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

"No," the Don said. "Let the people enjoy him. Let him come to me when he is ready." He smiled at Hagen. "You see? He is a good godson."

Hagen felt a twinge of jealousy. He said dryly, "It's been two years. He's probably in trouble again and wants you to help."

"And who should he come to if not his godfather?" asked Don Corleone.

The first one to see Johnny Fontane enter the garden was Connie Corleone. She forgot her bridal dignity (достоинство, важность) and screamed, "Johneee." Then she ran into his arms. He hugged her tight (крепко обнял ее; to hug – крепко обнимать, сжимать в объятиях) and kissed her on the mouth, kept his arm around her as others came up to greet him. They were all his old friends, people he had grown up with on the West Side. Then Connie was dragging him (тащила = тянула) to her new husband. Johnny saw with amusement that the blond young man looked a little sour (выглядел кислым = мрачным, угрюмым [sau∂]) at no longer being the star of the day (из-за того, что он больше не центр внимания, что перестал быть центром внимания, гвоздем программы). He turned on all his charm («включил» весь свой шарм), shaking the groom's hand, toasting him with a glass of wine.

A familiar voice called from the bandstand, "How about giving us a song, Johnny?" He looked up and saw Nino Valenti smiling down at him. Johnny Fontane jumped up on the bandstand (запрыгнул на сцену) and threw his arms around Nino. They had been inseparable (неразлучны: «неразлучимы» [ın'sep∂r∂bl]), singing together, going out with girls together, until Johnny had started to become famous and sing on the radio. When he had gone to Hollywood to make movies Johnny had phoned Nino a couple of times just to talk and had promised to get him a club singing date (прослушивание). But he had never done so. Seeing Nino now, his cheerful (радостную, веселую, неунывающую [t∫ı∂ful]; to cheer – cоздавать хорошее настроение, подбадривать; приветствовать громкими возгласами), mocking (насмешливую), drunken grin (пьяную улыбку, усмешку), all the affection returned (вся привязанность, все теплые чувства вернулись).

Nino began strumming on the mandolin (бренчать, тренькать). Johnny Fontane put his hand on Nino's shoulder. "This is for the bride," he said, and stamping his foot (топая, притаптывая), chanted the words (пропел слова) to an obscene Sicilian love song. As he sang, Nino made suggestive motions with his body (непристойные движения; suggestive [s∂’dGestıv] – внушающий какие-либо мысли; намекающий на что-либо непристойное; to suggest – предлагать, советовать; вызывать, намекать). The bride blushed proudly (покраснела гордо), the throng of guests (толпа) roared its approval. Before the song ended they were all stamping with their feet and roaring out the sly, double-meaning tag line (выкрикивая лукавую заключительную реплику с двойственным смыслом) that finished each stanza (куплет, строфу). At the end they would not stop applauding until Johnny cleared his throat (прочистил горло) to sing another song.

They were all proud of him. He was of them and he had become a famous singer, a movie star who slept with the most desired women in the world. And yet he had shown proper respect for his Godfather by traveling three thousand miles to attend this wedding. He still loved old friends like Nino Valenti. Many of the people there had seen Johnny and Nino singing together when they were just boys, when no one dreamed that Johnny Fontane would grow up to hold the hearts of fifty million women in his hands.

Johnny Fontane reached down and lifted the bride up on to the bandstand so that Connie stood between him and Nino. Both men crouched down (согнулись, пригнулись), facing each other, Nino plucking the mandolin for a few harsh chords (с силой перебирая струны, взяв несколько мощных аккордов; to pluck – срывать /цветок/; пощипывать, перебирать /струны/; chord [ko:d] – струна; harsh – жесткий, твердый; резкий). It was an old routine of theirs, a mock battle and wooing (шутливое = в шутку сражение и ухажерство; to woo – ухаживать, добиваться), using their voices like swords, each shouting a chorus in turn (выкрикивая припев по очереди [‘ko:r∂s]). With the most delicate courtesy (вежливостью, учтивостью ['k∂tısı]), Johnny let Nino's voice overwhelm his own (позволил, дал одолеть, подавить свой собственный голос), let Nino take the bride from his arm, let Nino swing into the last victorious stanza while his own voice died away (замер, стих). The whole wedding party broke into shouts of applause, the three of them embraced each other at the end. The guests begged for another song.

Only Don Corleone, standing in the comer entrance of the house, sensed something amiss (почувствовал, что что-то не так). Cheerily, with bluff good humor (с наигранным /ср. «блеф»/ хорошим настроением), careful not to give offense to his guests (стараясь не обидеть, боясь обидеть), he called out, "My godson has come three thousand miles to do us honor and no one thinks to wet his throat?" At once a dozen full wine glasses were thrust at Johnny Fontane. He took a sip from all and rushed to embrace his Godfather (бросился обнять). As he did so he whispered something into the older man's ear. Don Corleone led him into the house.

