"I have one of those dignified corporate practices," Hagen said dryly. "I just handle this one account." He rose. "I won't take up any more of your time." He held out his hand, Woltz shook it. Hagen took a few steps toward the door and turned to face Woltz again. "I understand you have to deal with a lot of people who try to seem more important than they are. In my case the reverse is true. Why don't you check me out with our mutual friend? If you reconsider, call me at my hotel." He paused. "This may be sacrilege to you, but my client can do things for you that even Mr. Hoover might find out of his range." He saw the movie producer's eyes narrowing. Woltz was finally getting the message. "By the way, I admire your pictures very much," Hagen said in the most fawning voice he could manage. "I hope you can keep up the good work. Our country needs it."

“我曾经有过一段时间认真的执业律师经历，”黑根冷冰冰地说。“我只处理这一件事。”他占了起来。“我不占用你的时间了。”他伸出自己的手，沃尔兹和他握了握手。黑根向门口走了几步，又转过身面对沃尔兹。“我知道你要和很多使自己看起来十分重要的人打交道。但是在我的这件事里面情况恰恰相反。你为什么不和我们共同的朋友好好的查查我的底细？如果你肯重新考虑，打我旅馆的电话。”他停顿了一下。“这可能使你觉得冒犯了，但是我的老板可以为你做到胡佛先生做不到的事情。”他看到这个电影制作人的眼睛变得窄了。沃尔兹终于理解了是怎么一回事了。“顺便说一句，我非常喜欢你的电影，”黑根以自己力所能及的讨好的语气说。“我希望你能够再出好电影。我们的国家需要它。”

Late that afternoon Hagen received a call from the producer's secretary that a car would pick him up within the hour to take him out to Mr. Woltz's country home for dinner. She told him it would be about a three-hour drive but that the car was equipped with a bar and some hors d'oeuvres. Hagen knew that Woltz made the trip in his private plane and wondered why he hadn't been invited to make the trip by air. The secretary's voice was adding politely, "Mr. Woltz suggested you bring an overnight bag and he'll get you to the airport in the morning."

那天下午比较晚的时候，黑根从那个电影制片人的秘书那里接到一个电话，说一个小时之内会有一辆车会到他的旅馆把他接到沃尔兹先生的乡村别墅那里共进晚餐。她告诉黑根，车子要开三个小时，但是车上有一个小酒吧和一些开胃小菜。黑根知道自己受到了沃尔兹的私人邀请，但是不明白为什么请他做飞机过去。那个秘书还彬彬有礼地说，“沃尔兹先生建议你带着过夜的小包，明天早晨他会送你到机场。”

"I'll do that," Hagen said. That was another thing to wonder about. How did Woltz know he was taking the morning plane back to New York? He thought about it for a mo­ment. The most likely explanation was that Woltz had set private detectives on his trail to get all possible information. Then Woltz certainly knew he represented the Don, which meant that he knew something about the Don, which in turn meant that he was now ready to take the whole matter seriously. Something might be done after all, Hagen thought. And maybe Woltz was smarter than he had appeared this morning.

“好的，”黑根说。那是另一件值得思考的事情。沃尔兹怎么知道他明天早晨要坐飞机回纽约？他想了一会儿。最好的解释就是，他派人跟踪了黑根，并且把他的底细查的一清二楚了。那也就意味着他知道了他是替老爷子办事的，意味着他对老爷子有些了解了，这就说明他要好好的认真对待整件事情了。黑根想，或者这件事就可以做成了。并且，或者沃尔兹比他今天造成表现的要聪明一些。

**********

The home of Jack Woltz looked like an implausible movie set. There was a plantation-type mansion, huge grounds girdled by a rich black-dirt bridle path, stables and pasture for a herd of horses. The hedges, flower beds and grasses were as carefully manicured as a movie star's nails.

