Английский язык с Крестным Отцом - Илья Франк

2   On this Thursday morning, for some reason, he awoke early. The light of dawn made his huge bedroom as misty as a foggy meadowland. Far down at the foot of his bed was a familiar shape and Woltz struggled up on his elbows to get a clearer look. It had the shape of a horse's head. Still groggy, Woltz reached and flicked on the night table lamp.

3   The shock of what he saw made him physically ill. It seemed as if a great sledgehammer had struck him on the chest, his heartbeat jumped erratically and he became nauseous. His vomit spluttered on the thick flair rug.

4   Severed from its body, the black silky head of the great horse Khartoum was stuck fast in a thick cake of blood. White, reedy tendons showed. Froth covered the muzzle and those apple-sized eyes that had glinted like gold, were mottled the color of rotting fruit with dead, hemorrhaged blood. Woltz was struck by a purely animal terror 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 alarmed the butler, who called Woltz's personal physician and his second in command at the studio. But Woltz regained his senses before they arrived.

5   He had been profoundly shocked. What kind of man could destroy an animal worth six hundred thousand dollars? Without a word of warning. Without any negotiation to have the act, its order, countermanded. The ruthlessness, the sheer disregard for any values, implied a man who considered himself completely his own law, even his own God. And a man who backed up this kind of will with the power and cunning that held his own stable security force of no account. For by this time Woltz had learned that the horse's body had obviously been heavily drugged before someone leisurely hacked the huge triangular head off with an ax. The men on night duty claimed that they had heard nothing. To Woltz this seemed impossible. They could be made to talk. They had been bought off and they could be made to tell who had done the buying.

1   Woltz was not a stupid man, he was merely a supremely egotistical one (только крайне: «в высшей степени» эгоистичный; supreme [sju'pri:m] – высший, высочайший). He had mistaken the power he wielded in his world to be more potent than the power of Don Corleone. He had merely needed some proof (доказательство) that this was not true. He understood this message. That despite all his wealth, despite all his contacts with the President of the United States, despite all his claims of friendship with the director of the FBI, an obscure importer of Italian olive oil (obscure [∂b’skju∂] – темный, тусклый, плохо освещенный; незаметный, никому не известный) would have him killed (мог бы его убить). Would actually have him killed! Because he wouldn't give Johnny Fontane a movie part he wanted. It was incredible. People didn't have any right to act that way. There couldn't be any kind of world if people acted that way. It was insane (безумно, абсурдно [ın'seın]). It meant you couldn't do what you wanted with your own money, with the companies you owned, the power you had to give orders. It was ten times worse than communism. It had to be smashed (это должно бы быть сокрушено). It must never be allowed (это никогда, вовсе не должно быть позволено).

2   Woltz let the doctor give him a very mild sedation (легкое успокоительное; mild [maıld] – мягкий, спокойный; неострый, некрепкий). It helped him calm down again (успокоиться) and to think sensibly (разумно). What really shocked him was the casualness (легкость /поступка/; casually – ненароком, мимоходом) with which this man Corleone had ordered the destruction of a world-famous horse worth six hundred thousand dollars. Six hundred thousand dollars! And that was just for openers (только начало; opener – начальное событие /в серии событий/; for openers – для начала). Woltz shuddered (содрогнулся). He thought of this life he had built up. He was rich. He could have the most beautiful women in the world by crooking his finger (поманив пальцем: «согнув палец») and promising a contract. He was received by kings and queens. He lived a life as perfect as money and power could make it. It was crazy to risk all this because of a whim (из-за каприза). Maybe he could get to Corleone. What was the legal penalty for killing a race-horse? He laughed wildly and his doctor and servants watched him with nervous anxiety (с беспокойством, тревогой [æŋg’zaı∂tı]). Another thought occurred to him (пришла: «случилась» ему в голову). He would be the laughingstock (посмешищем) of California merely because someone had contemptuously defied his power (презрительно бросил вызов его власти; to defy [dı’faı] – вызывать, бросать вызов) in such arrogant fashion (таким высокомерным, наглым образом). That decided him (это решило дело, заставило его принять решение). That and the thought that maybe, maybe they wouldn't kill him. That they had something much more clever and painful in reserve (хитрое и болезненное в запасе).

