Spitball he was holding in his hand across to the clerk, who picked it up and

immediately said, "Mr. and Mrs. Michael Corleone."

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

11 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."

 

 

1 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).

2 It had been a busy but satisfying day (удачный: «удовлетворяющий» день; to

satisfy [‘sжtısfaı] – 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).

3 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

 

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

 

 

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.

4 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 [‘жkt∫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).

5 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

 

Мультиязыковой проект Ильи Франка www.franklang.ru

 

 

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’tжblı∫] – 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.

6 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 [‘kΛvıt] – 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).