Английский язык с Крестным Отцом
Шрифт:
1 Tom Hagen went to his law office in the city on Thursday morning. He planned to catch up on his paper work so as to have everything cleared away for the meeting with Virgil Sollozzo on Friday. A meeting of such importance that he had asked the Don for a full evening of talk to prepare for the proposition they knew Sollozzo would offer the family business. Hagen wanted to have all little details cleared away so that he could go to that preparatory meeting with an unencumbered mind.
2 The Don had not seemed surprised when Hagen returned from California late Tuesday evening and told him the results of the negotiations with Woltz. He had made Hagen go over every detail and grimaced with distaste when Hagen told about the beautiful little girl and her mother. He had murmured "infamita," his strongest disapproval. He has asked Hagen one final question. "Does this man have real balls?"
3 Hagen considered exactly what the Don meant by this question. Over the years he had learned that the Don's values were so different from those of most people that his words also could have a different meaning. Did Woltz have character? Did he have a strong will? He most certainly did, but that was not what the Don was asking. Did the movie producer have the courage not to be bluffed? Did he have the willingness to suffer heavy financial loss delay on his movies would mean, the scandal of his big star exposed as a user of heroin? Again the answer was yes. But again this was not what the Don meant. Finally Hagen translated the question properly in his mind. Did Jack Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?
4 Hagen smiled. He did it rarely but now he could not resist jesting with the Don. "You're asking if he is a Sicilian." The Don nodded his head pleasantly, acknowledging the flattering witticism and its truth. "No," Hagen said.
5 That had been all. The Don had pondered the question until the next day. On Wednesday afternoon he had called Hagen to his home and given him his instructions. The instructions had consumed the rest of Hagen's working day and left him dazed with admiration. There was no question in his mind that the Don had solved the problem, that Woltz would call him this morning with the news that Johnny Fontane had the starring part in his new war movie.
6 At that moment the phone did ring but it was Amerigo Bonasera. The undertaker's voice was trembling with gratitude. He wanted Hagen to convey to the Don his undying friendship. The Don had only to call on him. He, Amerigo Bonasera, would lay down his life for the blessed Godfather. Hagen assured him that the Don would be told.
7 The Daily News had carried a middle-page spread of Jerry Wagner and Kevin Moonan lying in the street. The photos were expertly gruesome, they seemed to be pulps of human beings. Miraculously, said the News, they were both still alive though they would both be in the hospital for months and would require plastic surgery. Hagen made a note to tell Clemenza that something should be done for Paulie Gatto. He seemed to know his job.
8 Hagen worked quickly and efficiently for the next three hours consolidating earning reports from the Don's real estate company, his olive oil importing business and his construction firm. None of them were doing well but with the war over they should all become rich producers. He had almost forgotten the Johnny Fontane problem when his secretary told him California was calling. He felt a little thrill of anticipation as he picked up the phone and said, "Hagen here."
9 The voice that came over the phone was unrecognizable with hate and passion. "You fucking bastard," Woltz screamed. "I'll have you all in jail for a hundred years. I'll spend every penny I have to get you. I'll get that Johnny Fontane's balls cut off, do you hear me, you guinea fuck?"
10 Hagen said kindly, "I'm German-Irish." There was a long pause and then a click of the phone being hung up. Hagen smiled. Not once had Woltz uttered a threat against Don Corleone himself. Genius had its rewards.
1 Jack Woltz always slept alone. He had a bed big enough for ten people and a bedroom large enough for a movie ballroom scene, but he had slept alone since the death of his first wife ten years before. This did not mean he no longer used women. He was physically a vigorous man (крепкий; vigorous –
2 On this Thursday morning, for some reason, he awoke early. The light of dawn (рассвета) made his huge bedroom as misty as a foggy meadowland (в дымке и в тумане: «дымчатой и туманной», как низинные луга; meadow [‘medu] – луг, низина, пойменная земля). Far down at the foot of his bed was a familiar shape and Woltz struggled up on his elbows (с трудом приподнялся на локтях) to get a clearer look. It had the shape of a horse's head. Still groggy (еще не придя в себя; groggy – любящий пропустить рюмочку, хмельной; шаткий, непрочный), Woltz reached (протянул руку) and flicked on the night table lamp (включил; to flick – слегка ударить /быстрым, легким движением; щелкнуть/).
3 The shock of what he saw made him physically ill. It seemed as if a great sledgehammer (кувалда: sledge – сани; кувалда + hammer – молот) had struck him on the chest (ударила его в грудь), his heartbeat jumped erratically (неравномерно; erratic [i'raetik] – переменчивый, непостоянный: «блуждающий») and he became nauseous (его начало тошнить; nauseous ['no:sjs] – тошнотворный; nausea ['no:sj] – тошнота). His vomit (рвота ['vomit]) spluttered on the thick flair rug (расплескалась, разбрызгалась по его толстому, стильному, шикарному ковру; flair – чутье; вкус; стиль).
4 Severed from its body (отделенная, отрезанная: to sever [‘sev]), the black silky head of the great horse Khartoum was stuck fast (крепко сидела, торчала, увязла; to stick – втыкать, насаживать) in a thick cake of blood. White, reedy tendons showed (виднелись белые, жесткие сухожилия; reed – камыш, тростник). Froth covered the muzzle (пена покрывала морду) and those apple-sized eyes that had glinted like gold, were mottled (были покрыты крапинками, испещрены; mottle – крапинка, пятнышко) the color of rotting fruit (цвета гниющих плодов) with dead, hemorrhaged blood. Woltz was struck by a purely animal terror (поражен чисто животным ужасом, страхом) and out of that terror he screamed for his servants and out of that terror he called Hagen to make his uncontrolled threats. His maniacal raving (бред, несвязная речь; to rave – говорить несвязно, слишком возбужденно) alarmed the butler (встревожила дворецкого), who called Woltz's personal physician (врача) and his second in command at the studio (и его заместителя). But Woltz regained his senses (пришел в себя: «обрел снова, вернул чувства») before they arrived.
5 He had been profoundly (глубоко) shocked. What kind of man could destroy an animal (погубить: «разрушить») worth six hundred thousand dollars? Without a word of warning (предупреждения; to warn – предупреждать). Without any negotiation to have the act, its order, countermanded (не дав возможности, после переговоров, отменить, приостановить приказ). The ruthlessness (беспощадность; ruthless – безжалостный), the sheer disregard for any values (совершенное неуважение, непринятие во внимание каких-либо ценностей; sheer – абсолютный, полнейший), implied a man (предполагало, подразумевало; to imply) who considered himself completely his own law, even his own God. And a man who backed up (подкреплял, обеспечивал выполнение; to back up – поддерживать: «подпирать») this kind of will with the power and cunning (хитростью, коварством) that held his own stable security force of no account («считали за ничто его охрану» = перед которыми охрана его конюшен была просто ничто). For by this time Woltz had learned that the horse's body had obviously been heavily drugged (напичкано снотворным) before someone leisurely hacked the huge triangular head off with an ax (спокойно, не спеша оттяпал треугольную голову топором; leisure [‘leG] – досуг; triangle [‘traiaegl] – треугольник). The men on night duty (которые были на ночном дежурстве) claimed (заявляли, утверждали) that they had heard nothing. To Woltz this seemed impossible. They could be made to talk (их можно заставить говорить). They had been bought off (были подкуплены, от них откупились; to buy off – откупаться) and they could be made to tell who had done the buying.