Илья Франк - Английский язык с Крестным Отцом

какой-либо организации /исключая руководителей или офицеров/, рядовые члены;

onus – бремя; ответственность, долг ['∂un∂s]). But that he had taken the dirtiest of

dirty money; murder and drugs money. And in the morality of policemen, this was

unforgivable.

Hagen understood that the policeman believes in law and order in a curiously

innocent way. He believes in it more than does the public he serves. Law and order is,

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after all, the magic from which he derives his power, individual power which he

cherishes as nearly all men cherish individual power. And yet there is always the

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smoldering resentment (тлеющее, теплящееся негодование, возмущение, чувство

обиды [rı'zentm∂nt]) against the public he serves. They are at the same time his ward

(опека, подопечный) and his prey (добыча). As wards they are ungrateful, abusive

(оскорбительный, бранный; /здесь/ оскорбляющие [∂'bju:sıv]; to abuse [∂'bju:z] –

оскорблять, ругать) and demanding. As prey they are slippery and dangerous, full of

guile (обман, хитрость, вероломство [gaıl]). As soon as one is in the policeman's

clutches (когти, лапы) the mechanism of the society the policeman defends marshals

(выстраивать /войска/) all its resources to cheat him of his prize. The fix is put in by

politicians. Judges give lenient (мягкий, снисходительный [‘li:nj∂nt]) suspended

sentences to the worst hoodlums. Governors of the States and the President of the

United States himself give full pardons, assuming that respected lawyers have not

already won his acquittal (оправдание /юр./ [∂'kwıtl]). After a time the cop learns. Why

should he not collect the fees these hoodlums are paying? He needs it more. His

children, why should they not go to college? Why shouldn't his wife shop in more

expensive places? Why shouldn't he himself get the sun with a winter vacation in

Florida? After all, he risks his life and that is no joke.

But usually he draws the line against accepting dirty graft. He will take money to let a

bookmaker operate. He will take money from a man who hates getting parking tickets or

speeding tickets. He will allow call girls and prostitutes to ply their trade; for a

consideration. These are vices natural to a man. But usually he will not take a payoff for

drugs, armed robberies, rape, murder and other assorted (смешанный) perversions. In

his mind these attack the very core (сердцевина) of his personal authority and cannot

be countenanced (countenance [‘kauntın∂ns] – выражение лица; to keep one’s

countenance – не показывать вида; to countenance – терпеть, одобрять,

санкционировать).

The murder of a police Captain was comparable to regicide (цареубийство

['redGısaıd]). But when it became known that McCluskey had been killed while in the

company of a notorious narcotics peddler, when it became known that he was

suspected of conspiracy to murder, the police desire for vengeance began to fade. Also,

after all, there were still mortgage (заклад, ипотека; закладная ['mo:gıdG]) payment to

be made, cars to be paid off, children to be launched (to launch – бросать, метать;

запускать /ракету/) into the world. Without their "sheet" money (деньги, получаемые

по списку /с нарушителей закона, кормящихся на их участке/); sheet – простыня;

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лист бумаги, печатный лист), policemen had to scramble (карабкаться, продираться,

бороться за обладание) to make ends meet. Unlicensed peddlers were good for lunch

money. Parking ticket payoffs came to nickels and dimes (nickel – монета в 5 центов;

dime – монета в 10 центов). Some of the more desperate even began shaking down

suspects (homosexuals, assaults (assault – нападение; изнасилование [∂'so:lt]) and

batteries (battery – побои, оскорбление действием /юр./) in the precinct squad rooms

(в полицейских участках; squad [skwod] – /воен./ группа, команда /здесь – на

дежурстве/). Finally the brass relented (начальство смягчилось; brass [brα:s] –

латунь, желтая медь; начальство, старший офицер /воен. жарг/). They raised the

prices and let the Families operate. Once again the payoff sheet (список выплат) was

typed up by the precinct bagman (странствующий торговец; коммивояжер /здесь

имеется в виду (насмешливо) полицейский, собирающий свою «долю»/), listing

every man assigned to the local station and what his cut was each month. Some

semblance of social order was restored.