3   Woltz gave the necessary orders. His personal confidential staff swung into action (его личная доверенная команда бросилась выполнять). The servants and the doctor were sworn to secrecy (поклялись хранить тайну, принесли присягу о соблюдении секретности) on pain of incurring the studio's and Woltz's undying enmity (под угрозой навлечения на себя вечной вражды; to incur [ın’k∂:] – подвергаться, навлекать на себя). Word was given to the press that the racehorse Khartoum had died of an illness contracted during his shipment from England (от болезни, полученной при его переправке). Orders were given to bury the remains (захоронить останки) in a secret place on the estate (на территории имения).

4   Six hours later Johnny Fontane received a phone call from the executive producer (от исполнительного директора) of the film telling him to report for work (явиться на работу; to report – сообщать; докладывать; являться, представать) the following Monday.

1   Woltz was not a stupid man, he was merely a supremely egotistical one. He had mistaken the power he wielded in his world to be more potent than the power of Don Corleone. He had merely needed some proof that this was not true. He understood this message. That despite all his wealth, despite all his contacts with the President of the United States, despite all his claims of friendship with the director of the FBI, an obscure importer of Italian olive oil would have him killed. Would actually have him killed! Because he wouldn't give Johnny Fontane a movie part he wanted. It was incredible. People didn't have any right to act that way. There couldn't be any kind of world if people acted that way. It was insane. It meant you couldn't do what you wanted with your own money, with the companies you owned, the power you had to give orders. It was ten times worse than communism. It had to be smashed. It must never be allowed.

2   Woltz let the doctor give him a very mild sedation. It helped him calm down again and to think sensibly. What really shocked him was the casualness with which this man Corleone had ordered the destruction of a world-famous horse worth six hundred thousand dollars. Six hundred thousand dollars! And that was just for openers. Woltz shuddered. He thought of this life he had built up. He was rich. He could have the most beautiful women in the world by crooking his finger and promising a contract. He was received by kings and queens. He lived a life as perfect as money and power could make it. It was crazy to risk all this because of a whim. Maybe he could get to Corleone. What was the legal penalty for killing a race-horse? He laughed wildly and his doctor and servants watched him with nervous anxiety. Another thought occurred to him. He would be the laughingstock of California merely because someone had contemptuously defied his power in such arrogant fashion. That decided him. That and the thought that maybe, maybe they wouldn't kill him. That they had something much more clever and painful in reserve.

3   Woltz gave the necessary orders. His personal confidential staff swung into action. The servants and the doctor were sworn to secrecy on pain of incurring the studio's and Woltz's undying enmity. Word was given to the press that the racehorse Khartoum had died of an illness contracted during his shipment from England. Orders were given to bury the remains in a secret place on the estate.

4   Six hours later Johnny Fontane received a phone call from the executive producer of the film telling him to report for work the following Monday.

1   That evening, Hagen went to the Don's house to prepare him for the important meeting the next day with Virgil Sollozzo. The Don had summoned his eldest son to attend (вызвал присутствовать; to summon [‘sLm∂n] – вызывать, созывать; to attend [∂‘tend] – уделять внимание; посещать, присутствовать), and Sonny Corleone, his heavy Cupid-shaped face drawn with fatigue (вытянутое от усталости, с печатью усталости), was sipping at a glass of water. He must still be humping that maid of honor (должно быть, все еще трахает; hump – бугорок, кочка; горб; горбиться; вкалывать, напрягаться; /вульг./ совокупляться), Hagen thought. Another worry (еще одна забота, еще одно беспокойство).

