Илья Франк - Английский язык с Крестным Отцом
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arm. He completely controlled Staten Island. He had some of the sports betting in the
Bronx and Westchester. He was in narcotics. He had close ties to Cleveland and the
West Coast and he was one of the few men shrewd enough to be interested in Las
Vegas and Reno, the open cities of Nevada. He also had interests in Miami Beach and
Cuba. After the Corleone Family, his was perhaps the strongest in New York and
therefore in the country. His influence reached even to Sicily. His hand was in every
unlawful pie. He was even rumored (о нем даже ходили слухи; rumor [‘ru:m∂] – слух,
молва) to have a toehold (точка опоры /напр. для ноги, когда взбираешься на гору/,
зацепка; toe – палец ноги) in Wall Street. He had supported the Tattaglia Family with
money and influence since the start of the war. It was his ambition to supplant
(вытеснить, занять чье-то место [s∂’plα:nt]) Don Corleone as the most powerful and
respected Mafia leader in the country and to take over part of the Corleone empire. He
was a man much like Don Corleone, but more modern, more sophisticated, more
businesslike. He could never be called an old Moustache Pete and he had the
confidence of the newer, younger, brasher (brashy – щетинистый, шероховатый)
leaders on their way up. He was a man of great personal force in a cold way, with none
of Don Corleone's warmth and he was perhaps at this moment the most "respected"
man in the group.
The last to arrive was Don Phillip Tattaglia, the head of the TattagIia Family that had
directly challenged the Corleone power by supporting Sollozzo, and had so nearly
succeeded. And yet curiously enough he was held in a slight contempt by the others.
For one thing, it was known that he had allowed himself to be dominated by Sollozzo,
had in fact been led by the nose by that fine Turkish hand. He was held responsible for
all this commotion (волнение /моря/; смятение; суматоха, суета), this uproar that had
so affected the conduct of everyday business by the New York Families. Also he was a
sixty-year-old dandy (щеголь, франт) and woman-chaser. And he had ample
(обширный, достаточный) opportunity to indulge his weakness.
For the Tattaglia Family dealt in women. Its main business was prostitution. It also
controlled most of the nightclubs in the United States and could place any talent
anywhere in the country. Phillip Tattaglia was not above using strong-arm to get control
of promising singers and comics and muscling in on record firms. But prostitution was
the main source of the Family income.
His personality was unpleasant to these men. He was a whiner (to whine – скулить,
хныкать, плакаться), always complaining of the costs in his Family business. Laundry
bills, all those towels, ate up the profits (but he owned the laundry firm that did the work).
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The girls were lazy and unstable, running off, committing suicide. The pimps were
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treacherous and dishonest and without a shred (лоскуток, клочок) of loyalty. Good help
was hard to find. Young lads of Sicilian blood turned up their noses at such work,
considered it beneath their honor to traffic and abuse women; those rascals who would
slit a throat with a song on their lips and the cross of an Easter palm in the lapel of their
jackets. So Phillip Tattaglia would rant (говорить напыщенно, декламировать,
проповедовать) on to audiences unsympathetic and contemptuous. His biggest howl
(вой, завывание) was reserved for authorities who had it in their power to issue and
cancel liquor licenses for his nightclubs and cabarets. He swore he had made more
millionaires than Wall Street with the money he had paid those thieving guardians of
official seals.
In a curious way his almost victorious war against the Corleone Family had not won
him the respect it deserved. They knew his strength had come first from Sollozzo and
then from the Barzini Family. Also the fact that with the advantage of surprise he had
not won complete victory was evidence against him. If he had been more efficient, all
this trouble could have been avoided. The death of Don Corleone would have meant the
end of the war. It was proper, since they had both lost sons in their war against each
other, that Don Corleone and Phillip Tattaglia should acknowledge each other's
presence only with a formal nod. Don Corleone was the object of attention, the other
men studying him to see what mark of weakness had been left on him by his wounds
and defeats. The puzzling factor was why Don Corleone had sued for peace after the
death of his favorite son. It was an acknowledgment of defeat and would almost surely
lead to a lessening of his power. But they would soon know.
There were greetings, there were drinks to be served and almost another half hour
went by before Don Corleone took his seat at the polished walnut table. Unobtrusively
(unobtrusive [Λn∂b’tru:sıv] – ненавязчивый, скромный), Hagen sat in the chair slightly
to the Don's left and behind him. This was the signal for the other Dons to make their
way to the table. Their aides sat behind them, the Consiglioris up close so that they
could offer any advice when needed.
Don Corleone was the first to speak and he spoke as if nothing had happened. As if
he had not been grievously wounded and his eldest son slain (to slay-slew-slain –
убивать /книжн./), his empire in a shambles (в развалинах, руинах), his personal
family scattered, Freddie in the West and under the protection of the Molinari Family
and Michael secreted in the wastelands (пустынные, невозделанные земли) of Sicily.
He spoke naturally, in Sicilian dialect.
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"I want to thank you all for coming," he said. "I consider it a service done to me
personally and I am in the debt of each and every one of you. And so I will say at the
beginning that. I am here not to quarrel or convince, but only to reason and as a
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reasonable man do everything possible for us all to part friends here too. I give my word
on that, and some of you who know me well know I do not give my word lightly. Ah, well,
let's get down to business. We are all honorable men here, we don't have to give each
other assurances as if we were lawyers."