杰克·沃尔兹的家看起来像是一个不太令人相信的电影背景。那里有一座园林式的大厦，大片的被黑色跑马道围绕的土地，还有马厩以及饲养马匹的牧地。那些篱笆，花床以及草地被照料的非常仔细，就像是电影明星的指甲那么仔细。

Woltz greeted Hagen on a glass-paneled air-conditioned porch. The producer was informally dressed in blue silk shirt open at the neck, mustard-colored slacks, soft leather sandals. Framed in all this color and rich fabric his seamed, tough face was startling. He handed Hagen an outsized martini glass and took one for himself from the prepared tray. He seemed more friendly than he had been earlier in the day. He put his arm over Hagen's shoulder and said, "We have a little time before dinner, let's go look at my horses." As they walked toward the stables he said, "I checked you out, Tom; you should have told me your boss is Corleone. I thought you were just some third-rate hustler Johnny was running in to bluff me. And I don't bluff. Not that I want to make enemies, I never believed in that. But let's just enjoy ourselves now. We can talk business after dinner."

沃尔兹在一个装饰着玻璃的、有空调的门廊那里迎接了黑根。这个电影制作人穿着很正式的蓝色丝衬衫，芥末色的长裤以及柔软的羽毛拖鞋。穿着这种颜色以及做工的衣服，他那张强硬的脸显得很不协调。他从早已经准备好的餐盘上面给黑根一杯特别大的马提尼，自己也拿了一杯。现在他似乎看起来比那天早些时候要有好的多了。他把手靠在黑根的肩膀上说，“我们还要一会儿才吃饭，我带你去看看我的马去。”在走向马厩的路上他说，“我已经把你调查清楚了，汤姆；你应该告诉我你老板是科里昂的。我以为你只是那个约翰尼找来的一个来吓唬我的不入流的骗子呢。我不会受骗的。不是因为我想要找敌人，我从来不信那个的。现在让我们好好的乐一乐吧。我们饭后再谈论公事。”

Surprisingly Woltz proved to be a truly considerate host. He explained his new methods, innovations that he hoped would make his stable the most successful in America. The stables were all fire-proofed, sanitized to the highest degree, and guarded by a special security detail of private detectives. Finally Woltz led him to a stall which had a huge bronze plaque attached to its outside wall. On the plaque was the name "Khartoum."

让人吃惊的是，沃尔兹居然是一个真正的思考周到的主人。他解释了他的方法，革新，而且他希望通过这些他来做到美国最成功的马厩。那些马厩都是防火的，尽可能的做到清洁，并且由私家侦探做了最严实的保密防卫措施。最后沃尔兹把他带到一个外墙上挂着很大的铜牌的马厩，上面写着，“可哈托姆”。

The horse inside the stall was, even to Hagen's inexperienced eyes, a beautiful animal. Khartoum's skin was jet black except for a diamond-shaped white patch on his huge forehead. The great brown eyes glinted like golden apples, the black skin over the taut body was silk. Woltz said with childish pride, "The greatest racehorse in the world. I bought him in England last year for six hundred grand. I bet even the Russian Czars never paid that much for a single horse. But I'm not going to race him, I'm going to put him to stud. I'm going to build the greatest racing stable this country has ever known." He stroked the horse's mane and called out softly, "Khartoum, Khartoum." There was real love in his voice and the animal responded. Woltz said to Hagen, "I'm a good horseman, you know, and the first time I ever rode I was fifty years old." He laughed. "Maybe one of my grandmothers in Russia got raped by a Cossack and I got his blood." He tickled Khartoum's belly and said with sincere admiration, "Look at that cock on him. I should have such a cock."

里面那匹马在黑根这种没有经验的人看来都是十分的漂亮。可哈托姆除了前额上面的那个钻石形的白色小块之外，通体乌黑。那个棕色的眼睛就像是金苹果似的闪烁，紧绷的身体上面的皮就像是丝绸。沃尔兹像孩子似的说，“这是世界上最伟大的赛马。我去年在英格兰花了六十万才买到的。我敢打赌，即使俄国沙皇也没有在马上面花那么多的钱。但是我不要他参加竞赛，我要他做种马。我要建立这个国家最好的赛马场。他轻抚那匹马的鬃毛，轻轻地呼喊，“可哈托姆，可哈托姆。”在他的声音里面充满了爱，马也有了回应。沃尔兹对黑跟说，“你知道，我是一个很好的马师。我第一次骑马的时候才十五岁。”他笑了笑，“或许我的一个祖母在俄国被人强奸了然后我才有了哥萨克的血液。”他挠了挠可哈托姆的肚子，由衷地赞美说，“看他那家伙，我应该也有一根的。”

They went back to the mansion to have dinner. It was served by three waiters under the command of a butler, the table linen and ware were all gold thread and silver, but Hagen found the food mediocre. Woltz obviously lived alone, and just as obviously was not a man who cared about food. Hagen waited until they had both lit up huge Havana cigars before he asked Woltz, "Does Johnny get it or not?"

