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"What do you expect Cust to tell you (что вы ожидаете, что Каст расскажет вам)?"

Hercule Poirot smiled (Эркюль Пуаро улыбнулся). "A lie (ложь)," he said. "And by it (и через нее), I shall know the truth (я узнаю правду)!"

nothing ['nVTIN], infallible [In'f&lIbl], personality [, [email protected]: [email protected]'n&lItI]

"And then," said Poirot, "we will talk! Je vous assure, Hastings — there is nothing so dangerous for anyone who has something to hide as conversation! Speech, so a wise old Frenchman said to me once, is an invention of man's to prevent him from thinking. It is also an infallible means of discovering that which he wishes to hide. A human being, Hastings, cannot resist the opportunity to reveal himself and express his personality which conversation gives him. Every time he will give himself away."

"What do you expect Cust to tell you?"

Hercule Poirot smiled. "A lie," he said. "And by it, I shall know the truth!"

(и поймать лису)

During the next few days Poirot was very busy (в течение нескольких следующих дней Пуаро был очень занят). He made mysterious absences (он загадочно исчезал: «он совершал загадочные исчезновения»), talked very little (разговаривал очень мало), frowned to himself (хмурился сам себе = задумавшись), and consistently refused to satisfy my natural curiosity (и последовательно = решительно отказывался удовлетворить мое естественное любопытство) as to the brilliance I had (относительно блеска, который я; brilliant — искрящийся, блестящий, сверкающий; блестящий, выдающийся), according to him (согласно ему = по его мнению), displayed in the past (продемонстрировал в прошлом).

I was not invited to accompany him on his mysterious comings and goings (я не был приглашен сопровождать его в его загадочных приходах и уходах) — a fact which I somewhat resented (факт, которым я несколько возмущен; to resent — негодовать, возмущаться).

Towards the end of the week (к концу недели), however (однако), he announced his intention of paying a visit to Bexhill (он объявил о своем намерении нанести визит в Бексхилл) and neighbourhood (и окрестности) and suggested (и предложил) that I should come with him (чтобы я ехал с ним). Needless to say (не нужно говорить = конечно же), I accepted with alacrity (что я принял /предложение/ с готовностью).

absence ['& [email protected]], resent [rI'zent], alacrity [@'l&krItI]

During the next few days Poirot was very busy. He made mysterious absences, talked very little, frowned to himself, and consistently refused to satisfy my natural curiosity as to the brilliance I had, according to him, displayed in the past.

I was not invited to accompany him on his mysterious comings and goings — a fact which I somewhat resented.

Towards the end of the week, however, he announced his intention of paying a visit to Bexhill and neighbourhood and suggested that I should come with him. Needless to say, I accepted with alacrity.

The invitation (приглашение), I discovered (/как/ я обнаружил), was not extended to me alone (не распространялось на меня одного). The members of our Special Legion were also invited (члены «Специального легиона» были тоже приглашены).

They were as intrigued by Poirot as I was (они были также заинтригованы Пуаро, как и я). Nevertheless (тем не менее), by the end of the day (к концу дня), I had at any rate an idea as to the direction (у меня было, по меньшей мере, представление о направлении) in which Poirot's thoughts were tending (в котором склонялись мысли Пуаро).

He first visited Mr. and Mrs. Barnard (он сначала посетил мистера и миссис Барнард) and got an exact account from her (и получил точный отчет от нее) as to the hour at which Mr. Cust had called on her (относительно часа, в котором мистер Каст зашел к ней) and exactly what he had said (и что он точно сказал). He then went to the hotel (затем он пошел в отель) at which Cust had put up (в котором Каст останавливался) and extracted a minute description of that gentleman's departure (и с добыл незначительное описание отъезда этого джентельмена; to extract — извлекать; с трудом добывать; minute — мелкий, незначительный). As far as I could judge (насколько я мог судить: «так далеко как я мог судить»), no new facts were elicited by his questions (никакие новые факты не были выявлены его вопросами) but he himself seemed quite satisfied (но он сам казался вполне удовлетворенным).

extend [Iks'tend], departure [dI'pA: [email protected]], minute ['mInIt]

The invitation, I discovered, was not extended to me alone. The members of our Special Legion were also invited.

They were as intrigued by Poirot as I was. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, I had at any rate an idea as to the direction in which Poirot's thoughts were tending.

He first visited Mr. and Mrs. Barnard and got an exact account from her as to the hour at which Mr. Cust had called on her and exactly what he had said. He then went to the hotel at which Cust had put up and extracted a minute description of that gentleman's departure. As far as I could judge, no new facts were elicited by his questions but he himself seemed quite satisfied.

Next he went to the beach to the place (затем он пошел на пляж к тому месту) where Betty Barnard's body had been discovered (где было обнаружено тело Бетти Барнард). Here he walked round in circles for some minutes (здесь он походил кругами несколько минут) studying the shingle attentively (внимательно изучая гальку). I could see little point in this (я мог видеть мало смысла в этом), since the tide covered the spot twice a day (так как прилив накрывал это место дважды в день).

However I have learnt by this time (однако к этому времени я узнал) that Poirot's actions are dictated by an idea (что действия Пуаро продиктованы идеей) — however meaningless they may seem (какими бы бессмысленными они, вероятно, /не/ казались).

He then walked from the beach to the nearest point (он затем прошел от пляжа к ближайшему месту) at which a car could have been parked (где могла бы быть припаркована машина). From there again he went to the place (оттуда он снова дошел до места) where the Eastbourne buses waited (где ждали истборнские автобусы) before leaving Bexhill (перед тем как покинуть Бексхилл).

Finally he took us all to the Ginger Cat café (наконец он привел нас всех в кафе «Рыжий кот») where we had a somewhat stale tea (где мы все выпили несвежего чая; stale — несвежий) served by the plump waitress (поданного пухлой официанткой), Milly Higley (Милли Хигли).

shingle [SINgl], dictate [dIk'teIt], stale [steIl]

Next he went to the beach to the place where Betty Barnard's body had been discovered. Here he walked round in circles for some minutes studying the shingle attentively. I could see little point in this, since the tide covered the spot twice a day.

However I have learnt by this time that Poirot's actions are dictated by an idea — however meaningless they may seem.

He then walked from the beach to the nearest point at which a car could have been parked. From there again he went to the place where the Eastbourne buses waited before leaving Bexhill.

Finally he took us all to the Ginger Cat café where we had a somewhat stale tea served by the plump waitress, Milly Higley.

Here he complimented in a flowing Gallic style on the shape of her ankles (здесь он сделал комплемент в непринужденной галльской манере форме ее лодыжек; to flow — струиться, течь).

"The legs of the English (ноги англичанок) — always they are too thin (всегда они слишком тонкие)! But you, mademoiselle (но у вас, мадемуазель), have the perfect leg (совершенная ножка). It has shape (она имеет форму) — it has an ankle (она имеет лодыжку)!"

Milly Higley giggled a good deal (Милли Хигли много хихикала) and told him not to go on so (и сказала ему не продолжать /в этом духе/). She knew (она знала) what French gentlemen were like (какими были французские джентельмены).