"But yes (ну да) — just that precisely (именно так: «как раз это точно»)! They were wrong (они были неправильными) as a picture is wrong (как картина неправильна) — because they were a fake (потому что они были подделкой). They pretended to be the letters of a madman (они претендовали /на то, чтобы/ быть письмами сумасшедшего = выдавали себя за…) — of a homicidal lunatic (помешанного убийцы: «убийственного лунатика»), but in reality they were nothing of the kind (но в реальности они не были ничем подобным = не были таковыми)."

assume ['sju:m], fake [fek], pretend [pr'tend]

"I had assumed, without pausing to consider, that what was wrong with them was the fact that they were written by a madman."

"Now I examined them again — and this time I came to a totally different conclusion. What was wrong with them was the fact that they were written by a sane man!"

"What?" I cried.

"But yes — just that precisely! They were wrong as a picture is wrong — because they were a fake. They pretended to be the letters of a madman — of a homicidal lunatic, but in reality they were nothing of the kind."

"It doesn't make sense," Franklin Clarke repeated (это не имеет смысла, — повторил Франклин Кларк).

"Mais si (фр. да нет же/наоборот). One must reason (нужно рассуждать) — reflect (размышлять). What would be the object of writing such letters (что было бы причиной написания таких писем)? To focus attention on the writer (сфокусировать внимание на авторе), to call attention to the murders (обратить внимание на убийства)! En verit'e (фр. поистине), it did not seem to make sense at first sight (это, казалось, не имело смысла на первый взгляд). And then I saw light (а затем я увидел свет). It was to focus attention on several murders (оно должно было сфокусировать внимание на нескольких убийствах) — on a group of murders (на группе убийств) … Is it not your great Shakespeare (/разве/ это не ваш великий Шекспир) who has said (который сказал), 'You cannot see the trees for the wood (вы не можете увидеть деревьев из-за леса)'?"

focus ['fks], sight [sat], Shakespeare ['eksp]

"It doesn't make sense," Franklin Clarke repeated.

"Mais si. One must reason — reflect. What would be the object of writing such letters? To focus attention on the writer, to call attention to the murders! En verit'e, it did not seem to make sense at first sight. And then I saw light. It was to focus attention on several murders — on a group of murders … Is it not your great Shakespeare who has said, 'You cannot see the trees for the wood'?"

I did not correct Poirot's literary reminiscences[51] (я не исправил литературные воспоминания = ссылки Пуаро). I was trying to see his point (я пытался понять его идею). A glimmer came to me (слабый проблеск /понимания/ пришел ко мне; glimmer — мерцание; слабый проблеск). He went on (он продолжал): "When do you notice a pin least (когда вы менее всего замечаете булавку)? When it is in a pincushion (когда она в подушечке для булавок)! When do you notice an individual murder least (когда вы менее всего заметите отдельное убийство; individual — частный, отдельный)? When it is one of a series of related murders (когда оно в серии сходных убийств)."

glimmer ['lm], pincushion ['pnkn], related [r'letd]

I did not correct Poirot's literary reminiscences. I was trying to see his point. A glimmer came to me. He went on: "When do you notice a pin least? When it is in a pincushion! When do you notice an individual murder least? When it is one of a series of related murders."