In a garishly decorated Los Angeles hotel suite, Johnny Fontane was as
Jealously drunk as any ordinary husband. Sprawled on a red couch, he drank
Straight from the bottle of scotch in his hand, then washed the taste away by
Dunking his mouth in a crystal bucket of ice cubes and water. It was four in the
Morning and he was spinning drunken fantasies of murdering his trampy wife
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When she got home, if she ever did come home. It was too late to call his first wife
And ask about the kids and he felt funny about calling any of his friends now that
His career was plunging downhill. There had been a time when they would have
Been delighted, flattered by his calling them at four in the morning but now he
Bored them. He could even smile a little to himself as he thought that on the way
Up Johnny Fontane's troubles had fascinated some of the greatest female stars in
America.
Gulping at his bottle of scotch, he heard finally his wife's key in the door, but
He kept drinking until she walked into the room and stood before him. She was to
Him so very beautiful, the angelic face, soulful violet eyes, the delicately fragile
But perfectly formed body. On the screen her beauty was magnified, spiritualized.
A hundred million men all over the world were in love with the face of Margot
Ashton. And paid to see it on the screen.
3 "Where the hell were you?" Johnny Fontane asked.
4 "Out fucking," she said.
She had misjudged his drunkenness. He sprang over the cocktail table and
Grabbed her by the throat. But close up to that magical face, the lovely violet eyes,
He lost his anger and became helpless again. She made the mistake of smiling
mockingly, saw his fist draw back. She screamed, "Johnny, not in the face, I'm
making a picture."
She was laughing. He punched her in the stomach and she fell to the floor. He
Fell on top of her. He could smell her fragrant breath as she gasped for air. He
Punched her on the arms and on the thigh muscles of her silky tanned legs. He
Beat her as he had beaten snotty smaller kids long ago when he had been a tough
Teenager in New York's Hell's Kitchen. A painful punishment that would leave no
Lasting disfigurement of loosened teeth or broken nose.
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But he was not hitting her hard enough. He couldn't. And she was giggling at
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Him. Spread-eagled on the floor, her brocaded gown hitched up above her thighs,
she taunted him between giggles. "Come on, stick it in. Stick it in, Johnny, that's
what you really want."
Johnny Fontane got up. He hated the woman on the floor but her beauty was a
Magic shield. Margot rolled away, and in a dancer's spring was on her feet facing
him. She went into a childish mocking dance and chanted, "Johnny never hurt me,
Johnny never hurt me." Then almost sadly with grave beauty she said, "You poor
Silly bastard, giving me cramps like a kid. Ah, Johnny, you always will be a dumb
Romantic guinea, you even make love like a kid. You still think screwing is really
like those dopey songs you used to sing." She shook her head and said, "Poor
Johnny. Good-bye, Johnny." She walked into the bedroom and he heard her turn
The key in the lock.
Johnny sat on the floor with his face in his hands. The sick, humiliating
Despair overwhelmed him. And then the gutter toughness that had helped him
Survive the jungle of Hollywood made him pick up the phone and call for a car to
Take him to the airport. There was one person who could save him. He would go
Back to New York. He would go back to the one man with the power, the wisdom,
He needed and a love he still trusted. His Godfather Corleone.
1 The baker, Nazorine, pudgy (коротенький и толстый /о человеке/; маленький и
плотный /о предмете/) and crusty (покрытый корочкой; раздражительный,
неприветливый, грубый) as his great Italian loaves (буханки), still dusty with flour (все
еще покрытый мучной пылью; dust – пыль; flour – мука [flau∂]), scowled at his wife
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(сердился, бросал сердитые взгляды, хмурился), his nubile (достигшую брачного
возраста, созревшую [‘nju:bıl]) daughter, Katherine, and his baker's helper, Enzo.
Enzo had changed into his prisoner-of-war uniform (переоделся в форму
военнопленного) with its green-lettered armband (с повязкой с зелеными буквами,
надписью) and was terrified (был в ужасе) that this scene would make him late
(заставит его опоздать) reporting (доложить /о себе/ = явиться) back to Governor's
Island. One of the many thousands of Italian Army prisoners paroled (освобожденный
условно [p∂’r∂ul]) daily to work in the American economy, he lived in constant fear (в
постоянном страхе) of that parole being revoked (отменено: «отозвано»). And so the
little comedy being played now (которая сейчас разыгрывалась) was, for him, a
serious business.
2 Nazorine asked fiercely (гневно), "Have you dishonored (обесчестил) my family?
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Have you given my daughter a little package (сверточек) to remember you by now that
the war is over (теперь, когда война закончилась) and you know America will kick
your ass (пнет твой зад = выбросит тебя пинком под зад) back to your village full of
shit (в твою деревню, полную дерьма [‘vılıdG]) in Sicily?"
3 Enzo, a very short (низкорослый), strongly built boy («сильно сложенный» парень),
put his hand over his heart and said almost in tears, yet cleverly (почти в слезах, но
разумно), "Padrone, I swear by the Holy Virgin (клянусь Святой Девой) I have never
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taken advantage of your kindness (я никогда не злоупотреблял вашим
великодушием; advantage [∂d’vα:ntıdG] – преимущество; выгода, польза; to take
advantage of – обмануть, перехитрить кого-либо; воспользоваться чем-либо). I love
your daughter with all respect. I ask for her hand with all respect. I know I have no right,
but if they send me back to Italy I can never come back to America. I will never be able
to marry Katherine."
4 Nazorine's wife, Filomena, spoke to the point (высказалась по сути, без дураков).
"Stop all this foolishness (прекрати все эти глупости)," she said to her pudgy husband.
"You know what you must do. Keep Enzo here, send him to hide (прятаться,
скрываться) with our cousins in Long Island." Katherine was weeping. She was already
plump (полной), homely (домашней, обычной = невзрачной) and sprouting a faint
moustache (с пробивающимися легкими усиками; to sprout – давать ростки; faint –
слабый, тусклый, нечеткий; moustache [m∂’stα:∫]). She would never get a husband as
handsome as Enzo, never find another man who touched her body in secret places with
such respectful love. "I'll go and live in Italy," she screamed at her father. "I'll run away if
you don't keep Enzo here."
5 Nazorine glanced at her shrewdly (взглянул на нее пронзительно, видящим
насквозь взглядом; shrewd – пронизывающий; проницательный). She was a "hot
number" (горячая штучка) this daughter of his. He had seen her brush her swelling
buttocks (как она терлась своими пухлыми, набухающими ягодицами) against
Enzo's front (о «перёд» Энцо) when the baker's helper squeezed (протиснулся)
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behind her to fill the counter baskets (чтобы наполнить корзины для расфасовки)
with hot loaves from the oven (из печи [Λvn]). The young rascal's hot loaf would be in
her oven (горячий хлебец этого негодяя окажется в ее печке), Nazorine thought
lewdly (развязно, цинично; lewd – похотливый, непристойный; распутный), if proper
steps were not taken (если не будут предприняты надлежащие шаги). Enzo must be
kept in America and be made an American citizen (и сделан американским
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гражданином [‘sıtızn]). And there was only one man who could arrange such an affair
(уладить такое дело [∂'reındG]). The Godfather. Don Corleone.
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