to say that there was no special trouble.	Очевидно, что пациент с широко открытым ртом лишен возможности произнести что-нибудь членораздельное. Морли и не ожидал конкретного ответа на свой вопрос.
This was indeed the twice yearly overhaul that his sense of order and neatness demanded.	Между тем, хотя он и пришел на регулярный осмотр, Пуаро было о чем ему рассказать.
It was, of course, possible that there might be nothing to do... Mr. Morley might, perhaps, overlook that second tooth from the back from which those twinges had come He might - but it was unlikely - for Mr. Morley was a very good dentist.	Но, может, Морли как-то не заметит, проглядит этот второй задний зуб? Разумеется, дантист мог и проглядеть - в принципе мог. Но этот был хорошим стоматологом.
Mr. Morley passed slowly from tooth to tooth, tapping and probing, murmuring little comments as he did so. "That filling is wearing down a little -nothing serious, though. Gums are in pretty good condition, I'm glad to see."	- Ага, пломбочка подызносилась. Пока ничего опасного, И десны в превосходном состоянии.
A pause at a suspect, a twist of the probe - no, on again; false alarm.	- Секундное замешательство, задумчивое пыхтение, но - о счастье! - ложная тревога.