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"If it comes to that he'll talk to you," Hagen said. By saying this he avoided making any promises. He was not surprised that Goff was so agreeable to the Don's wishes. The family empire, technically, did not extend beyond the New York area but Don Corleone had first become strong by helping labor leaders. Many of them still owed him debts of friendship.

But the ten A.M. appointment was a bad sign. It meant that he would be first on the appointment list, that he would not be invited to lunch. It meant that Woltz held him in small worth. Goff had not been threatening enough, probably because Woltz had him on his graft payroll. And sometimes the Don's success in keeping himself out of the limelight worked to the disadvantage of the family business, in that his name did not mean anything to outside circles.

His analysis proved correct. Woltz kept him waiting for a half hour past the appointed time. Hagen didn't mind. The reception room was very plush, very comfortable, and on a plum-colored couch opposite him sat the most beautiful child Hagen had ever seen. She was no more than eleven or twelve, dressed in a very expensive but simple way as a grown woman. She had incredibly golden hair, huge deep sea-blue eyes and a fresh raspberry-red mouth. She was guarded by a woman obviously her mother, who tried to stare Hagen down with a cold arrogance that made him want to punch her in the face. The angel child and the dragon mother, Hagen thought, returning the mother's cold stare.

Finally an exquisitely dressed but stout middle-aged woman came to lead him through a string of offices to the office-apartment of the movie producer. Hagen was impressed by the beauty of the offices and the people working in them. He smiled. They were all shrewdies, trying to get their foot in the movie door by taking office jobs, and most of them would work in these offices for the rest of their lives or until they accepted defeat and returned to their home towns.

Jack Woltz was a tall, powerfully built man (крепко: «мощно» скроенный, сложенный) with a heavy paunch (с «тяжелым» брюхом [po:nt∫]) almost concealed (почти скрытым) by his perfectly tailored suit (его превосходно сшитым костюмом [sju:t]). Hagen knew his history. At ten years of age Woltz had hustled empty beer kegs (катал бочки из-под пива; keg – бочонок /до 10 галлонов/; hustle [hLsl] – толкать, пихать, гнать вперед) and pushcarts (тележки: to push – толкать + cart – телега, повозка) on the East Side. At twenty he helped his father sweat garment workers (выжимать соки: «пот» из рабочих швейной промышленности; garment – одежда, предмет одежды). At thirty he had left New York and moved West, invested in the nickelodeon (вложил деньги в один из первых кинотеатров; nickelodeon – так назывались первые кинотеатры, в которых фильмы были лишь частью общего шоу и входная цена была 1 nickel = 5 cents) and pioneered motion pictures (и запустил кинопромышленность, стал одним из ее основателей). At forty-eight he had been the most powerful movie magnate in Hollywood, still rough-spoken (грубый в обращении), rapaciously amorous (алчный в любви; rapacious [r∂’peı∫∂s] – жадный, алчный; amorous [‘æm∂r∂s] – влюбчивый), a raging wolf (свирепствующий волк) ravaging helpless flocks of young starlets (пожирающий беззащитные стада молоденьких звездочек; to ravage ['rævıdG] – разорять, опустошать; грабить). At fifty he transformed himself (переменился). He took speech lessons (брал уроки дикции), learned how to dress from an English valet (у лакея, камердинера ['vælıt]) and how to behave socially (как вести себя в обществе: «общественно») from an English butler (у дворецкого, старшего лакея). When his first wife died he married a world-famous (на всемирно знаменитой) and beautiful actress who didn't like acting (которой не нравилось играть, сниматься). Now at the age of sixty he collected old master paintings (шедевры живописи), was a member of the President's Advisory Committee, and had set up a multimillion-dollar foundation (фонд) in his name to promote art in motion pictures (чтобы содействовать искусству в кино; to promote – выдвигать, продвигать; способствовать). His daughter had married an English lord, his son an Italian princess.

His latest passion (его последнее увлечение: «страсть»), as reported dutifully by every movie columnist in America (как старательно было сообщено каждым кинообозревателем; column [‘kol∂m] – колонна; колонка /обзор постоянного корреспондента/), was his own racing stables (собственные конюшни для беговых лошадей) on which he had spent ten million dollars in the past year. He had made headlines («сделал заголовки» = это было во всех газетных заголовках) by purchasing (тем, что приобрел, приобретя; to purchase [‘p∂:t∫∂s]) the famed English racing horse Khartoum for the incredible price of six hundred thousand dollars and then announcing (а затем заявил, заявив) that the undefeated racer (не знающий поражения скакун; defeat – поражение) would be retired (больше не будет принимать участия в скачках; to retire – уходить, удаляться; уйти на покой, на пенсию) and put to stud (и станет использоваться в качестве жеребца) exclusively for the Woltz stables.

He received Hagen courteously, his beautifully, evenly tanned (ровно загорелое), meticulously barbered face (тщательно выбритое лицо; meticulous [mı’tıkjul∂s] – мелочный, дотошный, тщательный) contorted with a grimace (исказилось гримасой) meant to be a smile (которая должна была означать улыбку). Despite all the money spent, despite the ministrations (несмотря на «оказания» помощи, услуг = несмотря на все старания) of the most knowledgeable technicians (наиболее опытных специалистов), his age showed (его возраст был виден, обнаруживал себя); the flesh of his face looked as if it had been seamed together (словно было сшито; seam – шов; to seam – соединять швом, сшивать). But there was an enormous vitality in his movements (огромная жизненная сила, энергия в его движениях) and he had what Don Corleone had, the air of a man who commanded absolutely the world in which he lived.

