Английский язык с Крестным Отцом - Илья Франк

Clemenza finally narrowed down the list of candidates to three men. The first was an enforcer (лицо, принудительно осуществляющий право в судебном порядке; член гангстерской банды, функцией которого является принуждение к выполнению ее требований) who worked with the colored policy bankers in Harlem, a big brawny brute of a man of great physical strength, a man with a great deal of personal charm who could get along with people and yet when necessary make them go in fear of him. But Clemenza scratched him off the list (вычеркнул; scratch – царапать; to scratch – вычеркивать) after considering his name for a half hour. This man got along too well with the black people, which hinted at some flaw of character (flaw – трещина, порок). Also he would be too hard to replace in the position he now held.

The second name Clemenza considered and almost settled on was a hard-working chap (парень) who served faithfully and well in the organization. This man was the collector of delinquent accounts (cборщик процентов по счетам у тех, кто уклоняется от платежей; delinquent [dı'lıŋkw∂nt] – нарушающий закон, правонарушитель) for Family-licensed shylocks (ростовщики; Shylock – беспощадный и мстительный ростовщик в пьесе Шекспира «Венецианский купец») in Manhattan. He had started off as a bookmaker's runner. But he was not quite yet ready for such an important promotion.

Finally he settled on Rocco Lampone. Lampone had served a short but impressive apprenticeship (ученичество, срок обучения; apprentice – подмастерье) in the Family. During the war he had been wounded in Africa and been discharged in 1943. Because of the shortage of young men, Clemenza had taken him on even though Lampone was partially incapacitated (был частично сделан непригодным, выведен из строя; capacity [k∂’pæsıtı] – способность) by his injuries (injury [‘ındG∂rı] – повреждение; рана) and walked with a pronounced limp (с явным, хорошо заметным прихрамыванием). Clemenza had used him as a black-market contact in the garment center and with government employees controlling OPA food stamps. From that, Lampone had graduated to trouble-shooter (аварийный монтер; специальный уполномоченный по улаживанию конфликтов; посредник) for the whole operation. What Clemenza liked about him was his good judgment. He knew that there was no percentage in being tough about something that would only cost a heavy fine (штраф) or six months in jail, small prices to pay for the enormous profits earned. He had the good sense to know that it was not an area for heavy threats but light ones. He kept the whole operation in a minor key, which was exactly what was needed.

Clemenza felt the relief of a conscientious administrator who has solved a knotty personnel problem. Yes, it would be Rocco Lampone who would assist. For Clemenza planned to handle this job himself, not only to help a new, inexperienced man "make his bones," but to settle a personal score with Paulie Gatto. Paulie had been his protégé, he had advanced Paulie over the heads of more deserving and more loyal people, he had helped Paulie "make his bones" and furthered his career in every way (to further – продвигать, поддерживать, содействовать). Paulie had not only betrayed the Family, he had betrayed his padrone, Peter Clemenza. This lack of respect had to be repaid.

Everything else was arranged. Paulie Gatto had been instructed to pick him up at three in the afternoon, and to pick him up with his own car, nothing hot (только что украденный /сленг/). Now Clemenza took up the telephone and dialed Rocco Lampone's number. He did not identify himself. He simply said, "Come to my house, I have an errand for you." He was pleased to note that despite the early hour, Lampone's voice was not surprised or dazed with sleep (to daze – изумить, ошеломить, застать врасплох) and he simply said, "OK." Good man. Clemenza added, "No rush, have your breakfast and lunch first before you come see me. But not later than two in the afternoon."

There was another laconic OK on the other end and Clemenza hung up the phone. He had already alerted his people about replacing caporegime Tessio's people in the Corleone mall so that was done. He had capable subordinates and never interfered in a mechanical operation of that kind.

He decided to wash his Cadillac. He loved the car. It gave him such a quiet peaceful ride, and its upholstery (обивка) was so rich that he sometimes sat in it for an hour when the weather was good because it was more pleasant than sitting in the house. And it always helped him think when he was grooming the car (to groom – чистить; холить, наводить лоск; groom – конюх). He remembered his father in Italy doing the same thing with donkeys (ослы).

