When we left the police station our first visit was to the mortuary to see the body of the dead woman. A strange feeling came over me as I gazed down on that wrinkled old face with the scanty grey hair drawn back tightly from the temples. It looked so peaceful, so incredibly remote from violence.

"Never knew who or what struck her," observed the sergeant.

"That's what Dr. Kerr says. I'm glad it was that way, poor old soul. A decent woman she was."

"She must have been beautiful once," said Poirot (она, должно быть, когда-то была красива, — сказал Пуаро; beauty — красота).

"Really?" I murmured incredulously (действительно? — я пробормотал недоверчиво; credulous — доверчивый, легковерный).

"But yes (о, да), look at the line of the jaw (посмотрите на линию челюсти), the bones (кости), the moulding of the head (форму головы; moulding — отливка, формовка)."

He sighed as he replaced the sheet (он вздохнул, когда вернул на место простыню) and we left the mortuary (и мы вышли из морга).

Our next move was a brief interview with the police surgeon (нашим следующим ходом был короткий разговор с полицейским хирургом; interview — встреча; беседа, разговор; опрос).

Dr. Kerr was a competent-looking middle-aged man (доктор Керр был компетентно выглядящим человеком средних лет). He spoke briskly and with decision (он говорил живо / отрывисто и решительно: «с решением»).

incredulously [n'kredjulsl], moulding ['mld], interview ['ntvju:]

"She must have been beautiful once," said Poirot.

"Really?" I murmured incredulously.

"But yes, look at the line of the jaw, the bones, the moulding of the head."

He sighed as he replaced the sheet and we left the mortuary.

Our next move was a brief interview with the police surgeon.

Dr. Kerr was a competent-looking middle-aged man. He spoke briskly and with decision.

"The weapon wasn't found," he said (оружие не было найдено). "Impossible to say what it may have been (невозможно сказать, что это могло быть). A weighted stick (утяжеленная трость/палка), a club (дубинка), a form of sandbag (какой-нибудь мешок с песком) — any of those would fit the case (все подошло бы в этом случае)."

"Would much force be needed to strike such a blow (понадобилась бы большая сила, чтобы нанести такой удар)?"

The doctor shot a keen glance at Poirot (доктор бросил на Пуаро резкий взгляд; to shoot — стрелять; бросаться; keen — острый; резкий).

"Meaning (/вы имеете/ в виду), I suppose (я полагаю), could a shaky old man of seventy do it (мог ли трясущийся старик семидесяти /лет/ сделать это)? Oh, yes, it's perfectly possible (это совершенно возможно) — given sufficient weight in the head of the weapon (если принять во внимание значительный вес верхней части оружия: «в голове оружия»), quite a feeble person could achieve the desired result (весьма слабый человек мог бы достичь желаемого результата)."

weapon ['wepn], sufficient [s'fnt], weight [wet]

"The weapon wasn't found," he said. "Impossible to say what it may have been. A weighted stick, a club, a form of sandbag — any of those would fit the case."

"Would much force be needed to strike such a blow?"

The doctor shot a keen glance at Poirot.

"Meaning, I suppose, could a shaky old man of seventy do it? Oh, yes, it's perfectly possible — given sufficient weight in the head of the weapon, quite a feeble person could achieve the desired result."

''Then the murderer could just as well be a woman as a man (тогда убийца мог бы быть /как/ женщиной, так и мужчиной)?"

The suggestion took the doctor somewhat aback (это предположение отчасти захватило доктора врасплох; to suggest — предлагать; to take aback — застать врасплох; somewhat — что-то, кое-что; отчасти, слегка).