“You accept then?” said M. Bouc eagerly.

“C’est entendu. You place the matter in my hands.”

“Good — we are all at your service.”

“To begin with, I should like a plan of the Istanbul-Calais coach, with a note of the people who occupied the several compartments, and I should also like to see their passports and their tickets.”

“Michel will get you those.”

The Wagon Lit conductor left the compartment.

“What other passengers are there on the train?” asked Poirot.

“In this coach (в этом вагоне; coach — карета, экипаж; пассажирский вагон, разделенный на купе) Dr. Constantine and I are the only travelers (доктор Константин и я — единственные пассажиры: «путешествующие»). In the coach from Bucharest (в вагоне из Бухареста) is an old gentleman with a lame leg (едет хромой пожилой джентльмен; lame — хромой; поврежденный, изувеченный /обыкн. о ноге/; leg — нога /от бедра до ступни/). He is well known to the conductor (проводник его хорошо знает; known — общеизвестный, to know (knew, known)). Beyond that (кроме этого) are the ordinary carriages (есть еще обычные пассажирские вагоны; carriage — экипаж, карета; пассажирский вагон), but these do not concern us (но они к нам не относятся; to concern — касаться /в рассказе/; иметь касательство, отношение), since they were locked (так как они были заперты на ключ) after dinner had been served (после того, как был подан ужин; dinner — обед; to serve — служить; подавать /на стол/, разносить /пищу/) last night (прошлым вечером). Forward of the Istanbul-Calais coach (впереди вагона Стамбул — Кале) there is only the dining-car (только вагон-ресторан).”

coach [kt] traveller ['traevl] concern [kn's:n]

“In this coach Dr. Constantine and I are the only travellers. In the coach from Bucharest is an old gentleman with a lame leg. He is well known to the conductor. Beyond that are the ordinary carriages, but these do not concern us, since they were locked after dinner had been served last night. Forward of the Istanbul-Calais coach there is only the dining-car.”

“Then it seems (значит, по-видимому; to seem — казаться, представляться),” said Poirot slowly (сказал Пуаро медленно), “as though we must look for our murderer (мы должны искать нашего убийцу; to look for smb., smth. — искать кого-либо, что-либо) in the Istanbul-Calais coach (в вагоне Стамбул — Кале).” He turned to the doctor (он повернулся к доктору). “That is what you were hinting, I think (вы на это намекали, я полагаю; to hint — намекать, давать понять)?”

The Greek nodded (грек кивнул). “At half an hour after midnight (через полчаса после полуночи) we ran into the snowdrift (мы попали в снежный занос; to run (ran, run) — бежать, бегать; to run into smth. — попадать в какое-либо положение). No one can have left the train since then (никто не смог бы покинуть поезд с того самого момента).”

M. Bouc said solemnly (мсье Бук сказал серьезно; solemn — торжественный; важный, серьезный), “The murderer is with us (убийца среди нас: «с нами») — on the train now (сейчас, в этом поезде). …”

though [d] turn [t:n] midnight ['mdnat] solemn ['slm]

“Then it seems,” said Poirot slowly, “as though we must look for our murderer in the Istanbul-Calais coach.” He turned to the doctor. “That is what you were hinting, I think?”

The Greek nodded. “At half an hour after midnight we ran into the snowdrift. No one can have left the train since then.”

M. Bouc said solemnly, “The murderer is with us — on the train now. …”

6. A Woman

(Женщина)