There were, now, hundreds of guests in the huge garden, some dancing on the
Wooden platform bedecked with flowers, others sitting at long tables piled high
With spicy food and gallon jugs of black, homemade wine. The bride, Connie
Corleone, sat in splendor at a special raised table with her groom, the maid of
Honor, bridesmaids and ushers. It was a rustic setting in the old Italian style. Not
to the bride's taste, but Connie had consented to a "guinea" wedding to please
Her father because she had so displeasured him in her choice of a husband.
The groom, Carlo Rizzi, was a half-breed, born of a Sicilian father and the
North Italian mother from whom he had inherited his blond hair and blue eyes.
His parents lived in Nevada and Carlo had left that state because of a little trouble
With the law. In New York he met Sonny Corleone and so met the sister. Don
Corleone, of course, sent trusted friends to Nevada and they reported that Carlo's
Police trouble was a youthful indiscretion with a gun, not serious, that could
Easily be wiped off the books to leave the youth with a clean record. They also
Came back with detailed information on legal gambling in Nevada which greatly
26
Interested the Don and which he had been pondering over since. It was part of the
Don's greatness that he profited from everything.
Connie Corleone was a not quite pretty girl, thin and nervous and certain to
Become shrewish later in life. But today, transformed by her white bridal gown
And eager virginity, she was so radiant as to be almost beautiful. Beneath the
Wooden table her hand rested on the muscular thigh of her groom. Her Cupid-
Bow mouth pouted to give him an airy kiss.
She thought him incredibly handsome. Carlo Rizzi had worked in the open
Desert air while very young – heavy laborer's work. Now he had tremendous
Forearms and his shoulders bulged the jacket of his tux. He basked in the adoring
Eyes of his bride and filled her glass with wine. He was elaborately courteous to
Her as if they were both actors in a play. But his eyes kept flickering toward the
Huge silk purse the bride wore on her right shoulder and which was now stuffed
|
|
|
Full of money envelopes. How much did it hold? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand?
Carlo Rizzi smiled. It was only the beginning. He had, after all, married into a royal
Family. They would have to take care of him.
1 In the crowd of guests a dapper (подвижный, проворный; щеголеватый,
элегантный) young man with the sleek head of a ferret (с гладкой, прилизанной
головой хорька) was also studying the silk purse. From sheer habit (чисто по
привычке; sheer – абсолютный, полнейший) Paulie Gatto wondered just how he
could go about hijacking (размышлял, как бы он мог похитить; to hijack [‘haıdGжk] –
нападать с целью грабежа, похищать) that fat pocketbook (кошелек). The idea
amused him. But he knew it was idle, innocent dreaming (праздное, невинное
мечтание), as small children dream of knocking out tanks (подбивать танки,
подбивания танков) with popguns (пугачами). He watched his boss, fat, middle-aged
Peter Clemenza whirling (кружащего) young girls around the wooden dance floor in a
rustic and lusty (в деревенской и чувственной, бойкой) Tarantella. Clemenza,
immensely tall (очень высокий; immense [ı’mens] – безмерный, очень большой,
огромный), immensely huge, danced with such skill (умением) and abandon
(самозабвением, импульсивностью, страстностью; to abandon [∂'bжnd∂n] –
покидать, оставлять; отказываться, прекращать), his hard belly lecherously bumping
(«похотливо» ударялся; lecherous [‘let∫∂r∂s]) – распутный, развратный) the breasts
of younger, tinier women (меньших /чем он/; tiny – очень маленький, крошечный),
|
|
|
that all the guests were applauding him. Older women grabbed his arm (хватали) to
become his next partner. The younger men respectfully cleared off the floor
27
(освобождали место, расчищали /перед ним/ дорогу) and clapped their hands in time
to the mandolin's wild strumming (в ритм бренчанию, треньканью). When Clemenza
finally collapsed in a chair (плюхнулся, свалился), Paulie Gatto brought him a glass of
icy black wine and wiped the perspiring Jovelike brow (потное юпитероподобное чело;
brow – бровь; чело /высок./) with his silk handkerchief (платком ['hжŋk∂t∫ıf]).
