Крестный отец, часть 1. Английский язык с Марио Пьюзо.

Puzo Mario

The wedding day of Connie Corleone ended well for her. Carlo Rizzi performed his duties as a bridegroom with skill and vigor, spurred on by the contents of the bride's gift purse which totaled up to over twenty thousand dollars. The bride, however, gave up her virginity with a great deal more willingness than she gave up her purse. For the latter, he had to blacken one of her eyes.

Lucy Mancini waited in her house for a call from Sonny Corleone, sure that he would ask her for a date. Finally she called his house and when she heard a woman's voice answer the phone she hung up. She had no way of knowing that nearly everyone at the wedding had remarked the absence of her and Sonny for that fatal half hour and the gossip was already spreading that Santino Corleone had found another victim. That he had "done the job" on his own sister's maid of honor.

Amerigo Bonasera had a terrible nightmare. In his dreams he saw Don Corleone, in peaked cap, overalls and heavy gloves, unloading bullet-riddled corpses in front of his funeral parlor and shouting, "Remember, Amerigo, not a word to anyone, and bury them quickly." He groaned so loud and long in his sleep that his wife shook him awake. "Eh, what a man you are," she grumbled. "To have a nightmare only after a wedding."

Kay Adams was escorted to her New York City hotel by Paulie Gatto and Clemenza. The car was large, luxurious and driven by Gatto. Clemenza sat in the back seat and Kay was given the front seat next to the driver. She found both men wildly exotic. Their speech was movie Brooklynese and they treated her with exaggerated courtliness. During the ride she chatted casually with both men and was surprised when they spoke of Michael with unmistakable affection and respect. He had led her to believe that he was an alien in his father's world. Now Clemenza was assuring her in his wheezing gutteral voice that the "old man" thought Mike was the best of his sons, the one who would surely inherit the family business.

"What business is that?" Kay asked in the most natural way.

Paulie Gatto gave her a quick glance as he turned the wheel. Behind her Clemenza said in a surprised voice. "Didn't Mike tell you? Mr. Corleone is the biggest importer of Italian olive oil in the States. Now that the war is over the business could get real rich. He'll need a smart boy like Mike."

At the hotel Clemenza insisted on coming to the desk with her. When she protested, he said simply, "The boss said to make sure you got home OK. I gotta do it."

After she received her room key he walked her to the elevator and waited until she got in. She waved to him, smiling, and was surprised at his genuine smile of pleasure in return. It was just as well she did not see him go back to the hotel clerk and ask, "What name she registered under?"

The hotel clerk looked at Clemenza coldly. Clemenza rolled the little green spitball he was holding in his hand across to the clerk, who picked it up and immediately said, "Mr. and Mrs. Michael Corleone."

Back in the car, Paulie Gatto said, "Nice dame."

Clemenza grunted. "Mike is doing the job on her." Unless, he thought, they were really married. "Pick me up early in the morning," he told Paulie Gatto. "Hagen got some deal for us that gotta be done right away."

It was late Sunday night before Tom Hagen could kiss his wife goodbye and drive out to the airport. With his special number one priority (с

удостоверением, дающим ему право внеочередной, первоочередной посадки /на самолет/; priority [praı’orıtı] – приоритет; преимущество; очередность) (a grateful gift («благодарный дар») from a Pentagon staff general officer (офицера ген. штаба; staff [sta:f] – штат /служащих/; кадры)) he had no trouble getting on a plane to Los Angeles (не было проблем сесть на самолет).

It had been a busy but satisfying day (удачный: «удовлетворяющий» день; to satisfy [‘sætısfaı] – удовлетворять) for Tom Hagen. Genco Abbandando had died at three in the morning and when Don Corleone returned from the hospital, he had informed Hagen that he was now officially the new Consigliori to the family. This meant that Hagen was sure to become a very rich man, to say nothing of power (не говоря уж о власти).

The Don had broken a long-standing tradition (нарушил давнюю традицию). The Consigliori was always a full-blooded Sicilian («полнокровный» = чистокровный сицилиец), and the fact that Hagen had been brought up as a member of the Don's family (был выращен, воспитан) made no difference to that tradition. It was a question of blood. Only a Sicilian born to the ways of omerta (который с молоком матери впитывал в себя круговую поруку и обычай кровной мести /итал./), the law of silence (закон молчания), could be trusted in the key post of Consigliori.

