"A woman, eh (женщина, да)? Well, I confess (так, я признаю) it never occurred to me to connect a woman with this type of crime (мне никогда не приходило в голову связать женщину с этим видом преступления). But of course it's possible (но, конечно, это возможно) — perfectly possible (совершенно возможно). Only, psychologically speaking (только, с психологической точки зрения: «психологически говоря»), I shouldn't say this was a woman's crime (я бы не сказал, что это было женское преступление)."

Poirot nodded his head in eager agreement (Пуаро кивнул головой с живым согласием; eager — страстно желающий, жаждущий /о человеке/; интенсивный, напряженный; энергичный, активный /о желании, взгляде, жесте и т.п. /; to agree — соглашаться).

psychologically [sak'lkl] eager ['i:] agreement ['ri:mnt]

''Then the murderer could just as well be a woman as a man?"

The suggestion took the doctor somewhat aback.

"A woman, eh? Well, I confess it never occurred to me to connect a woman with this type of crime. But of course it's possible — perfectly possible. Only, psychologically speaking, I shouldn't say this was a woman's crime."

Poirot nodded his head in eager agreement.

"Perfectly, perfectly (совершенно). On the face of it (на первый взгляд: «на поверхности этого»), highly improbable (совершенно неправдоподобно). But one must take all possibilities into account (но нужно принимать в расчет все возможности). The body was lying (тело лежало; to lie — лежать) — how (как)?"

The doctor gave us a careful description of the position of the victim (доктор дал нам тщательное описание положения жертвы; careful — заботливый; тщательный; осторожный).

It was his opinion (по его мнению: «это было его мнение») that she had been standing with her back to the counter (что она стояла спиной к прилавку) (and therefore to her assailant (и, следовательно, к нападающему / противнику) when the blow had been struck (когда удар был нанесен; to strike — ударять).

She had slipped down in a heap behind the counter (она свалилась: «соскользнула вниз грудой» позади прилавка; heap — груда, масса, куча) quite out of sight of anyone (совершенно вне поля зрения любого) entering the shop casually (случайно зашедшего в магазин).

possibility [ps'blt], therefore ['df:], assailant ['selnt]

"Perfectly, perfectly. On the face of it, highly improbable. But one must take all possibilities into account. The body was lying — how?"

The doctor gave us a careful description of the position of the victim.

It was his opinion that she had been standing with her back to the counter (and therefore to her assailant) when the blow had been struck.

She had slipped down in a heap behind the counter quite out of sight of anyone entering the shop casually.