Paulie Gatto hated quickie jobs, especially when they involved violence. He
Liked to plan things ahead. And something like tonight, even though it was punk
Stuff, could turn into serious business if somebody made a mistake. Now, sipping
His beer, he glanced around, checking how the two young punks were making out
With the two little tramps at the bar.
Paulie Gatto knew everything there was to know about those two punks. Their
Names were Jerry Wagner and Kevin Moonan. They were both about twenty
Years old, good-looking, brown-haired, tall, well-built. Both were due to go back
To college out of town in two weeks, both had fathers with political influence and
This, with their college student classification, had so far kept them out of the draft.
They were both also under suspended sentences for assaulting the daughter of
Amerigo Bonasera. The lousy bastards, Paulie Gatto thought. Draft dodging,
Violating their probation by drinking in a bar after midnight, chasing floozies.
Young punks. Paulie Gatto had been deferred from the draft himself because his
Doctor had furnished the draft board with documents showing that this patient,
Male, white, aged twenty-six, unmarried, had received electrical shock treatments
For a mental condition. All false of course, but Paulie Gatto felt that he had earned
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his draft exemption. It had been arranged by Clemenza after Gatto had "made his
bones" in the family business.
It was Clemenza who had told him that this job must be rushed through, before
The boys went to college. Why the hell did it have to be done in New York, Gatto
Wondered. Clemenza was always giving extra orders instead of just giving out the
Job. Now if those two little tramps walked out with the punks it would be another
Night wasted.
4 He could hear one of the girls laughing and saying, "Are you crazy, Jerry? I'm
Not going in any car with you. I don't want to wind up in the hospital like that
other poor girl." Her voice was spitefully rich with satisfaction. That was enough
For Gatto. He finished up his beer and walked out into the dark street. Perfect. It
Was after midnight. There was only one other bar that showed light. The rest of
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The stores were closed. The precinct patrol car had been taken care of by
Clemenza. They wouldn't be around that way until they got a radio call and then
They'd come slow.
He leaned against the four-door Chevy sedan. In the back seat two men were
sitting, almost invisible, although they were very big men. Paulie said, "Take them
when they come out."
He still thought it had all been set up too fast. Clemenza had given him copies
Of the police mug shots of the two punks, the dope on where the punks went
Drinking every night to pick up bar girls. Paulie had recruited two of the strong-
Arms in the family and fingered the punks for them. He had also given them their
Instructions. No blows on the top or the back of the head, there was to be no
Accidental fatality. Other than that they could go as far as they liked. He had given
them only one warning: "If those punks get out of the hospital in less than a
month, you guys go back to driving trucks."
The two big men were getting out of the car. They were both ex-boxers who
Had never made it past the small clubs and had been fixed up by Sonny Corleone
With a little loan-shark action so that they could make a decent living. They were,
Naturally, anxious to show their gratitude.
1 When Jerry Wagner and Kevin Moonan came out of the bar they were perfect setups
(они были в отличной форме, отлично подготовлены /для предстоящего/; setup –
установка, наладка). The bar girl's taunts (насмешки; taunt [to:nt] – язвительное
замечание) had left their adolescent vanity prickly (оставили их подростковую
гордость в раздраженном состоянии; adolescent [жd∂u’lesnt]; vanity [‘vжnıtı] –
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тщеславие; prick – шип, колючка). Paulie Gatto, leaning against the fender of his car
(прислонившись к крылу своего автомобиля), called out to them with a teasing laugh
(с дразнящим смехом, смешком), "Hey, Casanova, those broads really brushed you
off (здорово те девки дали тебе от ворот поворот; brush – щетка; to brush off –
смахнуть; отмахнуться, «послать»)."
