Английский язык с Крестным Отцом
Шрифт:
and the start of the Great Depression, Vito Corleone had become the Godfather, the
Don, Don Corleone.
It started casually enough. By this time the Genco Pura Oil Company had a fleet of six
delivery trucks. Through Clemenza, Vito Corleone was approached by a group of Italian
bootleggers (торговец контрабандными или самогонными спиртными напитками;
bootleg – голенище) who smuggled alcohol and whiskey in from Canada. They needed
trucks and deliverymen to distribute their produce over New York City. They needed
deliverymen who were reliable, discreet and of a certain determination and force. They
were willing to pay Vito Corleone for his trucks and for his men. The fee was so
Мультиязыковой
enormous that Vito Corleone cut back drastically (радикально; drastic –
сильнодействующий /о лекарстве/) on his oil business to use the trucks almost
53
exclusively for the service of the bootlegger-smugglers. This despite the fact that these
gentlemen had accompanied their offer with a silky threat. But even then Vito Corleone
was so mature a man that he did not take insult at a threat or become angry and refuse
a profitable offer because of it. He evaluated the threat, found it lacking in conviction,
and lowered his opinion of his new partners because they had been so stupid to use
threats where none were needed. This was useful information to be pondered at its
proper time.
Again he prospered. But, more important, he acquired knowledge and contacts and
experience. And he piled up (складывал в кучу, накапливал; pile – куча, груда, кипа)
good deeds as a banker piles up securities (ценные бумаги). For in the following years
it became clear that Vito Corleone was not only a man of talent but, in his way, a genius.
He made himself the protector of the Italian families who set themselves up as small
speakeasies (speakeasy – бар, где незаконно торгуют спиртными напитками) in
their homes, selling whiskey at fifteen cents a glass to bachelor laborers. He became
godfather to Mrs. Colombo's youngest son when the lad made his confirmation and
gave a handsome present of a twenty-dollar gold piece. Meanwhile, since it was
inevitable that some of his trucks be stopped by the police, Genco Abbandando hired a
fine lawyer with many contacts in the Police Department and the judiciary (судебное
право; судебное ведомство [dGu:'diiri]). A system of payoffs was set up and soon
the Corleone organization had a sizable "sheet," the list of officials entitled (to entitle –
давать право [in'taitl]) to a monthly sum. When the lawyer tried to keep this list down,
apologizing for the expense, Vito Corleone reassured him. "No, no," he said. "Get
everyone on it even if they can't help us right now. I believe in friendship and I am
willing to show my friendship first."
As time went by the Corleone empire became larger, more trucks were added, the
"sheet" grew longer. Also the men working directly for Tessio and Clemenza grew in
number. The whole thing was becoming unwieldy (неуправляемый)). Finally Vito
Corleone worked out a system of organization. He gave Clemenza and Tessio each the
title of Caporegime, or captain, and the men who worked beneath them the rank of
soldier. He named Genco Abbandando his counselor, or Consigliori. He put layers of
insulation (слои
order it was to Genco or to one of the caporegimes alone. Rarely did he have a witness
to any order he gave any particular one of them. Then he split Tessio's group and made
Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru
it responsible for Brooklyn. He also split Tessio off from Clemenza and made it clear
54
over the years that he did not want the two men to associate even socially except when
absolutely necessary. He explained this to the more intelligent Tessio, who caught his
drift (медленное течение; направление; /здесь/ намерение) immediately, though Vito
explained it as a security measure against the law. Tessio understood that Vito did not
want his two caporegimes to have any opportunity to conspire against him and he also
understood there was no ill will involved, merely a tactical precaution. In return Vito
gave Tessio a free hand in Brooklyn while he kept Clemenza's Bronx fief (феодальное
поместье, лен [fi:f]) very much under his thumb. Clemenza was the braver, more
reckless (дерзкий, отчаянный, reckless of danger – пренебрегающий опасностью),
the crueler man despite his outward jollity (веселость; jolly – веселый, радостный),
and needed a tighter rein (повод, поводья).
The Great Depression increased the power of Vito Corleone. And indeed it was about
that time he came to be called Don Corleone. Everywhere in the city, honest men
begged for honest work in vain. Proud men demeaned (to demean – унижать)
themselves and their families to accept official charity from contemptuous officialdom