Woltz was not a stupid man, he was merely a supremely egotistical one. He
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Had mistaken the power he wielded in his world to be more potent than the power
Of Don Corleone. He had merely needed some proof that this was not true. He
Understood this message. That despite all his wealth, despite all his contacts with
The President of the United States, despite all his claims of friendship with the
Director of the FBI, an obscure importer of Italian olive oil would have him killed.
Would actually have him killed! Because he wouldn't give Johnny Fontane a
Movie part he wanted. It was incredible. People didn't have any right to act that
Way. There couldn't be any kind of world if people acted that way. It was insane. It
Meant you couldn't do what you wanted with your own money, with the
Companies you owned, the power you had to give orders. It was ten times worse
Than communism. It had to be smashed. It must never be allowed.
Woltz let the doctor give him a very mild sedation. It helped him calm down
Again and to think sensibly. What really shocked him was the casualness with
Which this man Corleone had ordered the destruction of a world-famous horse
worth six hundred thousand dollars. Six hundred thousand dollars! And that was
Just for openers. Woltz shuddered. He thought of this life he had built up. He was
Rich. He could have the most beautiful women in the world by crooking his finger
And promising a contract. He was received by kings and queens. He lived a life as
Perfect as money and power could make it. It was crazy to risk all this because of
A whim. Maybe he could get to Corleone. What was the legal penalty for killing a
Race-horse? He laughed wildly and his doctor and servants watched him with
Nervous anxiety. Another thought occurred to him. He would be the
Laughingstock of California merely because someone had contemptuously defied
His power in such arrogant fashion. That decided him. That and the thought that
Maybe, maybe they wouldn't kill him. That they had something much more clever
And painful in reserve.
Woltz gave the necessary orders. His personal confidential staff swung into
Action. The servants and the doctor were sworn to secrecy on pain of incurring
The studio's and Woltz's undying enmity. Word was given to the press that the
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Racehorse Khartoum had died of an illness contracted during his shipment from
England. Orders were given to bury the remains in a secret place on the estate.
Six hours later Johnny Fontane received a phone call from the executive
Producer of the film telling him to report for work the following Monday.
1 That evening, Hagen went to the Don's house to prepare him for the important
meeting the next day with Virgil Sollozzo. The Don had summoned his eldest son to
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attend (вызвал присутствовать; to summon [‘sΛm∂n] – вызывать, созывать; to attend
[∂‘tend] – уделять внимание; посещать, присутствовать), and Sonny Corleone, his
heavy Cupid-shaped face drawn with fatigue (вытянутое от усталости, с печатью
усталости), was sipping at a glass of water. He must still be humping that maid of
honor (должно быть, все еще трахает; hump – бугорок, кочка; горб; горбиться;
вкалывать, напрягаться; /вульг./ совокупляться), Hagen thought. Another worry (еще
одна забота, еще одно беспокойство).
2 Don Corleone settled into an armchair puffing his Di Nobili cigar. Hagen kept a box
of them in his room. He had tried to get the Don to switch to Havanas (переключиться)
but the Don claimed they hurt his throat.
3 "Do we know everything necessary for us to know?" the Don asked.
4 Hagen opened the folder (папку; to fold – складывать) that held his notes. The
notes were in no way incriminating (записи были ни в коей мере не
«изобличительные, инкриминирующие» = вполне безопасные, конспиративные),
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merely cryptic reminders (всего лишь таинственные, секретные пометки; reminder –
напоминание) to make sure he touched on every important detail. "Sollozzo is coming
to us for help," Hagen said. "He will ask the family to put up at least a million dollars
(вложить; to put up – выставить /на продажу/; вложить /деньги/) and to promise
some sort of immunity from the law (обещать что-то вроде неприкосновенности со
стороны закона; immunity [ı'mju:nıtı] – неприкосновенность; иммунитет). For that we
get a piece of the action (долю), nobody knows how much. Sollozzo is vouched for by
the Tattaglia family (за него поручилась; to vouch – ручаться) and they may have a
piece of the action. The action is narcotics. Sollozzo has the contacts in Turkey, where
they grow the poppy (мак). From there he ships to Sicily. No trouble. In Sicily he has the
plant to process into heroin (фабрика для переработки; plant [plα:nt] – фабрика,
завод; to process [‘pr∂uses] – перерабатывать). He has safety-valve operations
(safety-valve – предохранительный клапан, отдушина) to bring it down to morphine
and bring it up to heroin if necessary (суть которых /операций для безопасности/ в
том, что можно переработать это в морфий, а затем обратно в героин, если
необходимо, если понадобится). But it would seem that the processing plant in Sicily
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is protected in every way. The only hitch (задержка, заминка, неполадка = загвоздка)
is bringing it into this country, and then distribution (распределение,
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распространение). Also initial capital (а также начальный капитал). A million dollars
cash doesn't grow on trees." Hagen saw Don Corleone grimace (как его лицо
исказилось гримасой /недовольства/ [grı'meıs]). The old man hated unnecessary
flourishes in business matters (излишние прикрасы; flourish [‘flΛrı∫] – цветение
/плодового дерева/; завитушки, цветистые выражения). He went on hastily
(продолжил поспешно).
5 "They call Sollozzo the Turk. Two reasons. He's spent a lot of time in Turkey and is
supposed to have a Turkish wife and kids (предполагается, что у него есть = кажется,
у него). Second. He's supposed to be very quick with the knife, or was, when he was
young. Only in matters of business, though, and with some sort of reasonable complaint
(и только при наличии какой-либо весомой причины для недовольства; complaint
[k∂mp’leınt] – жалоба, неудовлетворенность). A very competent man and his own
boss. He has a record, he's done two terms in prison (два срока), one in Italy, one in
the United States, and he's known to the authorities (властям) as a narcotics man. This
could be a plus for us. It means that he'll never get immunity to testify (он не будет
иметь права свидетельствовать, давать показания /против нас/), since he's
considered the top and, of course, because of his record. Also he has an American wife
and three children and he is a good family man. He'll stand still (стоять на месте) for
any rap (легкий удар, стук; /сленг/ наказание, обвинение, приговор) = (его не
поколеблет никакой приговор) as long as he knows that they will be well taken care of
for living money (пока будет знать, что о них позаботятся и у них всегда будут
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деньги на жизнь)."
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