他们回到大厦里面去用餐了，由三个在男管家支配下的佣人服侍。桌子上铺着镶金线的亚麻桌布，餐具都是银的。但是黑根觉得食物也就那样。很明显沃尔兹是一个人过的，而且肯定是一个对食物不怎么挑剔的人。黑根一直等到他们都点燃哈瓦那雪茄之后才问到，“约翰尼可以得到那个工作吗？”

"I can't," Woltz said. "I can't put Johnny into that picture even if I wanted to. The contracts are all signed for all the performers and the cameras roll next week. There's no way I can swing it."

“不行，”沃尔兹说。“即使我想我也不能把约翰尼加到那部电影里。所有演员的合同都已经签好了，下周电影就要开拍了。我办不成这件事。”

Hagen said impatiently, "Mr. Woltz, the big advantage of dealing with a man at the top is that such an excuse is not valid. You can do anything you want to do." He puffed on his cigar. "Don't you believe my client can keep his promises?"

黑根不耐烦地说，“沃尔兹先生，和一个有权有势的人打交道这样一个借口是无效的。你可以做任何你想做的事情。”他吐了一口烟，“难道你不相信我的老板会保持承诺？”

Woltz said dryly, "I believe that I'm going to have labor trouble. Goff called me up on that, the son of a bitch, and the way he talked to me you'd never guess I pay him a hundred grand a year under the table. And I believe you can get that fag he-man star of mine off heroin. But I don't care about that and I can finance my own pictures. Because I hate that bastard Fontane. Tell your boss this is one favor I can't give but that he should try me again on anything else. Anything at all."

沃尔兹冷冰冰地说，“我相信我会遇到罢工的威胁。高夫跟我说过这件事了，这个婊子养的，从他说话的口气你简直看不出来我每年都暗中付给他十万美元。我也相信你可以让我那个不争气的男明星远离海洛因。但是我不在乎，我可以自己支撑起来自己的电影。因为我恨方亭那个混蛋。告诉你老板这个忙我怎么都不会帮的，他可以拿任何事情来找我。任何事情我都来者不拒。”

Hagen thought, you sneaky bastard, then why the hell did you bring me all the way out here? The producer had some­thing on his mind. Hagen said coldly, "I don't think you understand the situation. Mr. Corleone is Johnny Fontane's godfather. That is a very close, a very sacred religious relationship." Woltz bowed his head in respect at this reference to religion. Hagen went on. "Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have godfathers. Since Johnny's father died, Mr. Corleone feels his responsibility even more deeply. As for trying you again, Mr. Corleone is much too sensitive. He never asks a second favor where he has been refused the first."

黑根想，你这个狡猾的混蛋，那干什么要把我带到这个地方来？这家伙脑袋里面还是有些想法的。他冷冷地说，“我认为你没有完全理解目前的形式。科里昂先生是约翰尼·方亭的教父。这是一种非常亲近非常神圣的宗教的关系。”沃尔兹在黑根提到宗教的时候深深的低了一下头。黑根接着说，“意大利人有个小笑话。就是这个世界太残酷了，一个人需要有两个父亲来照顾他，这也是他们为什么要教父的原因。因为约翰尼的父亲已经去世了，科里昂先生觉得自己的责任更加的重了。至于你说的其他的事情，科里昂先生太敏感了。如果有个人拒绝他一次，他永远不会再求那个人第二次的。”

Woltz shrugged. "I'm sorry. The answer is still no. But since you're here, what will it cost me to have that labor trouble cleared up? In cash. Right now."

