"Well, she's worked here longer than I have (ну, она работала здесь дольше, чем я). I only came this March (я пришла только в этом марте). She was here last year (она была здесь в прошлом году). She was rather quiet (она была достаточно тихой), if you know what I mean (если вы знаете, что я имею в виду). She wasn't one to joke or laugh a lot (она была не та, /кто/ шутит или смеется много). I don't mean that she was exactly quiet (я не имею в виду, что она была совсем тихой) — she'd plenty of fun in her and all that (в ней было много веселого и все такое) — but she didn't (но она не) — well, she was quiet (она была тихой) and she wasn't quiet (и она не была тихой), if you know what I mean."
I will say for Inspector Crome (я скажу /в пользу/ инспектора Кроума) that he was exceedingly patient (что он был исключительно терпелив; to exceed — превышать). As a witness (как свидетельница) the buxom Miss Higley was persistently maddening (полногрудая мисс Хигли /могла/ довести до бешенства: «была упорно сводящей с ума»; buxom — полная сил; пухлая, полногрудая /о женщине/; persistent — настойчивый, упорный). Every statement she made (каждое утверждение, которое она делала) was repeated and qualified half a dozen times (было повторено и уточнено полдюжины раз; to qualify — оценивать; уточнять). The net result was meagre in the extreme (конечный результат был скуден до крайности; net — чистый, нетто /о весе, доходе/; общий, конечный: the net result — общий результат; meagre — meager 1) а) худой, тощий, чахлый; недостаточный; небольшой, скудный).
persistently [p@'sIst@ntlI], buxom ['bVks@m], meagre ['mi:g@]
"Well, she's worked here longer than I have. I only came this March. She was here last year. She was rather quiet, if you know what I mean. She wasn't one to joke or laugh a lot. I don't mean that she was exactly quiet — she'd plenty of fun in her and all that — but she didn't — well, she was quiet and she wasn't quiet, if you know what I mean."
I will say for Inspector Crome that he was exceedingly patient. As a witness the buxom Miss Higley was persistently maddening. Every statement she made was repeated and qualified half a dozen times. The net result was meagre in the extreme.