Clemenza worked inside the heated garage, he hated cold. He ran over his plans (еще раз перебрал в голове). You had to be careful with Paulie, the man was like a rat, he could smell danger. And now of course despite being so tough he must be shitting in his pants because the old man was still alive. He'd be as skittish (норовистый, пугливый) as a donkey with ants (муравьи) up his ass. But Clemenza was accustomed to these circumstances (привык к этим обстоятельствам; to accustom [∂‘kLst∂m] – приучать; circumstance ['s∂:k∂mst∂ns]), usual in his work. First, he had to have a good excuse for Rocco to accompany them. Second, he had to have a plausible (правдоподобный, внешне убедительный ['plo:z∂bl]) mission for the three of them to go on.

Of course, strictly speaking, this was not necessary. Paulie Gatto could be killed without any of these frills (и без этих ухищрений, прикрас; frill – оборка, жабо; вычурность, манерность). He was locked in, he could not run away. But Clemenza felt strongly that it was important to keep good working habits and never give away a fraction (дробь, доля) of a percentage point. You never could tell what might happen and these matters were, after all, questions of life and death.

As he washed his baby-blue Cadillac, Peter Clemenza pondered and rehearsed his lines (повторял, репетировал «реплики, строки»; to rehearse [rı’h∂:s]), the expressions of his face. He would be curt with Paulie, as if displeased with him. With a man so sensitive and suspicious as Gatto this would throw him off the track or at least leave him uncertain. Undue friendliness would make him wary (подозрительный, настороженный [‘we∂rı]). But of course the curtness must not be too angry. It had to be rather an absentminded sort of irritation. And why Lampone? Paulie would find that most alarming, especially since Lampone had to be in the rear seat. Paulie wouldn't like being helpless at the wheel with Lampone behind his head. Clemenza rubbed and polished the metal of his Cadillac furiously. It was going to be tricky. Very tricky. For a moment he debated whether to recruit another man but decided against it. Here he followed basic reasoning. In years to come a situation might arise where it might be profitable for one of his partners to testify against him. If there were just one accomplice (сообщник [∂'komplıs]) it was one's word against the other. But the word of a second accomplice could swing the balance. No, they would stick to procedure (придерживаться намеченного плана).

What annoyed (to annoy [∂‘noı] – докучать; раздражать) Clemenza was that the execution had to be "public." That is, the body was to be found. He would have much preferred having it disappear. (Usual burying grounds were the nearby ocean or the swamplands (болота) of New Jersey on land owned by friends of the Family or by other more complicated methods.) But it had to be public so that embryo traitors (предатели «в зародыше») would be frightened and the enemy warned that the Corleone Family had by no means gone stupid or soft (вовсе не поглупела и не ослабла, размякла). Sollozzo would be made wary by this quick discovery of his spy (шпион). The Corleone Family would win back some of its prestige (престиж [pres’ti:G]). It had been made to look foolish by the shooting of the old man.

Clemenza sighed. The Cadillac gleamed like a huge blue steel egg, and he was nowhere near the solving of his problem. Then the solution hit him, logical and to the point. It would explain Rocco Lampone, himself and Paulie being together and give them a mission of sufficient secrecy and importance (sufficient – достаточный [s∂’fı∫∂nt]).

He would tell Paulie that their job today was to find an apartment in case the Family decided to "go to the mattresses (залечь в матрасы)."

Whenever a war between the Families became bitterly intense, the opponents would set up headquarters (устраивать штаб-квартиры) in secret apartments where the "soldiers" could sleep on mattresses scattered (разбросанные) through the rooms. This was not so much (не столько для того /чтобы/) to keep their families out of danger, their wives and little children, since any attack on noncombatants (на «мирных жителей», на не участвующих в сражении) was undreamed of (немыслима). All parties were too vulnerable (ранимы) to similar retaliation (для подобного ответного удара; retaliation – возмездие). But it was always smarter to live in some secret place where your everyday movements could not be charted (нанесены на карту = прослежены) either by your opponents or by some police who might arbitrarily (без достаточных оснований, своевольно) decide to meddle.

