The Godfather 教父 Chapter 2

Tom Hagen went to his law office in the city on Thursday morning. He planned to catch up on his paper work so as to have everything cleared away for the meeting with Virgil Sollozzo on Friday. A meeting of such importance that he had asked the Don for a full evening of talk to prepare for the proposition they knew Sollozzo would offer the family business. Hagen wanted to have all little details cleared away so that he could go to that preparatory meeting with an unencumbered mind., ,The Don had not seemed surprised when Hagen returned from California late Tuesday evening and told him the results of the negotiations ¹ with Woltz. He had made Hagen go over every detail and grimaced ³ with distaste when Hagen told about the beautiful little girl and her mother. He had murmured "infamita," his strongest disapproval ⁵. He had asked Hagen one final question. "Does this man have real balls?", ,Hagen considered exactly what the Don meant by this question. Over the years he had learned that the Don's values were so different from those of most people that his words also could have a different meaning. Did Woltz have character? Did he have a strong will? He most certainly did, but that was not what the Don was asking. Did the movie producer have the courage not to be bluffed ⁶? Did he have the willingness to suffer heavy financial loss delay on his movies would mean, the scandal of his big star exposed as a user of heroin ⁷? Again the answer was yes. But again this was not what the Don meant. Finally Hagen translated the question properly in his mind. Did Jack ⁸ Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?, , ,That had been all. The Don had pondered the question until the next day. On Wednesday afternoon he had called Hagen to his home and given him his instructions. The instructions had consumed the rest of Hagen's working day and left him dazed with admiration ¹⁰. There was no question in his mind that the Don had solved the problem, that Woltz would call him this morning with the news that Johnny Fontane had the starring part in his new war movie., ,At that moment the phone did ring but it was Amerigo Bonasera. The undertaker's voice was trembling with gratitude ¹¹. He wanted Hagen to convey to the Don his undying friendship. The Don had only to call on him. He, Amerigo Bonasera, would lay down his life for the blessed Godfather. Hagen assured him that the Don would be told., ,Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。,They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了 。