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So in crime (так и в преступлении) the murderer who is successful (убийца, который успешен) cannot conceive the possibility of not being successful (не может представить себе возможность не быть успешным; to conceive — полагать, размышлять; представлять себе)! He takes to himself all the credit for a successful performance (он приписывает себе всю честь удачного представления; credit — доверие; доброе имя; честь) — but I tell you (но я говорю вам), my friends (друзья мои), however carefully planned (как бы ни было тщательно спланировано) no crime can be successful without luck (ни одно преступление не может быть успешным без удачи)!"

roulette [ru(:)'let], anticipation [aents'pe], conceive [kn'si:v]

"I speak the language of the tables. At roulette there may be a long run on the black — but in the end red must turn up. It is the mathematical laws of chance."

"You mean that luck turns?"

"Exactly, Hastings. And that is where the gambler (and the murderer, who is, after all, only a supreme kind of gambler since what he risks is not his money but his life) often lacks intelligent anticipation. Because he has won he thinks he will continue to win! He does not leave the tables in good time with his pockets full.

So in crime the murderer who is successful cannot conceive the possibility of not being successful! He takes to himself all the credit for a successful performance — but I tell you, my friends, however carefully planned no crime can be successful without luck!"

"Isn't that going rather far?" demurred Franklin Clarke (разве это не заходит слишком далеко? — возразил Франклин Кларк; to demur — возражать, протестовать; уст. колебаться, не решаться; сомневаться, раздумывать).

Poirot waved his hands excitedly (Пуаро взволнованно взмахнул рукой). "No, no. It is an even chance (это равный шанс), if you like (если вам угодно), but it must be in your favour (но он, должен быть в вашу пользу). Consider (подумайте)! It might have happened (могло случиться) that someone enters Mrs. Ascher's shop (что кто-то входит в магазин миссис Эшер) just as the murderer is leaving (как раз тогда, когда убийца выходит). That person might have thought of looking behind the counter (тот человек мог бы подумать о том, чтобы заглянуть за прилавок), have seen the dead woman (увидеть мертвую женщину) — and either laid hands on the murderer straight away (и либо схватил бы убийцу прямо тогда; to lay hands — наложить руки; схватить) or else been able to give such an accurate description of him to the police (либо смог бы дать полиции такое точное его описание) that he would have been arrested forthwith (так что он был бы арестован незамедлительно)."

"Yes, of course (да, конечно), that's possible," admitted Clarke (это возможно, — признал Кларк). "What it comes to (к чему это приходит = из этого следует) is that a murderer's got to take a chance (это /то/, что убийца должен рисковать)."

demur [d'm:], accurate ['aekjrt], admit [d'mt]

"Isn't that going rather far?" demurred Franklin Clarke.

Poirot waved his hands excitedly. "No, no. It is an even chance, if you like, but it must be in your favour. Consider! It might have happened that someone enters Mrs. Ascher's shop just as the murderer is leaving. That person might have thought of looking behind the counter, have seen the dead woman — and either laid hands on the murderer straight away or else been able to give such an accurate description of him to the police that he would have been arrested forthwith."

"Yes, of course, that's possible," admitted Clarke. "What it comes to is that a murderer's got to take a chance."