Story about Luca?' and Tom said, 'When you're a hundred.’ Michael sipped his

glass of wine. "That must be some story. That must be some Luca."

 

 

1 Luca Brasi was indeed a man to frighten the devil in hell himself (способный

испугать самого дьявола в аду [devl]). Short, squat (коренастый: «короткий и

толстый»; to squat – сидеть на корточках), massive-skulled (с массивным черепом:

skull), his presence sent out alarm bells of danger (его присутстствие

сигнализировало = распространяло ощущение опасности: alarm [∂’lα:m] – сигнал

тревоги; alarm bell – набат, сигнальный звонок). His face was stamped into a mask of

fury (на его лицо «была нанесена /вечная/ печать» гнева, ярости, на его лице была

застывшая маска гнева). The eyes were brown but with none of the warmth of that

color (но безо всякого тепла, свойственного этому цвету), more a deadly tan (скорее

мертвенный желто-коричневый цвет). The mouth was not so much cruel as lifeless

(не столько жестоким, сколько безжизненным); thin, rubbery (резиновым = словно

резиновым) and the color of veal (телятины).

2 Brasi's reputation for violence (жестокости, насилия, применения силы) was

awesome (устрашающей, необычайной: «вызывающей благоговение,

почтительный страх»; awe [o:] – благоговейный страх, трепет) and his devotion

(преданность) to Don Corleone legendary. He was, in himself, one of the great blocks

that supported (поддерживали) the Don's power structure. His kind was a rarity (такие

как он были большой редкостью: «его вид был редкостью»).

3 Luca Brasi did not fear the police, he did not fear society (общество [s∂’saı∂tı]), he

did not fear God, he did not fear hell, he did not fear or love his fellow man. But he had

elected (избрал), he had chosen, to fear and love Don Corleone. Ushered into the

presence of the Don (приведенный к Дону; to usher – провожать, сопровождать;

вводить; показывать места; usher – швейцар; капельдинер; билетер), the terrible

Brasi held himself stiff (неподвижно, застывший) with respect. He stuttered over

 

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(пробормотал; to stutter – заикаться, запинаться) the flowery congratulations he

offered (цветистые поздравления; to offer – предлагать; выдвигать; приносить

/жертву/, возносить /молитвы/) and his formal hope that the first grandchild would be

masculine (мужского пола ['ma:skjulın]). He then handed the Don an envelope stuffed

with cash as a gift for the bridal couple.

4 So that was what he wanted to do. Hagen noticed the change in Don Corleone. The

Don received Brasi as a king greets a subject (подобно тому, как король привествует

подданного) who has done him an enormous service (огромную услугу [ı'no:m∂s]),

never familiar but with regal respect (вовсе не фамильярно, но с королевским

уважением, почетом ['ri:g∂l]). With every gesture, with every word, Don Corleone made

it clear to Luca Brasi that he was valued (ценим). Not for one moment did he show

surprise at the wedding gift being presented to him personally. He understood.

5 The money in the envelope was sure to be more than anyone else had given. Brasi

had spent many hours deciding on the sum, comparing it to what the other guests might

offer (сравнивая с тем, что могли бы предложить, преподнести другие гости). He

wanted to be the most generous to show that he had the most respect, and that was

why he had given his envelope to the Don personally, a gaucherie (неловкость,

нарушение этикета [g∂u∫∂’ri:]; gauche [g∂u∫] – неловкий, неуклюжий, нескладный:

«левый» /франц./) the Don overlooked (не стал обращать внимания, игнорировал)

in his own flowery sentence of thanks. Hagen saw Luca Brasi's face lose its mask of

fury (как утратило), swell with pride and pleasure (стало набухать от гордости и

удовольствия). Brasi kissed the Don's hand before he went out the door that Hagen

held open. Hagen prudently (предусмотрительно, благоразумно = на всякий случай)

gave Brasi a friendly smile which the squat man acknowledged (признал = на которую

ответил [∂k'nolıdG]) with a polite stretching (вежливым растягиванием) of rubbery,

veal-colored lips.