It had been Hagen's idea to use private detectives to guard Don Corleone's hospital

room. These were, of course, supplemented by the much more formidable soldiers of

Tessio's regime . But Sonny was not satisfied even with this. By the middle of February,

when the Don could be moved without danger, he was taken by ambulance to his home

in the mall. The house had been renovated so that his bedroom was now a hospital

room with all equipment necessary for any emergency. Nurses specially recruited and

checked had been hired for round-the-clock care, and Dr. Kennedy, with the payment of

a huge fee, had been persuaded to become the physician in residence to this private

hospital. At least until the Don would need only nursing care.

The mall itself was made impregnable. Button men were moved into the extra houses,

the tenants sent on vacations to their native villages in Italy, all expenses paid.

Freddie Corleone had been sent to Las Vegas to recuperate and also to scout out

(разведать) the ground for a Family operation in the luxury hotel-gambling casino

complex that was springing up. Las Vegas was part of the West Coast empire still

neutral and the Don of that empire had guaranteed Freddie's safety there. The New

York five Families had no desire to make more enemies by going into Vegas after

Freddie Corleone. They had enough trouble on their hands in New York.

Dr. Kennedy had forbade any discussion of business in front of the Don. This edict

was completely disregarded. The Don insisted on the council of war being held in his

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room. Sonny, Tom Hagen, Pete Clemenza and Tessio gathered there the very first night

of his homecoming.

Don Corleone was too weak to speak much but he wished to listen and exercise veto

powers. When it was explained that Freddie had been sent to Las Vegas to learn the

gambling casino business, he nodded his head approvingly. When he learned that

Bruno Tattaglia had been killed by Corleone button men he shook his head and sighed.

But what distressed him most of all was learning that Michael had killed Sollozzo and

Captain McCluskey and had then been forced to flee to Sicily. When he heard this he

motioned them out and they continued the conference in the corner room that held the

law library.

Sonny Corleone relaxed in the huge armchair behind the desk. "I think we'd better let

the old man take it easy for a couple of weeks, until the doc says he can do business."

He paused. "I'd like to have it going again before he gets better. We have the go-ahead

from the cops to operate. The first thing is the policy banks in Harlem. The black boys

up there had their fun, now we have to take it back. They screwed up the works but

good, just like they usually do when they run things. A lot of their runners (runner –

/здесь/ руководящий бизнесом) didn't payoff winners. They drive up in Cadillacs and

tell their players they gotta wait for their dough or maybe just pay them half what they

win. I don't want any runner looking rich to his players. I don't want them dressing too

good. I don't want them driving new cars. I don't want them welching (to welch, to welsh

– скрыться, не уплатив проигрыша) on paying a winner. And I don't want any free-

lancers staying in business, they give us a bad name. Tom, let's get that project moving

right away. Everything else will fall in line as soon as you send out the word that the lid

is off («крышка открыта» = секретность снята, можно работать спокойно)."

Hagen said, "There are some very tough boys up in Harlem. They got a taste of the

big money. They won't go back to being runners or sub-bankers again."

Sonny shrugged. "Just give their names to Clemenza. That's his job, straightening

them out."

Clemenza said to Hagen, "No problem."

It was Tessio who brought up the most important question. "Once we start operating,

the five Families start their raids. They'll hit our bankers in Harlem and our bookmakers

on the East Side. They may even try to make things tough for the garment center outfits

we service. This war is going to cost a lot of money."

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86

"Maybe they won't," Sonny said. "They know we'll hit them right back. I've got peace

feelers (feeler – щупальце; разведчик) out and maybe we can settle everything by

paying an indemnity for the Tattaglia kid."

Hagen said, "We're getting the cold shoulder (нам оказывают холодный прием) on

those negotiations. They lost a lot of dough the last few months and they blame us for it.

With justice. I think what they want is for us to agree to come in on the narcotics trade,

to use the Family influence politically. In other words, Sollozzo's deal minus Sollozzo.

But they won't broach (broach – вертел; to broach – делать прокол, отверстие;

почать /бочку вина/; /здесь/ огласить; начать обсуждать) that until they've hurt us

with some sort of combat action. Then after we've been softened up they figure we'll

listen to a proposition on narcotics."

Sonny said curtly, "No deal on drugs. The Don said no and it's no until he changes it."

Hagen said briskly, "Then we're faced with a tactical problem. Our money is out in the

open. Bookmaking and policy. We can be hit. But the Tattaglia Family has prostitution

and call girls and the dock unions. How the hell are we going to hit them? The other

Families are in some gambling. But most of them are in the construction trades,

shylocking, controlling the unions, getting the government contracts. They get a lot from