And so usually a trusted caporegime would be sent out to rent a secret apartment and fill it with mattresses. That apartment would be used as a sally port (проход /в укреплении/, используемый войсками для совершения вылазки; sally – вылазка) into the city when an offensive was mounted (когда организуется, предпринимается нападение; to mount – подниматься, восходить; предпринимать). It was natural for Clemenza to be sent on such an errand. It was natural for him to take Gatto and Lampone with him to arrange all the details, including the furnishing of the apartment (меблировку помещения; to furnish – снабжать; обставлять, меблировать). Also, Clemenza thought with a grin, Paulie Gatto had proved he was greedy and the first thought that would pop into his head (неожиданно появится) was how much he could get from Sollozzo for this valuable intelligence (за это ценное сведение).

Rocco Lampone arrived early and Clemenza explained what had to be done and what their roles would be. Lampone's face lit up with surprised gratitude and he thanked Clemenza respectfully for the promotion allowing him (позволяющее) to serve the Family. Clemenza was sure he had done well. He clapped Lampone on the shoulder and said, "You'll get something better for your living after today. We'll talk about that later. You understand the Family now is occupied with more critical matters, more important things to do." Lampone made a gesture that said he would be patient, knowing his reward was certain.

Clemenza went to his den's safe (den – берлога, нора; укрытие; каморка, уединенная комната) and opened it. He took out a gun and gave it to Lampone. "Use this one," he said. "They can never trace it. Leave it in the car with Paulie. When this job is finished I want you to take your wife and children on a vacation to Florida. Use your own money now and I'll pay you back later. Relax, get the sun. Use the Family hotel in Miami Beach so I'll know where I can get you when I want."

Clemenza's wife knocked on the door of the den to tell them that Paulie Gatto had arrived. He was parked in the driveway. Clemenza led the way through the garage and Lampone followed him. When Clemenza got into the front seat with Gatto he merely grunted in greeting, an exasperated look on his face. He looked at his wrist watch as if he expected to find that Gatto was late.

The ferret-faced button man was watching him intently, looking for a clue (клубок, моток /ниток/; ключ /к разгадке/). He flinched (вздрогнул, передернулся) a little when Lampone got into the rear seat behind him and said, "Rocco, sit on the other side. A big guy like you blocks up my rear-view mirror." Lampone shifted dutifully (как положено = послушно) so that he was sitting behind Clemenza, as if such a request (просьба) was the most natural thing in the world.

Clemenza said sourly to Gatto, "Damn that Sonny, he's running scared (сильно напуган). He's already thinking of going to the mattresses. We have to find a place on the West Side. Paulie, you and Rocco gotta staff and supply it (набрать людей и всем обеспечить) until the word comes down for the rest of the soldiers to use it. You know a good location (помещение, место; размещение, дислокация)?"

As he had expected, Gatto's eyes became greedily interested. Paulie had swallowed the bait (проглотил наживку, приманку) and because he was thinking how much the information was worth to Sollozzo, he was forgetting to think about whether he was in danger. Also, Lampone was acting his part perfectly, staring out the window in a disinterested, relaxed way. Clemenza congratulated himself on his choice.

Gatto shrugged. "I'd have to think about it," he said.

Clemenza grunted. "Drive while you think, I want to get to New York today."

Paulie was an expert driver and traffic going into the city was light at this time in the afternoon, so the early winter darkness was just beginning to fall when they arrived. There was no small talk in the car. Clemenza directed Paulie to drive up to the Washington Heights section. He checked a few apartment buildings and told him to park near Arthur Avenue and wait. He also left Rocco Lampone in the car. He went into the Vera Mario Restaurant and had a light dinner of veal (телятина) and salad, nodding his hello's to some acquaintances (знакомым; acquaintance [∂'kweınt∂ns] – знакомство; знакомый). After an hour had gone by he walked the several blocks (несколько кварталов) to where the car was parked and entered it. Gatto and Lampone were still waiting. "Shit," Clemenza said, "they want us back in Long Beach. They got some other job for us now. Sonny says we can let this one go until later. Rocco, you live in the city, can we drop you off (подвезти: «сбросить»)?"