2   Don Corleone settled into an armchair puffing his Di Nobili cigar. Hagen kept a box of them in his room. He had tried to get the Don to switch to Havanas (переключиться) but the Don claimed they hurt his throat.

3   "Do we know everything necessary for us to know?" the Don asked.

4   Hagen opened the folder (папку; to fold – складывать) that held his notes. The notes were in no way incriminating (записи были ни в коей мере не «изобличительные, инкриминирующие» = вполне безопасные, конспиративные), merely cryptic reminders (всего лишь таинственные, секретные пометки; reminder – напоминание) to make sure he touched on every important detail. "Sollozzo is coming to us for help," Hagen said. "He will ask the family to put up at least a million dollars (вложить; to put up – выставить /на продажу/; вложить /деньги/) and to promise some sort of immunity from the law (обещать что-то вроде неприкосновенности со стороны закона; immunity [ı'mju:nıtı] – неприкосновенность; иммунитет). For that we get a piece of the action (долю), nobody knows how much. Sollozzo is vouched for by the Tattaglia family (за него поручилась; to vouch – ручаться) and they may have a piece of the action. The action is narcotics. Sollozzo has the contacts in Turkey, where they grow the poppy (мак). From there he ships to Sicily. No trouble. In Sicily he has the plant to process into heroin (фабрика для переработки; plant [plα:nt] – фабрика, завод; to process [‘pr∂uses] – перерабатывать). He has safety-valve operations (safety-valve – предохранительный клапан, отдушина) to bring it down to morphine and bring it up to heroin if necessary (суть которых /операций для безопасности/ в том, что можно переработать это в морфий, а затем обратно в героин, если необходимо, если понадобится). But it would seem that the processing plant in Sicily is protected in every way. The only hitch (задержка, заминка, неполадка = загвоздка) is bringing it into this country, and then distribution (распределение, распространение). Also initial capital (а также начальный капитал). A million dollars cash doesn't grow on trees." Hagen saw Don Corleone grimace (как его лицо исказилось гримасой /недовольства/ [grı'meıs]). The old man hated unnecessary flourishes in business matters (излишние прикрасы; flourish [‘flLrı∫] – цветение /плодового дерева/; завитушки, цветистые выражения). He went on hastily (продолжил поспешно).

5   "They call Sollozzo the Turk. Two reasons. He's spent a lot of time in Turkey and is supposed to have a Turkish wife and kids (предполагается, что у него есть = кажется, у него). Second. He's supposed to be very quick with the knife, or was, when he was young. Only in matters of business, though, and with some sort of reasonable complaint (и только при наличии какой-либо весомой причины для недовольства; complaint [k∂mp’leınt] – жалоба, неудовлетворенность). A very competent man and his own boss. He has a record, he's done two terms in prison (два срока), one in Italy, one in the United States, and he's known to the authorities (властям) as a narcotics man. This could be a plus for us. It means that he'll never get immunity to testify (он не будет иметь права свидетельствовать, давать показания /против нас/), since he's considered the top and, of course, because of his record. Also he has an American wife and three children and he is a good family man. He'll stand still (стоять на месте) for any rap (легкий удар, стук; /сленг/ наказание, обвинение, приговор) = (его не поколеблет никакой приговор) as long as he knows that they will be well taken care of for living money (пока будет знать, что о них позаботятся и у них всегда будут деньги на жизнь)."

1   That evening, Hagen went to the Don's house to prepare him for the important meeting the next day with Virgil Sollozzo. The Don had summoned his eldest son to attend, and Sonny Corleone, his heavy Cupid-shaped face drawn with fatigue, was sipping at a glass of water. He must still be humping that maid of honor, Hagen thought. Another worry.

2   Don Corleone settled into an armchair puffing his Di Nobili cigar. Hagen kept a box of them in his room. He had tried to get the Don to switch to Havanas but the Don claimed they hurt his throat.