In some matters the Consigliori had to act for his Don in a more open way and yet not involve his principal. Hagen was flying to Califomia on just such a matter. He realized that his career as Consigliori would be seriously affected by the success or failure of this mission. By family business standards whether Johnny Fontane got his coveted part in the war movie, or did not, was a minor matter. Far more important was the meeting Hagen had set up with Virgil Sollozzo the following Friday. But Hagen knew that to the Don, both were of equal importance, which settled the matter for any good Consigliori.
The piston plane (самолет с поршневым двигателем; piston [‘pıst∂n] – поршень) shook Tom Hagen's already nervous insides («и без того уже нервные внутренности») and he ordered a martini from the hostess to quiet them (заказал у стюардессы мартини, чтобы их успокоить; hostess ['h∂ustıs] – хозяйка; стюардесса; официантка). Both the Don and Johnny had briefed him on the character of the movie producer, Jack Woltz (вкратце рассказали ему, инструктировали его по поводу характера кинопродюсера). From everything that Johnny said, Hagen knew he would never be able to persuade Woltz (никогда, ни за что не сможет убедить [p∂’sweıd]). But he also had no doubt whatsoever (вовсе никакого сомнения) that the Don would keep his promise to Johnny. His own role was that of negotiator and contact (его ролью была роль посредника).
Lying back in his seat, Hagen went over all the information given to him that day. Jack Woltz was one of the three most important movie producers in Hollywood, owner of his own studio with dozens of stars under contract (с дюжинами звезд «под контрактом»). He was on the President of the United States' Advisory Council for War Information (он был членом Президентского консультативного совета по вопросам военной информации; аdvisory [∂’dvaız∂rı] – совещательный), Cinematic Division (Отдел киноискусства), which meant simply (что просто означало) that he helped make propaganda movies. He had had dinner at the White House. He had entertained J. Edgar Hoover in his Hollywood home (принимал, угощал). But none of this was as impressive as it sounded (но ничто из этого не было таким впечатляющим, как казалось: «звучало»). They were all official relationships (все это были официальные связи). Woltz didn't have any personal political power, mainly (в основном) because he was an extreme reactionary (крайне реакционен, крайним реакционером; extreme [ıkstri:m]), partly (отчасти) because he was a megalomaniac (страдал манией величия) who loved to wield power wildly (который любил полновластно, самодурно: «дико» распоряжаться своей властью; to wield – уметь обращаться; иметь в своем распоряжении, владеть) without regard to the fact (не обращая внимания на то) that by so doing (что, оттого что он так делал: «так делая») legions of enemies sprang up out of the ground (легионы врагов вырастали из земли /как грибы/).
Hagen sighed. There would be no way to "handle" Jack Woltz (справиться, управиться /путем переговоров/). He opened his briefcase (портфель) and tried to get some paper work done (попытался сделать кое-какую бумажную работу), but he was too tired. He ordered another martini and reflected on his life (стал размышлять). He had no regrets (сожалений), indeed he felt that he had been extremely lucky. Whatever the reason (какая бы на то ни была причина = как бы то ни было), the course he had chosen ten years ago had proved to be right for him (курс, путь, образ действия оказался верен, подходящ для него). He was successful, he was as happy as any grown man could reasonably expect (наскольку зрелый мужчина может «разумно ожидать»), and he found life interesting.
The piston plane shook Tom Hagen's already nervous insides and he ordered a martini from the hostess to quiet them. Both the Don and Johnny had briefed him on the character of the movie producer, Jack Woltz. From everything that Johnny said, Hagen knew he would never be able to persuade Woltz. But he also had no doubt whatsoever that the Don would keep his promise to Johnny. His own role was that of negotiator and contact.
Lying back in his seat, Hagen went over all the information given to him that day. Jack Woltz was one of the three most important movie producers in Hollywood, owner of his own studio with dozens of stars under contract. He was on the President of the United States' Advisory Council for War Information, Cinematic Division, which meant simply that he helped make propaganda movies. He had had dinner at the White House. He had entertained J. Edgar Hoover in his Hollywood home. But none of this was as impressive as it sounded. They were all official relationships. Woltz didn't have any personal political power, mainly because he was an extreme reactionary, partly because he was a megalomaniac who loved to wield power wildly without regard to the fact that by so doing legions of enemies sprang up out of the ground.
Hagen sighed. There would be no way to "handle" Jack Woltz. He opened his briefcase and tried to get some paper work done, but he was too tired. He ordered another martini and reflected on his life. He had no regrets, indeed he felt that he had been extremely lucky. Whatever the reason, the course he had chosen ten years ago had proved to be right for him. He was successful, he was as happy as any grown man could reasonably expect, and he found life interesting.
Tom Hagen was thirty-five years old, a tall crew-cut man (подстриженный ежиком), very slender (стройный, тонкий), very ordinary-looking (самой обыкновенной внешности). He was a lawyer (адвокатом) but did not do the actual detailed legal work for the Corleone family business (но не занимался собственно судебной практикой) though he had practiced law for three years after passing the bar exam (хотя и работал по профессии: «в юридической области» после сдачи экзамена на адвоката; bar – юридическая деятельность; адвокат).
At the age of eleven he had been a playmate of eleven-year-old Sonny Corleone (товарищ по играм). Hagen's mother had gone blind (ослепла) and then died during his eleventh year. Hagen's father, a heavy drinker, had become a hopeless drunkard (превратился в безнадежного пьяницу). A hard-working carpenter (трудяга-плотник), he had never done a dishonest thing in his life (ни разу не совершил ничего нечестного). But his drinking destroyed his family (но его пьянство разрушило его семью) and finally killed him. Tom Hagen was left an orphan (был оставлен сиротой) who wandered the streets and slept in hallways (в проходах, коридорах). His younger sister had been put in a foster home (была отдана в приют; to foster – воспитывать, растить), but in the 1920's the social agencies did not follow up cases of twelve-year-old boys (не занимались делами; to follow up – упорно, энергично преследовать; доводить до конца) who were so ungrateful as to run from their charity (которые были настолько неблагодарны, что сбежали от их милосердия, благотворительности [‘t∫ærıtı]). Hagen, too, had an eye infection. Neighbors whispered that he had caught (заразился: «подхватил»; to catch) or inherited it from his mother (или унаследовал), and so therefore it could be caught from him (поэтому это может быть подхвачено от него = от него можно заразиться). He was shunned (его избегали, обходили стороной, остерегались: «он был избегаем»; to shun). Sonny Corleone, a warmhearted and imperious (властный [ım'pı∂rı∂s]) eleven-year-old, had brought his friend home and demanded that he be taken in (потребовал, чтобы его приняли: «чтобы он был принят, впущен»; to demand [dimα:nd]). Tom Hagen was given a hot dish of spaghetti (ему дали порцию: «блюдо» горячих спагетти) with oily rich tomato sauce, the taste of which he had never forgotten, and then given a metal folding bed to sleep on (раскладушку; to fold – складывать).