Poirot interpolated a question (Пуаро вмешался в разговор с вопросом; to interpolate — видоизменять; вставлять замечания /в разговор/). "Supposing, Mr. Clarke (предположим, мистер Кларк), that your brother had been found shot at the foot of a cliff (что ваш брат был бы найден застреленным у подножья утеса) — or shot with a revolver beside him (или застреленным из револьвера рядом с ним). What would have been your first thought (какая была бы ваша первая мысль)?"

"Quite frankly (достаточно откровенно), I should have jumped to the conclusion (я бы пришел к выводу: «я бы прискакал к выводу») that it was suicide," said Clarke (что это было самоубийство).

"Encore,'' said Poirot (фр. снова, — сказал Пуаро).

sister-in-law ['sstrnl:], incurable [n'kjrbl], suicide ['sjsad]

"You may not know that my sister-in-law, Lady Clarke, is in very bad health. Frankly, between ourselves, she is suffering from an incurable cancer, and cannot live very much longer. Her illness has preyed terribly on my brother's mind. I myself returned from the East not long ago and I was shocked at the change in him."

Poirot interpolated a question. "Supposing, Mr. Clarke, that your brother had been found shot at the foot of a cliff — or shot with a revolver beside him. What would have been your first thought?"

"Quite frankly, I should have jumped to the conclusion that it was suicide," said Clarke.

"Encore,'' said Poirot.

"What is that (что это /значит/)?"

"A fact that repeats itself (факт, который повторяет себя). It is of no matter (это не имеет значения)."

"Anyway (в любом случае), it wasn't suicide (это не было самоубийство)," said Crome with a touch of curtness (сказал Кроум грубовато: «с налетом грубости»; curt — короткий; отрывисто-грубый). "Now I believe, Mr. Clarke (так вот, я полагаю = кажется, мистер Кларк), that it was your brother's habit to go for a stroll every evening (что в привычке вашего брата было выходить на прогулку каждый вечер)?"

"Quite right (совершенно верно). He always did (он всегда /так/ делал)."

"Every night (каждый вечер)?"

"Well (ну), not if it was pouring with rain (только, если не шел проливной дождь; to pour— лить/ся/), naturally (естественно)."

touch [tt], curtness ['k:tns], pouring ['p:r]

"What is that?"

"A fact that repeats itself. It is of no matter."

"Anyway, it wasn't suicide," said Crome with a touch of curtness. "Now I believe, Mr. Clarke, that it was your brother's habit to go for a stroll every evening?"

"Quite right. He always did."

"Every night?"

"Well, not if it was pouring with rain, naturally."

"And everyone in the house knew of this habit (и все в доме знали об этой привычке)?"

"Of course (конечно)."

"And outside (и вне дома)?"

"I don't quite know what you mean by outside (я не вполне понимаю, что вы имеете в виду под «вне дома»). The gardener may have been aware of it or not (садовник, возможно, знал об этом, а /может/ нет), I don't know (я не знаю)."

"And in the village (а в деревне)?"

"Strictly speaking (строго говоря), we haven't got a village (у нас нет деревни). There's a post office and cottages at Churston Fetters (там есть почтовое отделение и коттеджи в Черстон Феттерс) — but there's no village or shops (но там нет деревни или магазинов)."

gardener [':dn], village ['vl], post office ['pstfs]

"And everyone in the house knew of this habit?"

"Of course."

"And outside?"

"I don't quite know what you mean by outside. The gardener may have been aware of it or not, I don't know."

"And in the village?"

"Strictly speaking, we haven't got a village. There's a post office and cottages at Churston Fetters — but there's no village or shops."

"I suppose (я полагаю) a stranger hanging round the place would be fairly easily noticed (что незнакомец, слоняющийся вокруг этого места, был бы легко замечен)?"