The Godfather 教父

Scene 6: 教父伤愈复出，安排各家族间和解。电影中，他的大儿子桑尼在派系冲突中被谋杀了。他的迈克小儿子杀人复仇之后离开美国，远避意大利。这里老教父以永不为大儿子报仇为条件，要求在座的所有人不伤害小儿子迈克。

DON CORLEONE: Don Barzini, I want to thank you for helping me organize this – meeting here today. And also the other heads of the Five Families – New York and New Jersey. Carmine Corleone from the Bronx – and ah – Brooklyn – Philip Tattaglia.  An' from Staten Island, we have with us Victor Strachi. And all the other associates that came as far as from California, and Kansas City, and all the other territories of the country – thank you.

How did things ever get so far? I don't know. It was so – unfortunate – so unnecessary. Tattaglia lost a son – and I lost a son. We're quits. And if Tattaglia agrees, then I'm willing to – let things go on the way they were before...

 

BARZINI: We're all grateful to Don Corleone for calling this meeting. We all know him as a man of his word – a modest man – he'll always listen to reason...

 

TATTAGLIA: Yes, Don Barzini – he's too modest. He had all the judges and politicians in his pocket. He refused to share them...

 

DON CORLEONE: When – when did I ever refuse an accommodation? All of you know me here – when did I ever refuse? – except one time. And why? Because – I believe this drug business – is gonna destroy us in the years to come. I mean, it's not like gambling or liquor – even women – which is something that most people want nowadays, and is ah forbidden to them by the pezzonovante of the Church. Even the police departments that've helped us in the past with gambling and other things are gonna refuse to help us when in comes to narcotics. And I believed that – then – and I believe that now.

 

BARZINI: Times have changed. It's not like the Old Days – when we can do anything we want. A refusal is not the act of a friend. If Don Corleone had all the judges, and the politicians in New York, then he must share them, or let us others use them. He must let us draw the water from the well. Certainly he can – present a bill for such services; after all – we are not Communists.

 

ZALUCHI: I also don't believe in drugs. For years I paid my people extra so they wouldn't do that kind of business .Somebody comes to them and says, "I have powders; if you put up three, four thousand dollar investment – we can make fifty thousand distributing." So they can't resist. I want to control it as a business, to keep it respectable.

I don't want it near schools – I don't want it sold to children! That's an infamia. In my city, we would keep the traffic in the dark people – the colored. They're animals anyway, so let them lose their souls...

 

DON CORLEONE: I hoped that we would come here and reason together. And as a reasonable man I'm willing to do whatever's necessary to – find a peaceful solution to these problems...

 

BARZINI: Then we are agreed. The traffic in drugs will be permitted, but controlled – and Don Corleone will give up protection in the East – and there will be the peace.

 

TATTAGLIA: But I must have strict assurance from Corleone – as time goes by and his position becomes stronger, will he attempt any individual vendetta?

 

BARZINI: Look – we are all reasonable men here; we don't have to give assurances as if we were lawyers...

 

DON CORLEONE: You talk about vengeance – is vengeance gonna bring your son back to you? Or my boy to me? I forgo the vengeance of my son – But I have selfish reasons. My youngest son – was forced to leave this country because of this Sollozzo business. All right – and I have to make arrangements to bring him back here safely – cleared of all these false charges. But I'm a superstitious man – and if some unlucky accident should befall him – if he should get shot in the head by a police officer – or if he – should hang himself in his jail cell – or if he's struck by a bolt of lightning – then I'm going to blame some of the people in this room. And that, I do not forgive.

But – that aside – let me say that I swear on the souls of my grandchildren – that I will not be the one to break the peace that we have made here today...

 

Task 1:Fill in the blanks of the scene

【Missing Words from the Scene】

listen to reason

in the years to come

Times have changed

Communists

resist

as a reasonable man

assurance

break the peace

Task 2:Questions are based on the scene above

1.Give the name of the son that Don Corleone has already lost.

2.Quote onr line spoken by Don Corleone that indicates he is opposed to drug dealing and why.

3.Zaluchi wants the drug traffic to be controlled. To whom would be not want to sell heroin?

4.Tattaglia uses the Italian word “vendetta”. Work out from the context what English woud means the same.

5.There are two parts to the arrangement that is reached. One is that Don Corleone will give up protection in the East. What is the other?

6.If harm should come to Michael when he returns from Sicily to Us, who will Don Corleone hold responsible?

【Keys & References】

1.Sonny

2.I believe this drug business is gonna destory us in the years to come.

3.To children.

4.Revenge.

5.Controlled trafficking in drugs will be allowed.

6.The people in the room.

Task 3:Language Notes

vengeance  n. 复仇，报仇	charge  n. 控诉，加罪于	superstitious  a. 迷信的
befall  v. 遭遇，加于	jail  n. 监狱	cell  n. （监狱里的）单人牢房
bolt  n. 闪电	forgive  v. 原谅，饶恕，宽免	swear on  v. 凭……发誓

1.How did things ever go so far? 事情发展怎么会偏离这么远呢？

2.we are quits.我们彼此两清。

3.a man of his word:言而有信的人