“I have not completely neglected that point,” said Poirot. “You may have noticed that I made each passenger write either a signature or an address. That is not conclusive, because some people do certain actions with the right hand and others with the left. Some write right-handed, but play golf left-handed. Still, it is something. Every person questioned took the pen in his or her right hand — with the exception of Princess Dragomiroff, who refused to write.”

“Princess Dragomiroff — impossible,” said M. Bouc.

“I doubt if she would have had the strength to inflict that left-handed blow (я сомневаюсь, чтобы у нее была такая сила, чтобы нанести тот удар левой рукой),” said Dr. Constantine dubiously (с сомнением сказал доктор Константин). ‘That particular wound had been inflicted with considerable force (именно та рана была нанесена со значительной силой; particular — особый, особенный).”

“More force than a woman could use (с большей силой, чем могла бы применить женщина)?”

“No, I would not say that (нет, этого я бы не сказал). But I think more force than an elderly woman could display (но я думаю, с большей силой, чем могла бы проявить пожилая женщина; to display — показывать, демонстрировать; проявлять), and Princess Dragomiroff’s physique is particularly frail (а телосложение княгини Драгомировой особенно хрупкое).”

“It might be a question (а, может быть, все дело; question — вопрос; проблема, дело, обсуждаемый вопрос) of the influence of mind over body (во влиянии души на тело; mind — ум, разум; дух, душа),” said Poirot. “Princess Dragomiroff has great personality (княгиня Драгомирова — выдающаяся личность; great — большой, огромный; великий) and immense will-power (и обладает колоссальной силой воли; will — воля, сила воли; power — сила, мощь). But let us pass from that for the moment (но давайте перейдем /от этого/ в данный момент = пока; to pass — идти, проходить; отходить, уклоняться).”

dubiously ['dju:bsl] particular [p'tkjl] inflict [n'flkt] considerable [kn'sdrbl] physique [f'zi:k] influence ['nflns]

“I doubt if she would have had the strength to inflict that left-handed blow,” said Dr. Constantine dubiously. ‘That particular wound had been inflicted with considerable force.”

“More force than a woman could use?”

“No, I would not say that. But I think more force than an elderly woman could display, and Princess Dragomiroff’s physique is particularly frail.”

“It might be a question of the influence of mind over body,” said Poirot. “Princess Dragomiroff has great personality and immense will-power. But let us pass from that for the moment.”