2 The two young men turned on him with delight (повернулись и направились к нему
с восторгом). Paulie Gatto looked like a perfect outlet for their humiliation (как
отличная отдушина для их унижения, униженности; to humiliate [hju’mılıeıt] –
унижать, оскорблять). Ferret-faced (с лицом, как у хорька), short, slightly built
(тщедушно сложенный; slightly – слегка, незначительно) and a wise guy in the
bargain (да еще и умник в придачу; bargain ['bα:gın] – сделка, соглашение). They
pounced on him eagerly (они рьяно набросились на него; pounce – коготь /ястреба/;
to pounce – хватать когтями; внезапно атаковать) and immediately found their arms
pinned (захваченными, зажатыми; pin – любой продолговатый предмет для
соединения, сцепления чего-либо; to pin – сцеплять, прикалывать; прижать,
придавить) by two men grabbing them from behind (схватившими их сзади). At the
same moment Paulie Gatto had slipped onto his right hand (незаметно взял; to slip –
скользить) a specially made set of brass knuckles (металлический кастет; brass –
медь; knuckle – сустав /пальца/; knuckles – кастет) studded (обитый, усеянный; stud
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– гвоздь /с большой шляпкой/, штифт) with one-sixteenth-inch iron spikes
(железными шипами в одну шестнадцатую дюйма; inch = 2,5 см). His timing was
good (расчет времени, координация /движений/), he worked out in the gym (в
гимнастическом зале) three times a week. He smashed (двинул; to smash –
наносить сокрушительный удар, разбивать вдребезги) the punk named Wagner
right on the nose. The man holding Wagner lifted him up off the ground and Paulie
swung his arm (размахнулся; to swing), uppercutting into the perfectly positioned groin
(в удобно подставленный пах). Wagner went limp (обмяк; limp – мягкий, нежесткий)
and the big man dropped him. This had taken no more than six seconds.
3 Now both of them turned their attention to Kevin Moonan, who was trying to shout.
The man holding him from behind did so easily with one huge muscled arm. The other
hand he put around Moonan's throat (вокруг горла) to cut off any sound.
4 Paulie Gatto jumped into the car and started the motor. The two big men were
beating Moonan to jelly (до состояния желе). They did so with frightening deliberation
(с пугающей рассчетливостью, неспешностью; deliberation – рассуждение,
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размышление; медлительность), as if they had all the time in the world. They did not
throw punches in flurries (они не «бросали удары кулаком суетливыми
движениями»; flurry – шквал /ветра/; волнение, спешка, суета) but in timed, slow-
motion sequences (но с размеренной, как бы замедленной постепенностью,
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размеренными сериями /ударов/; sequence [‘si:kw∂ns] – последовательность,
очередность; серия) that carried the full weight (которые несли полный вес) of their
massive bodies. Each blow landed with a splat (всплеском, шлепком) of flesh splitting
open (трескающейся, разбивающейся плоти). Gatto got a glimpse of Moonan's face.
It was unrecognizable (неузнаваемо [Λn’rek∂gnaız∂bl]; to recognize [’rek∂gnaız] –
узнавать). The two men left Moonan lying on the sidewalk (на боковой дорожке,
тротуаре) and turned their attention to Wagner. Wagner was trying to get to his feet
and he started to scream for help. Someone came out of the bar and the two men had
to work faster now. They clubbed Wagner to his knees (ударами подняли на ноги; club
– дубинка; to club – бить /напр. дубинкой/). One of the men took his arm and twisted it
(вывернул), then kicked him in the spine (пнул ногой в позвоночник). There was a
cracking sound (что-то хрустнуло; to crack – трещать, хрустеть) and Wagner's
scream of agony brought windows open (заставил распахнуться окна) all along the
street. The two men worked very quickly. One of them held Wagner up by using his two
hands around Wagner's head like a vise (как тиски). The other man smashed his huge
fist into the fixed target (в закрепленную цель). There were more people coming out of
the bar but none tried to interfere (вмешаться [ınt∂'fı∂]). Paulie Gatto yelled, "Come on,
enough (ладно, хватит)." The two big men jumped into the car and Paulie gunned it
away (умчал ее, дал полный газ; to gun – /разг./ давать полный газ). Somebody
would describe the car and read the license plates (license plate – номерной знак
автомобиля) but it didn't matter. It was a stolen California plate and there were one
hundred thousand black Chevy sedans in New York City.
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