“Now let me think (дайте-ка подумать). It must have been round about half-past ten (должно быть было где-то около половины одиннадцатого) or a quarter to eleven (или без пятнадцати минут одиннадцать). She’d come along to see (она пришла /ко мне/, чтобы узнать; to see — видеть; узнавать, выяснять) if I had an aspirin (есть ли у меня аспирин). I told her where to find it (я сказала ей, где его найти) and she got it out of my grip (и она взяла его из моего саквояжа; grip — схватывание, сжатие; амер. разг. дорожная сумка).”

Swedish ['swi:d] creature ['kri:t] pleasant ['pleznt] sponge bag ['spndbae] door-handle ['d:haendl] aspirin ['aesprn] grip [rp]

“Well, as a matter of fact I asked that Swedish creature — a pleasant soul — if it was bolted, and she said it was.”

“How was it you couldn’t see for yourself?”

“Because I was in bed and my spongebag was hanging on the door-handle.”

“What time was it when you asked her to do this for you?”

“Now let me think. It must have been round about half-past ten or a quarter to eleven. She’d come along to see if I had an aspirin. I told her where to find it and she got it out of my grip.”

“You yourself were in bed (вы сами лежали в постели)?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly she laughed (внезапно она рассмеялась). “Poor soul (бедняжка; poor — бедный, неимущий; бедный, несчастный) — she was so upset (она была так расстроена)! You see, she’d opened the door of the next compartment (видите ли, она открыла дверь соседнего купе) by mistake (по ошибке).”

“Mr. Ratchett’s (/купе/ мистера Рэтчетта)?”

“Yes. You know how difficult it is (вы же знаете, как это сложно; difficult — трудный) as you come along the train (когда идешь по вагону: «поезду») and all the doors are shut (и все двери закрыты). She opened his by mistake (она открыла его /дверь/ по ошибке). She was very distressed about it (она очень из-за этого переживала; to distress — причинять горе, страдание; тревожить). He’d laughed, it seemed (казалось, он рассмеялся), and I guess he said something (и я полагаю, он сказал что-то; to guess — догадываться, предполагать; амер. разг. думать, считать, полагать) not quite nice (не очень приятное/пристойное; nice — хороший, приятный; тактичный, уместный). Poor thing, she certainly was upset (бедняжка, она действительно была расстроена; upset — опрокинутый; расстроенный, встревоженный). ‘Oh! I make mistake (о, я делать ошибка; I make mistake = I’ve made a mistake),’ she said. ‘I ashamed make mistake (мне стыдно делать ошибка; I ashamed make mistake = I’m ashamed of making a mistake). Not nice man (неприятный человек; not nice man = /he’s/ not a nice man),’ she said. ‘He say (он говорить; he say = he said/says), “You too old (ты слишком старый; you too old = you’re too old).” ’ ”

laugh [l:f] mistake [m'stek] distressed [ds'trest]

“You yourself were in bed?”

“Yes.”

Suddenly she laughed. “Poor soul — she was so upset! You see, she’d opened the door of the next compartment by mistake.”

“Mr. Ratchett’s?”

“Yes. You know how difficult it is as you come along the train and all the doors are shut. She opened his by mistake. She was very distressed about it. He’d laughed, it seemed, and I guess he said something not quite nice. Poor thing, she certainly was upset. ‘Oh! I make mistake,’ she said. ‘I ashamed make mistake. Not nice man,’ she said. ‘He say, “You too old.” ’ ”