Clemenza was blowing like a whale (тяжело дышал: «дул», как кит) as he gulped
down the wine (проглотил, хлебнул, хлебал). But instead of thanking Paulie he said
curtly (коротко, резко, грубо), "Never mind being a dance judge («не беспокойся о
том, чтобы быть танцевальным судьей» = нечего глазеть на танцы), do your job.
Take a walk around the neighborhood (пройдись по окрестностям; neighborhood
[‘neıb∂hud] – соседство, соседи; окрестности) and see everything is OK." Paulie slid
away into the crowd (скользнул в толпу; to slide).
2 The band took a refreshment break (перерыв «для освежения»; refreshment –
восстановление сил, отдых; refreshments – прохладительные напитки, закуска). A
young man named Nino Valenti picked up a discarded mandolin (подобрал
брошенную мандолину; to discard – отбрасывать что-то, избавляться от чего-либо),
put his left foot up on a chair and began to sing a coarse (грубую [ko:s]) Sicilian love
|
|
|
song. Nino Valenti's face was handsome though bloated by continual drinking
(раздутое, опухшее от постоянного выпивания) and he was already a little drunk. He
rolled his eyes (закатывал) as his tongue caressed the obscene lyrics (в то время как
его язык ласкал непристойные стихи = слова песни [k∂'res]). The women shrieked
with glee (визжали от восторга) and the men shouted the last word of each stanza
(строфы [‘stжnz∂]) with the singer.
3 Don Corleone, notoriously (как всем было известно; notorious [n∂u'to:rı∂s] –
известный, общеизвестный) straitlaced in such matters, («узко зашнурованный» =
строгий в подобных вещах; lace – шнурок, тесьма; to lace – шнуровать), though his
stout wife (дородная, полная) was screaming joyfully with the others, disappeared
tactfully (тактично искрылся: «исчез») into the house. Seeing this, Sonny Corleone
made his way (пробрался) to the bride's table and sat down beside young Lucy
Mancini, the maid of honor. They were safe (они были в безопасности = дело было в
шляпе, дело было верное). His wife was in the kitchen putting the last touches
(последние штрихи) on the serving of the wedding cake. Sonny whispered
(прошептал) a few words in the young girl's ear and she rose (поднялась, встала: to
rise). Sonny waited a few minutes and then casually (как бы невзначай; casually
[‘kжG(j)u:∂lı] – случайно, ненароком) followed her, stopping to talk with a guest here
and there as he worked his way (пробирался, пробивался) through the crowd.
|
|
|
4 All eyes followed them. The maid of honor, thoroughly Americanized (полностью,
совершенно, основательно американизированная; thoroughly ['θΛr∂lı]) by three
28
years of college, was a ripe girl (зрелой) who already had a "reputation." All through the
marriage rehearsals she had flirted with Sonny Corleone in a teasing, joking way
(дразнящим, игривым образом) she thought was permitted (который, как она
полагала, был допустим; to permit [‘p∂:mıt] – позволять, разрешать) because he was
the best man and her wedding partner. Now holding her pink gown up off the ground,
Lucy Mancini went into the house, smiling with false innocence («с фальшивой
невинностью» = с притворно-невинным выражением лица), ran lightly up the stairs
to the bathroom. She stayed there for a few moments. When she came out Sonny
Corleone was on the landing above (на верхней площадке), beckoning her upward
(маня ее вверх, делая ей знак рукой, чтобы поднялась; to beckon [‘bek∂n] – манить,
делать знак /рукой, пальцем/).
Дата добавления: 2018-10-26; просмотров: 139; Мы поможем в написании вашей работы! |
Мы поможем в написании ваших работ!