Between the head of the family, Don Corleone, who dictated policy (определял политику, курс = стратегию), and the operating level of men (и исполнительским уровнем [levl]) who actually carried out the orders of the Don (которые фактически, в на самом деле исполняли приказы; actually [‘ækt∫u∂lı]), there were three layers (слоя, пласта, прокладки), or buffers. In that way nothing could be traced to the top (таким образом ничто нельзя было проследить до верхушки /до руководства/; trace – след, отпечаток; to trace – проследить, выследить). Unless the Consigliori turned traitor (кроме того случая, если бы консильори оказался предателем). That Sunday morning Don Corleone gave explicit instructions (подробные,

ясные [ıks'plısıt]) on what should be done to the two young men (что должно быть сделано) who had beaten the daughter of Amerigo Bonasera. But he had given those orders in private to Tom Hagen. Later in the day Hagen had, also in private without witnesses (без свидетелей), instructed Clemenza. In turn Clemenza had told Paulie Gatto to execute the commission (выполнить поручение). Paulie Gatto would now muster the necessary manpower (соберет необходимый личный состав, подберет исполнителей) and execute the orders. Paulie Gatto and his men would not know why this particular task was being carried out (почему выполняется эта конкретная, частная задача = именно эта задача; particular [p∂’tıkjul∂] – особый, особенный; отдельный, одиночный; task [tα:sk] – урочная работа, задача) or who had ordered it originally (первоначально). Each link of the chain would have to turn traitor (каждое звено цепи должно было бы оказаться предателем) for the Don to be involved (быть замешанным) and though it had never yet happened, there was always the possibility (возможность этого сохранялась). The cure for that possibility also was known (средство против этого: «лечение» было также известно). Only one link in the chain had to disappear (должно было исчезнуть).

The Consigliori was also what his name implied (что и заключало в себе, предполагало само название: to imply [ım’plaı]). He was the counselor to the Don (советником [‘kaunsl∂]), his right-hand man, his auxiliary brain («вспомогательным мозгом» [o:g'zılj∂rı]). He was also his closest companion and his closest friend. On important trips he would drive the Don's car, at conferences he would go out and get the Don refreshments (приносить закуски, освежающие напитки), coffee and sandwiches, fresh cigars. He would know everything the Don knew or nearly everything, all the cells of power (все клеточки = сегменты власти). He was the one man in the world who could bring the Don crashing down to destruction (кто мог бы с треском провалить Дона; to crush – с грохотом разрушать, разбивать). But no Consigliori had ever betrayed a Don (ни один консильори ни разу не изменил Дону), not in the memory of any of the powerful Sicilian families who had established themselves in America (обосновались; to establish [ıs’tæblı∫] – укреплять, делать стойким; основывать, учреждать). There was no future in it (в этом не было будущего = не было никакого смысла). And every Consigliori knew that if he kept the faith (если останется верен; faith [feıθ] – вера; верность), he would become rich, wield power (добьется власти; to wield – уметь обращаться; иметь в своем распоряжении, владеть) and win respect. If misfortune came, his wife and children would be sheltered and cared for (их приютят и о них позаботятся; shelter – приют, кров, убежище) as if he were alive or free (как если бы он был жив или свободен). If he kept the faith.

In some matters the Consigliori had to act for his Don in a more open way and yet not involve his principal (и все же не втягивать, не вмешивать своего начальника [‘prıns∂p∂l]). Hagen was flying to Califomia on just such a matter (как раз по такому делу). He realized that his career as Consigliori would be seriously affected by the success or failure of this mission (что на его карьеру серьезно повлияет, чем окончится его миссия: успехом или провалом, неудачей; to affect [∂’fekt] – подвергать воздействию, затрагивать; failure ['feılj∂] – неспособность, несостоятельность; банкротство; неудача; to fail – недоставать; потерпеть неудачу). By family business standards whether Johnny Fontane got his coveted part in the war movie (получил ли желанную роль: to covet [‘kLvıt] – жаждать, домогаться, сильно желать), or did not, was a minor matter (мелочь, нечто несущественное; minor [‘maın∂] – незначительный). Far more important was the meeting (гораздо важнее была встреча) Hagen had set up (назначил, спланировал) with Virgil Sollozzo the following Friday. But Hagen knew that to the Don, both were of equal importance (оба дела были одинаковой важности; equal [‘i:kw∂l] – равный, одинаковый, идентичный), which settled the matter for any good Consigliori (что решало вопрос = что и было решающим для каждого хорошего консильори).

It was late Sunday night before Tom Hagen could kiss his wife goodbye and drive out to the airport. With his special number one priority (a grateful gift from a Pentagon staff general officer) he had no trouble getting on a plane to Los Angeles.

It had been a busy but satisfying day for Tom Hagen. Genco Abbandando had died at three in the morning and when Don Corleone returned from the hospital, he had informed Hagen that he was now officially the new Consigliori to the family. This meant that Hagen was sure to become a very rich man, to say nothing of power.