Mario Puzo - Крестный отец, часть 1. Английский язык с Марио Пьюзо.

Don Corleone knew who they were. His closest and most intimate friends had been advised (его наиболее близким друзьям было посоветовано) to attend (посетить, присутствовать на [∂'tend]) the wedding in automobiles not their own. And though he disapproved (не одобрял) of his son's foolish display of anger (глупое выражение, демонстрацию гнева), the tantrum (вспышка раздражения [‘tæntr∂m]) served a purpose (/по/служило цели ['p∂:p∂s]). It would convince the interlopers (убедит непрошенных гостей; interloper – человек, вмешивающийся в чужие дела) that their presence was unexpected (что их присутствие было неожиданным = что их не ждали) and unprepared for (и к этому не были готовы). So Don Corleone himself was not angry. He had long ago learned that society imposes insults (наносит обиды: «накладывает оскорбления») that must be borne (которые нужно уметь стерпеть, снести: «которые должны быть носимы»), comforted (утешаясь) by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful (может отомстить самому могущественному). It was this knowledge that prevented (предохранило, предупредило) the Don from losing the humility (от утраты смирения) all his friends admired in him (которым восхищались все его друзья [∂d'maı∂]).

But now in the garden behind the house, a four-piece band (квартет, оркестр из четырех музыкантов) began to play. All the guests had arrived. Don Corleone put the intruders out of his mind (выбросил из головы: «ума, памяти» мысли о незваных гостях) and led his two sons to the wedding feast (на свадебный пир).

Michael Corleone was amusing Kay Adams by telling her little stories about some of the more colorful wedding guests. He was, in turn, amused by her finding these people exotic, and, as always, charmed by her intense interest in anything new and foreign to her experience. Finally her attention was caught by a small group of men gathered around a wooden barrel of homemade wine. The men were Amerigo Bonasera, Nazorine the Baker, Anthony Coppola and Luca Brasi. With her usual alert intelligence she remarked on the fact that these four men did not seem particularly happy. Michael smiled. "No, they're not," he said. "They're waiting to see my father in private. They have favors to ask." And indeed it was easy to see that all four men constantly followed the Don with their eyes.

As Don Corleone stood greeting guests, a black Chevrolet sedan came to a stop on the far side of the paved mall. Two men in the front seat pulled notebooks from their jackets and, with no attempt at concealment, jotted down license numbers of the other cars parked around the mall. Sonny turned to his father and said, "Those guys over there must be cops."

Don Corleone shrugged. "I don't own the street. They can do what they please."

Sonny's heavy Cupid face grew red with anger. "Those lousy bastards, they don't respect anything." He left the steps of the house and walked across the mall to where the black sedan was parked. He thrust his face angrily close to the face of the driver, who did not flinch but flapped open his wallet to show a green identification card. Sonny stepped back without saying a word. He spat so that the spittle hit the back door of the sedan and walked away. He was hoping the driver would get out of the sedan and come after him, on the mall, but nothing happened. When he reached the steps he said to his father, "Those guys are FBI men. They're taking down all the license numbers. Snotty bastards."

Don Corleone knew who they were. His closest and most intimate friends had been advised to attend the wedding in automobiles not their own. And though he disapproved of his son's foolish display of anger, the tantrum served a purpose. It would convince the interlopers that their presence was unexpected and unprepared for. So Don Corleone himself was not angry. He had long ago learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful. It was this knowledge that prevented the Don from losing the humility all his friends admired in him.

But now in the garden behind the house, a four-piece band began to play. All the guests had arrived. Don Corleone put the intruders out of his mind and led his two sons to the wedding feast.

There were, now, hundreds of guests in the huge garden, some dancing on the wooden platform bedecked (украшенной, убранной) with flowers, others sitting at long tables piled high with spicy food (заставленных острой, пикантной пищей; pile – куча, груда; to pile – сваливать в кучу) and gallon jugs (кувшинами. бутылями) of black, homemade wine. The bride, Connie Corleone, sat in splendor («в блеске, великолепии») at a special raised table with her groom, the maid of honor, bridesmaids and ushers (дружками и подружками; usher – швейцар; церемониймейстер; шафер). It was a rustic setting (сельская, деревенская атмосфера; setting – размещение, окружающая обстановка) in the old Italian style. Not to the bride's taste (не по вкусу), but Connie had consented (согласилась) to a "guinea" wedding to please her father because she had so displeasured him (так огорчила) in her choice of a husband (в выборе супруга).

The groom, Carlo Rizzi, was a half-breed (полукровка; to breed – порождать, выводить, разводить /животных/), 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 (из-за небольшой неприятности с законом). In New York he met Sonny Corleone and so met the sister. Don Corleone, of course, sent trusted friends (надежных; to trust – доверять) to Nevada and they reported that Carlo's police trouble was a youthful indiscretion with a gun («юношеская неосторожность с пистолетом»), not serious, that could easily be wiped off (стереть) the books to leave the youth with a clean record (с чистым прошлым; record – запись, протокол; характеристика, биография). They also came back with detailed information on legal gambling (о «законных» азартных играх; to gamble – играть на деньги) in Nevada which greatly interested the Don and which he had been pondering over since (и о чем он размышлял, продолжал размышлять с тех пор: to ponder over). It was part of the Don's greatness (/неотъемлемой/ частью его величия = это была одна из тех вещей, которые делали его великим человеком) that he profited from everything (извлекал пользу из всего).

Connie Corleone was a not quite pretty girl (не больно: «не вполне» красива, красавицей не назовешь), thin and nervous and certain (наверняка, /пред/определенной/) to become shrewish (стать сварливой, вздорной) later in life. But today, transformed by her white bridal gown and eager virginity («страстной девственностью»; eager – страстно желающий, ждущий, напряженный), she was so radiant (лучащейся, излучающей радость) as to be almost beautiful. Beneath the wooden table her hand rested on the muscular thigh of her groom. Her Cupid-bow mouth pouted (дулся = выпячивался) to give him an airy kiss (воздушный поцелуй).

She thought him incredibly handsome (невероятно красивым). Carlo Rizzi had worked in the open desert air while very young – heavy laborer's work. Now he had tremendous forearms (жуткие = огромные, могучие предплечья) and his shoulders bulged (выпячивались, бугрились; bulge – выпуклость) the jacket of his tux. He basked (грелся; to bask – греться /на солнце, у огня/; наслаждаться /счастьем/) in the adoring eyes (в обожающих глазах; to adore) of his bride and filled her glass with wine. He was elaborately (усердно, скрупулезно: «выработанно» [ı’læ’b∂r∂tlı]) courteous (вежлив [‘k∂:tj∂s]) to her as if they were both (словно они оба были) actors in a play. But his eyes kept flickering (все время украдкой поглядывали, косились; to flicker – мигать, мерцать, мелькать) toward the huge silk purse (на огромный шелковый кошелек) the bride wore on her right shoulder and which was now stuffed full of money envelopes. How much did it hold (содержал /в себе/)? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? Carlo Rizzi smiled. It was only the beginning. He had, after all, married into a royal family («женился в королевскую семью», породнился с королевской семьей). They would have to take care of him (им придется позаботиться о нем).

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 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.

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 [‘haıdGæk] – 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 [∂'bænd∂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 (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 ['hæŋk∂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).