Jack Woltz was a tall, powerfully built man with a heavy paunch almost concealed by his perfectly tailored suit. Hagen knew his history. At ten years of age Woltz had hustled empty beer kegs and pushcarts on the East Side. At twenty he helped his father sweat garment workers. At thirty he had left New York and moved West, invested in the nickelodeon and pioneered motion pictures. At forty-eight he had been the most powerful movie magnate in Hollywood, still rough-spoken, rapaciously amorous, a raging wolf ravaging helpless flocks of young starlets. At fifty he transformed himself. He took speech lessons, learned how to dress from an English valet and how to behave socially from an English butler. When his first wife died he married a world-famous and beautiful actress who didn't like acting. Now at the age of sixty he collected old master paintings, was a member of the President's Advisory Committee, and had set up a multimillion-dollar foundation in his name to promote art in motion pictures. His daughter had married an English lord, his son an Italian princess.

His latest passion, as reported dutifully by every movie columnist in America, was his own racing stables on which he had spent ten million dollars in the past year. He had made headlines by purchasing the famed English racing horse Khartoum for the incredible price of six hundred thousand dollars and then announcing that the undefeated racer would be retired and put to stud exclusively for the Woltz stables.

He received Hagen courteously, his beautifully, evenly tanned, meticulously barbered face contorted with a grimace meant to be a smile. Despite all the money spent, despite the ministrations of the most knowledgeable technicians, his age showed; the flesh of his face looked as if it had been seamed together. But there was an enormous vitality in his movements and he had what Don Corleone had, the air of a man who commanded absolutely the world in which he lived.

Hagen came directly to the point (прямо перешел к сути дела, начал с самой сути). That he was an emissary (эмиссар, посланец ['emis∂rı]) from a friend of Johnny Fontane. That this friend was a very powerful man who would pledge his gratitude (готов поклясться, заверить в своей благодарности = гарантирует свою благодарность; to pledge – отдавать в залог; давать обет; связывать обещанием, клятвой) and undying friendship (и вечную: «неумирающую» дружбу) to Mr. Woltz if Mr. Woltz would grant a small favor (сделает небольшую любезность, удовлетворит просьбу; to grant – дарить, жаловать; предоставлять, удовлетворять). The small favor would be the casting of Johnny Fontane (предоставление роли; to cast – распределять роли) in the new war movie the studio planned to start next week.

The seamed face was impassive (бесстрастное), polite (вежливое). "What favors can your friend do me?" Woltz asked. There was just a trace of condescension in his voice (легкий след = оттенок снисходительности).

Hagen ignored the condescension. He explained. "You've got some labor trouble coming up (у вас назревает неприятность с профсоюзами). My friend can absolutely guarantee to make that trouble disappear. You have a top male star (у вас есть «главная мужская звезда») who makes a lot of money for your studio but he just graduated from marijuana to heroin (перешел; to graduate [‘grædju∂t] – прогрессировать, продвигаться вперед; переходить в другое состояние). My friend will guarantee that your male star won't be able to get any more heroin (не сможет больше достать). And if some other little things come up over the years (и если какие-либо другие мелочи возникнут с течением времени) a phone call to me can solve your problems (разрешить)."

Jack Woltz listened to this as if he were hearing the boasting of a child (словно он слушал похвальбу ребенка). Then he said harshly (резко, грубо), his voice deliberately all East Side (специально, нарочно с /крутым/ истсайдским акцентом /East Side – the eastern section of Manhattan, in New York City, lying to the east of Fifth Avenue/), "You trying to put muscle on me (пытаетесь = вздумали надавить на меня)?"

Hagen said coolly, "Absolutely not. I've come to ask a service for a friend. I've tried to explain that you won't lose anything by it (попытался объяснить, что вы ничего не потеряете на этом)."

Almost as if he willed it («почти как если бы он хотел этого» = с едва ли не напускным /гневом/), Woltz made his face a mask of anger. The mouth curled (губы скривились), his heavy brows (брови), dyed black (подкрашенные в черный цвет; to dye – красить, окрашивать), contracted (сдвинулись: «сократились») to form a thick line over his glinting eyes (чтобы образовать, образовав толстую /непрерывную/ линию над его засверкавшими глазами). He leaned over the desk toward Hagen. "All right, you smooth son of a bitch (гладенький, скользкий сукин сын; smooth [smu:ð] – гладкий, ровный; скользкий; вежливый, приятный), let me lay it on the line for you and your boss (позволь мне кое-что четко объяснить: «выложить на линию»), whoever he is. Johnny Fontane never gets that movie. I don't care how many guinea Mafia goombahs come out of the woodwork (сколько итальянских дружков появляются, возникают; woodwork – деревянные изделия; to come out of the woodwork – появляться, возникать; guinea – /сленг, презрит./ итальяшка; goombah – дружок, приятель /сленг, из итальянского/)." He leaned back. "A word of advice to you, my friend. J. Edgar Hoover, I assume (полагаю) you've heard of him" – Woltz smiled sardonically – "is a personal friend of mine. If I let him know I'm being pressured (что на меня оказывают давление, что меня шантажируют), you guys will never know what hit you (вам парням крышка: «никогда так и не узнаете, даже и не узнаете, что вас стукнуло»)."