The first one to see Johnny Fontane enter the garden was Connie Corleone. She forgot her bridal dignity and screamed, "Johneee." Then she ran into his arms. He hugged her tight and kissed her on the mouth, kept his arm around her as others came up to greet him. They were all his old friends, people he had grown up with on the West Side. Then Connie was dragging him to her new husband. Johnny saw with amusement that the blond young man looked a little sour at no longer being the star of the day. He turned on all his charm, shaking the groom's hand, toasting him with a glass of wine.

A familiar voice called from the bandstand, "How about giving us a song, Johnny?" He looked up and saw Nino Valenti smiling down at him. Johnny Fontane jumped up on the bandstand and threw his arms around Nino. They had been inseparable, singing together, going out with girls together, until Johnny had started to become famous and sing on the radio. When he had gone to Hollywood to make movies Johnny had phoned Nino a couple of times just to talk and had promised to get him a club singing date. But he had never done so. Seeing Nino now, his cheerful, mocking, drunken grin, all the affection returned.

Nino began strumming on the mandolin. Johnny Fontane put his hand on Nino's shoulder. "This is for the bride," he said, and stamping his foot, chanted the words to an obscene Sicilian love song. As he sang, Nino made suggestive motions with his body. The bride blushed proudly, the throng of guests roared its approval. Before the song ended they were all stamping with their feet and roaring out the sly, double-meaning tag line that finished each stanza. At the end they would not stop applauding until Johnny cleared his throat to sing another song.

They were all proud of him. He was of them and he had become a famous singer, a movie star who slept with the most desired women in the world. And yet he had shown proper respect for his Godfather by traveling three thousand miles to attend this wedding. He still loved old friends like Nino Valenti. Many of the people there had seen Johnny and Nino singing together when they were just boys, when no one dreamed that Johnny Fontane would grow up to hold the hearts of fifty million women in his hands.

Johnny Fontane reached down and lifted the bride up on to the bandstand so that Connie stood between him and Nino. Both men crouched down, facing each other, Nino plucking the mandolin for a few harsh chords. It was an old routine of theirs, a mock battle and wooing, using their voices like swords, each shouting a chorus in turn. With the most delicate courtesy, Johnny let Nino's voice overwhelm his own, let Nino take the bride from his arm, let Nino swing into the last victorious stanza while his own voice died away. The whole wedding party broke into shouts of applause, the three of them embraced each other at the end. The guests begged for another song.

Only Don Corleone, standing in the comer entrance of the house, sensed something amiss. Cheerily, with bluff good humor, careful not to give offense to his guests, he called out, "My godson has come three thousand miles to do us honor and no one thinks to wet his throat?" At once a dozen full wine glasses were thrust at Johnny Fontane. He took a sip from all and rushed to embrace his Godfather. As he did so he whispered something into the older man's ear. Don Corleone led him into the house.

Tom Hagen held out his hand when Johnny came into the room. Johnny shook it (пожал ее; to shake – трясти, встряхивать) and said, "How are you, Tom?" But without his usual charm (без своего обычного шарма) that consisted of a genuine warmth for people (который состоял из искренней теплоты, заключался в истинной теплоте по отношению к людям; genuine [‘dGenjuın] – истинный, неподдельный; искренний: «от рода, генов, от рождения»). Hagen was a little hurt by this coolness but shrugged it off (пожал плечами /и отмахнулся от этой мысли/). It was one of the penalties for being the Don's hatchet man (это было одним из наказаний за то, что он был исполнителем /грязной работы/; penalty ['penltı] – наказание, штраф; hatchet – топорик; hatchet man – человек, выполняющий грязную работу /по поручению какой-либо организации/; наемный убийца).

Johnny Fontane said to the Don, "When I got the wedding invitation I said to myself, 'My Godfather isn't mad at me anymore (больше не сердится на меня).' I called you five times after my divorce (после моего развода) and Tom always told me you were out or busy (что вас нет или вы заняты) so I knew you were sore (поэтому я знал, что вы обижены, сердитесь; sore – больной, болезненный, чувствительный; страдающий, испытывающий душевную боль)."

Don Corleone was filling glasses from the yellow bottle of Strega. "That's all forgotten (это все забыто). Now. Can I do something for you still? You're not too famous, too rich, that I can't help you?"

Johnny gulped down the yellow fiery liquid (проглотил желтую огненную жидкость [‘faı∂rı]) and held out his glass to be refilled (чтобы его снова наполнили). He tried to sound jaunty (старался, чтобы голос звучал весело, бодро [‘dGo:ntı]). "I'm not rich, Godfather. I'm going down (дела мои идут все хуже: «иду вниз»). You were right. I should never have left my wife and kids (я не должен был оставлять мою жену и детишек) for that tramp I married. I don't blame you for getting sore at me (я не виню вас, что вы сердитесь, сердились на меня)."