Читаем полностью

"You see, sir (вы понимаете, сэр), look at it how you will (смотрите на это, как хотите), it's funny like (это странно как-то). Lily (Лили), that's my young lady, sir (это моя невеста, сэр) — she was quite positive (она была совершенно уверена) that it was Cheltenham he said (что это был Челтнем, /как/ он сказал), and her mother says the same (и ее мать говорит тоже) — says she remembers distinctly (говорит, что она точно помнит) talking about it the morning he went off (/как/ говорили об этом в утро, /когда/ он уехал). Of course (конечно), I didn't pay much attention to it at the time (я не обратил внимания на это в то время). Lily — my young lady said (моя невеста сказала) as how she hoped (так как она надеялась) he wouldn't cop it for this A.B.C. fellow (что он не попадет в неприятности из-за этого парня Эй-би-си; to cop — поймать; попасть в неприятную историю) going to Doncaster (едущего в Донкастер) — and then she says (а затем она говорит) it's rather a coincidence (это, скорее, совпадение) because he was down Churston way at the time of the last crime (потому что он был в Черстоне во время последнего преступления).

Laughing like (смеха ради), I asks her whether he was at Bexhill the time before (я спрашиваю ее, был ли он в Бэксхилле до этого), and she says (и она говорит) she don't know where he was (она не знает, где он был), but he was away at the seaside (но он уезжал на побережье) — that she does know (это она действительно знает). And then I said to her (а затем я сказал ей) it would be odd (это было бы странно) if he was the A.B.C. himself (если он был сам Эй-би-си) and she said (и она сказала) poor Mr. Cust wouldn't hurt a fly (бедный мистер Каст не обидит и мухи) — and that was all at the time (и это было все на то время). We didn't think no more about it (мы больше об этом не думали). At least (в конце), in a sort of way I did, sir (каким-то образом я это делал, сэр), underneath like (как-то подсознательно; underneath — вниз; внизу). I began wondering about this Cust fellow (я начал интересоваться этим парнем, Кастом) and thinking that (и думая что), after all (в конце концов), harmless as he seemed (безвредным, как он казался), he might be a bit batty (он, возможно, был слегка того)."

distinctly [ds'tnktl], cop [kp], underneath [nd'ni:]

"You see, sir, look at it how you will, it's funny like. Lily, that's my young lady, sir — she was quite positive that it was Cheltenham he said, and her mother says the same — says she remembers distinctly talking about it the morning he went off. Of course, I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. Lily — my young lady said as how she hoped he wouldn't cop it for this A.B.C. fellow going to Doncaster — and then she says it's rather a coincidence because he was down Churston way at the time of the last crime.

Laughing like, I asks her whether he was at Bexhill the time before, and she says she don't know where he was, but he was away at the seaside — that she does know. And then I said to her it would be odd if he was the A.B.C. himself and she said poor Mr. Cust wouldn't hurt a fly — and that was all at the time. We didn't think no more about it. At least, in a sort of way I did, sir, underneath like. I began wondering about this Cust fellow and thinking that, after all, harmless as he seemed, he might be a bit batty."

Tom took a breath (Том вдохнул) and then went on (а затем продолжил). Inspector Crome was listening intently now (теперь инспектор Кроум слушал внимательно; intent — внимательный, пристальный).