He paused. None of the others spoke. Some were smoking cigars, others sipping their
drinks. All of these men were good listeners, patient men. They had one other thing in
common. They were those rarities, men who had refused to accept the rule of organized
society, men who refused the dominion of other men. There was no force, no mortal
man who could bend them to their will unless they wished it. They were men who
guarded their free will with wiles (wile – хитрость, уловка, обман) and murder. Their
wills could be subverted (to suvert [sΛb’v∂:t] – ниспровергнуть; разрушить) only by
death. Or the utmost reasonableness.
Don Corleone sighed. "How did things ever go so far?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, no
matter. A lot of foolishness has come to pass. It was so unfortunate, so unnecessary.
But let me tell what happened, as I see it."
He paused to see if someone would object to his telling his side of the story.
"Thank God my health has been restored and maybe I can help set this affair aright.
Perhaps my son was too rash, too headstrong, I don't say no to that. Anyway let me just
say that Sollozzo came to me with a business affair in which he asked me for my money
and my influence. He said he had the interest of the Tattaglia Family. The affair involved
drugs, in which I have no interest. I'm a quiet man and such endeavors (endeavor
[ın'dev∂] – попытка, старание, стремление) are too lively for my taste. I explained this
to Sollozzo, with all respect for him and the Tattaglia Family. I gave him my 'no' with all
courtesy. I told him his business would not interfere with mine, that I had no objection to
his earning his living in this fashion. He took it ill and brought misfortune down on all our
heads. Well, that's life. Everyone here could tell his own tale of sorrow. That's not to my
purpose."
Don Corleone paused and motioned to Hagen for a cold drink, which Hagen swiftly
furnished him. Don Corleone wet his mouth. "I'm willing to make the peace," he said.
"Tattaglia has lost a son, I have lost a son. We are quits. What would the world come to
if people kept carrying grudges against all reason? That has been the cross of Sicily,
where men are so busy with vendettas they have no time to earn bread for their families.
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It's foolishness. So I say now, let things be as they were before. I have not taken any
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steps to learn who betrayed and killed my son. Given peace, I will not do so. I have a
son who cannot come home and I must receive assurances that when I arrange matters
so that he can return safely that there will be no interference, no danger from the
authorities. Once that's settled maybe we can talk about other matters that interest us
and do ourselves, all of us, a profitable service today." Corleone gestured expressively,
submissively, with his hands. "That is all I want."
It was very well done. It was the Don Corleone of old. Reasonable. Pliant (гибкий,
податливый, уступчивый; to ply – сгибать, делать складку). Soft-spoken. But every
man there had noted that he had claimed good health, which meant he was a man not
to be held cheaply despite the misfortunes of the Corleone Family. It was noted that he
had said the discussion of other business was useless until the peace he asked for was
given. It was noted that he had asked for the old status quo, that he would lose nothing
despite his having got the worst of it over the past year. However, it was Emilio Barzini
who answered Don Corleone, not Tattaglia. He was curt and to the point without being
rude or insulting.
"That is all true enough," Barzini said. "But there's a little more. Don Corleone is too
modest. The fact is that Sollozzo and the Tattaglias could not go into their new business
without the assistance of Don Corleone. In fact, his disapproval injured them. That's not
his fault of course. The fact remains that judges and politicians who would accept favors
from Don Corleone, even on drugs, would not allow themselves to be influenced by
anybody else when it came to narcotics. Sollozzo couldn't operate if he didn't have
some insurance of his people being treated gently. We all know that. We would all be
poor men otherwise. And now that they have increased the penalties the judges and the
prosecuting attorneys drive a hard bargain when one of our people get in trouble with
narcotics. Even a Sicilian sentenced to twenty years might break the omerta and talk his
brains out. That can't happen. Don Corleone controls all that apparatus. His refusal to
let us use it is not the act of a friend. He takes the bread out of the mouths of our
families. Times have changed, it's not like the old days where everyone can go his own
way. If Corleone had all the judges in New York, then he must share them or let us
others use them. Certainly he can present a bill for such services, we're not communists,
after all. But he has to let us draw water from the well. It's that simple."
When Barzini had finished talking there was a silence. The lines were now drawn,
there could be no return to the old status quo. What was more important was that
Barzini by speaking out was saying that if peace was not made he would openly join the
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Tattaglia in their war against the Corleone. And he had scored a telling point. Their lives
and their fortunes depended upon their doing each other services, the denial of a favor
asked by a friend was an act of aggression. Favors were not asked lightly and so could
not be lightly refused.
Don Corleone finally spoke to answer. "My friends," he said, "I didn't refuse out of
spite (назло, со злобы, с досады). You all know me. When have I ever refused an
accommodation (согласование, соглашение, компромисс)? That's simply not in my
nature. But I had to refuse this time. Why? Because I think this drug business will
destroy us in the years to come. There is too much strong feeling about such traffic in
this country. It's not like whiskey or gambling or even women which most people want
and is forbidden them by the pezzonovante of the church and the government. But
drugs are dangerous for everyone connected with them. It could jeopardize
(подвергнуть риску) all other business. And let me say I'm flattered by the belief that I
am so powerful with the judges and law officials, I wish it were true. I do have some
influence but many of the people who respect my counsel might lose this respect if
drugs become involved in our relationship. They are afraid to be involved in such
business and they have strong feelings about it. Even policemen who help us in
gambling and other things would refuse to help us in drugs. So to ask me to perform a
service in these matters is to ask me to do a disservice to myself. But I'm willing to do
even that if all of you think it proper in order to adjust other matters."
When Don Corleone had finished speaking the room became much more relaxed with
more whisperings and cross talk. He had conceded (to concede – уступать; допускать
/возможность, правильность чего-либо/ [k∂n'si:d]) the important point. He would offer
his protection to any organized business venture in drugs. He was, in effect, agreeing