沃尔兹耸了耸肩。“很抱歉。答案依然是不。但是既然你来了，用什么方法可以是那个罢工的麻烦消失？用现金，就现在。”

That solved one puzzle for Hagen. Why Woltz was putting in so much time on him when he had already decided not to give Johnny the part. And that could not be changed at this meeting. Woltz felt secure; he was not afraid of the power of Don Corleone. And certainly Woltz with his national political connections, his acquaintanceship with the FBI chief, his huge personal fortune and his absolute power in the film industry, could not feel threatened by Don Corleone. To any intelligent man, even to Hagen, it seemed that Woltz had correctly assessed his position. He was impregnable to the Don if he was willing to take the losses the labor struggle would cost. There was only one thing wrong with the whole equation. Don Corleone had promised his godson he would get the part and Don Corleone had never, to Hagen's knowledge, broken his word in such matters.

这解释了黑跟单的一个疑惑。既然沃尔兹已经决定要拒绝给约翰尼那个职位，并且这个决定也没有办法在这次会见改变，为什么还要在他身上花费那么多的时间呢？沃尔兹觉得很安全，他不怕唐·科里昂的势力。当然，凭借着他和国家级政界的关系，他和FBI头头的关系，他的巨额私人财产和他在电影界的绝对地位根本没有必要感觉被唐·科里昂的威胁。对任何有点头脑的人来说，甚至在黑根看来，沃尔兹都十分正确地评价了自己的地位。他如果甘愿承受罢工带来的损失的话，唐·科里昂是没有办法拿他怎么样的。整件事里面只有一件事情不对。唐·科里昂已经对自己的教子做出了承诺，而且就黑根所知，他从来都没有让自己的教子失望过。

Hagen said quietly, "You are deliberately misunderstanding me. You are trying to make me an accomplice to extortion. Mr. Corleone promises only to speak in your favor on this labor trouble as a matter of friendship in return for your speaking in behalf of his client. A friendly exchange of influence, nothing more. But I can see you don't take me seriously. Personally, I think that is a mistake."

黑根静静地说，“你在故意曲解我的意思。你在故意使我成为一个勒索的帮凶。科里昂先生承诺会给你解决这次的佣工危机，如果你先给他解决他的事情的话，这是对你的友谊的一种回报。这是一种影响的交换，没有别的意思。但是我能看出来，你根本不把我当回事。就我个人来看，这是个错误的做法。”

Woltz, as if he had been waiting for such a moment, let himself get angry. "I understood perfectly," he said. "That's the Mafia style, isn't is? All olive oil and sweet talk when what you're really doing is making threats. So let me lay it on the line. Johnny Fonfane will never get that part and he's perfect for it. It would make him a great star. But he never will be because I hate that pinko punk and I'm going to run him out of the movies. And I'll tell you why. He ruined one of my most valuable protégées. For five years I had this girl under training, singing, dancing, acting lessons, I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was going to make her a star. I'll be even more frank, just to show you that I'm not a hard-hearted man, that it wasn't all dollars and cents. That girl was beautiful and she was the greatest piece of ass I've ever had and I've had them all over the world. She could suck you out like a water pump. Then Johnny comes along with that olive-oil voice and guinea charm and she runs off. She threw it all away just to make me ridiculous. A man in my position, Mr. Hagen, can't afford to look ridiculous. I have to pay Johnny off."

沃尔兹像是在等着这个时刻似的变得极为生气了。“我非常理解，”他说。“那是黑手党的行事方式，不是吗？当你们真正做的事情威胁到别人的时候，那些橄榄油和甜食生意就可以给你们找到接口了。我还是说明白吧。约翰尼·方亭永远也别想得到那份他非常适合的角色的。那样他会成为一个巨星。但是因为有我在，他永远都别想，因为我要把那个小无赖永远的赶出电影界。我会告诉你为什么。他毁了我最有希望的一个女明星。五年来，我让她学习训练、唱歌、跳舞和表演，我花了无数的钱和精力。我要让她成为一个明星。我会更加直接的告诉你，好让你知道我不是一个只认钱的人，我不是一个硬心肠的人。那个女孩非常漂亮，是我最在这个世界上最珍惜的珍宝。她能让你像一个水泵喷水那样心潮澎湃。然后呢，约翰尼那个家伙带着他那橄榄油腔的嗓音和意大利魅力把她迷住了，她跟他跑了。她头也不回的跑了，搞得我灰头土脸的。黑根先生，像我这样的一个人是无法承担看起来可笑的。我一定要报复约翰尼。”